Twenty-one.

This last week (19/9 to 25/9) I have done 21 hours of violin practice. In my entire life it is the most music practice I have done in one week. I must point out too that it has been serious, concentrated practice and not just watching the clock.

I'm not interested in practising what they call Classical music. Music that allows a chance for improvisation is my thing. Many years ago (think 1970s) I studied Serial music that was written by guys like Anton Webern. The idea was to use tone rows that contained every note, for example, C  Ab  B  C#  D#  A  G  F  Bb  G# D  E. Hey, I just made that one up to show you. The music was 'way out there' and had little chance of becoming pop music (ha, ha), like John Cage's 4'33, but it was pushing the boundaries. 

Think of the curved structure at the top of this post. 

Imagine that, at the highest part (in the middle), we have pop music and other popular styles that most people are comfortable with. Right out at the bottom ends we have more 'crazy' stuff, music that may even annoy a lot of people, like those two 'husbands' I talked about in my last post. Let's call them Dave and Tony.* Whatever happens at both ends is pushing the boundaries and may even affect what is happening in the middle (over a period of time). I believe that what happens at those bottom ends are important - that's often where change starts.

The music I love to play generally gives space to use all 12 tempered musical notes. If you're playing in a major or minor key, seven of them are going to be pretty safe choices. The other five may provide various levels of 'tension'. Used in the right place, a bit of tension can make music more interesting. Hey, that's why a lot of Classical music has a development section. If you don't know, a Classical sonata normally is made up of three sections - Exposition, Development, Recapitulation. The three words really speak for themselves. 

Yes, I'm really talking about a bell curve.

It really applies to a lot of things in life. For example, it could apply to people going to church and how committed they really are. Do they have nudging doubts? Well, they won't be in the middle. It could apply to the best type of ship to build. I'm sure that the list of examples goes on, and on.

As usual, I read Robert's post when I woke up. There is almost never a new post, in the morning, on Peter's blog. Robert's new post? Same shit, different day? Hey, I wouldn't be that mean! He can write whatever he likes.

Well, that's my lot for this morning.

Sii gentile.

* That's their real names.