Piano Practice: Entry 1
Posting updates on practice sessions seems an excellent way of maintaining motivation and seeing progress accumulate as the days go by.
After some consistent scales practice (though I did have periods of procrastination since January 2019), I can now play C Major, A Minor (melodic & harmonic), G Major, E Minor (melodic & harmonic), D Major, A Major, F# Minor (melodic & harmonic) from memory with few mistakes.
Using a metronome, I can play at between 60-70 for them, perhaps over that for the C Major and G Major.
I use Schultz’s Scales and Chords in all the Major and Minor Keys , as you can see, heavily annotated by myself. I keep forgetting crossovers. Yesterday, I spent considerable time rerunning the F# Minor scale (which used to scare me entirely) because I would play the wrong note over and over. Developing the grit to keep going when you make the same mistake repeatedly is tough. I am still not accustomed to it.
Although so far away from virtuoso level, I do use Hanon’s The Virtuoso Pianist. The earlier you begin, the better, right? It gives me something to aspire to. I can do Exercise 1 and 2 at around 60-70 (not very fluently), and I also practice the arpeggio’s later on. I can do C Major, D Minor, A Minor, G Major, and F Major so far.
My repertoire practice is too fragmented, because I keep flitting between pieces. I also need to record myself playing so that I can hear what works and what areas I should improve. I should just focus on Bach’s 12 Preludes at the moment, which will expand my abilities significantly. (I also love playing Bach’s Adagio from his Violin & Harpsichord Sonata in F Minor-- not very well, but the beauty still shines through!).
Most importantly, I can’t force progress just to atone for years of procrastination. I realise that progress involves plateau’s (thanks Eddy Chen from TwoSetViolin!) and that you will break through when ready. Diligence is key.
