What I learned during practice today :

[m1469]

I start to feel convinced that Mozart is the King of All.  I start to think that there is no other better "study" than Mozart in everything musical, and even life as a whole idea.  Just like everything in existence happening at once, and unfolded to our perception through time, but with this kind of balance and sense of every, single aspect having just its perfect place and purpose, and every detail being related to everything else all at once.  I have loads of more studying of Mozart to do yet, but I wonder, too, if perhaps his sonatas are even the most gem?  I can't say that, of course.  I don't know.  But, anyway, they are really something special.  The world is nothing at all the same without Mozart and I miss him so much it makes me want to bawl.

[pianoplayjl]

And I hate him so much I would bawl.

Today I learnt a way to practice bringing out the subject entries in Bach's fugue. I practice hands separate and whenever the subject pops up I play it legato and the counter melody/other part staccato. And vice versa, except that I try to bring out the subject while playing it staccato.

JL

[jollisg]

Yesterday I got the scores on Khachaturian - toccata.. So I have learned the score today!

[m1469]

I am learning very, very much from observing Lisitsa practicing.  I will be very sad when she is not livestreaming anymore.

[pianoplayjl]

I've learnt alot on how to play Schumann after hearing Arrau and Michelangeli play it, in terms of dynamics. I am still trying to bring out the top voice.

JL

[m1469]

This is along the Music/Life practice side of things.  I've been considering something and I can hardly help to express.  The basic idea is that of a person's, and particularly a person who identifies themselves as a musician who is extremely aware of sound, association with sound and memory of themselves and of life.  I think for many people, there are pieces and songs that may remind them of a certain time in one's life, or a certain event, etc..  Similarly to how an aroma can work, where you may smell something and instantly be taken back to a certain memory of a time in your life.

And then, on the personal level, how the importance of sound and memory play a role in one's personal growth.  There is no recipe, of course, because we must take what we individually can from it.  But, now, in direct relation to the sounds around us.  One of the greatest challenges on a subconscious level for me, and perhaps now on a more conscious level, has been to "cope" with the sounds of my everyday life.  For example, in the little town where I live, sounds echo in particular ways, I have what is probably a fairly wide range of understanding the sounds from various parts of my town, and the sounds within the town haven't changed all that much in the time that I have been here ... which has been the bulk of my life.  I came here in 5th grade, I went through middle school, high school, and undergraduate school here.  Now I make a living here.  How many people can say that about themselves, btw?  And what do you suppose would be the implications of that or of the fact that your life has not been that way?

The importance is, with the sounds where I am familiar with in this town, what feels like my whole life echos here.  I don't just hear sounds of the town, I hear echos of this entire span of time that I have lived here.  There are some sounds that remind me of 5th grade all the way to this very moment, if you see what I mean.  The challenge has been to somehow grow beyond those echos.  

When I visit other towns, and there is one in particular where I have developed a very progressive life internally for going on 4 years, it is a similar experience.  When it is a familiarity with those sounds, I hear the echo of my life there, and in this other town, that echo is all about progress, sorting and organizing my inner life, growing in strength, etc..  And, without that impression, my life absolutely would not be the same.  

Maybe I don't understand exactly what I am saying or getting at, other than intensely recognizing the importance of sound in my life, and finding a curiosity about its continued relationship in mine and other people's lives.  But, I think that I should like to be very aware of my soundscapes on my travels to come, and perhaps nurture some kind of concrete memory that can be associated with the most important aspects for me.  And, I think it's perhaps very important to have varied sounds throughout one's life.  

[m1469]

I was going to post in a different thread, but couldn't find that, so here I be!

Here is something which is coming into focus:  I would like to find/clarify my individual musical/artistic voice, yes (this is very and deeply true), but as part of a musical world.  I have a whole new appreciation for the music that other people offer and for other people's musicianship, and while I appreciate that there are recordings, I extra appreciate live performance.  I truly want the world to be musical just as much as I want to be musical myself.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

My left hand chromatic scale is terrible.  I trying playing it alone and I was soo shocked, it was like a new discovery!  Like I looked under the blankets and really saw what was under there!  Like  I disassembled a broken watch and found out what wasn't working!

But yeah, I gotta fix that up.

[davidjosepha]

When I start piano lessons at college in about a month, we're all supposed to play something "informally" in front of all the other students and teachers so that they get an idea of where we're at. They say "We understand you might not have practiced all summer" and whatnot and this definitely isn't a music school I'm going to, but I'm still worried. I decided I'm going to play Rach's prelude op. 23/5 because it's probably the most difficult piece that I've gotten up to a really good performance level. So, yesterday I pulled it out and tried playing it from start to finish. I almost cried, I was so frustrated. My fingers just wouldn't do what I wanted them to do. I'm sure you're all familiar with the inclination to keep doing the same thing but try harder, thinking eventually you'll get it right. I did that for about a half hour, and obviously it didn't work, because it's such an asinine thing to do. Finally, I did the logical thing and slowed it down from the 100-108 bpm I was trying to play it at to 60. I played hands alone, no pedal for about 2 hours. It was unbelievably painful. Then I went to bed.

I just got home from work about an hour ago, and I went to play the prelude. I played it, and everything just sorta plunked into place. Every problem I had yesterday went away. I don't have all the parts quite up to speed yet, but it's getting close, and I think if I keep at it for another week, it'll sound tons better than it did the first time I played it. It's an unbelievable feeling, having everything fall into place after struggling so much before and putting in a lot of work to fix the problems. So, I guess I didn't learn anything during practice today--I already knew that slow practice, playing everything perfectly is key--but it certainly reinforced that idea in my head. It feels good.

[scherzo123]

I learned that my left hand's middle finger needs to curve more in the "con anima" part in the Scherzo No.2 by Chopin.

[qpalqpal]

I don't know if anyone has said this (someone probably has), but going very slowly helps a lot to get precise afterwards. Practicing already at tempo when you just learn a piece won't do it. It won't be crisp enough. It'll have mistakes and will be blurry. Tell me if this is true, I have very little experience.

[timothy42b]

I don't know if anyone has said this (someone probably has), but going very slowly helps a lot to get precise afterwards. Practicing already at tempo when you just learn a piece won't do it. It won't be crisp enough. It'll have mistakes and will be blurry. Tell me if this is true, I have very little experience.

There is truth to it but it is not the whole story.

It is possible, even easy, to learn motions at slow speed that don't work at tempo.  Then you end up having to relearn it, and that's much harder after learning it wrong. 

You can do correct motions slow or fast.  You can do slow motions wrong or right equally easy, that's the problem.

If your mechanics are correct, slow helps you get precise.  If not, slow reinforces wrong. 

[davidjosepha]

You can do correct motions slow or fast.  You can do slow motions wrong or right equally easy, that's the problem.

If your mechanics are correct, slow helps you get precise.  If not, slow reinforces wrong. 

I know this isn't exactly what you're talking about with mechanics, I don't think, but somewhat related:

I often have trouble getting pieces with lots of chords that are intended to be loud up to tempo because when playing it slow, I'm trying to create just as much volume as I would when played fast, but the notes are less frequent when playing slowly, so obviously I have to play each note louder in order to keep the louder sound. Then, when I speed it up and get it up to tempo, at first I'm still trying to play each note as loud, which is unnecessary now and can in fact make the piece abrasively loud. Although I'm obviously not explicitly trying to play each note just as loud, I'm used to the amount of force I put into each note and as a result, I end up creating unnecessary stress on my hands, get tired while playing, and am incapable, usually, of getting the piece up to quite the speed I want it. It takes a conscious effort to say "No, I don't need to play each note that loud since there are a bajillion of them in a very short space. Just play lightly and the overall effect will still be fortissimo" in order to get the piece the way I want it.

[qpalqpal]

Hello, fellow musicians,

I am a beginner, and I will write about what I started doing to a piece I am learning. It is the Cantabile in B flat major by Chopin. Search it on YouTube if you never heard of it or want to hear it.

So, I am starting to play hands together and the first section I could do pretty well, bars 1-5. So I decided to spice it up a bit. I have never varied a practice section this way. What I did was, I played with a different rhythm, without pedal. It was kind of Samba sounding, and I didn't do anything but change rhythm. This helped me, I suppose, to ingrain that section much more, and I feel more intimate with that section, as if it is a person I can have fun with (I know this is weird to describe a piece as a person you get intimate with). After that, I felt like I had mastered that part pretty well without pedal.

Another thing I did was to play the guitar. I know the basics of playing the guitar, as in chords, I can play something by ear, on a Classical guitar. So what I did was I harmonically reduced that section in my head so that I could play the left hand more or less chord wise on the guitar. This helped me know the skeleton of the piece, and refreshed my hands a lot by refreshing my hands after briefly playing with the guitar.

What do you guys think of this? DO you have any suggestions? I am a beginner.

Esteban

[m1469]

Anything that helps you to build/see a clear image of the music, and the facility to express it, I believe is a good thing.  If you are a guitarist and that is an active aspect of your musical understanding, and a good way to look at music from another angle, then sure, why not use it if it's helpful?  If playing rhythmically frees up your technique, and helps to clarify the musical image, then sure, why not do that?  But, you also want a center to bring everything back to.

[pianoplayjl]

I learnt there are benefits and disadvantages of putting away a piece for a month.

JL

[ranniks]

After buying an acoustic piano (thanks David & Outin) I had my first lesson yesterday. So far I'm learning very basic things, but a piece I'm working on is this: Freude schöner Götterfunken .

One handed I got it pretty much down, but using the left hand is tedious for me. Well, I have to start somewhere. I love the song btw, it's like it's singing from my heart. Didn't even know it was from Beethoven, just found out after reading the title.

Very beautiful piece.

[outin]

Great!
The left hand will soon pick up, you have just neglected it for some time

[ranniks]

Another 2 hour practise today. Might go for another hour. Really surprised my neighbours havn't complained yet, but I think they don't hear it because of the distance.

- I can now play Freude schone gotterfunker with one hand nearly perfect, although I still have to learn to not speed up.
- The 2341 and 2342 part was tedious yesterday, but I've almost mastered it today
- I can now play decently with my left hand in combination in the FSG piece of Beethoven

I tried thinking of all my past crushes a few times and that only ruined my play, lol. Need to work on that. Passion you know.

FYI: I'm a guy.

Anyways, tomorrow more practise. Can't wait til wensday for my next lesson.

[outin]

I tried thinking of all my past crushes a few times and that only ruined my play, lol. Need to work on that. Passion you know.

FYI: I'm a guy.

Somehow I never even considered that you weren't

I am not at all emotional, quite the opposite, so if I ever get my technique together, I have no idea how to give emotional content to my playing. I'm passionate about the pieces because of the way they sound, they don't awake any images in my mind, it is completely absorbed in the music 

Oh well, I'll cross that bridge if I ever get there 

[outin]

Anyways, tomorrow more practise. Can't wait til wensday for my next lesson.

You have 2 lessons a week?

My first practice today was great! I felt like I have finally tamed the monster. (I could play my piano without feeling tension and pain from the keys).

Worked on 4 pieces. Most of my time went to trying to learn the fingerings. I know which keys to play but I just can't remember which finger to use in passages that do not naturally fit my hand. Found a few good fingering solutions also.

And I decided to take a break from the Diabelli sonatina and start one by Benda instead.

[ranniks]

You have 2 lessons a week?

My first practice today was great! I felt like I have finally tamed the monster. (I could play my piano without feeling tension and pain from the keys).

Worked on 4 pieces. Most of my time went to trying to learn the fingerings. I know which keys to play but I just can't remember which finger to use in passages that do not naturally fit my hand. Found a few good fingering solutions also.

And I decided to take a break from the Diabelli sonatina and start one by Benda instead.

I had a lesson last week on friday because my teacher couldn't give the lesson on wensday. This week he's back on the wensday though. So once a week, hehe.

Wow, 4 pieces!? I'm struggling somehow to make 1 piece sound gold in my ears. So how long have you had lessons? And how long have you been playing?

Pretty cool though!

[ranniks]

I had no idea who Diabelli was (mind you I've only started listening to classic since a year, but mostly only basics of vivaldi, mozart, bach and beethoven), but he sounds absolutely fabulous! I wonder when I'll be able to learn that! Eager learner, lol.

But I'll just follow what my teacher thinks is best for me.

[outin]

Wow, 4 pieces!? I'm struggling somehow to make 1 piece sound gold in my ears. So how long have you had lessons? And how long have you been playing?

Pretty cool though!

I need to have more than one piece at the time, because the amount of time I can actually concentrate on one thing is short. After that it becomes mindless repetition which is useless for learning. I work maybe 10-15 minutes on one piece at the time. And I learn the pieces very slowly, often just a few measures in a week.

I started playing May 2011 with a crappy digital that my brother gave me. Before that I hadn't touched a piano since I moved on my own in 1985. Piano lessons I only had a few years before I was 11.

After the summer I felt that this was something I really needed to do so I bought a piano and started lessons in August. I changed teacher in Septemper and that was the best decision ever!

[outin]

I had no idea who Diabelli was (mind you I've only started listening to classic since a year, but mostly only basics of vivaldi, mozart, bach and beethoven), but he sounds absolutely fabulous! I wonder when I'll be able to learn that! Eager learner, lol.

It's a horrible piece 
I spent the entire summer on the first movement and still find it difficult to play in tempo. I just cannot believe it is only grade 4.  So to be honest I cannot recommend it to anyone, unless you like to be frustrated 
Of course it provided some moments of pleasure when something finally clicked...

[davidjosepha]

I tried thinking of all my past crushes a few times and that only ruined my play, lol. Need to work on that. Passion you know.

Ha, it really depends on the piece for if that'll work or not. I had a lesson and was playing Brahms Rhapsody in B minor, a piece marked "agitato". I had a recital in a week or so and just ran through the entire piece for him but I was a bit rattled that day for reasons I'll get into in a second. The piece sounded terrible when I played it, naturally. My teacher said, "No. I want you, right now, to forget everything I've ever told you to do and just play the piece through how you feel it should be played." So, I thought about that french girl I was into...and about that guy who had been, uh, into her last weekend, and I just played the piece with more passion than I thought I had in my body. That was about a year ago, and I still think it's the best I've ever played any piece ever. I guess I'll never know for sure though.

You can't play a love song when thinking about someone you hate. You can't play a piece full of agitation when thinking about someone you love. Passion is necessary to play well, but the passion has to fit the piece. I guarantee, if I had been thinking about that french girl while playing Liebestraum, it would have sounded like absolute garbage, since I was pissed and angry, not madly in love.

[ranniks]

I found that out today Davidjo. Freude Schoner Gotterfunker sounds way better if I think back of the regrets that have been erased.

Today I understand all the notes in FSG. Full, half and quarter notes. It's tedious while playing with 2 hands, but I'm getting better at it. I even filmed me playing it twice. I did better without the camera, so I might post how I'm doing with a video. Mind you I've only started playing the piano officially since friday. So don't be too hard on me, lol.

Btw, I want to be able to play these pieces of scarlatti one day:

I don't know at all what my next assignment will be, but I hope I can get another piece I can play aside FSG of Beethoven.

Oh, I got a hint from another member's post in this thread and I've made a piano journal that I update each day.

Edit:

So here's me practising:

This was after 1.5 hours of practising so it doesn't sound too well. But I've made some improvements. I still find it somewhat tedious to hit 2 and 3 while doing 23431 and 23432 with my right hand. But practise makes perfect I guess.

[ranniks]

I got Freude Schoner Gotterfunken down! Feels very good! Tomorrow second lesson (once a week)! Hopefully I'll be learning another piece.

[outin]

I got Freude Schoner Gotterfunken down! Feels very good! Tomorrow second lesson (once a week)! Hopefully I'll be learning another piece.

Good! Now expect your teacher to tell you you need to change something/everything (mine alway does).

I didn't know what your piece was until I heard you play. Recognized it immediately

You have excellent taste! In case you didn't know, there are at least 100 Scarlatti sonatas that are equally beautiful

[ranniks]

I've only practised an hour a day in the weekend. We had guests, but moreover; I don't have a piece besides the one my teacher gave me to work on. He told me to do some exercises on the piano which consisted of 'unisono' practise and such. I can do FSG unisono (just the right hand movements on both hands) now.

So I'm hoping he'll give me another piece to practise on! Or at least exercises which will keep me active.

I've also picked up a song on youtube; game of thrones opening. Read all the books and watched the tv series season 1 twice and second season once. Difficult piece, but a tutorial on youtube is helping. I can't read sheet music so that makes it even harder.

However, I am learning how to read sheet music online! It's pretty cool and I love how math is involved in it. For anyone interested, here's the link: Andrew Furmanczyk channel:

Piano is awesome!

[m1469]

OK, I've estimated, for the first time in my life with some form of actual calculations, the amount of time I expect it will take me to learn an entire Opera Scene.  I will like to see if I am anywhere in the ball park!

PS- I'm happy to see this thread alive!

[jollisg]

This morning I was able to play the coda in Chopin's 1st ballade... In tempo! I've worked so hard with it, so it's nice to finally see results!

[ranniks]

You ladies and gentlemen are so awesome! I'm just an utter beginner. Will keep you updated if I learn something cool.

For now my teacher is having me do: stucatto, andatino and etude exercises (not sure). Als reading music theory which I've got down somehow.

OK, I've estimated, for the first time in my life with some form of actual calculations, the amount of time I expect it will take me to learn an entire Opera Scene.  I will like to see if I am anywhere in the ball park!

PS- I'm happy to see this thread alive!

Me 2!

This morning I was able to play the coda in Chopin's 1st ballade... In tempo! I've worked so hard with it, so it's nice to finally see results!

Wow Chopin!? I can't wait to be able to play the raindrops lol; many years from now. Or perhaps in a few, who knows.

[m1469]

Yesterday I remembered one of the first little pieces my Mom ever taught me (and I think I remember her teaching me!), not just as a memory from my adult brain-matter, but with my very child's brains!  It goes like this (see if you can actually hear my child's brains singing it through the typing):

ste-pping up
C    D      E

ste-pping down
E    D      C

then, a, skip
D      E  C


And I think that's one of, or it thee first "pieces" I ever tried to invent a notation system for and tried to write it down!  I can almost remember more!

[perprocrastinate]

What I learned during practice today:

Never attempt to play a double octave glissando on the black keys again.




Ow, my hands.

[m1469]

I am very excited to be discovering what I think has been a missing link for me in my adult life as a musician, though I've had shadows of it.  Even though I can't recall precise memories of drawing while listening to music, I think this is because it was most likely such a natural part of my childhood environment that I didn't even think about it.  My Mom often had us doing arts and crafts as projects when we were small, and she *always* had music on (OK, but we're talking John Denver, etc.).  They probably very naturally went hand-in-hand for me, and perhaps I even spent a lot of time in my room doing this.  

But, having just started drawing again while listening to music (kind of out of desperation), something is clicking, and having just played my scales and arpeggios, there is now a completely different mental/musical landscape peeking through for me with it, and I DO think this is very close to how I thought as a child at the piano.  My imagination was always engaged.  I'm not, of course, trying to be a child again, I simply feel it's vital for me to somehow recall this connection which was fundamental, intuitive, natural, and my actual musical/artistic foundation.

BYE!

[ranniks]

HAD A BRILLIANT LESSON TODAY!

Always trust your teacher folks!

Today I learned a few other basic moves and got 4 PIECES to work on! He gave me one by Bach (Minuet from Anna Magdalena's Notebook Allegretto).

He told me that the one by Bach was beyond my level at this moment, but he gave the sheet to me because he realised how much I love classical music. He even played some Bach for me today, haha. He told me to just listen to online versions and maybe, maybe play it. He noted down some hints on the sheet.

I realise this is probably beyond my level right now, but it was so nice to receive a classical piece after so many weeks, hehe. Well, here it is:

The three other pieces are:

- Kum-ba-yah
- Little Romance from Musical ABC Andante ccon moto
- Laid back

In any case, I am one happy camper. I think I may have my hands full for the rest of the week with these pieces, lol.

:3

[hfmadopter]

In any case, I am one happy camper. I think I may have my hands full for the rest of the week with these pieces, lol.

:3

Good start with that minuet ! It was my first classical piece as well, many many years ago. You are going to do fine with the piano.

Bet you're glad you have a teacher !
David

[outin]

Today I learned a few other basic moves and got 4 PIECES to work on! He gave me one by Bach (Minuet from Anna Magdalena's Notebook Allegretto).

He told me that the one by Bach was beyond my level at this moment, but he gave the sheet to me because he realised how much I love classical music. He even played some Bach for me today, haha. He told me to just listen to online versions and maybe, maybe play it. He noted down some hints on the sheet.

I realise this is probably beyond my level right now, but it was so nice to receive a classical piece after so many weeks, hehe.

This summer I was trying to improve my sight-reading so I went through quite a few pieces from that book. This one brought back memories from childhood. This and the other menuet in G minor (which I think is nicer) are very good for your fingers. But they are not easy to play to tempo so just take it very slow and don't get frustrated if it takes time. And start with hands separate. Sloppyness is not allowed in Bach
(although as you may know these pieces are not really composed by Bach, he just collected them to teach his children)

[m1469]

:3

Who is that person?  He seems nice.

[ranniks]

Good start with that minuet ! It was my first classical piece as well, many many years ago. You are going to do fine with the piano.

Bet you're glad you have a teacher !
David

I'm beyond glad David. Since the piano has just been tuned - and not fully mind you - my play has dramatically improved. I have no idea why the keys went too deep when I pressed them and now they aren't. That's too technical for me at this stage (I feel obligated to learn the internal mechanics of the piano one day).

Yes I am very happy David. I had my doubts at first but they are completely gone now. He blew my mind away when he played Bach for me yesterday. The tiger within me is fed now and hopefully next week as well.

This summer I was trying to improve my sight-reading so I went through quite a few pieces from that book. This one brought back memories from childhood. This and the other menuet in G minor (which I think is nicer) are very good for your fingers. But they are not easy to play to tempo so just take it very slow and don't get frustrated if it takes time. And start with hands separate. Sloppyness is not allowed in Bach
(although as you may know these pieces are not really composed by Bach, he just collected them to teach his children)

I will definitely work hard outin! I'm going to have patience and not rush a thing.

I now a consequence of 'too fast' now. It drains the emotion of the piece.

Who is that person?  He seems nice.

Who?

[outin]

I will definitely work hard outin! I'm going to have patience and not rush a thing.

Funny how it's so easy to give advice to others while actually not following it oneself...
I tend to make this mistake myself often. I try to play to tempo too soon, as soon as I get the fingering. Then after a while I realize my playing sucks and start again slowly and break the piece down and build it up again. Not the smartest method I know, but on the other hand it helps my memorising a little...And I simply don't have enough patience

[ranniks]

I tried what you advised me to do with the Minuet outin! I played it just with the right hand, but only the first 10-16 notes. It was a marvelous! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE BACH!

[m1469]

I'm having a rather gigantic connection form (or being remembered) between drawing with music playing, and playing music.  In drawing with music, I let my subconscious and intuition speak (well, it's some kind of "different mind" anyway).  And, I *think* it needs to be, or I would ultimately like it to be, this same "place" from which it comes when I play.  

[hfmadopter]

I'm beyond glad David. Since the piano has just been tuned - and not fully mind you - my play has dramatically improved. I have no idea why the keys went too deep when I pressed them and now they aren't. That's too technical for me at this stage (I feel obligated to learn the internal mechanics of the piano one day).

Just like learning to play piano, working on them doesn't come to you in a day ! Be glad your tuner did a good job is about all that you need to know for now. The same goes for your teacher. Remember if you get hooked on music and piano, it can be for life, so you aren't going to get it all in in a month, a year, a decade even.. Just keep working at it.
David

[outin]

I finally have the fingerings for the first 2 pages of K434 in my head!
Still needs a lot of work, but attached is what I was able to record from my practice session today...with a few mistakes and blackouts as usual...

[ranniks]

I finally have the fingerings for the first 2 pages of K434 in my head!
Still needs a lot of work, but attached is what I was able to record from my practice session today...with a few mistakes and blackouts as usual...

While having your track of K434 on I looked at some other threads and when it ended I snapped out of some trance. I like how you played it, even though you are not. I mean, emotion > no emotion. And I felt a good amount of emotion from that song.

[ranniks]

I sort of understand why my teacher told me I'm not ready for the Menuet yet.....Right handed it's not that hard (the beginning the G and C position switch), but when I have to get the left hand involved it gets really tricky. I need to get a good fundament for chords for that. I let my chords stick too much......

[outin]

While having your track of K434 on I looked at some other threads and when it ended I snapped out of some trance. I like how you played it, even though you are not. I mean, emotion > no emotion. And I felt a good amount of emotion from that song.

Thank you, I do enjoy this piece a lot, it suits my personality I guess. I still force myself to play it slowly, to be able to consider the details. The final tempo is faster.

[m1469]

Here is something I think I'm realizing today:

A Force without discipline, focus, direction, purpose, is not Power and has no fundamental nor lasting strength.  In fact, without organization, it is a weakness.