June 8

Well, I had another two recordings for you, but my phone decided to crash and erase them forever. Sorry.

Also sorry for all the squeaking in this one, although it's not I who should be apologizing...

June 2

I'm pretty tired of Bach. Maybe you could tell, since it took me a month to work up just the first half of the 8th Goldberg Variation. Here that is, by the way, in OK shape (but still not really anywhere near done):



In the meantime, I've decided that ultimately this project is for me, and since I haven't been enjoying it for a while now, It's OK to make some changes. Here's the change I'm making: I'm going to put together one of my favorite pieces ever. It's something I've looked at haphazardly from time to time in the past, and so I have some of it in long-term memory. But I never finished it, and I never put the pieces together either. Let's take a month and really do Chopin right, shall we?

May 23 (Var 8)

OK, I've figured out what to do with the overlapping parts at the end. Now I just have to commit them to memory. As usual, the recording is much worse than the last couple of practice runs; I was composing this post in my head. I was also anticipating dog squeaks which somehow never happened, even though she was rolling around on the ground with her squeaker the whole time.

I don't like this variation. But strangely, I really enjoy playing the middle part of this, where the left hand is climbing and the chord changes are simple and clean. As you're listening, try to hear the melody in the bass - that's where it starts anyway. I didn't even recognize this variation at first because I was focusing on the right hand, but at least at the beginning the treble notes are really just decoration for the bass melody. The recording is so much faster, and the artist so much better at bringing out the melody, that I didn't even recognize it at first with my clumsy playing. Still, it's another step in the right direction. 

May 21 (Var 8)

Assistant Coach said today, while I was practicing: "It doesn't sound like your heart is in it". No, it probably doesn't. "I'm doing it because I have to" I said. Thanks for listening, anyway - without listeners I wouldn't have much reason to keep going!

May 20 (Var 8)

Time for a little secret: Most of my practicing happens late at night. I go about the day, doing all the normal things that I do, and then I relax with a cup of tea and I practice, sometimes as late as 10 or 11pm. Can't do that with visitors, so I missed the last two days! Sorry! Today I made sure to make time.

I'm pushing the tempo way too fast, hence the mistakes. I need to be playing with the metronome. Today I just drillllllllled measures 17 through 24. Hope you're enjoying this variation more than I am!

May 17 (Var 8)

So, part of the reason for the big break is that I'm honestly not sure I'll ever be able to play this one. The hands are intertwined in ways that are basically impossible. Coach says to just change it, rewrite it so that I can play it, but that feels like cheating and I don't want to do it that way. I'll keep plugging away, but...

By the way, if this recording seems like a step backward from yesterday it's because I did all my practicing this morning, and recorded this evening after just a short warmup. That was a mistake! I'll try not to do this in the future.

Apr 16 - May 16 (Var 8)

I'll just say it -- it's been a whole month.

I have three excuses, and they're all good:

1. The piano was out of tune and it was very uncomfortable
2. I was getting tired of practicing the same darn pieces day after day and night after night
3. I bought a house!

But all that's behind me now.

1. The piano was tuned today and it sounds wonderful
2. I've had a nice rest and the rigid structure of the pieces feels nice again
3. We're all unpacked and set up so I can get back into a routine that includes practicing

Here is a video from exactly one month ago, and one from today. It's like the break never happened!