How's your practicing going lately?

[Bob]

Mine went very well today.  I am pleased.  And I'm done early too.  Woo-whoo!   

[thalbergmad]

I did 15 minutes today, will try for more tomorrow.

My piano is in the garage and it is freezing.

Thal

[shortyshort]

It managed 30mins this morning.

I had to take my step-daughter back to her school today.
I practiced there for 30mins too, while her mother settled her back in.

A good day.

[rc]

Prepractice:

Yesterday I moved my piano out of my last home (that has 6 kittens running around, soon to mark their territory) to where I am now.  It was insane, we obviously had no piano-moving experience and my whole upper body feels like pudding - but somehow it was a success.

I also discovered a pub nearby has a piano in it, and that a friend knows the sea shanty "What shall we do with the drunken sailor" (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20774/20774-h/20774-h.htm#What_shall_we_do_with_the_drunken_sailor).  Another friend knows the words to some Nightmare Before Christmas tunes, and that I can print the music off immediately.  Add to that a rag or two, and I think we have a recipe for a fun evening   (though I'm not sure how well I can handle playing and singing at the same time)

Recently:

Working on scales and chords, I have some troubles keeping the 4-note chords clean but it's been going well.  I've plunged headlong into a Bach obsession, have learned 8 of the inventions and a sinfonia.

But I have to say, I'm never quite satisfied with my practicing.  It's never enough, and over the holidays I've gotten slack with what time I DO put in.  I think a lot of it is that it's been a while since I've performed.  The general turmoil of moving twice in 2 months doesn't help either...  and business is busy...  and distractions.

damnit I'm logging off!  Happy practicing folks!

[m1469]

My practicing is going quite well, however, never as well as I would like .

[quantum]

Bah....

Need to learn brand new opera
Need to prepare for 2 hour concert
Need to prepare music for holy week and teach the choirs

[richard black]

Need to learn brand new opera

Sound interesting - ?

Anyway my practising is rubbish just now 'cos I'm trying to catch up with editing recordings (hence being around here so much - it's 5-minute brain break without actually getting up from the computer!) due to being shouted at over late delivery of a couple of jobs....

[quantum]

Sound interesting - ?

First rehearsal was canceled today.   I don't even know if it has a title yet.  A bit sketchy still, but to be expected from a work in progress. 

[zheer]

   It really is a question of spending less time at the piano and more time doing other things,like work or study.i dont think playing or practicing piano is a waste of time,i just feel that since am not a concert pianist spending more than a couple of hours at the piano daily will get in the way of other things which i wish to achieve this year.

[amanfang]

I have played very little in the past 2 months and am getting back into it now...slowly...

Plan on starting soon:

Mozart K. 576 (not definitne on this one though)
Beethoven Op. 78
Chopin Etudes (Op. 10 no4, and Op 25 no 6)
Muczynski Suite Op. 13

[Siberian Husky]

i stopped playing piano a bit over 2 years ago. i wait for something/someone to inspire me again.

[pianowolfi]

My practicing? It's basically non-existent at the time

[goldentone]

I've been very happy in recent days as I've made a lot of headway. 

[pianochick93]

I havn't practiced in quite a while, as I have been away without a piano.

I have a performance assessment soon as well...I really should get down to it, but not tonight, I'm at a friends house.

[kghayesh]

I am struggling to get any practice done these days ! My dad has a fractured leg and he is home all-day and home is very busy with people, so I can hardly fit in an hour of practice !
My teacher told me to practice Clementi Etudes for now, because she thinks I am having problems in the basics and technique and so, how boring but I hope that it is rewarding in the end.
Besides that I am trying to polish Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 and get it up to a high speed, played clean, and learning a Mendelssohn fantaisie.

[gerryjay]

 i had a five-month break after a surgery, and now i'm returning slowly to full throttle. since resume (ten days ago) i've been studying like 2 hours a day. hope to play more in the near future but my forearm is annoying a bit.
 good luck to all in your studies!

[Bob]

To answer my own question.  Not too well.  Stressful.  School is taking up too much time.

[point of grace]

i didnt get my hands out of the piano today until i finished the argentinian national hymn.

but trying to do an hour and a half a day in the morning

[pianochick93]

My practicing is probably going to be non-existent for the next week, because my nanna is coming to stay and she always puts her stuff on the piano, and when I ask her to take it off, she just says 'piano isn't the most important thing, here clean this'

[quantum]

My practicing is probably going to be non-existent for the next week, because my nanna is coming to stay and she always puts her stuff on the piano, and when I ask her to take it off, she just says 'piano isn't the most important thing, here clean this'

I put my foot down when it comes to such activity regarding my piano.  The only things allowed on it are sheet music, related stationary, and sometimes a metronome.  No plants, drinks, food, picture frames, purely aesthetic items, etc.  If I see it on the piano, I throw it in the garbage or out the window.  No warnings, zero-tolerance.

[Bob]

Horrible lately. 

I feel dried up.  Too much work.  Too much stale information.

I'm listening to music and I realize I haven't done that much lately.  Just by listening, there is that same feeling as in performance.

I feel the need to create something, even if it's crap for quality.  I don't really want to go practice technique.  Yet if I don't have or maintain the technique... the performance of literature isn't going to be there....   It's never easy.... Unless I just prep up something easy.....

Any ideas?  I'm definitely lacking something.

[thalbergmad]

I think you need a vacation bob.

Thal

[quantum]

Horrible lately. 

I feel dried up.  Too much work.  Too much stale information.

I'm listening to music and I realize I haven't done that much lately.  Just by listening, there is that same feeling as in performance.

I feel the need to create something, even if it's crap for quality.  I don't really want to go practice technique.  Yet if I don't have or maintain the technique... the performance of literature isn't going to be there....   It's never easy.... Unless I just prep up something easy.....

Any ideas?  I'm definitely lacking something.

Have you tried practicing something your not supposed to be working on?

Eg: you should be working on Piece A, but you decide to work on Piece B instead.

...just 'cause 

[arensky]

Horrible lately. 

I feel dried up.  Too much work.  Too much stale information.

I've been there, I'm sure many of us have been there too.

I'm listening to music and I realize I haven't done that much lately.  Just by listening, there is that same feeling as in performance.

If you haven't done much, maybe you're not supposed to. Leave it alone, give yourself permission to take a break.  Seems like you might need one  .

I feel the need to create something, even if it's crap for quality.

Create. It's healthy and liberating, and it might even be good quality     

 

I don't really want to go practice technique.

Don't. You've practiced technique a lot. Give it a rest. Write that crappy music!   

Yet if I don't have or maintain the technique... the performance of literature isn't going to be there.... 

Maybe it will be. Maybe all those years of drudgery have paid off, and you don't have to practice technique so much anymore. Find out. 

 It's never easy.... Unless I just prep up something easy.....

No, it's never easy. But taking it easy might help you find a way to make it easier. Rediscover the fun! Why not?