In yesterday’s lesson I confessed to teacher that I probably need to change my practice method, which I’ve been using since the beginning.  My method has always been to play through all the songs I know well, maybe repeating them if they give me more trouble than usual.  A few songs into Book Two, I divided all the Book One tunes into two practice sets, and generally work with only one of those sets on any given day.  Then I’ve been playing through all the Book Two songs, slowing down to really work on the ones at the end that still give me some trouble.

But now that I have started Book Three along with all these other supplemental exercises and books, I was feeling the need to focus my practice time on what will help me improve most.  I was also starting to feel as if my practice lacked focus and that I just wasn’t able to get to everything.

Of course that’s what teachers are for – mine issued a practice prescription straightaway.  She said start with scales from my scales book, then move on to the position practice book, then do the Wohlfart Etudes, then work on the three songs prior to my current song, and then work on the current song from Book Three.

And the current song from Book Three is a Bach minuet.  Well, it’s really two minuets, one I know already, and then a lovely minor variation.  There are also some embellishments provided in the music (Appoggiatura) that are new this time around for the first minuet, so those will be fun to incorporate.  Excitingly, the song is the first time I’m shifting into third position in a piece – I’ve been practicing with the position exercise book, but putting it into practice with some Bach is pretty exhilarating.

Thanks for reading.

Ryan