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January 21, 2008 Practice

Length of practice: about 45 minutes
Piano: Thuddy Theodora

Today’s lunchtime practice went quite well. When I got to the church, Lou the Organist was practicing in the sanctuary, and some old folks were meeting in the choir room, so I was relegated to Thuddy Theodora in the downstairs chapel.

I hadn’t played Thuddy in a while. I think Thuddy has been tuned. Thuddy didn’t sound quite so Thuddy today.

Of course, it may have something to do with the human element. My technique has improved by leaps and bounds since I last practiced on old Thuddy.

I went through two sets of scales instead of the usual single set. I was just having too much fun. It felt so good to be back at the piano again. Between work, being snowed in, and being away from home this weekend, I’ve managed to go several days without practicing. Not as many as are implied by my lack of posting here, though.

When I was playing my chords and inversions, a man knocked on the door and peeked his head in. “Those chords are beautiful,” he said. “I just wanted to tell you that.”

Deborah has said the same thing at my last few lessons. Apparently my chord-playing is improving, too.

Then I went on to arpeggios and they’re sounding pretty good.

Then I played through my “warm-up” pieces of The Elf and the C# Prelude & Fugue. Can you “hear” love being played on a piano? Deborah swears that she can hear my love for these pieces coming through when I play them. If love for music can be heard, then it was ringing through Thuddy’s little chapel today. My hands felt electric (in a good way).

Then it was time for the Bb Prelude. I haven’t spent much time on my other pieces because I’ve been having so much fun with the last page (all of the scaly runs) of the prelude. These runs are addictive. I love them.

I can really tell that the “arm” technique is starting to feel natural. It’s taken four years, but I’m finally getting there. And what a difference it’s making.

I didn’t have time to move on through the queue of pieces—the fugue, the Beethoven bagatelle, and the Shostakovich lyric waltz. I’ll try really hard to work on one or more of them tomorrow.

I love piano. Can you hear the love? I can hear the love. Yeah.

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oceanskies79 said…
I haven't been visiting you for ages, and it is heartwarming to hear that your piano playing has improved. =)

I can imagine that the music that you played on the piano was so alive, that one could hear your love for the pieces. Keep playing.
10:37 AM
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