Thursday, September 18, 2008

Some teacher difficulties


I stayed at the hotel this morning to get some practice on my own. I´ve recorded Anh playing some tunes and now I need a to listen and try, without having somebody showing me all the time. It's also very nice not having to go to the conservatory every morning as I also want to think about our essay. The Sona is working out ok, its easier this year but still I wouldn't refer to the sounds I'm making as music. The last three or four lesson my teacher have played the same frase from a Tuong piece over and over again, and I'm trying to follow. In my ear it sounds more or less the same but he is not giving up! I would really like to have an explanation of what part I'm missing! Maybe I will ask Tra My to come and help to translate what he wants me to do. Another interesting thing with the lessons at the conservatory (or academy?) is that quit often there might be two or more other people in the room (these ar small rooms!), just hanging out or playing something completely different. In the beginning it felt a bit annoying but you get used to it.
The Sao is the real headache this trip (as the last one). As I've never played any transverse flutes before (just whistles and different reeds) I'm having real troubles with the basics of getting the right sounds out of the instruments. Trying to explain to my teacher that I want help with my embouchure seems like mountainous task. I tried last year with mr. Le Pho, his answer was "it will be ok". This felt reassuring of course, but as I only had three weeks I stressed the matter to get some more focused exercises. This seemed to annoy him a little and he answerd that the tecnique was indescribable: "What shall I do put a small camera in my mouth?". This year Tra My asked Tiên Vu'o'ng (Anh's teacher when he was at the academy) about exercises and according to him Anh now loads of them so Tra My promised that she will help me to talk to Anh about it. On the whole most of the trouble I've been having ends up with communication problems, somethings are very hard to explain without words. Showing a trill or a finger variation is not that hard but trying to explain the feeling you should have in your throat to hit the hi notes is more difficult if you dont speak the same language. (the picture shows Anh and one of his friends trying out a new Sao Meo, while I´m trying to play Sona)

2 comments:

Mats Edén said...

Det blir nog bra ska du se. Han har rätt lärar'n.
de orner sä te vecka

Anonymous said...

Verkar vara rätt krånglig musik att lära sig spela.....