rock drumming

Groove Holmes

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Opening question: If you wrote a taiko song about your life right now, what would you call it?

Yurika: Patience / 
Franco: Shave and a Haircut
 / Pat: Zoom Zoom Zoom!
 / Marlene: Crazy Neighbors / 
Lane: Slowly and Anxiously / 
Cathy: The Beat Goes On
…
 / Keith: Move, Sit, Move
 / Rebecca: Sick of My Own Company
 / Ellen: Anxious Until Whenever the Hell it’s Over
 / Theresa: Walking Outside


Sorry to skip last week’s blogpost!

This morning after warm-ups Franco led us through an activity learning and practicing how to count to 10 using ASL (American Sign Language). As I forgot to take a video, here is one I found on youtube. We also did it counting along in Japanese as well as using exaggerated movement and facial expression to show emphasis. You can also try it on your non-dominant hand as we like to do all activities on both sides of our body.


Set It and Forget It

For today’s movement activity we started out with some mirror movement with bachi, keeping in mind the ideas of gathering and releasing energy, and being relaxed instead of overly controlled. After warming up on that we added a new element. One hand played a consistent beat on the taiko, while the other arm was doing mirror movement. In order to do this, you need to “set it and forget it” on the taiko side so you can give most of your attention over to the movement side. We practiced this on both the right and left hand sides.

Groove Along

Last week, we practiced our rock beat pattern to the AC/DC track, Back in Black. We liked that Ellen had found her own groove when playing along and wanted to give you the opportunity to do that for this week’s song, Groove Holmes by the Beastie Boys. As a base, you can always play the rock beat pattern (you can see this below in the last blog entry) or find your own beat. Everyone’s might be slightly different but we’ll all be unified with the main pulse.

If you have any songs you like the beat to, feel free to let us know! Ellen said she likes Cathy’s Clown by the Everly Brothers. We also heard Cold Sweat from Keith, but not sure if it’s this one by James Brown?

Other things:

Have a good week!


ANNOUNCEMENTS and REMINDERS:

  • Payment for classes should be made here: https://www.paypal.me/sanjosetaiko OR by check made out to San Jose Taiko, 565 N. 5th Street, San Jose CA 95112 (please mark the check PRC). The fee is $10 drop-in or $36/month. Please mark on your payment what dates the payment is for. This will help greatly in reconciling payments.

  • Bachi can be purchased to be mailed for $10 a pair.

  • Our friends in southern California are also running a taiko class for Parkinson’s called “Rhythmic Flow Taiko” on Sundays. Please check their website for more info.

  • At any time, feel free to email yurika@taiko.org for questions!



SORÉ! ("Ready Go!")

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Opening question: How have you (or will you) treated yourself during COVID?

Marlene: Zoppe Circus / Cathy: PRC and other classes / Lane: Getting a haircut! / Renira: Driving to Arizona / Keith: Getting an iPad / Ellen: Getting more books / Pat: Marvel Movie-thon every weekend / Theresa: Game/movie/craft nights with daughter / Rebecca: PRC! / Yurika: Going to the Fort Mason drive-in / Franco: Green Egg

After Warm-Ups this morning Yurika ran a kiai and coordination activity. Basically we got into a vigorous march using elbows and then did call and response of basic kiai. Since kiai are meant to be shouted with volume and intention, sometimes it’s easier to do that when the body is in motion rather than still.

“Soré!”

If you have been playing taiko for any length of time, you’ll probably have heard this word. We don’t always explain it explicitly, but basically it means - “ready, go!” It can be confusing as “Soré” can have other meanings in Japanese. In the taiko context we usually will focus on each syllable equally with intention (e.g. “SOH!-REH!”) and it serves the purposes of setting the timing of the first strike, getting you ready mentally/physically and also imbues you with ki/energy.

Today’s exercise was using “soré” to prep for gather and release of energy. On the “so” let you body weight drop a little bit and on the “ré” use that potential energy to spring yourself up and wind up your arms. Right after that you can use that energy to hit the drum. So sequentially “SO-RÉ-DON!”

Drumming Technique and Rock Drumming Con’t

Franco led us through a review of last-week’s coordination drill based on the 2’s and 4’s rock drumming. You can see a video of it below from last week. Lane made a helpful tip that he thinks about it as 2 beats (one hand / two hands).

We spent a little bit of time talking about drumming fundamentals and striking. Even though we are not playing on taiko right now at home, there are ways of capitalizing on your technique to get the best sound out of your bucket or box and also to not to cause undue strain to your wrists and elbows. A key part of this is relaxed grip.

Other things:

Fun drumming video:

  • Nandi Bushell a young British girl who plays drumset with attitude playing along with the Foo Fighters. Franco’s a big fan!

Have a good week!

ANNOUNCEMENTS and REMINDERS:

  • Payment for classes should be made here: https://www.paypal.me/sanjosetaiko OR by check made out to San Jose Taiko, 565 N. 5th Street, San Jose CA 95112 (please mark the check PRC). The fee is $10 drop-in or $36/month. Please mark on your payment what dates the payment is for. This will help greatly in reconciling payments.

  • Bachi can be purchased to be mailed for $10 a pair.

  • Our friends in southern California are also running a taiko class for Parkinson’s called “Rhythmic Flow Taiko” on Sundays. Please check their website for more info.

  • At any time, feel free to email yurika@taiko.org for questions!

Gathering and Emptying Energy (Ki)

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We had a new student in class today, welcome Keith!

Opening questions: Please say your name, where you are located, how long you have been playing taiko and something you have learned about yourself during these last few months.

We have a fair number of videos today as we started on a couple of new concepts for the month of October. After warming up briefly, Franco led us through a coordination exercise that practices hand independence. It is based on rock drumming - one hand playing the high hat part and one hand playing the snare. We switched back and forth on which hand was doing what.

After the warm-up, Yurika led a movement exercise around Gathering and Emptying energy. This is a San Jose Taiko concept where instead of using muscles to strike the drum, we use energy that we store up in our bodies. You can think about it as a spring that is either coiled to spring out or pulled outwards to spring back together. Breathing is a huge part of this. After some breathing and moving exercises, we took it back to the taiko.

Roy Drills

Roy Drills are always great to implement new skills and concepts. The only rule is to not stop playing, even when it gets difficult and you can’t keep up. For today, since the focus was on gather/emptying of energy into the drum, the key is to keep breathing and try not to get too tense.

To finish off the day’s activities Franco led us through putting the rock drumming coordination activity on the taiko.

Check-in Mode and Sharing

When we were back in the studio, it was easier for us to talk to each other and share during the class on our self-observations. We would like to bring back that sharing mode as we know that what you are all learning is valuable to hear from each other. While going through the class and activities, you can ask yourself things like:

  • What felt good during that exercise and why?

  • What was hard? What was easy?

  • What was something that you noticed in yourself that you didn’t notice before?

  • What are you wondering if other people are experiencing?

Thanks everyone for your honesty and openness to sharing. This is a big part of San Jose Taiko’s learning philosophy and Beginner’s Mind - that we can continually learn from each other no matter how much or little experience you have had with taiko or anything else for that matter.

Have a good week and happy practicing!

ANNOUNCEMENTS and REMINDERS:

  • Payment for classes should be made here: https://www.paypal.me/sanjosetaiko OR by check made out to San Jose Taiko, 565 N. 5th Street, San Jose CA 95112 (please mark the check PRC). The fee is $10 drop-in or $36/month.

  • Bachi can be purchased to be mailed for $10 a pair.

  • Our friends in southern California are also running a taiko class for Parkinson’s called “Rhythmic Flow Taiko” on Sundays. Please check their website for more info.

  • At any time, feel free to email yurika@taiko.org for questions!