When the Plans Meet the Hands

In this video, I walk through my "You Are My Sunshine" arrangement, demonstrating bits and pieces of the different sections and sharing a few thoughts along the way.

I'm planning to submit my arrangement for feedback through Piano With Jonny, either at the live "Ask Jonny" Q&A or in the monthly Q&A with Daine Jordan. I'll probably do the monthly one; I tend to get a little flustered playing for a group.

Another option is to make a video of the whole thing (with no talking) and post it the group with a specific request for feedback and suggestions. I actually tried to make that video this morning, but quickly realized my hands want to do something other than what I've written, and I ended up with a standoff between my brain and my hands.

Brain vs Hands: The Standoff

The brain wants the section to land low, setting up a dramatic leap into what comes next. The hands, on the other hand, keep drifting upward, as if they’d rather linger where the notes are infectiously bright and merry.

Neither choice is wrong, but only one of them fits the original plan.

Which section caused the standoff? Why, the one at the end of the next video, where I suddenly stop!

I made three different takes and ended up stopping at the exact same spot every time. My hands wanted to go their own way, and they were surprisingly consistent about it.

Seeking a Ceasefire

Tonight (or tomorrow morning), I'll sit down and sort it out—figure out whether the hands are onto something, or whether they need to be gently persuaded to stick to the plan.

And then—assuming a ceasefire can be negotiated—I might finally be able to post this thing from beginning to end!

Comments

Eureka! Secondary Dominant!

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Picking Up the Pieces: A Piano Practice Journal

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