Presentation method
The presentation method I will be using to show my learning on in-depth night is the 90-second stage performance. I think that this is the best way to demonstrate what I’ve learned over the course of this project because hearing the results of learning an instrument is more interesting and shows not just an understanding of the skill but the ability to go along with it. For this performance, I will be playing a small piece of a song that I have focused on and practiced, and have hopefully at least somewhat mastered enough to play it proficiently in front of an audience.
Elements it will capture
At this point, I have learned the chords for multiple songs that I enjoy, and now it is just a matter of choosing one to play. I can pick one of these songs that have chords I already know and I can choose a strumming pattern to use, or I can use the chords I’ve learned so far to compose my own small piece of music to play. I think that either of these options would be great, as choosing a song from my list means there are no extra steps involved and it would be more likely to be recognized by my audience, but writing my own song would allow me to challenge myself and make it more personal. No matter what I pick, however, it will end up showcasing my ability to play different chords and strumming patterns together to create smooth chord changes and music on the guitar.
Preparation
Although I have not fully decided on a song yet, I have narrowed it down to a few in my current repertoire or a self-written song using chords I already know. If I do choose to arrange my own piece, that will be a very important step in my preparation for in-depth night. It would involve creating chord progressions using what I know, choosing a strumming pattern (or multiple!) and arranging everything in a way that sounds good and that I am happy with. However, if I choose a song I already know or have practiced with, I will most likely only have to focus on learning or choosing the strumming pattern. Then, no matter what I pick, I will practice my chosen song every day until in-depth night so that I can hopefully master it by then. This also means that while I may still play other pieces during practice sessions I have to prioritize and focus on my performance piece.
*UPDATE*
I have now chosen a song, and I have new information to provide about it, but I also thought that the rest of this post, written before my decision is still valuable.
Elements
The song I have chosen has 4 chords, Am, C, D, and Em and there are three sections consisting of two different chord progressions. I will be attempting to play both of these chord progressions and hopefully all three sections. I do not have a set strumming pattern yet, but I may try to choose multiple strumming patterns to assign to each section to make it more interesting.
Preparation
To prepare for my performance of my chosen song, I will first have to decide on a strumming pattern (or multiple). To do this, I will be referring to my resources and what I’ve already learned to know what kinds of strumming patterns I am able to apply, then I will choose based on how I want the song to sound. Then, once I have chosen my strumming pattern I will practice the song with that pattern every day until in-depth night.