Been snowed under by homework, but today played a bunch of Clementi Sonatinas to study the chord changes and modulations. It's all I - V7 - I!!! (With some variations, of course.) And I love me some intervals of a 4th. Case in point: I keep trying to write in CMaj and end up in FMaj.

Still catching up on studying, so just took a short break and played some sonatinas.

Music theory homework - changing from dominant 7ths to a different key is interesting.

Played a little of Tango, Gavotte, Clementi stuff (still not interested), and Donkeys.

Scrapped the classical, can't seem to deal with it.

Polishing Gavotte.

Counting while playing takes practice. It's also a really good way to remember to breathe.

Need to work on cleaning up #2 (scales and placing) and working problem spots in #3.

PLayed: moved on to next Clementi.

Must get a new heater soon, cold hands do not make for easy playing.

And finally a cheesy sounding harp version of something I wrote for class:



Which google will apparently let no one see, including me. Whatever, it's late, I don't have time to play with this.

Things worked on: Exercises, posture, variations.
Things played through: Clementi. Passacaille by "Haendel" (that's what I was comparing my variations to; it's simplistically brilliant)

Played more Sonatinas - Bach, Beethoven, Dussek, Hayden (bleh). Worked on difficult section in 3rd movement with ƒz and scale again, and am getting a blister, which seems to be under a slightly more substantial callus.

It made the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs

So I had no idea this was playable on the harp:


Had time to play through some Clementi. I think I'm going to brush up a couple other Sonatinas for backup.

Breathing makes for better playing. And brain function.

Got out some old "theme and variations" pieces because my interest was piqued in class today.

This video features the lovely Catrin Finch playing harmonics. Watch until 2:36 (but the whole video is good):


Then take a look at the first measure of Bach's Prelude in D for Cello:

Specifically the first three notes. :)

Played lots of exercises, more than was absolutely necessary. But they are necessary.

Worked on more spots in 3rd movement. I had some scales starting out with 1 2 4, and I'm not sure why, but it's equally as difficult either way. So I guess I'm relearning it with 1 2 3.

Voice warm-up.

(Mirage) scrunching rt fingers. Good bicep workout.

(Flight) will need to drill in sets of 16th notes.

Clementi need to identify problem spots in third movement and work on those, waste of time to work on whole thing.

make performance list vs. recording list

Tried to play, serious concentration problems. Looked at arpeggio etude, not enough room in higher register for my hand, have to bend fingers at first knuckle instead of second. Wrote 1st inversion harmony to melody. Finished more chord identifications.

Finished 1st mouvement, started on 3rd. Working on music homework which involves identifying major, minor, augmented, and diminished chords.

Taking a break, though, and listening to a wonderful podcast from NPR. And unintentionally turning my printer on with my knitting needles.

Lots more done on Clementi. Just one more line and I'll have the first movement done. I like this whole more-practice-time thing. It doesn't matter that my arms are completely tired and next to useless now. I don't have to lift them for anything else today. Really.

And from my heightened awareness inspired by my class, I realized the first movement changes from G to D (circle of fifths!) quite smoothly, and the beginning melody line is simply the 1st and 2nd inversions of a G major chord. Pretty sneaky. And I wish I could do that! And I'm assuming I will at some point in the future.

Keep working two measures at a time. Then go back and brush up trouble spots. ~1.5 hours today, maybe take more stretch breaks. Or any.

Short, blistery session. I may be playing the wrong Sonatina.

This evening, after over 15 years of playing the piece I'm now polishing, I just noticed, for the first time, a C♯. WTF! Where did that come from?!? It changes the whole sound of the passage!

Fumbling through 2 more measures - seems to be helping, though?

Broke Clementi down into two measure chunks. We'll see today if that worked. Remember to breathe! Focus on getting scales even and full use of fingers.

Vocal exercises, a bit excruciating to listen to and perform.

Played through Clementi.