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ugh. this is a problem.
i haven't been practicing too much over the past year, but i've been doing some performances anyway--i think it's been functional, though frustrating at the same time.
by coindicence, last night i listened to some recordings i made in philadelphia, where i had a very regular practice routine. i had't heard them for a long time, but i could tell right away that i'm not working at the same technical level. the advantage of this process has been that i've been able to radically change direction in terms of the sound i'm working with, but particularly after last night, i'm thinking it's time to start cranking up again.
practicing seems to me as much a way to condition muscles in your hands and arms as anything else, so that in a performance you can go where the situation requires.
there's an approach to playing that effectively argues: if you feel effort, you're wasting energy.
that's how i think about it too.
my routine was basically an hour at full speed every day.
the next routine will involve having a piano in my space, so will probably be a bit more spread out.
it seems to me that the important thing is routine, just doing it every day or close to it, rather than worrying about doing it.
but yeah---not having a routine up is starting to get to me.
so i fully understand the problem.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
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