#100DaysOfPractice
Delightful to end this round of 100 days with my first piano lesson in 3 weeks followed by my first chamber orchestra rehearsal since Spring. I love playing with these lovely people so much - we have so much fun, even when we’re sightreading and there are suddenly more notes 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw8z4gZI_nN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Since chamber orchestra starts tomorrow, I wanted to at least try to read through all of the music we’re playing ahead of time, but the last few weeks have been such a whirlwind (both good and bad) that I haven’t made it happen (and I’ve only managed to put bowings in two of the pieces). Tonight’s attempt at sightreading was accompanied by loud chatter from the kiddo.

#100DaysOfPractice
This morning I worked on figuring out ways of adding some of the “bass” line to the “cello” solo of the song I’m gonna be playing with friends at church this weekend. Then we rehearsed tonight and decided it sounds better sparser, with just the solo line. Easier for me anyway! (Though I’ve got plenty of practice with double stops thanks to all the Bach.)

#100DaysOfPractice
On violin I was messing around with harmony parts on the piece I’m gonna join in on with friends at church this Sunday. Things started clicking after I stopped trying to play along (as I am in the video) and just messed around figuring what sorts of double stops I can make work (I’m basically trying to cover two cello parts in the original recording?) Anyway, my brain feels like it’s full of fuzz, but I think I’ll be ready for tomorrow’s run through.

#100DaysOfPractice
As some of you might already know, our beloved kitty Ren died yesterday. We knew it was coming, but it’s still just so hard. I actually wanted to play my violin yesterday (it’s soothing to me), but my kiddo needed me to hold her, so I held her and we watched 26 straight episodes of Bluey together. Today, I just wanted to play the Sonata 2 Grave. I messed up a few times but it felt really soothing to just soak in the Bach.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyQZWBJTq9/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
On violin, I was working on figuring out the cello part by ear in a piece I’m gonna play with our church band - obviously I’m playing it on violin, not cello, and we might not play it in C like the recording (other option is G, which I’m sure I can do, but if I want the contrast of going up an octave in the solo part, I’ll be way up on the E string).

#100DaysOfPractice
I took yesterday off because I was just too tired after my first day of teaching. Today I decided I’d try to record the next piece in Suzuki Book 4 for my kid…it’s a fun piece, but one I haven’t played since I was…I dunno, 12?

On piano, I just reviewed some of the pieces I worked on with my teacher this summer and tried reading some of the ones on the next page. Lessons start back again next week!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwquvM9JDP8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Pretty sure I’m not gonna be practicing today - first day of classes was excellent but *exhausting*, and our elderly cat seems to be fading quite a bit today so I’m gonna sit here with him on my lap instead of trying to get my violin out.

#100DaysOfPractice
On violin, I worked on the Sonata 2 Andante; I know what I *want* it to sound like but I’m still working on getting the eighth note bass line to sound consistent no matter what’s going on atop it, and also trying to make the melody line sound, you know, melodic.

Didn’t have very much time on piano today because kiddo announced she was ready for her violin lesson just a couple minutes into my practice!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwltLEsLeBe/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Printed out my music for chamber orchestra (which starts back next week) and tried to sightread some of it today. It’s totally learnable, I just kinda suck at sightreading!

On piano, I was quite proud of myself when I managed to play through the little piece that has both hands doing different things and the foot pedal and dynamics and all without messing up too much. Learning!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwjFVFPJLp7/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Posting yesterday’s a day late. I only practiced violin yesterday; I was just feeling really sad about our cat (who is at “end-of-life” stage) and just wanted to play comfort-music. Since I’m not trying to squeeze in two videos here, I didn’t bother editing, so this is the Sonata 2 Grave from start to finish with me breaking out certain bits to work on them.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwgbYsEI4__/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
My kid has been struggling with playing a chord that has a 5th in it, and I mentioned that I have a hard time doing that neatly, too, which definitely shows up in certain parts of the Grave. Getting my finger to land on both strings without being angled such that it distorts the 5th is just tricky!

On piano, I was trying to do dynamics and slurs without making random notes pop out or sound unslurred. It’s hard!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwdEIm4Iyg0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Worked on the Sonata 2 Andante today. I prefer it without all the slurs that are often put in, but I definitely need to keep working on making it sound like a melody floating over the 8th note bass line. And I need to be cleaner, not hitting extra notes in between those double (or more) stops on the 8th notes. But still, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made since I started working on this piece.

#100DaysOfPractice
A busy day, and feeling all sorts of anxious about the semester starting next week, so it was back to my beloved Sonata 2 Grave today, because it’s my current “settle my brain down” piece.

On piano, working on keeping relaxed hands while also playing the correct notes with the correct fingers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwOrOvhIkHK/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Worked more on that string-crossing slur in the Sonata 2 Allegro today. I think part of what’s tricky is coming out of the short, fast bow bit into one big long bow stroke, but I do generally need to work on keeping things even and nice with slurred string-crossings, too. No piano video today - I just forgot to record. Same stuff as I’ve been doing, though.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwL7altIaqB/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
I actually practiced quite a lot on violin today, scales and lots of different Bach, but what I focused on the most was the Sonata 2 Allegro, which I’m starting to get closer to being able to play up to tempo, but holy moly it feels like I’m hanging on for dear life in some spots!

I *have* managed to do music practice just about every day, because I’m doing the #100DaysOfPractice thing. Maybe if I frame making as a daily practice I’ll be better about giving it time?

#100DaysOfPractice
Felt like mixing it up today and working on stuff from Partita 1. I definitely would have some work to do to get the Sarabande back in “wouldn’t be embarrassed to perform it in public” shape! Also, I was playing from the music in the Rachel Barton Pine edition, but I learned it from the music in the Galamian edition, so that was kind of interesting! No piano video today - but I had my lesson, which was good!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvyAG1epL7h/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

#100DaysOfPractice
Super busy day today, so I’m quite tired. On violin, I worked on the very beginning of the Grave, trying to decide if I wanted vibrato on the opening note or not, and just generally trying to figure out how to make it sound good all the way until the low G.

#100DaysOfPractice
Super distracted practicing today, because I got some VERY EXCITING NEWS that I’m not sure if I can share yet so my brain was kind of buzzing. Anyway, videos are of me working on the end of the Sonata 2 Grave, and on piano, attempting to figure out how to play “legato”/slurs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvtBGM9JVkC/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==