JonathanD Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 My wife and I have been learning songs at random out of the Real Book. I am teaching her how to read and what little I know about playing Piano. She in turn is helping me with my singing. I play a bass line, she plays the melody and we both sing the melody for now. It is a great time. I have a hard time just sitting with people and hanging out or watching TV. I always feel like I could be getting something done. This is a wonderful way for us to both learn, have fun, and be together without wanting to kill each other. We have been at it about 1-2hours a day for the past week and have 4 songs down! She is staying with one hand right now, but fir only playing the piano for a week, thats damn good IMO. This is also good because its getting me to sight read more that I normally do and I dont consider this practice, its fun time. So I still get in an hour or 2 on the bands stuff and some time on scales/theory. Just thought I would share this wonderful time with you guys. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trucks Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Sounds cool Jonathan. I have tried doing music with the lady, but I think I might take it a little more seriously than she... hmmm y'know how that turns out. Maybe we should swap car keys one day :-) lol (j/k.... I dont own a car) Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanD Posted April 24, 2007 Author Share Posted April 24, 2007 Maybe we should swap car keys one day :-) lol (j/k.... I dont own a car) ! I dont take our playing together seriously either. I know she doesn't want to play music as badly as I do, so if it fizzles out over the next few weeks thats fine. I dont tend to get upset and if I start to I just leave the room while she works a part out. Sorry, I'm not up for trading. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 When my wife was young she played accordian and then viola but her family circumstances didn't allow her to continue with classical training. Cut to years later a short time after we started going out and we where in a friends house where one of their kids had one of those little toy keyboards with an octave and a half range. Katrina started tinkering on playing all sorts of nursery tunes to amuse the kid, I noticed and asked her how she new the tunes she replied that she just could "hear" the melody. I was kind of amazed as she started playing melody lines of any tune/song she could think of. I bought her a good keyboard a short time after although she prefers to just have fun on her own on it I find that she has an amazing ear for any tune and I love to listen to her play. She even plays melody lines on the acoustic guitar as well even though she has no "technique" as such. I hope if we ever get round to starting a family that our kids have her ears!! Sorry for hijacking your thread Jonathan, but I think I know the feeling your talking about. http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trucks Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Sorry, I'm not up for trading. Jonathan Gosh darn it! But nahh, its cool that you can play with the wifey. The crux of the apostrophe, is im jealous, not only that you guys can play'n'learn together, but also that she actually shows an interest in doing so! :-) Karen told me the other day, she didnt even like playing bass in front of me wth is that about? I dont sit there and scrutinize what she is doing... Or comment at all for that matter, just let her get on with it unless she asks for help... anyway.. I digress.. You're a lucky fella. :grin: Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanD Posted April 24, 2007 Author Share Posted April 24, 2007 SeamyD: thats not hijacking. It's what I was hoping for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 actually, my wife and i have talked about doing this type of thing as a corporate/christmas gig. i will have to learn a bunch of standards and how to walk, and also buy a nice URB for the visual effect, and have her do the singing in a cocktail dress. we have played in bands together, so i know i can trust her performances. actually, i think having just the two of us working together might be a lot easier than in a band with 3-part harmonies. robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 You know, there was a time before TV. Before radio even. How in the world did people entertain themselves and their guests? What's that? A piano? In the parlor of all places! I suppose you'll be telling me next about how people would sit on their front porch and wave to pedestrians and equestrians as they slowly strolled by instead of hanging out on the deck in the back yard to avoid all the noise and pollution of automobiles whizzing dizzily by. Anyway, yes, singing standards together is a lost social activity. Unless the instrumental accompaniest is just plain awful I find it much more fun than "karaoke night". (And yes, my wife and I do own a karaoke machine.) Struggling together as a team to make it through a song builds more connections than either critically listening to or completely ignoring a karaoke singer. I'm fortunate in this regard in that my wife studied piano for many years. We can go pick up sheet music arranged for piano for just about anything and she can play it. [edit: My haphazard drivel removed; Jeremy said it so much better below.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 My wife and I have been together for 36 years. We are both musicians. We never play music together. We do talk about music a lot-exchange ideas-suggest tunes to each other-work with a lot of the same people. Performing music has a different dynamic than being married. When I perform music, I am generally in charge (whether the band leader knows it or not ). I couldn't get away with that if my wife and I performed together. The thread title "Learning standards with my wife" made me think about all the standards of marital behavior which my wife has taught me. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABGBrian Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Chicks who play the bass is a big turn-on. Official Website BandcampFacebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Sounds great, Jonathan. Enjoy it. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 The thread title "Learning standards with my wife" made me think about all the standards of marital behavior which my wife has taught me. Indeed. I am now an almost fully competent domesticated creature... Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Jeremy, thanks for saying so eloquently what I was trying to get at. You're one class act, Mr. Cohen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Jonathan - that sounds great. You're both getting something out of it, and it doesn't have to be "performance quality" to get the benefit of doing something together. Robb - I was reading too fast and almost thought you'd be playing URB in a cocktail dress. I'm sure your wife would look better that way... I thought the same thing as Jeremy about the thread title. I may never actually learn enough marital standards... Susan has no interest in playing an instrument, and for many years our musical tastes were more divergent than the same. There were a few times that music was on and we sang along in harmony ("I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" - Beatles). She sings well but doesn't value it much. www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 You're a lucky fella. :grin: Indeed! Make the most of it Jonathan... Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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