I've been making small progress, but progress nonetheless. Over the long weekend, I sat down and began to dissect the chorus. It doesn't seem too difficult yet. I am however taking baby steps and learning the song part by part one hand at a time. I also briefly looked over the verses and to my advantage, it looks as if most of the notes repeat themselves in the same sequence, so once I get one part down, I've got more than just that one part of the song done.
Something that I've really been contemplating is Jay Z's part in the song. I know they're the dynamic duo when they're together, but if we're being completely honest, Queen B's spotlight is so much brighter than that of her husband. Because of this, I'm contemplating how and if I should remove his part. Drunk in love is a pretty long song and I don't think cutting out on verse would take away from my overall performance. Also, I'm pretty sure most people are only concerned with the parts of the song B sings.
The only problem with this is I'm not entirely sure how to take away notes without throwing off the whole melody of the song. I don't want to just stop out of nowhere and be like "surprise I'm done, now clap for me because this took an entire semester to accomplish" but I don't know how to omit verses from songs and pick up afterwards without it sounding choppy and awkward. I would ask my mentor, but my mom is not a skilled musician. She just loves playing piano and is blessed with an incredible talent. There may be more experienced musicians in my community, however. There are people at church that I could ask for advice, and I'm sure there are even some people here that could help. I've never really talked to the music teachers here, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to see if they had any advice.
Piano is a really great instrument, and i love it so much.I tried playing it few months ago and i was so excited to learn , but i found it challenging, i learned how to play Happy Birthday and that was pretty much it. Piano needs a lot of practice and you should take it step by step, also youtube has very helpful videos that can help you to even practice more, i think that this project is great and wish you the best of luck!
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my childhood, I really wish I hadn't quit piano because it hurt my fingers. Now, when I hear people playing, it sounds so sweet to me; I love the passion, thought, and movement put into playing piano. There seems to be so much more to it than just the pretty tune we hear. So, I really hope you get good at piano, and even better, you are playing "Druken Love." You picked Queen B, yay! Tha is enough inspiration right there; go Lauren, and go Beyonce. I hope you are learning enuoght to play other things as well, and I can't wait to hear you play "Drunken Love" for us; it will be great!
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the semester, I debated learning how to play piano for my 20% time project, and even though I chose to do something else, it's cool to see someone else working toward that goal! "Drunk in Love" seems like a pretty difficult song to master, and it's impressive that you've taken it on for the semester. That muscle memory you talked about will definitely come in handy with the chorus when you're playing the same loop of notes over and over. Best of luck with the rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteI love the song choice! It's great that you've picked a topic you're passionate about. I would reccomend removing Jay Z's part, and a good way to end the song would be to take the last few notes of the measure and just slow them down to sound like a soft and clear ending. It'll be exciting to hear you play it. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think it's really great that you're learning how to play the piano. The piano is actually really difficult to learn by yourself, and I'm impressed by how much effort you're putting into learning "Drunk in Love". When I used to take piano lessons, my teacher would tell me to sight-read music first with just my left hand, then my right hand. After I get the general idea of how the piece goes, I can start to play the piece slowly with both hands together. This might help you in learning how to play your piece. I'm excited to see how your project turns out. Good luck with everything!
ReplyDeleteI think learning to play an instrument, let alone a very long and popular song on said instrument, is extremely difficult to do, especially in one semester when so much is going on. I'm just starting to learn how to play guitar and it is very challenging so I give you props for sticking to it and making the most out of it. I think removing Jay's part will only make your performance better because the song would flow easier. I can't wait to hear it!
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome that your learning to actually read music, considering I could never do it when we were learning to play the recorder in fifth grade. "Drunk in Love" is a cool song, but 'La Vie En Rose' is really awesome too. It totally has street cred! Keep up the good work and I can't wait to hear you play in December!
ReplyDeleteI love your topic! I've played piano for forever and it takes a lot of patience and dedication. If you're trying to play a piece, my advice to you is that when you practice, do one hand at a time. Play the hands separately and it will be so much easier to put it together. Also, the way you play it makes a huge difference. In the songs, if you want to make an impact play it loud and with the softer songs, don't hit the keys too hard. Practice makes perfect and just have confidence! It seems like you're doing great. I can't wait to see you play!
ReplyDeleteI've always regretted not learning how to play an instrument. I never had the patience for the trial and error of learning how to play, so I've always been impressed to hear other people play. And it's interesting to hear about someone learning with a modern song, rather than starting with the old classics. I'm sure your final performance will sound excellent.
ReplyDeleteI had to YouTube this song, so no street cred to me :)
ReplyDeleteThe song is pretty repetitive, and it would honestly sound so much better if you did omit Jay Z. I have been playing the piano since I was 10, and the most important thing I can tell you is to COUNT. If you have to, write out the count. Clap it out. The sheet music might be different than the actual song, so don't rely too heavily on the song. This is something that even the most skilled musicians do, because it helps them be able to power through the song at the right speed. Also: the metronome is definitely helpful, but start off without it. Take as much time as you need. I know the metronome would trip me up whenever I would eagerly try to start off using it. Then, when you have somewhat mastered playing it with both hands, add it in. If you would like to omit Jay Z's part, I can look at the sheet music and tell you where it should be cut off. I would love to help you progress! Good luck on the rest of your piano playing journey!
I know your finished product in December will be amazing! I prefer the version done by The Weeknd, but Beyoncé works too. I have always been surrounded by piano playing people and it amazes me that although I have been wanting to learn how to play I cant seem to learn. Learning how to play piano needs focus and a lot of time and time is the utility I lack the most. I'm glad you chose to take his very difficult journey and I wish you the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteLauren, this is such a fun topic! I'm excited for you and can't wait to hear it when its finished! Tips: make sure you're holding your fingers correctly! It can make all the difference in the world! When you don't curl your fingers, it makes it a lot harder to play! That's what I did when I played piano and it was tough! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI used to play the piano when I was young! It wasn't my thing however. But listening to covers on piano or guitar is probably what I do 25% of the time on YouTube. I'm sure over time you can learn to play better and better. You should learn all of Beyonces album, because all those songs were amazing. And you could totally duet with David Goni. It's sound awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really that familiar with the song you're trying to learn, but i'd say if you're trying to omit a section you can try and find a place where the melody lines up nicely. often times in songs melody lines are repeated and you might be able to put the two parts together seamlessly.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, my other suggestion would be to try and come up with a little piano fill, kind of like a transition. Just some short piano part that could help smooth over the two parts.
It's totally up to you though. have fun with it! :)
Lauren you're funny and I am happy that you are funny. I am typing to take up space but seriously, your project is innovative and urban. Congrats on being urban because we all want to be urban. I think the term is urbanization but about the omitting part, just take out the Jay-Z part. Nobody likes that part anyways and if you could somehow incorporate the music video into your performance, that would be pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI've loved the piano ever since I was a little kid, but I have never had the opportunity to learn how to play it. I think it is so cool that you are using this class project to learn an instrument. I think it is totally okay for you to change up songs! when ever you play a song, it is your own interpretation of that song, so changing or cutting parts would be your way of personalizing the song. Good luck, and keep on practicing! I know you'll get this song down in no time.
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