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.