Piano
Also in the new year, I took up piano. I was able to race through my first grade 1 sight reading book from years ago with relative ease, but the more advanced exercising in the grade 2 sight reading book gave me trouble. I'm much further behind where I was as a 16-year-old kid, but it's clearly like riding a bike stuff keeps coming back to me like I already know it. Even things I found difficult as a kid are easier now.
I was able to re-memorise all the major scales C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A# and B and I was able to spot the changes to make it a minor such as the 3rd, 6th and 7th notes of each scale were different. I reminded myself of all the chords including 2s and sus4s and finally re-learning Aug and Dim chords. I practiced the scales until they all flowed nicely.
I hope to get my sight reading to around grade 5 and also work on playing by ear. I have 2 sight reading books for grades 1-3 and one for grade 4. I have a couple of books of playing by ear to work from as well. I'm also printing off the occasional song when I want to practice it such as Beautiful by Christina Aguilera.
I hope one day when I have learned a full set perfectly from end to beginning I will be able to do a funny cabaret act through Dragged Around London as a beary man. This would give me a chance to make use of the deep parts of my voice which I can't do in drag and maybe play some video games tunes.
Graeme