Jonathan Harnum's Blog, page 16
November 6, 2020
Funny: The “Magic” Chord Progression
Warning: there are a couple eff-bombs in there.
October 30, 2020
October 24, 2020
July 24, 2020
Do Vonnegut’s Creativity Assignment.
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write a famous author and ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to respond. Here’s his reply:
“Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and Congiusta:I thank you for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.
What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.
Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?
Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash recepticals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow.God bless you all!
Kurt Vonnegut
March 13, 2020
Conga Diddles: Johnny Conga’s Excellent Conga Exercises
Johnny Conga has some great stuff for any conga player, like this gem below. It’s simple, but it ain’t easy!
In The Practice of Practice, I recommend taking up a drum. It’s great for your rhythm skills, it’s fun, and if you’re a piano player, a hand drum is a lot more portable!
Billie Eilish: Carpool Karaoke
I loved what she said about “just messing around” with her music as it relates to practice.
She and her brother were allowed to stay up as late as they wanted as long as they were making music. 
Play better than ever with these 5 essential guitar warm-up exercises
Gypsy jazz guitar master Stéphane Wrembel offers some terrific exercises that will help you develop fret-hand strength. He makes them look easy!
Stephane also had some great practice advice included in The Practice of Practice.
Source: Play better than ever with these 5 essential guitar warm-up exercises | Guitar World
January 31, 2020
More Than Keeping Time: A Melodic Drumming Demo : NPR
Allison Miller was one of many master musicians who shared their experience of practice for my book, The Practice of Practice. (full list here). Allison mentioned that, in addition to hitting her fundmentals and all the “usual” practice stuff, she also made time to go into a room with her drums and just play. That has stuck with me. All work and no play, etc. etc.
Drummers usually make sure beats don’t speed up or slow down. But drummer Allison Miller does more than keep time. Watch a demonstration of her unique style of playing called melodic drumming, and check out her use of new tech to increase her melodic capability.
Source: More Than Keeping Time: A Melodic Drumming Demo : NPR
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