analytical

I'll be busy with a picnic tonight and may not get a chance to practice later, so I stuffed in a practice at lunchtime. My goal was to practice 30 minutes but at 25 minutes my mouth just fell apart on the high notes. This seems really extreme to me. 25 minutes? I wasn't playing high the whole time, at all.

Anyway, after warming up I was very careful and methodical about "Air," the piece I ended so frustratingly with last night. Much, much, much better. I can still see what I am doing with the little crescendos on each note. I actually don't like this piece very much and I never have, so I might be playing it awkwardly as a result. So I can hear the little crescendos but I have not solved that problem yet - though, as I said, it came much better today.

But then, my mouth giving out after 25 minutes? I realized during warmup that I'm working hard at making the low notes full, and I wonder if that added workout on my embouchure is killing me on the top end. If that is the case, my guess is that a week or two of the low workout will open this up somewhat. Who knows what is going with those muscles.

Back to work.