Sevcik Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 Hey, doesn't the pact start today? So how's everyone doing? All right, all right, I'll go practice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 I managed 2 hours and 45 minutes and got somewhere with my trills. My scales and arpeggios were a bit mixed though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigiMark Posted July 24, 2000 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 Yes the pact starts today! I had a lesson today (1 hour) so I counted that as part of my time. When I went home, I put in two hours without breaking a sweat. Dinner is the only thing that stopped me from going further, and I couldn't bring myself to practice again after dinner after a two hr long session. But I'm proud of myself. And I did a lot. My scales are already next to perfect and I'm done learning the Mozart (took up most of the time) and now only have to clean it up. Kreutzer mastery is tomorrow. What is normally hard for me seemed easy today. I'm glad I started this thread. Now I'll feel as if I let all of you down if I don't do it. That's what's helping me to break that mental block I have against practicing. It's a good feeling, and I hope it can carry through the week and beyond. Hope everyone else is doing just as good. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Leong Posted July 25, 2000 Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 quote: Originally posted by DigiMark: And I did a lot. My scales are already next to perfect and I'm done learning the Mozart (took up most of the time) and now only have to clean it up. Dude, you rock. The entirety of the concerto in a practice session? I wish I could pick up stuff that quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stringhappy Posted July 25, 2000 Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 For me, it's been: Scales/arpeggios single and double stopped: smoother, more secure. Etudes: Pretty happy with them, finally got them to sound "playful" without rushing. Kabalevsky: Friendlier today than yesterday. There are still a few parts that are still somehow not right, but I'll see if I can get some help from a friend when I get the chance. Mozart 5: YAY! I love this thing! Sonata: Good. Now I can't wait to play with pianist on Thursday. Bach: Having trouble. Don't quite have an idea of what I should be doing fingering-wise, so I will ask a friend about that too. Sevcik: Better, as far as I can tell. -Stringhappy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigiMark Posted July 25, 2000 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 quote: Originally posted by Lydia Leong: Dude, you rock. The entirety of the concerto in a practice session? I wish I could pick up stuff that quickly! I was amazed myself, though it wasn't all of it, just most of it. About 2/3 of the piece. Doesn't happen often, but when I'm really focused and excited about practicing it comes so easy. I did the same not too long ago with Beethoven's Romance #2. Had a week to get it ready for a mini-competition put on by my school. Ended up placing. But thanks Lydia, it's praise and encouragement like that that helps me. Now it's day two. Everyone keep it up. I skipped cross country practice so I'd have time to practice. The rest of my day is filled. Off to practice. DM P.S. String happy, I love Mozart 5 too. That'll be in the near future for me. I already know some of the cadenza from helping a friend who was doing it. Cool stuff. Anyway, keep on working, and that goes for the rest of you too. [This message has been edited by DigiMark (edited 07-25-2000).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevcik Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 Well, good job DigiMark, but I didn't do nearly as well as you did. I probably practiced for about 2 hours, and I accomplished a lot during that time, but it wasn't the 4 hours I was aiming for. If I really really tried, I could practice for about 2 hours today, I guess. Maybe I'll change my goal to practicing as much as I can and really accomplishing something during that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigiMark Posted July 26, 2000 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 Day 3: Another three hours. Kreutzer is my slave. And I almost have the Mozart memorized. Tomorrow: school music DM P.S. What happened guys, is everyone afraid to say their not doing it, or did you just all forget about this??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Leong Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 DigiMark, you've got an interesting way of practicing. Do you really find it easier to learn things by focusing on a single thing over the course of a multi-hour practice session, rather than doing it bit by bit over the course of a week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigiMark Posted July 26, 2000 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 actually yeah, it's easier for me to focus on one thing. I normally warm-up with scales for 10-30 minutes then focus on one thing. Working on only one thing allows me to focus more. The longer I practice, the greater my focus. If I switch in the middle (say the Mozart to Kreutzer) my concentration is broken and I have to begin to renew my focus on the new thing. It'd be great if I could maintain the focus from the last thing I was doing, but I usually can't. My best practice session are when I'm all alone, for about two hours when I just pour myself into one thing, be it Kruetzer, whatever piece I'm working on, etc. With people around, even if they're not being loud, the concentration is slightly diverted. That's how I was able to learn most of the mozart the other night. I was already warmed up from my lesson, nobody was around, and I focused solely on it to the point where, at the end, I would only work on a passage once or twice and I could play it up to speed, in tune, and so on. That's what I've always done, so I didn't know that was strange at all. DM P.S. You've made a few comments on this thread Lydia, but I don't seem to remember you being "in" the pact. Are you? And how are you doing if you are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Leong Posted July 26, 2000 Report Share Posted July 26, 2000 No, I'm not really "in" the pact, though I suppose the thread has served as a useful reminder for self-discipline. My goal is to do an hour every day, and 1.5 - 2 hours on the weekends if I don't have other commitments. I was faithful this week. Three etudes in their entirety (all simple, but time-consuming tone-control exercises), part of a fourth etude, some Fischer Basics, plus concerto: cadenza of the 1st movement, 2nd movement (week #3: polishing), 3rd movement (week #1: notes for the first two-thirds). Plus I pulled out and pretty much totally changed the fingerings of two things I was working on before, going for phrasing rather than the most technically secure solution. Had my lesson today, and my teacher was happy. I'd really like to do 1.5 - 2 hours on a daily basis, but work plus my social life usually doesn't permit it. (Adult life just doesn't get any easier during the summers. Enjoy your student years.) Another month and I suppose I'll have to think of what I want to do next. (I'm not really polishing pieces right now, as I mentioned in the 'moving on' thread.) Dunno what, yet. Too many things to choose from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Leong Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 Sending this back up to the top for Violin Soul... So. Anyone practice except for DigiMark? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 Hey, I want to be in the pact, too. I can't play any of what you guys were talking about yet as I've just started 4 weeks ago. But my (main) goal this week is to play the G major scale up and down perfectly. Small goal indeed compared to everyone else's but, hey, it's a big thing for me! I like to break up my practice sessions (60 mins each time for a total of 3 hrs daily). Being new, my arms get tired after about 30 mins of continous practice. Usually I push on thinking it was for the best, but I read somewhere that practicing for several short periods of time is actually better than practicing several hours at a stretch. Does that make sense, or am I just being a wimp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Leong Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 I find short and focused to be better than lengthy. I usually break up my practice sessions into segments of no longe than 40 minutes, often no longer than 20 minutes. There is no point in exhausting your muscles. Stop and rest when you feel tired (and evaluate carefully whether you are becoming tired because you are using your muscles improperly, or your muscles are simply not used to this kind of exercise). Give your body plenty of time to flush away the metabolic poisons of exercise, and you will avoid lots of unnecessary pain. [This message has been edited by Lydia Leong (edited 07-31-2000).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigiMark Posted July 31, 2000 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 quote: Originally posted by Lydia Leong: So. Anyone practice except for DigiMark? It was a very productive week for me. This idea, though I wasn't 100% faithful to it, helped me a ton. I go into my lesson today with more confidence than ever. Due to the large scale of this idea, it wasn't really organized so it probably could've gone a little better, but I hope it helped some of you as it did for me. DigiMark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 Lydia: Thanx for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mu0n Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 I would enter the pact, but I am totally eclipsed by almost everyone visiting this board. I do practice a steady 2 hours daily, sometimes 3. I would relate my practice sessions, in 2-3 years from now that is. -Mu0n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuangKaiVun Posted July 31, 2000 Report Share Posted July 31, 2000 When I'm in medical school, I average between 30 minutes and 1 hour. But because I'm having fun and playing well, I am satisfied with that. Even on that time, I have been able to put together full length solo recitals - though doing gymnastic things is very difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted August 1, 2000 Report Share Posted August 1, 2000 I did a fair bit until the weekend and then I had to start running around like a headless chicken to get ready for travelling to Italy (I'm in Siena now!) but I got Kreutzer 15 a LOT faster and rhythmically even too although I'm not sure I put enough turns in my trills. Scales (octaves,etc.) were a bit painful (literally - to ears and little finger.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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