Piano Forum

Hi all,

Questions first:

1. Is this piece too hard for me?
2. Am I at the point of diminishing returns? How should I be able to tell?
3. Did I do enough AMB notebook preparation? I mean just how much is enough or too little?
4. Did all the other Baroque pieces I've studied help ready me for inventions?
5. Did I make the very common mistake of starting them too soon?
6. How long should this take to learn if it's at your level?
7. I've learned maybe around 500 easier pieces. Is that not enough?
8. I have studied at least a dozen easier inventions. So, they should have helped, right? Maybe they did? I'm not so sure but then again they were much, much easier.
 
Preparations:

1. I've listened/watched many Youtube videos.
2. I've looked at practically every score at IMSLP.
3. I think I have excellent fingerings figured out and written on every note.
4. I read many, many posts here about this piece.

Method/approach/progress:

Wed. 3/17/21 H.S. worked up to crotchet=80; H.T.=14 (1st day Hands together) and played very cleanly.
This is a RCM Level 7 List A piece and suggested tempo is 69-80.

Thurs. 3/18/21 Fast small spurts H.T.

Fri. 3/19/21 H.T. =18 This is a 28.6% improvement from Wed. I guess I got a lot of PPI from yesterday. Those short speed bursts worked miracles! This would come to be my biggest daily percentage improvement. Still very clean.

Sun. 3/21/21 H.T.=20

Mon. 3/22/21 H.T. I did some.

Tues. 3/23/21 Finger revisions research necessary. I find trills fingered 3232 best for speed and control (I do start them on the upper note). H.T.=25 and spot practiced.

Wed. 3/24/21 Morning session H.T.=30 & later session H.T.=35. I attribute this to the fingering changes I made the day before. Identified some parts that needed some TLC and worked on those. Started to get a little sloppy.

Fri. 3/26/21 H.T.=40 & more spot practicing. This is starting to seem impossible to play any faster! I did some H.S.=90 since I'm not sure what else to try.

Sat. 3/37/21 Getting very frustrated and discouraged. Started at H.T.=16 for fluidity and worked up to H.T.=45 and the slower tempo of H.T.=30 is very clean now. I'm not used to working this slow, hard and/or long on a piece but then again this is Bach. H.S.=100 and I figure my fingering must be pretty good for that to happen.

Sun. 3/28/21 H.T.=50 and so, so sloppy! How am I supposed to practice this? What am I doing wrong? I start to question all the practice tips I've read and tried. Should I write in and ask for help? I just don't know. This is my 4th invention. Supposedly, one of the easier ones. I'm beginning to question if maybe I'm just not ready for them or practicing properly? I find this kind of hard to believe. I may just move on to something else.

Tues. 3/30/21 I'm fed up. This is ultimatum, do or die day for me. Let's do this. I worked up to H.S.=120 with hiccups but I just don't care about hiccups. I got to get those fingers moving. I'm thinking "fundamentals" by Chang.

Started trudging H.T.=30 & thinking to myself, oh no, not again (Rod Stewart song). Why am I doing this? Why am I so stubborn? There has to be a better way Joseph! Well, while my inner emotional turmoil is raging, I keep dialing up the tempo, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55...

WAIT! What just happened? Progress! Feeling a little better and encouraged somewhat. I stop at H.T.=60. It's been maybe an hour give or take. I slow metronome down to H.T.=45 and play so, so cleanly, fluidly, not one misstep.

So, this is where I'm at. H.S.=120 but "funky" and H.T.=60 with two identifiable trouble spots that I will address tomorrow. Measures 13-14 & 20-21. Apparently, H.S.=100 just wasn't enough. Usually, I find 5 clicks above tempo on the metronome enough but not the case for me here.

Is this about right for 11 days of "good" practice?

Thanks in advance, Joe.