Final post

This blog was created as an ancillary to By Heart: how to memorize music. Since that blog is done for now, this blog is also done.

That doesn't mean that I've stopped practicing!

For more information on the purpose of this blog, click here.

10/25/13

Goals

• 17.1-2 15' play only
• 17.4 10:15 @84, lmks and find optimal
• Bach III & IV 15:25 @70
• Bell 15:5 (play first) all @60
• chamber 15' #3
• organ 10'

17.1&2

• 18'
• do again 15' before moving on

17.4

• 84:60
• next x 5:15

chamber

• 15'
• next time 3@75
• and do 1&2
• total 20'

organ 

• as planned

Bell

• played 20' (only)
• do same next time, no mental wk

skipped Bach. Do tomorrow?

10/23/13

Goals

• Bach I & II, 15:25 @70
• Bell play 15:5@60 all
• 17.1 4:20 all
• 17.4 10:10@84 lmks only
• organ 10'
• chamber 20'

Bach

• 11:25 very good!
• next time 15:25 III & IV

Bell

• 15:5
• do same again

Organ 10'

17.1

• as planned

17.4

• as planned
• next time play 15:5 @89

next time: play 17.1 and 17.2 for 15'

Chamber

• next time do 3rd 15'

10/22/13

Goals

• pull back on Couperin; make sure 1 & 2 are settled before going on
• 17.1 mental; play lmks; play tempo metro; play no metro 5:20
• 17.2 same as 17.1 5:15
• Bach IV 10:20@70
• Bell p1 only 5:10
• chamber 15'
• organ 15'

Bach

• 12:25
• next time: I&II 15:25 @70

tune Postie

17.1

• as planned, do same tomorrow
• 39:52

17.2

• 3.5:15
• ok: give this a rest, go to 17.4 tomorrow

Bell

• as planned @62
• do all next time by lmks, play 15 then mental 5

Chamber 15'

• #3@75
• next time figure #1 first

Organ

next time: chamber 20'; organ 10'

10/18/13

Goals

• 17.1 10:15@39, leap lmks
• 17.2 play only, lmks@62, play 78, play, 15'
• 17.4 5:10@84 leap lmks
• Cto I:II 10:20@70
• Bell 5:10, p1 only

17.2 as planned

• next time: mental 5', lmks 78, play no metro 10'

17.1 as planned

• next time: 5:20 mental@39; play lmks@39; play tempo metro; play no metro

17.4 as planned

• next time do 10:10@84

Bach as planned

• not perfect, but move to IV next time

skipped Bell

10/16/13

Goals

• Bell 15:5@62
• play, look at all lmks
• Look at Couperin 1st edition
• 17.1 10:15, all @39
• 17.2 approx 10' mental/lmks/play tempo/play no metro
• 17.4 start 10:10 find lmks, metro
• Bach I: II @70 10:20
• orch: play Bach, tune

Bell

• as planned
• next x p1 only 5:10

17.2

• as planned, 11'
• next x at inst only for phrasing and LH articulation
• do lmks 62, play 78 then play, total 15'

17.4

• 10:10
• next x 5:10 @84
• leap lmks only

Cto

• as planned
• need to do this again

17.1

• as planned
• do same again, but leap lmks

10/15/13

Goals

• Coup 17.1, 2nd 1/2
• 17.2 finish
• Cto I: III
• Bell
• chamber 20'

Coup 17.1

• 8:15, B section @ 39

Bach I: III

• 10:20@70
• next time: do II

Amore

• 20'
• next time: metro #3; figure 1&2

Bell

• 5:10@62
• next time: start playing 1st, 15:5, add all lmks

17.2

• 10:15@62:78
• next time: 10' total
• mental62
• lmks62
• play78
• play no metro
• & start 17.4

Next time: look at Couperin MS

10/14/13

Goals

• Coup 17:1, 2 8:15 (see yesterday's goals)
• Bell 5:10, but start w. playing, use metro
• Cto I: I, 10:20
• orch, approx 20'

Bell

• played first (10:5)
• @62

Cto I.I 19:18 @70

• next time do III @70

17.2 10:15 @62

• just about ready to go; do one more day
• establish optimal tempo

17.1 8:15

• tempo 39:44
• next time do B only

Orch work: done; do chamber tomorrow

10/13/13

New repertoire/goals

• Only one totally new (solo) piece at a time. There's plenty of previously learned, high-quality repertoire to put to memory.
• Always one concerto at a time, but can be "new."
• Couperin 17.1 & 17.2d 25';
• Bell 2nd prelude 20'
• Cto I (I) 30'
• orch/chamber 30'

Goals

• Couperin
• two mvts, add lmks, tempo 10:15 each
• Bell 10:10
• Cto I: section I, 10:20
• orch, if time

17.1 8:15

• determined lmks, worked on A lmks starting pts
• next time: A section only, est. metro

17.2 8:15

• @62
• worked all lmks; this will come easy

Bell 5:10

• p2 lmks
• next time, establish metronome

10/5/13

Plan:

• mental work by lmk/metro
• play tempo/metro
• doing in three 1-hour groups like yesterday, but start each group with harder pieces

10:30-11:30: part I

1-2: part III

3-4: part II

10/4/13

Did 3 one-hour sessions:

• 9:30-10:30 (E Bach, Scar, Tic)
• 11:15-12:15 (Handel)
• 2:15-3:15 (Scar/Bach)

For each:

• mental work w/metro
• check landmarks or play slow lmks
• play w/ metro

Do same tomorrow!

10/3/13

Did as planned: played recital program, each half preceded by 5' meditation.

Issues:

• tempo check in K513
• attention lapses: C# fugues; Passacaglia; E fugue
• real lapse: sarabande
• note check: K461
• K517 too fast? TicToc too fast?

Tomorrow

• mental work all
• quick lmk check
• slow play lmks only on "fast" stuff
• a tempo w/ metro

10/2/13

Did as planned!

Tomorrow: play recital w/ meditation, take notes on issues. Fix issues after play-through.

10/1/13

Did

• quills
• goals of yesterday

Scar/Bach 1.15

all Handel 1.05

Scar/Tic 1.00

Next time:

• play recital informally
• check tempi before playing
• take good notes and make corrections

9/30/13

Did

• play thru program
• mental work Bach and the only trouble spot (Handel sarabande)
• then played Bach
• slow lmks
• play metro tempo

Did a lot of work today, although untimed.

Tomorrow:

• each piece
• mental in order
• slow lmks
• play metro tempo

Fix quills

9/27/13

Goals

• do all mental work straight thru in 40' intervals
• then reassess
• no playing today?

Did all of Pt1 in c.43'.

• C# P&F, C Fugue difficult (mentally)

Did Pt 2 in 30'

• E fugue same difficulty

Solution: go back to alternating A/B pattern of last week.

Then played all Bach slow metro/lmks only. 36'

Played thru C# P&F 10'

9/25/13

Played through recital for guest. Moral of story is that the head needs to be unclouded before playing. Pre-performance conversation proved a distraction; this was not a problem in the 2nd half, as there was no distraction. All in all, very nice!

9/24/13

Goals

• play thru program by segment
• work each segment for problems

Scar/Tic 10'

• tempo check, Scar pt. 1
• Tic a little weak in starting couplets

Bach 24'

• did some tempo work in C#

Hand 30'

• good
• did overture again to stabilize transitions and cadenza
• did andante A again to stabilize endings

Harm/E 21'

• played fugue 2x due to lapses

Scar 14'

• ok

Then played entire program with 5' meditation before each half.

9/23/13

Goals

• continue pattern
• but do straight mental thru, not lmks

Scar/Tic 16'

Bach 45'

Han 38'

Harm/E 29'

Scar 24'

9/20/13

Took yesterday off. Continue this week's current pattern for next two sessions, then reassess.

Make one change: work mental start to finish (not by landmark).

Scar/Tic: 20' (play)
Bach: 43' (mental/play)
Handel 36'
Hrms/E 33'
Scar 18'