IAAD VII: EYE OF THE NEEDLE NOTES

Work daily

Remain open to the appearance of refinements and adjustments to the specifics,
including abandoning some of them, as the process unfolds

TO DO:

• Set up and keep up Eye of the Needle IAAD-specific diary.
  1/14: Done. Click here to link

AIMS:

Technical/Mechanical

• Reestablish accented picking
  o Ensure timing is consistent and reliable
  o Minimize overemphasis
  
• Identify and formalize pivot choices
  
• Work available tempo up to 72-74bpm reliably

Musical

• Restore competence and ease with all parts
  o Articulate musical intentions for each part

Bass: projection and singing quality, without overplaying 

Leads: flow and continuity, attention to position shifts

Okay, for the high lead simply achieving minimal competence in the upper octave Intro/Midtro sections will be a satisfying and major accomplishment 

Guitarist Inside

Not exactly sure how to go about this. Some ideas…

• Strengthen the connection between the form and the limb circulation
• Gain some understanding of what it is to hold good will in my breast and send good wishes to the other players and audience
  
• 1/16. Pay attention to the EoCaaD in the morning sitting
• 1/20. Practice it, no matter how inept you are
• What is contained in Lord Have Mercy? And how is an old reprobate supposed to understand it, let alone put it into practice in a meaningful way?

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PRACTICE NOTES

1/20 – focus on intro

Accented picking: 3-3-3-2-2  (see 1/27)

Pivots:                 2nd inversion 2nd finger between strings 2&3

                                Root position first finger between strings 1&2

Attention to transition notes, especially doubled A between A and F#

Remember to practice the first 6½ tacit beats

1/21 – focus on G1 main body – A-D-A’-F#-F#

Accented picking: 3-3-3-3-4

Pivots:                  A: 2nd finger on G&C on strings 2&3

                                D: same for C&F

                                A’: 1st finger between A&C on 1&2
                                F#: same

Attention to attack on open string transition notes: match timbre and volume to the rest of the melody

Final G of D pattern:  abandoned the 3rd finger stretch because I simply can’t play it musically. Two alternatives: 1) open G string, 2) 4th finger pivot. TBD. 1/22: the 4th finger pivot wins. 

1/27 – focus on Guitar 3

Play more on fingertips to avoid accidental muting of transition notes

Care for transition notes – blend attack, timber, duration – flow

Accented picking adjustment: when playing main figures in 4/4, back to alternate picking on final 7 notes of each phrase. Basically, the second “3” will be the only place the picking is reversed. 3-3-3-7

2/3 – focus on Guitar 2

Accented picking: Same as Guitar 1

Pivots:       Same as Guitar 1 when unison/unison octave

                                Alternate A of Intro (bar 3): no 4th finger pivot between strings 1-2; use fingers 4-3

                                Harmony A and F#: 2nd finger between strings 2-3, 4th finger between strings 1-2

                                2/4 update: taking out all pivots above 12th fret except the 1st finger pivot on F#

Open string transitions: Review and formalize, incorporate into practice. If playing the high octave in the Coda, ignore the open G transition from final D – this l connects more musically/melodically to the first F# of Coda

Find warmup calisthenics to strengthen and smooth out arpeggios above the 12th fret

How the hell do I keep the open D string from sounding when I remove my first finger?