たばこの気持ち

小学校の頃、2人の兄に勉強を教わっていたので、授業など聞く必要はなく、1学期中には教科書の問題を解いていた

授業中は、絶えずいたずらを考え、騒いでいたから教諭に叱られてばかりいたが、通知表は音楽と体育を除き「5」だった（妻子に言ってみたら、まったく信用されなかったけれど）

とくに音楽の「正しく歌う」は一貫して「×」印がついていたし、鼻歌をうたったら「お前、音痴だなぁ」と指摘され、すっかり歌うことへの自信を失い、成人してから人前で歌うことはなるべく避けていた

歌わなければいけない場面では、冷や汗が出るほど恥ずかしく緊張したので、なおさら音程を外すことになり、カラオケタイムは針の筵だった

20代〜50歳まで、必死に練習を重ね、吉田拓郎さんの「夏休み」、かまやつひろしさんの「我が良き友よ」、小林旭さんの「ごめんね」「腕に虹だけ」の4曲だけでその場を乗り切っていた

しかし、49歳から始めた詩吟教室でのお稽古や自主練習（新幹線通勤の連結デッキでも行き帰り練習した）により、音痴は徐々に改善された

When I was in elementary school, my two older brothers taught me how to study, so I didn't have to listen to lessons.

During the first semester, I was solving practice questions from the year's textbook.

During class, I was constantly thinking up pranks and making a lot of noise, so the teacher always scolded me.

However, my report card was a 5, except for music and physical education (though when I told his wife and son about my grades, they didn't believe me at all).

In particular, "singing correctly" in my music was consistently marked with an "x".

When I was in the first grade of junior high school, when I hummed a song, a classmate who was listening nearby pointed out to me, "You're tone deaf," and I completely lost confidence in singing.

Growing up, I avoided singing in public as much as possible. When I had to sing, I was so embarrassed and nervous that I broke out in a cold sweat. 

Therefore, I ended up being even more out of tune, and I hated karaoke at social gatherings.

From my 20s to my 50s, I practiced desperately and achieved that goal with just four songs: Takuro Yoshida's "Summer Vacation," Hiroshi Kamayatsu's "My Good Friend," and Akira Kobayashi's "Gomenne" and "Ude ni Niji Dake." I survived the situation.

However, I gradually improved my tone-deafness by taking lessons at a Shigin class and practicing on my own (I practiced on the connecting deck of my commuter train on the Shinkansen), which I started at the age of 49.

その理由として考えられるのは、和楽は5音階であり、それが自分に合っていたらしい。5音階での特訓により、西洋音楽の7音階にも少し少しずつ対応できるようになってきた

日本における歌謡曲（J -POPを含む）の大ヒット曲は、「四七抜き」という5音階が多いという説もある

詩吟を細々と長年続けていると、カラオケルームで5時間前後、1人で歌い続けても喉がかれることはないし、お腹（丹田）や背中（背筋）で声を出していると、これまで歯の立たなかった歌謡曲やフォークソングが楽に歌えるようになった

また、カラオケの採点モードで譜面のような音階を見ながら歌うと、音程の微妙なズレを目で理解できる。点数の高低でチェックも可能だから、1人でも退屈することはない

One possible reason for this is that Japanese music has a pentatonic scale, which seemed to suit me.

Through intensive training on pentatonic scales, I have gradually been able to respond to the heptad scales of Western music.

There is also a theory that many of the big hit popular songs in Japan (including J-POP) have a pentatonic scale called ``47-nuki.''

I've been practicing Shigin for many years, and even if I sing alone for about five hours in a karaoke room, I don't get thirsty.

By vocalizing with my stomach (danda) and back (spine muscles), I was able to sing popular songs and folk songs that I had never been able to sing with ease.

Also, if you sing while looking at a scale like a musical score in karaoke's scoring mode, you can visually understand subtle differences in pitch.

You can also check the scores, so I don't get bored even if I sing alone.

人前で歌うことについては、詩吟発表会やコンクールを数多く体験し、カラオケでの歌い出しやサビの部分でも慌てることがなくなった。そして、コロナ禍になった。普通はカラオケルームを避けるのだが、持ち込みOKのカラオケルーム、それも空いている格安時間帯では、まったく密ではなく、都会でも散歩よりも退職者にとっては安全・安心・低コストの空間なのである

持って生まれた音感の悪さはあるが、レパートリーはますます増え、昨今は詩情の表現や強弱を意識しながら、馴染みの曲を繰り返し歌っている（妻子によれば「キモチ悪い」からてくれ、というクレームになるのだが----）

お昼の時間帯を挟み、時にはアルコールを持ち込み、ドリンクバー付きで入るとウーロン茶などのソフトトリンは飲み放題だから、焼酎のウーロン茶割りで盛り上げ、歌い続けている

さらに、運動を兼ねて椅子には座らず、テンポの良い曲ではステップしながら歌うので、弱っている足腰の強化になる。加えて、大声を出すという動物の本能を解き放つことにより、心地良いのである。ストレス解消なのだ。いわば、一石三鳥というやつだ

なので、私のカラオケルーム通いは、通常とはかなり異なり（妻子は理解を通り越し、ただ呆れているわけだが----）、コロナ禍が収束しても続けていきたいと思う

When it comes to singing in front of people, I have experienced many poetry recitals and competitions.

As a result, I don't have to panic when I start singing or singing the chorus at karaoke.

Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Normally, everyone avoids karaoke rooms.

However, in karaoke rooms where you can bring your own food, especially during the cheap hours when it's empty, it's not crowded at all, and it's a safer, more secure, and lower-cost space for retirees than taking a walk in the city.

Although I was born with a poor pitch sense, the repertoire I can sing at karaoke has increased more and more.

Nowadays, I sing familiar songs over and over again, paying close attention to the poetic expression and dynamics.

I sometimes bring alcohol into the karaoke room during lunch time.

If you come with a drink bar, you can drink all-you-can-drink soft drinks such as oolong tea, so I mix it up with shochu mixed with oolong tea and keep singing.

What's more, I don't sit on a chair for exercise, but instead sing while stepping during fast-paced songs, which strengthens my weak legs and hips.

Additionally, it feels good to unleash the animal's instinct to make loud noises. It relieves stress.

In other words, it's killing three birds with one stone. So, my going to karaoke rooms is quite different from normal (though my wife and son are beyond understanding and are just appalled), and I plan to continue going even after the coronavirus pandemic subsides.