Wednesday, June 17, 2009

going with the flow

Current work: revisions on fairground book
Listening to: Dire Straits
Reading: next on TBR

Great guitar lesson yesterday. I hadn’t done my homework (to write a piece of music called ‘The Raging Sea’ – because I’d scoffed about one of the grade pieces sounding nothing like a raging sea) because I had this brilliant idea: to cheat massively by playing ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’ (mainly pp, then ff on the last bar in each phrase – kind of a punk version. Well, the concept amused me). Except I came unstuck because the chords I came up with didn’t make sense in harmonic terms.

So I confessed, played what was in my head, and asked Jim why it wasn’t working. Becau-au-ause I had the wrong chords. He explained it was because it was all in fourths, involving diminished chords and jazz voicings. Which led to a discussion about Django. And from there to Dire Straits (Tunnel of Love); discussed my fairground book a bit (!); and from there to ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (my second-favourite – possibly joint favourite – DS song, the other being ‘Telegraph Road’). Lovely chilled morning, just going with the flow. Odd how all the stuff I’m picking out at the moment is jazz-based, though.

Have promised daughter I will buy a book of show tunes for piano/guitar and also the sheet music for Grease. Kids are hoping for treats from my royalty cheque (son has put in a bid for an X-box game). Actually, they’ve asked for something pretty reasonable, so I’ll be indulgent.

Had a really, really nice visit with Dad. Probably the nicest in a year or two – one to store away and remember with pleasure, because Dad actually saying that he appreciates me is pretty rare. (Usually it's all taken for granted.) I even managed to get him out of his room and go for a little walk, so I’m very pleased about that. And he was delighted with his punnet of cherries, bless him.

Good news on book front: my agent liked the work I did on the first couple of chapters of the fairground book, and it’s reading as it should be. Hopefully I can sort the rest today/tomorrow, as I’m out on Friday (radio interview and then out for lunch).

4 comments:

linda margaret said...

Kate;

Yesterday I couldn't come up with many ideas about food from the 80's, but Dire Straits, that does bring back memories. Have a great day. I am off to some monthly meetings at work, we have some contoversial stuff to discuss. Should be a riot!!

Linda

Kate Hardy said...

DS said this morning that he much preferred Bon Jovi, so why was I playing meh stuff in the car?

But this is the child who told me last week that he liked Rick Astley (huh?) and feels he should've been born in the Eighties.

Maybe we should watch 'Back to the Future' this weekend... Hey, that's it. Dear, lovely ed. It's not exactly a timeslip... (Ha.)

You have a lovely day, too!

Jan Jones said...

Glad you had a good day, especially with your dad. Like you say, pop it in an album and cherish it.

Lacey Devlin said...

Of course your agent liked your first few chapters! It's great that it's reading right! I find reading my own work is sometimes interesting, it's amazing sometimes just how much I don't say that I should :)