Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 90 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Estrellita
Prepared before starting the piece as per Glickstein's advice in The Musican's Way (pg. 180).
- Center - Connect - Count - Begin
In order to connect, I had to read up about the origin of Estrellia. Turns out there are original lyrics (in Spanish), which made establishing the meaning of the song for me much simpler.
Played up to Part II.
Pica Pica
Wanted to do the same procedure, but don't know what meaning Pica-Pica has for me. Need to think about this and establish tomorrow.
Thoughts:
According to Glickstein, expert performers are able to put worries about technique aside during the performance. They concentrate on the meaning, the art of the piece. This in turn of course is a big part of connecting with an audience. This was such an obvious, but long-sought revelation for me.
Glickstein warns against choosing unattainble music. That's something that's definitely been plaguing my musical path. I choose something too hard, and so I'm not even able to get a chance to refine my performance skills. Even Pica-Pica, I realized, may be too hard. After all, I've been working on it on and off since May. I may need to find easier pieces with which I can really practice performing.
"To ensure that you have ample capacity to manage your openrs, choose music that you can perform well even when you're jittery. Then complete many practice performances to discover the ways that you're affected at the start."
The Musician's Way, p. 182
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 85 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 100 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica
Played @ 70 bpm w metronome while imaging the next measure.
Estrellita
Memorized Part II up to measure 8. Played @ target tempo (it is very slow, so no problems) while imaging the next measure.
Thoughts:
Losing concentration because I felt tired, so decided to stop. Very hard to image ahead in this state.
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 85 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 100 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica
Played @ 70 bpm w metronome while imaging the next measure.
Estrellita
Memorized Part II up to measure 8. Played @ target tempo (it is very slow, so no problems) while imaging the next measure.
Thoughts:
Losing concentration because I felt tired, so decided to stop. Very hard to image ahead in this state.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 80 bpm (cut my fingernails so it was harder to get the strings)
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 100 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica
Played @ 70 bpm w metronome while imaging the next measure.
Estrellita
Memorized Part II up to measure 8. Played @ target tempo (it is very slow, so no problems) while imaging the next measure.
Thoughts:
According to The Musician's Way, a composition graduates to developing status once you can play it at a preliminary tempo. I realized that one of the errors plaguing my approach in the past has been that I've prematurely graduated my pieces to the developing status zone before they're ripe for this. With Pica Pica, too, I need to be able to play it expressively, error-free, and calmly enough to be able to image ahead at a preliminary tempo of 70 before I start increasing the pace.
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 80 bpm (cut my fingernails so it was harder to get the strings)
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 100 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica
Played @ 70 bpm w metronome while imaging the next measure.
Estrellita
Memorized Part II up to measure 8. Played @ target tempo (it is very slow, so no problems) while imaging the next measure.
Thoughts:
According to The Musician's Way, a composition graduates to developing status once you can play it at a preliminary tempo. I realized that one of the errors plaguing my approach in the past has been that I've prematurely graduated my pieces to the developing status zone before they're ripe for this. With Pica Pica, too, I need to be able to play it expressively, error-free, and calmly enough to be able to image ahead at a preliminary tempo of 70 before I start increasing the pace.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 85 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica
Recorded with silent metronome @ 80 bpm. Listening back, it became obvious that I didn't practice imaging ahead at slow tempos enough. When I played it with the mic on at this tempo, I could feel the beginnings of the anxiety that I feel during performances. That lack of confidence through which you just wish that you'll hit the right notes. Therefore, I need to just focus on practicing this piece at slower tempos, imagining ahead and really feeling it.
Estrellita
Memorized Part II Measures 1-4.
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 85 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica
Recorded with silent metronome @ 80 bpm. Listening back, it became obvious that I didn't practice imaging ahead at slow tempos enough. When I played it with the mic on at this tempo, I could feel the beginnings of the anxiety that I feel during performances. That lack of confidence through which you just wish that you'll hit the right notes. Therefore, I need to just focus on practicing this piece at slower tempos, imagining ahead and really feeling it.
Estrellita
Memorized Part II Measures 1-4.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 85 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica Measure
Played @ 85 bpm, but realized that I wasn't imagining a measure ahead while playing
Played @ 70 and imaged a measure ahead
Need to test how consistent rhythm is w/o metronome. To do for tomorrow.
Estrellita
Played Part I. Sounds good, no glitches.
Forgot Part II measures 1 and 2, so had to relearn them.
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 85 bpm
String Walking exercise with l quarter notes @ 85 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with sixteenths @ 80 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica Measure
Played @ 85 bpm, but realized that I wasn't imagining a measure ahead while playing
Played @ 70 and imaged a measure ahead
Need to test how consistent rhythm is w/o metronome. To do for tomorrow.
Estrellita
Played Part I. Sounds good, no glitches.
Forgot Part II measures 1 and 2, so had to relearn them.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 80 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with qurater notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #2 (pg. 15) with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #4 with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica Measure
Mentally reviewed chord changes in 1st and 2nd sections of Pica Pica
Played whole tune @ 70, but with metronome& without
For tomorrow: need to review Musician's Way book to see what I need to work on in the piece, besides speed.
Estrellita
Reviewed chord changes of 1st section
Chord changes in measure 13-16 zip by too quickly.
Played the right hand fingerings with open strings.
Memorized Part II Measures 1 and 2.
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 80 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with qurater notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #2 (pg. 15) with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #4 with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica Measure
Mentally reviewed chord changes in 1st and 2nd sections of Pica Pica
Played whole tune @ 70, but with metronome& without
For tomorrow: need to review Musician's Way book to see what I need to work on in the piece, besides speed.
Estrellita
Reviewed chord changes of 1st section
Chord changes in measure 13-16 zip by too quickly.
Played the right hand fingerings with open strings.
Memorized Part II Measures 1 and 2.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Warm-up/Technique:
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 75 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with qurater notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #2 (pg. 15) with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #4 with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica Measure 14 @ 70
Also, mentally reviewed chord changes in 1st and 2nd sections of Pica Pica
Played whole tune @ 70
For tomorrow: need to review Musician's Way book to see what I need to work on in the piece, besides speed.
Estrellita
Reviewed chord changes of 1st section
First section. Noticed couple of problems. Recorded. Analyzed.
Problems to solve: Big position switch in measure 10 - getting better with practice
Glitch in position switch in measure 2 - I think it's due to performance anxiety
Glitch in chord changes in measure 14 - right-hand finger independence problem
I realized that I don't have a recording of the song I wrote for Makiko's birthday.
In this video you get to see the horrendous ceiling (or is it a floor?) that the previous tenants made. Also, you get to see that I'm struggling a bit to retrieve the lyrics from my brain. Regarding the playing, reviewing the video, I was surprised how close to the bridge I was playing. I think that was partly responsible for the excessively bright and somewhat impersonal tone (maybe...?).
String Walking exercise (Pumping Nylon pg. 37) with i,m eight notes @ 75 bpm
Right-Hand Velocity (Pumping Nylon pg. 63) with i,m sixteenth notes @ 105 bpm
Same with l, m with qurater notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #2 (pg. 15) with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Finger Independence #4 with quarter notes @ 100 bpm
Repertoire:
Pica Pica Measure 14 @ 70
Also, mentally reviewed chord changes in 1st and 2nd sections of Pica Pica
Played whole tune @ 70
For tomorrow: need to review Musician's Way book to see what I need to work on in the piece, besides speed.
Estrellita
Reviewed chord changes of 1st section
First section. Noticed couple of problems. Recorded. Analyzed.
Problems to solve: Big position switch in measure 10 - getting better with practice
Glitch in position switch in measure 2 - I think it's due to performance anxiety
Glitch in chord changes in measure 14 - right-hand finger independence problem
I realized that I don't have a recording of the song I wrote for Makiko's birthday.
In this video you get to see the horrendous ceiling (or is it a floor?) that the previous tenants made. Also, you get to see that I'm struggling a bit to retrieve the lyrics from my brain. Regarding the playing, reviewing the video, I was surprised how close to the bridge I was playing. I think that was partly responsible for the excessively bright and somewhat impersonal tone (maybe...?).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)