Backing Up, Slowing Down, Enjoying the Journey

As I mentioned yesterday, Bare Necessities is technically in maintenance mode. I'm no longer learning the notes, and I can play through it well enough, and at a good enough tempo, that it will have that "wow" factor for any audience.

However.

It's not perfect. Certain parts are sloppy. There are still a few parts that I flub more often than not. They're minor, and it's not the end of the world when I miss the notes, but the overall effect is less than dazzling ... and I want my performance of this piece to be knock-your-socks-off dazzling.

So there is work to do.

Backing Up, Slowing Down

Although I can play the entire piece at between 200 and 230, I've slowed it back down to the 160-170 range. My focus for now is repetition, repetition, repetition. And not just any repetition. This is perfection repetition: playing it perfectly, with no missed notes and no pauses, over and over and over again at manageable speeds. Once I've played it perfectly at least five times times at 160, I move up to 162. Then 164. And so on.

Last night, I focused on the A section. This morning, I focused on the B section. Yesterday morning, I focused on the outro. All of these sections will get additional practice sessions devoted to them as I demand accuracy while increasing the tempo. How long will this take? I have no idea. But by the time I can play it perfectly, I will have played the entire piece several hundred times. And I'll be able to perform it anywhere.

It's been a long journey so far, and the journey isn't near over. Luckily, I am enjoying every minute of it!

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Picking Up the Pieces: A Piano Practice Journal

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