Sunday 4/5
60 Minutes
sixteenth note speed exercises, repertoire
Working to find the limit of my picking speed on a single string and across strings. I go by how accurate I am at gradually increasing BPM's. "Accuracy" includes:
time;
evenness of attack;
tone;
dynamic;
correct notes...
...along with how long and how easily I can maintain it. Noticing what my arm does when it gets stressed is also part of it. Right now, my frustration level with a single string is 80, and across strings is 66.
Once again, being able to access the quality of beginning rather than starting has been invaluable to me. Part of it is a notion of choice, andpart of it is an awareness of a larger present moment. As in, it's the same hand in the same moment when I'm not playing as when I'm playing.
Also went through some repertoire, including "Derailed", "Austurias", "Hope","Askesis", "Batrachomyomachy", and "Calliope".
Friday, April 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Wednesday 4/1
40 Minutes
two new left hand exercises, foot tapping with "Flying Home"
Practing the pull-off and anchor exercises to keep them fresh. I can only do them very slowly right now. I noticed as I was practicing them that I push out with my shoulder and elbow against the neck, when I should really be bringing the fingers to the fretboard.
More work with foot tapping, along similar lines to Sunday's session. The pulse has this weird character of being delicate but rock solid at the same time.
40 Minutes
two new left hand exercises, foot tapping with "Flying Home"
Practing the pull-off and anchor exercises to keep them fresh. I can only do them very slowly right now. I noticed as I was practicing them that I push out with my shoulder and elbow against the neck, when I should really be bringing the fingers to the fretboard.
More work with foot tapping, along similar lines to Sunday's session. The pulse has this weird character of being delicate but rock solid at the same time.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday 3/29
30 Minutes
foot tapping, keeping a pulse with "Flying Home" and "Calliope"
I can't tap my foot for any length of time standing up. A little more luck sitting down, but much of the time it still feels strained. With this matter more or less dealt with, I looped some parts for as long as I could whilekeeping part of my attention in my hands and some in my tapping foot. My aim for this was to keep the tapping "indifferent" to what was going on withthe notes. I noticed that:
1) sometimes my sense of the pulse wavers, or I do not hear a consistent pulse;
2) generally, it's the foot that wants to adjust or "anticipate" for the hands. So, for instance, I'll be coming up to a transition and I'll raise the foot prematurely, or release it late.
Often, this is followed by a hiccup in the next tap;
3) when the pulse is felt, there is a kind of momentum to it, rather than the feeling of tapping at the correct moment discreetly (like throwing darts)...
So, my approach right now is to just keep it up for as long as possible. I listen to the metronome and try to feel the small lifting and release of weight in the foot, simultaneously. So far, the greatest struggle seems to be with the first bass part in "Calliope", which is a shame. I would totally tap that.
30 Minutes
foot tapping, keeping a pulse with "Flying Home" and "Calliope"
I can't tap my foot for any length of time standing up. A little more luck sitting down, but much of the time it still feels strained. With this matter more or less dealt with, I looped some parts for as long as I could whilekeeping part of my attention in my hands and some in my tapping foot. My aim for this was to keep the tapping "indifferent" to what was going on withthe notes. I noticed that:
1) sometimes my sense of the pulse wavers, or I do not hear a consistent pulse;
2) generally, it's the foot that wants to adjust or "anticipate" for the hands. So, for instance, I'll be coming up to a transition and I'll raise the foot prematurely, or release it late.
Often, this is followed by a hiccup in the next tap;
3) when the pulse is felt, there is a kind of momentum to it, rather than the feeling of tapping at the correct moment discreetly (like throwing darts)...
So, my approach right now is to just keep it up for as long as possible. I listen to the metronome and try to feel the small lifting and release of weight in the foot, simultaneously. So far, the greatest struggle seems to be with the first bass part in "Calliope", which is a shame. I would totally tap that.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday 3/26
60 Minutes
two-string scale exercise, 1st inversion arpeggios
Continuing with the left hand theme. A few little insights: the "sweet spot" behind the fret, relaxation of the elbow, and the relationship between my"release" and the rest of the arm; specifically, it seems like the same kindof relaxation in the elbow is necessary in the release as it is in the fretting.
60 Minutes
two-string scale exercise, 1st inversion arpeggios
Continuing with the left hand theme. A few little insights: the "sweet spot" behind the fret, relaxation of the elbow, and the relationship between my"release" and the rest of the arm; specifically, it seems like the same kindof relaxation in the elbow is necessary in the release as it is in the fretting.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
For yesterday...
Sunday 2/22
30 Minutes
C major pentatonic scale, 1st inversion C Major arpeggios
And for today:
Monday 2/23
60 Minutes
Derailed at the Station
Mostly just putting this piece together with correct fingering, strokes and transitions. Haven't started practicing with a metronome yet. Also, working on being more relaxed while seated and playing.
Sunday 2/22
30 Minutes
C major pentatonic scale, 1st inversion C Major arpeggios
And for today:
Monday 2/23
60 Minutes
Derailed at the Station
Mostly just putting this piece together with correct fingering, strokes and transitions. Haven't started practicing with a metronome yet. Also, working on being more relaxed while seated and playing.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Recovering from spyware, backtracking...
Tuesday 2/10
40 + 20 Minutes
"Isreal", "Morning Has Broken"
Getting into some of the "detail work" talked about on Sunday. There's some good articulation exercise available in these 'chord-change' pieces, and also some metronome challenges (one a very slow 4/4, the other in 6/8, where metronome ticks are treated as dotted quarters instead of ordinary quarters). I'm also practicing playing chords with a light touch.
Some presentation work, practicing walking on and plugging in gracefully.
...
Wednesday 2/11
15 Minutes
continued Tuesday's work
I've been focusing on technique work lately, on the assumption that improved technical ability will carry over into repertoire anyway; but working with repertoire gives its own insights into technique.
...and tonight...
Friday 2/13
60 Minutes
C major pentatonic scale, 1st inverstion C major arpeggios
Haven't done fretboard knowledge work in a while.
Tuesday 2/10
40 + 20 Minutes
"Isreal", "Morning Has Broken"
Getting into some of the "detail work" talked about on Sunday. There's some good articulation exercise available in these 'chord-change' pieces, and also some metronome challenges (one a very slow 4/4, the other in 6/8, where metronome ticks are treated as dotted quarters instead of ordinary quarters). I'm also practicing playing chords with a light touch.
Some presentation work, practicing walking on and plugging in gracefully.
...
Wednesday 2/11
15 Minutes
continued Tuesday's work
I've been focusing on technique work lately, on the assumption that improved technical ability will carry over into repertoire anyway; but working with repertoire gives its own insights into technique.
...and tonight...
Friday 2/13
60 Minutes
C major pentatonic scale, 1st inverstion C major arpeggios
Haven't done fretboard knowledge work in a while.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Monday 2/2
20 Minutes
right hand exercise
Concentrated session. I found a good reference point for the "effortless" downstroke, and was able to return to some of the balancing relationships in the body throughout.
A theme from a year-and-a-half ago is re-emeriging, the difference between "starting" and"beginning".
20 Minutes
right hand exercise
Concentrated session. I found a good reference point for the "effortless" downstroke, and was able to return to some of the balancing relationships in the body throughout.
A theme from a year-and-a-half ago is re-emeriging, the difference between "starting" and"beginning".
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tuesday 1/20
60 Minutes
Right and left hand exercise, "Flying Home", reviewing "Love is Green", "Morning Has Broken"
With the left hand work, learning to differentiate between the release and return of the wrist and the twisting of the arm. The feeling in the left wrist is slightly different than in the right, because there is a gentle arch in addition to releasing/returning action. There is a clear difference in the fullness of the tone with sensitive use of the wrist. "Flying Home" will provide good exercise in this area throughout the week.
For "Morning Has Broken", practicing playing the chord progressions smoothly. I noticed that they often get cut off when moving to the next chord shape, so I took the advice of "deciding when the fingers will change" and worked with that. Also, practicing playing thechords in 6/8 rather than 3/8. Rhythmically, this means 1 2 3 ^4 5 6, instead of 123 123 etc.
60 Minutes
Right and left hand exercise, "Flying Home", reviewing "Love is Green", "Morning Has Broken"
With the left hand work, learning to differentiate between the release and return of the wrist and the twisting of the arm. The feeling in the left wrist is slightly different than in the right, because there is a gentle arch in addition to releasing/returning action. There is a clear difference in the fullness of the tone with sensitive use of the wrist. "Flying Home" will provide good exercise in this area throughout the week.
For "Morning Has Broken", practicing playing the chord progressions smoothly. I noticed that they often get cut off when moving to the next chord shape, so I took the advice of "deciding when the fingers will change" and worked with that. Also, practicing playing thechords in 6/8 rather than 3/8. Rhythmically, this means 1 2 3 ^4 5 6, instead of 123 123 etc.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
For yesterday:
Monday 1/5
45 Minutes
Memorizing "Passage", calisthenic work with the right hand.
Before sitting down to practice, I wondered whether F.M. Alexander had anything to say about relaxation in his famous book "The Use of the Self". I checked the index and found not a word spent on the subject, but there were phrases like "pulls the head back" and "depressing of the larynx" which piqued my interest. This, and a few other things I've been reading, led to a change in attitude for me from "tense and stupid body > THE RELAXED STATE" to "an O.K. body > letting go of its unnecessary tension" - or holding onto it, if it wants to.
Monday 1/5
45 Minutes
Memorizing "Passage", calisthenic work with the right hand.
Before sitting down to practice, I wondered whether F.M. Alexander had anything to say about relaxation in his famous book "The Use of the Self". I checked the index and found not a word spent on the subject, but there were phrases like "pulls the head back" and "depressing of the larynx" which piqued my interest. This, and a few other things I've been reading, led to a change in attitude for me from "tense and stupid body > THE RELAXED STATE" to "an O.K. body > letting go of its unnecessary tension" - or holding onto it, if it wants to.
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