nagado bachi (usually larger diameter, harder "kashi" wood)
earplugs
Stretch
The One: A look at soloing!
This class is going to be more like a workshop rather than a "song learning" course. Come with an open mind and try out these methods on how to view and construct a solo with your taiko abilities. All I ask is try, it maybe out of your comfort zone at first but you may find that you had more untapped potential than you realize! This class is a safe space where students are encouraged to take risks and be bold with their choices and push the limits of their comfort zones. With these tools, my hope is that the soloing process will be less daunting and something that you look forward to rather than dread, it can be fun and liberating! After this 3 day course we may not be amazing soloists yet, but with practice and the more experience you have soloing the easier it will become.
(also feel free to bring any of these soloing drills to your respective groups! share the knowledge or invite them to take this course too!)
A few thoughts on my philosophy to soloing...
"It is all about balance. When you are starting out with soloing ideas, try not to do too much at once. If you are doing a big movement try less beats. If something really rhythmic try less movement. Practice the move if you want it to be both beaty and movementy". I think sometimes when players start out soloing they try to do too much. Do a little bit at a time and it will come together. If you want something that has big movement and lots of beats, practice it over and over again so you can execute it cleanly if you can't think about what might need to change to make it happen.
"When thinking of movement, think of how you will enter the movement, complete the movement and then exit out of the movement. Depending on where your arms are going will dictate what you'll be able to play". Sometimes you will have to make split time decisions during your solo and you will just have to do what feels right. If you left hand is not in a place to strike the drum to make a good sound, don't do it. If you right is going to collide with your head if you try to strike, don't do it. Ending in movements where your arms are up is a great way to lead into the next strike. Also think about different planes of the body and where those kinds of movement can take you.
....more Doug Solosophies to come in the future!
Our focus this session was movement and thinking what kind of movements we can do. Solos can be both musical and visual and there are lots of opportunities of what we can do.
Our first activity ice breaker was to try to use our voices to convey our solo. Using kuchishoga or scatting we sang our solos to get out of our comfort zones and did a little movement if we felt it and then sent it to another person in the circle. We sometimes fade away behind the drum so by having energy and great stage presence we can coexist with the drum. Be the focus, not the drum!
Our first activity was to cover types of movement while drumming, there are sharp movements (points, extensions) and rounded movements (arm circles or swings, slow motion moves). We had a little freedom time to just play around and see moves that we like. Sometimes we just need to take time to try out movement to see moves that fit our bodies and feel comfortable or shapes that we like. Taking time to just try things out is essential to the creative process. If ideas don't work, don't quit on it, try out a different entrance, try out a different ending, analyze to see what isn't working and try to see how you can make it work.
Our next activity we worked in pairs and tried to do our own choreography to a rhythm that had a very few beats so most of the time is spent doing the movement. We shared the ideas which were all great and creative. Some movement was smooth and slow while others were sharp. I liked how we collaborated and willing to try out ideas. Well done.
We also did a building idea, sometimes to add movement and excitement in our solo's an easy thing to do is a "build". This can be a line that is repeated that might change by getting louder each time, it can be something less beaty to more beaty, something with little kata to more kata. There are multiple ways this can be done. This idea can help us lead out of a solo or reach the climax of the solo. This will be helpful as we work on structuring and storytelling in our solo.
Clean Up
Aisatsu
Extra Notes
If you have any questions or need any clarifications feel free to email me or message here!
