Wed 1:45 (1400-1600)
So I delayed my day off by a day. Had a great lesson on Monday night, discovering what I was missing in my "petting the dog" (freedom at the shoulder) and exploring possible bowings for the Haydn C Adagio. I am happier and happier with my new right arm skills - my cello sounds really great. Next step: keep doing it as the music gets more complicated.
I probably shouldn't count it as "practice," but I spent almost 2 hours this afternoon working out our parts with another of my cello quartet members. By the luck of the draw we have alternating 1st and 2nd cello parts on two of the pieces. I shared my philosophy of how to mark shifts into a part to minimize the amount of rethinking you need to do each time you play it, and helped her decide how to finger her part. Once decisions were made we were able to focus on how just the two parts sound together without the extra racket from the lower parts. A very rewarding practice.
However, since I have a church orchestra rehearsal later tonight, I'm going to take a break instead of practicing Haydn or Suzuki today. The deck is calling, and I think I have time for a small glass of wine with dinner.
Wednesday, May 19
Monday, May 17
Mon 0:30 (~1700)
If I had my druthers, I'd take the day off after a concert. However, I have a cello lesson tonight, so needed to at least get my head back into lesson music, after a day of post-concert Svendsen ear worms.
10 min Suzuki Bk 1 from Perpetual Motion to the end. I think I'll ask to talk about the alternative bowings in PM and Etude (double 1/16th notes) at my lesson. It's the same bowing as in the A section of the Webster Scherzo we were talking about last week. I'll have T4- weigh in on the "petting the dog" analogy.
10 min Haydn C 1st mvmt 2nd theme to beginning of ds. I'm getting to the point that I can visualize the next chunk as I am setting on each held note. It's really conveniently written for that.
10 min Haydn C 2nd mvmt 1st statement. Not sure what bowing to use, so tried several. Checked in with the Wispelwey video to sort out the fingerings. What on earth did we do before YouTube?
You know it's going to be a good practice day when you hear the cello "lock in" with tuning. Does that mean my ear is hearing especially well today, or is the quality of the cello ringing? In any case, it's really ringing, and I love it.
If I had my druthers, I'd take the day off after a concert. However, I have a cello lesson tonight, so needed to at least get my head back into lesson music, after a day of post-concert Svendsen ear worms.
10 min Suzuki Bk 1 from Perpetual Motion to the end. I think I'll ask to talk about the alternative bowings in PM and Etude (double 1/16th notes) at my lesson. It's the same bowing as in the A section of the Webster Scherzo we were talking about last week. I'll have T4- weigh in on the "petting the dog" analogy.
10 min Haydn C 1st mvmt 2nd theme to beginning of ds. I'm getting to the point that I can visualize the next chunk as I am setting on each held note. It's really conveniently written for that.
10 min Haydn C 2nd mvmt 1st statement. Not sure what bowing to use, so tried several. Checked in with the Wispelwey video to sort out the fingerings. What on earth did we do before YouTube?
You know it's going to be a good practice day when you hear the cello "lock in" with tuning. Does that mean my ear is hearing especially well today, or is the quality of the cello ringing? In any case, it's really ringing, and I love it.
Sunday, May 16
Sun 0:40 (1000)
Played one short service at church this morning, so pretty well warmed up. Ran the Sibelius and Svendsen Symphony with the recording. I just want to make sure I have the cues in my ears before the concert this afternoon. Now I'm going to go put my final markings in my practice parts and file them,and clean up my folder to turn in. After the concert this afternoon we are off until the summer concert in July. Yippee! I have an open night each week for 1.5 months!
Played one short service at church this morning, so pretty well warmed up. Ran the Sibelius and Svendsen Symphony with the recording. I just want to make sure I have the cues in my ears before the concert this afternoon. Now I'm going to go put my final markings in my practice parts and file them,and clean up my folder to turn in. After the concert this afternoon we are off until the summer concert in July. Yippee! I have an open night each week for 1.5 months!
Saturday, May 15
Sat 0:45 (1900)
Dress rehearsal went pretty well this morning, so I just "touched up" the tricky bits in all 4 mvmts of Svendsen and reviewed fingerings for the last page or 2, then played the 4th mvmt with the recording. Much better. Also interspersed a few minutes of that up-down-down ricochet Sibelius bowing. I'll want to run that one last time with the recording before performance tomorrow afternoon.
Dress rehearsal went pretty well this morning, so I just "touched up" the tricky bits in all 4 mvmts of Svendsen and reviewed fingerings for the last page or 2, then played the 4th mvmt with the recording. Much better. Also interspersed a few minutes of that up-down-down ricochet Sibelius bowing. I'll want to run that one last time with the recording before performance tomorrow afternoon.
Friday, May 14
Fri 0:20 (1825-1848)
Wanted to jump right in to work on Svendsen, but everything felt too icky so did my 10 min Suzuki Bk 1 warmup, FFS to Rigadoon.
10 min Svendsen 4th mvmt, the funky pattern part then the last page.
After spending all day in a semi-dark room in front of a computer (beginning Flash class) I just don't feel like working. 2 glasses of wine with dinner probably did not help, though were quite nice. I think I'll go watch a movie, then early to bed. I do feel better for having played 20 minutes, though.
Dress rehearsal tomorrow morning. Better to be well-rested than well-prepared.
Wanted to jump right in to work on Svendsen, but everything felt too icky so did my 10 min Suzuki Bk 1 warmup, FFS to Rigadoon.
10 min Svendsen 4th mvmt, the funky pattern part then the last page.
After spending all day in a semi-dark room in front of a computer (beginning Flash class) I just don't feel like working. 2 glasses of wine with dinner probably did not help, though were quite nice. I think I'll go watch a movie, then early to bed. I do feel better for having played 20 minutes, though.
Dress rehearsal tomorrow morning. Better to be well-rested than well-prepared.
Thursday, May 13
Thu 1:30 (1100-1403)
10 min Warm up
Inspired by looking at the bowing for the Webster Scherzo in Suzuki Bk 3 yesterday, and the fact that the book is on my stand, I used it for my warmup today. I started with the Scherzo, then went back to the beginning and played through the tonalizations. Moving forward, I was just beginning the Lully Gavotte when the timer went off. I'm pretty sure I haven't played any of the Bk 3 pieces before. They're quite fun.
10 min Haydn C 1 m27-35
Still focusing on the shifts. Tone is very nice today - bodes well for later practice. I also listened to the Wispelway 2nd mvmt video again this am, but I was multitasking so am not counting it as practice today.
A rather longish break to shower, remove nail polish and shorten fingernails "down to the nub" for optimal cello playing.
30 min Cockles and Mussles and Ash Grove arr. Bissinger
This is my Vc1 part for cello quartet. We're working on a shortened schedule, with a recital planned in June but only two coached sessions remaining, and the other two practices are going to be short personnel. Today was deciding on optimal fingering to support my melodic intentions (sounds grand, doesn't it?). This always takes longer than I expect - I thought 10 minutes would be plenty of time, as it's not that complicated and it's not that high (mid-string harmonic A). But the lovely thing about the fretless 4-stringed cello is that we have so many options about how to finger each note. Lovely! I'm happy with the end result, though, and it should need minimal practice time down the road.
10 min Hanssen Valdresmarsj
Refreshed my memory about fingering for beginning pizz broken chords and thumb position at end of Trio. Wonder whatever happened to my previously marked part?
10 min Haugen An Uncommon Hero
Part is still a bit difficult to read, with 2 cello parts notated on one staff. Watching for downward stems and bow markings underneath. Went through reviewing the tricky bowing parts. This piece was composed in 2006, and I like it more each time we rehearse it - now that I have figured out the rhythms and rapidly changing meters.
20 min Svendsen 1st and 4th Mvmts
Play through with recording. A fun way to end the practice day. The tricky bits I've been practicing are going well, but there are a couple of stretches in the 4th mvmt that still need some closer attention - working out fingerings and reviewing rhythms.
10 min Warm up
Inspired by looking at the bowing for the Webster Scherzo in Suzuki Bk 3 yesterday, and the fact that the book is on my stand, I used it for my warmup today. I started with the Scherzo, then went back to the beginning and played through the tonalizations. Moving forward, I was just beginning the Lully Gavotte when the timer went off. I'm pretty sure I haven't played any of the Bk 3 pieces before. They're quite fun.
10 min Haydn C 1 m27-35
Still focusing on the shifts. Tone is very nice today - bodes well for later practice. I also listened to the Wispelway 2nd mvmt video again this am, but I was multitasking so am not counting it as practice today.
A rather longish break to shower, remove nail polish and shorten fingernails "down to the nub" for optimal cello playing.
30 min Cockles and Mussles and Ash Grove arr. Bissinger
This is my Vc1 part for cello quartet. We're working on a shortened schedule, with a recital planned in June but only two coached sessions remaining, and the other two practices are going to be short personnel. Today was deciding on optimal fingering to support my melodic intentions (sounds grand, doesn't it?). This always takes longer than I expect - I thought 10 minutes would be plenty of time, as it's not that complicated and it's not that high (mid-string harmonic A). But the lovely thing about the fretless 4-stringed cello is that we have so many options about how to finger each note. Lovely! I'm happy with the end result, though, and it should need minimal practice time down the road.
10 min Hanssen Valdresmarsj
Refreshed my memory about fingering for beginning pizz broken chords and thumb position at end of Trio. Wonder whatever happened to my previously marked part?
10 min Haugen An Uncommon Hero
Part is still a bit difficult to read, with 2 cello parts notated on one staff. Watching for downward stems and bow markings underneath. Went through reviewing the tricky bowing parts. This piece was composed in 2006, and I like it more each time we rehearse it - now that I have figured out the rhythms and rapidly changing meters.
20 min Svendsen 1st and 4th Mvmts
Play through with recording. A fun way to end the practice day. The tricky bits I've been practicing are going well, but there are a couple of stretches in the 4th mvmt that still need some closer attention - working out fingerings and reviewing rhythms.
Wednesday, May 12
Wed 1:40 (1115-1350)
15 min Suzuki Bk 1 (all)
Break for breakfast
10 min Haydn C 1 m27-34. F drone. Shift accuracy. Soft 1st mcp in shifts.
20 min Located and watched a video of Pieter Wispelway playing the Haydn C Adagio.
35 min Svendsen
1- broken 3ds and accidentals
2- opening, marked best fingering
3- fast section mm qu=75-115
4- syncopated patterns mm ha=80, 90, 95
Short break to hug kitties.
20 min Sibelius
7 min play through with recording
13 min 16th notes. Revised fingering of 3d measure - less elegant but seems to work better fast. 1-1-1 shift at beginning of 4th measure seems to propel into 1st finger shifts on "ands" in that measure. Brief look at wiggly section as double stops - could stand to do that a couple more times. Also need to learn the cues at reh 8 as I don't trust my counting there.
15 min Suzuki Bk 1 (all)
Break for breakfast
10 min Haydn C 1 m27-34. F drone. Shift accuracy. Soft 1st mcp in shifts.
20 min Located and watched a video of Pieter Wispelway playing the Haydn C Adagio.
35 min Svendsen
1- broken 3ds and accidentals
2- opening, marked best fingering
3- fast section mm qu=75-115
4- syncopated patterns mm ha=80, 90, 95
Short break to hug kitties.
20 min Sibelius
7 min play through with recording
13 min 16th notes. Revised fingering of 3d measure - less elegant but seems to work better fast. 1-1-1 shift at beginning of 4th measure seems to propel into 1st finger shifts on "ands" in that measure. Brief look at wiggly section as double stops - could stand to do that a couple more times. Also need to learn the cues at reh 8 as I don't trust my counting there.
Tuesday, May 11
Monday, May 10
Saturday, May 8
Sat 0:40 (1800-1900)
10 min Suzuki Bk1 Rigadoon to Minuet 2 then FFS to May Song.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 3 fast part mm qu = 70-115 then back down to 90. I really only have complete control at 90.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 1 broken 3ds. Starting to feel comfortable. Need to see how it goes with the recording.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 4 between F and H. Worked out a better fingering involving 1-1 instead of 2-2 shifts and 2-124 patterns. The pattern is consistent throughout, which helps a lot.
Quit earlier than I had hoped due to general queasiness. Hope I didn't eat something bad at the Mother's Day family potluck.
10 min Suzuki Bk1 Rigadoon to Minuet 2 then FFS to May Song.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 3 fast part mm qu = 70-115 then back down to 90. I really only have complete control at 90.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 1 broken 3ds. Starting to feel comfortable. Need to see how it goes with the recording.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 4 between F and H. Worked out a better fingering involving 1-1 instead of 2-2 shifts and 2-124 patterns. The pattern is consistent throughout, which helps a lot.
Quit earlier than I had hoped due to general queasiness. Hope I didn't eat something bad at the Mother's Day family potluck.
Thursday, May 6
Thu 0:30 (1630-1800)
10 min Suzuki Bk 1 from Rigadoon to Minuet 2
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 3 fast section mm qu = 70-110 (goal is 116, therefore I would like to be able to play 120 comfortably)
10+ min Reading through Vc1 parts of candidate songs for cello quartet. British and American folk songs. It will be nice to play something that will require minimal practice time (not necessarily effort) to make it sound good.
10 min Suzuki Bk 1 from Rigadoon to Minuet 2
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 3 fast section mm qu = 70-110 (goal is 116, therefore I would like to be able to play 120 comfortably)
10+ min Reading through Vc1 parts of candidate songs for cello quartet. British and American folk songs. It will be nice to play something that will require minimal practice time (not necessarily effort) to make it sound good.
Wednesday, May 5
Wed 0:30 (1630-1730)
Thinking that what this blog has evolved into is not really a very good way to maintain a practice log. I did practice last week, probably about 3 hours total, with 2/3 of that yesterday working on orchestra music. But nothing got recorded. Not that there was much to record.
Today I got back to my 10 minute segments.
10 min Suzuki Bk 1, enough to play through Rigadoon. Most rewarding part was spending a few extra minutes with the tonalization instructing the student to listen for the ring. Realize I'm not doing that often enough, and that on Petra I can actually hear the ring as an extra note. I'm sure that exercise helped with intonation for the rest of the session.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 1 two tricky bits. Used drone to help with shifting accuracy, intonation.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 3 fast section. Worked with metronome qu = 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 90, 95. Limit for today. Recognized a couple of new subtle left and right hand patterns.
Not much, but achieved a satisfying amount of progress.
Thinking that what this blog has evolved into is not really a very good way to maintain a practice log. I did practice last week, probably about 3 hours total, with 2/3 of that yesterday working on orchestra music. But nothing got recorded. Not that there was much to record.
Today I got back to my 10 minute segments.
10 min Suzuki Bk 1, enough to play through Rigadoon. Most rewarding part was spending a few extra minutes with the tonalization instructing the student to listen for the ring. Realize I'm not doing that often enough, and that on Petra I can actually hear the ring as an extra note. I'm sure that exercise helped with intonation for the rest of the session.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 1 two tricky bits. Used drone to help with shifting accuracy, intonation.
10 min Svendsen Mvmt 3 fast section. Worked with metronome qu = 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 90, 95. Limit for today. Recognized a couple of new subtle left and right hand patterns.
Not much, but achieved a satisfying amount of progress.
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