Wednesday 10/1

50 Minutes

Struggling to play semi-quavers at 80 BPM. Most of my practice focused on addressing this; I notice there seems to be a point where I "lock in" with my whole body during play. I believe that it is this extra squeezing force that is preventing me from playing faster. I tried doing a 16-bar exercise with mindfulness of the tension in my body, but this was too difficult, so I peeled back to a single string. I switched back and forth between eight notes and sixteenth notes, slowing down when I felt I was "pushing" or getting frustrtated, beginning again with a sense of lightness. The arm feels like it is hovering over the strings. Somehow, I have to play faster without any extra force.

I didn't forget the left hand. Returning to my glitchy index finger; perhaps it is its position near the fretboard that places it at a mechanical disadvantage. After working inthis direction, I'm becoming convinced this may be the case.

Calliope at 84 BPM. No. Calliope at 80 BPM. Do-able, but crummy sounding. There is a big difference between 80 and 84.

I am now also going to practice being mindful of a certain nervous habit during my sessions.