Counting sheep

Every since friday i have been trying to count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.

I was decided to start because of a question asked by Dean my drum student.

How to count demisemi quaver?

It struck me cuz i never tried counting demisemiquaver and in order not to sound sloppy and go out of beat all drummers need to count.

My answer was to count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &... then treating each count as the first beat of your 4 demisemiquaver.



It works and he understood perfectly. I still looking out for better solutions if any...

And it works well too when i change from 4 to 3.
Then it becomes sextruplet... i think it is called this way..



Maybe it is true that drummers don't need too much theory, but it is also twice as true that drummers need to count and subdivide/ feel their beats in the countings.

So the next part instead of increasing beats in the 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
I have an urge NOT to say it lest it becomes too technical.. but it is an idea that i thought could not be missed.
I say for myself to understand, so next time i lose my mind to any fever or brain damage i can recall my ideas
Well it is just to keep counting and play your

TRIPLETS -- here you will have a polyrhythm of triplet over quaver
Crochet 3rds --- here a polyrhythm of semiquaver over triplets

Then something i realised while listening to Michael buble's Jazz.
We must change counting to 1&a 2&a 3&a 4&a Count in triplets. So if you wanna play quaver, the polyrhythm comes into play again.

So today in church i was late... i felt bad cuz i missed cell group and all the fun. :( Didn't wanna tok much too. Thank God no one tok much too :)
Had vocal training by Crystal.. Tats the second time in my life doing any vocal training hahaha i thought it was weird.. i am a drummer.. When would i sing aloud.. at most I will sing in my room for God. !?! Well hope i will sing better and better for God. But i think i can catch the notes better than when i first sang for joy.

The next thing that came with counting my 1 2 3 4 was all the notes come like ghost and sneak into the front of my head. That i can't really see but i know how it looks like when i want to see it.
So there was this part in God will make a way.. after the bridge.. when reuben wanted a slow down. But actually they found out he wanted a pause.

First i played my sextruplet, then a crochet at the 2.. then sextruplet all the way... wait.. i must write down what i see... lest i forget.



Then it seems to abrupt..
So ideas flooded in.. Van played triplets with a powerful feel. Hahaha! Tats is even more sudden to end hahahaha! See we have a common idea to build up after bridge. Hahaha! Cool van. We got Muo qi.

Anyway, reuben suggested to slow down... then come in with Ding ding ding ding.
I got what he means.. Actually right... Haiz... i say later...

Then bernard got the next idea that i use less intense fill in after the crash at "Today" And he said something in triplets on the 3 and 4 and i caught it... And so i played it on my snare only althugh his idea was for toms...

Well after that van suggested a cymbal crescendo on the 4. Since i only got 2 hands.. i can't play my triplets on 4 any more. So we decided on this... Although it still come out bad.. cuz i know y.. i am so technically involved in my head i got no more RAM to feel.

Anyway, though it is some amount of time spent, i thought such sharing was good. I mean, it is good when there is a problem and we work over it together.. Not necessary have to be drums.. maybe b'w guitar and keyboards or drums and keyboard or anything, singers.

I can recall the times when Elim will say she will follow the drums.. but seriously i am as lost as everyone where reuben wants to go. So if i am left to resolve the thing by myself, sometimes i will have a mental break down being pulled apart in 2 sides.

And This happened 2 times today, when i thought God will make a way was a verse.. but it seems to be able to do better as a chorus after the bridge... well... i was torn apart and we worked it out. And then crystal was saying.. "less intense" while i was in the second verse.. then i interprete it as... "go less intense later when in bridge".. so i did.. and Van and Crystal Build up and played more intense in bridge! Hahaha! I felt cheated at first. So i asked crystal again... to confirm she won't cheat me again.. Hahaha it was a total misunderstanding.. Haha. I thought it was funny. Anyway Crystal was having headache. So her intense was probably in the head... cuz i was really not intense when she felt i was... so if i went more intense in my standard of intense Crystal might collapse on the spot... Hahaha Joking.

And on Sunday, it will be totally for God. Tats tomorrow. I want to be there for prayer. No more music talk in my head *dump*. Jesus is the reason for all my hope and dreams.

Sound recording

I was trying my best to know as much as i can about home studio recording.
So i got hold of this guy before he graduate, to learn more.
I first learnt about the hardwares needed and their uses.
1) Laptop with the necessary software.. (adobe audition) downloadable free trial.
2) Interface - to line in the instrument. Instrument -> interface -> laptop mic hole.
- also to be able to hear the playback while recording simultaneously

Additional items
3) DI box - to reduce noise due to the magnetic field affecting long wires.
4) Mixer - To plug in the instrument or the mics then adjust the balance and gain
5) Mics.. this is simple enough to know y we need mics. Usually for vocals. Or drums.

Yawn... my brain is tired... Maths lecture was tough.

Anyway, i still need to learn how to operate the software. I must play around with it.

And i learnt some new chords for keyboard from the keyboardists.. sus chords using 2nds and 4ths. But i still donno when to invert the bass. Need to try out and clear some doubt. then how to apply a weird bass note to make playing interesting.

Then.. tats all lor.
I am tired, must not forget these important things... it is sure useful in my lifetime.

Thank God for this few days of lessons! I have been awake, if not subconsciously listening. Thank God!

The reason behind every dream...

"The pursuit of the change you want to see
and growing to become this special person God made you to be."

To glorify God, i see nothing more important than being the best vessel to be used by Him and to love Him back in return.

Soon i will be back to school.
Holidays has been a great period of change for me, emotionally. I turned stable.
Physically i am fitter, but still skinny.

Thank God i passed my IPPT! Got a silver! Though there is a comment that, "it is your own effort" however, i know this is a gift from God that is easily taken for granted. Thank you my God.

There is this chinese band in NUS called "GE YAO". I joined and then after 1 practice, i disappeared from their sight. Haha. Cuz i was busy with my archi works.. then there wasn't any aircon in the practice room also.
Anyway, i was called back to play a piece composed by one of them, called "wu hou".
It is a smooth Bossa nova piece. So i tried and they agreed with my playing and started to record. The recording process is fun. But i only recorded once.
Firstly, they give me a earphone with the pre recorded guitarist playing. She had played to the metronome.. so i won't need to play to the metronome. Yeah.
Secondly, they say they are going to record this time.
Lastly, i played through it.. not bad.. no major mistakes. I was feeling very excited though. However, i left for my ippt. I had a dream when i was in sec 4, i wanted to be a studio drummer. Well, here is a great experience for me.

Then for church band, i have to confess like that 2nd keyboard player did.. i didn't like to play drums in church. Sorry God, though i have said it so many times but i will confess again. Forgive me for my rebellion and pride, and being so bored at this. I keep forgetting it is you i am playing for.
But, i will change and learn how to make it better instead of complaining how much worse it can get. I will be obedient to your call for now and play to the best to help everyone worship you. The keyboardist has been a great one, the guitarist has been very very nice, the worsipleader has been so powerful, only this drummer hiding behind his drums has been intolerably awful.

I have a band with my friend wee siang(drummer) though. I think it will be up in 3 years time. At least now i have a retreat to the genre i thought is what i have been dreaming of. I have no idea of whether if it is going to work out, only God knows. And the band in Ge yao, which i can go back to my drums in the genre i thought was what i am dreaming of. These 2 non christian bands.
Church band, maybe not as close to me.. But surely we are close to God.

This band. With the purpose: to reach out to young people through the music. Attract them with the music, then the lyrics, then let God do the work in their hearts.
No easy task, no amount of dreaming can make this happen unless action is taken. i am sure no amount of action can make it happen too unless there is prayer.
And i am so so so sure it won't happen if i am alone.

Well anyhow, i have been declaring this very often because i need to get off from the deception of reality that our church music is bad. That means it is really bad.
I declare that our church music is going to sound so great everytime!
Why?
Because nothing on Earth sounds better than Praises for God!
So!!! We actually sound really really beautiful to God whenever we play and worship. This includes everyone in church who sings. Or even humms.

No gift meant for a love one
can be better than the gift true from your heart.
No sound made for You
can be more beautiful than the heartbeat of Your own creation.
No matter how far I drift apart,
as long as my heart is still beating,
I will come back to you.