less is more

Do less to get better.

My philosophy for the past three years is to throw myself into as many playing opportunities as arise for me. My thinking has been that these playing opportunities motivate me to practice all the more.

I am starting to think that my thinking might need to change. Being so sick over the past three weeks gave me time and perspective to think about taking on too much. Jack said, I need to get better. I do need to get better. I think what I need to do now to get better is work on playing what I am playing, well. If I keep taking on too much my practice time is spread too thin and I don't do as well as I need to on any of my material.

So. Let's see how I can do with this idea.

Tonight I worked hard at carving neural paths for Pathfinder of Panama by Sousa. I worked through the entire piece slowly in 4, which was funny. Sousa in 4. But then, I went through it faster in 2 and by golly, it just sounded like Sousa. I just love these marches.

I ended by practicing a duet that I've worked hard on in lessons for a long time. It's this nameless Hohne duet in the Beeler book. It's been hard for me to practice because of my problematic G. Which, by the way, is coming easily, not flawlessly, but much more easily to me now. Tonight I practiced it with the tuner and paying close attention with my ear. It's the top line that's been hard for me, and I think I've been having a hard time getting my E flat and my C in tune. The E flat is really out there in 3rd position relative to the C. Anyway, I worked on it slowly and methodically. Play it well slowly and the speed will come.

Now I have basic neural tracks laid for Pathfinder and the Hindemith. Itchy brain.