One for the comp
Hello, Marvin, this is Earth,
Of intelligence here,
There is a dearth.
Some say here that CO2
Will warm the place
And land us in the poo.
We have guys here
called politicians
Who everyone has learned to fear
They lie and cheat and defraud
They are all a horrible crew
They talk until we all get bored
So if I were you I would
Turn your spaceship round
If by any chance you could
Unblock your venturi
Fire your rockets and
Go back to Alpha Centauri!
Q: ‘Officer, who provided this description?’
A: ‘The officer who responded to the scene.’
Q: ‘A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?’
A: ‘Yes, sir. With my life.’
Q: ‘With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?’ Continue reading “Quite like this one”
This picture taken by Brian Witbooi adorns the front page of my daily read this morning, it’s captioned “Residents go bananas.”
Well here we are at the conclusion of this little exercise – the opening bars of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, posted here to test the efficacy of the SOKOZY piano playing method (the notes of any particular tune portrayed in chronological sequence directly onto the piano keyboard. ) In this way, there is an immediate appreciation of the tune,
The triplet movement of the opening four bars is resolved here by the tune homing in to the C sharp minor chord, 111, 123, the three ‘1’s on the far left being played with the little finger, index finger and thumb of the left hand, joined by the ‘1’ furthest right, played with the thumb of the right hand. I think that if anyone can sit at a piano and play these five bars then one is likely to draw a small crowd in the expectancy of a full rendition of the tune. That’s when you get up from the stool and say you are in a terrible hurry and you need to be on your way. That is exactly what I did yesterday on a public piano at Herne Hill Railway Station, South London , though I did offer a jazzy version of “Blue Moon” before catching my train.
The Royalist has earlier mentioned the velocity of striking the notes, finding the left hand notes more dominant. It is possible that effect is brought about simply by the left hand playing in octaves (the top and bottom notes of the scale). But “touch” is indeed the most important part of a pianist’s box of tricks. On a decent piano a sensitive touch can be likened to gently pressing a grape – ha ha I’ve only put that bit in for Janus!
I do hope those of you who have attempted to play this exercise have had some sense of accomplishment as well as enjoyment!
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In this digital age it remains a mystery how the “before its time” digital watch never took over the world. A useful invention for people who didn’t understand the Roman numerals on their dial or the intricacies of hour and minute hands, the digital version had in some versions red neon numbers. A special button also illuminated the watch in the dark. And the stopwatch, wow, this was ground breaking stuff. Now obsolete at least we have digital radio to amuse us. So many stations, so much choice. I like the soap operas on Radio Blah. These everyday gothic soap stories might not be to everyone’s taste as yarns ain’t like they used to be.
Sing along to the tune of Walzing Matilda
Boadicea’s Chariot, Boadicea’s Chariot
Cyberspace’s answer to Baden Powell’s brigade!
We’ve got cubs and we’ve got brownies
And growed-up scouts – and girl-guides too.
We are the stuff of which glory is made!
Once upon a time we chatted oop at t’Big House
And some of us left, some were booted right out!
But we followed the Bear
(Does he do it? Yes, of course he does!) –
We’re cherished and we know it and we all proudly shout:
Boadicea’s Chariot, Boadicea’s Chariot
Cyberspace’s answer to Baden Powell’s brigade!
We’ve got cubs and we’ve got brownies
And growed-up scouts – and girl-guides too.
We are the stuff of which glory is made!
Two weeks left for the poets out there to enter this month’s Epic contest. This ambitious project has so far enticed only two authors to pen their verses. Details of the competition can be found here.
https://charioteers.org/2013/09/02/epic-september-poetry-competition/
Memo to admin- could you please update the side bar. Thanks.
Well I seem to have garnered a little interest here from cherished Charioteers and so I shall continue to demonstrate the SOKOZY piano playing method, allowing the Royalist to progress towards some musical resolution which comes in Bar no. 5 which I will post tomorrow. (And that is where this present exercise will end unless of course further bars are requested or somebody commissions me to transcribe a favourite song.)
Bar number two is almost identical to bar 1, save the left hand (little finger and thumb) play two different notes from those notes played in bar no.1 see yesterdays post). Otherwise the principle is the same. Remember to hold down the two left hand ‘1’s for the duration of the 123, 456, 789,10,11,12 sequence played in the right hand, as this gives pleasing harmonic resonance to the right hand part. (Are you listening, the Royalist and no metallic effects please.)
Bar 3 develops the theme with more movement and shape in the right hand. Shortsighted viewers will need to focus well.
Following a request by the Royalist I am giving you all an opportunity to learn the opening few bars of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata through the revolutionary new piano playing method called ‘Sokozy’. It is in fact so cosy that you only have to read (or memorise) the number sequence directly shown on the piano keys. (No more “lines and spaces” and no more squiggles and hieroglyphics.) The Moonlight Sonata is basically quite easy to transcribe in this way – for the most part the right hand is played by depressing single notes in triplet rotation. For basic instruction see below.
OK music lovers, here we go. Are you sitting comfortably? The two ‘1’s on the left are played together with the left hand, using your little finger and thumb. At the same time as pressing the two ‘1’ s on the left, you should depress the ‘1’ on the right with the thumb of your right hand. After that you just continue pressing the number sequence 2 & 3, 4,5, & 6, 7, 8 & 9 and 10, 11, 12 (This triplet sequence in the right hand – 123, 456 etc – is best played using thumb, index finger and middle or 4th finger.) It sounds a bit complicated in words but its dead easy just looking at the number sequence in the picture and just striking the numbers in ascending order. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. Continue reading “Sokozy – NOT Suzuki”
I know I have been slightly conspicuous by my absence from cyber-space for a while, but I have been busy.
Daughter No.1 is to be married on 28th September, and we are moving house in early October. We are relocating to Dorset which was our intention about five years ago. If the telephone and broadband transfer goes smoothly, we shall be back on line on the 9th.
If nothing else we have made headway with clearing out heaps of rubbish and general unwanted clutter which we found in the attic, shed and cupboards. This has all been given away, recycled or consigned to landfill, and it’s taken an age.
Boadicea's Chariot 
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