36 Years Ago

36 Years Ago, Vienna 1971—A Student Journal

Day 225: Break it down

36yearsago.com

Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing & friends.



Day 225 — Break it down
14-March-1972 (Montag–Mon.)


TRANSCRIPT

Same as above, except did a good amount of piano practicing. Teacher Miss A. taught me yesterday how to practice—slow, short passages or motives, repetitive. Somehow, I always knew this but never quite did it.

El. Musik. Only spent 4 hours but was getting a lot done.


REFLECTIONS

Piano practice. Yesterday I had a new piano teacher, perhaps a graduate student. She teaches me something. The key to true practice—break down the difficult passages to short segments, play them slowly, and repeat until the fingers start to know the notes. Sometimes you know this but are not actually doing it correctly. That’s what live teachers are for, they see, and remind you how to practice and play correctly.

El. Musik. Only four hours? In 1972, four hours compared to eight hours is “only.” In 2009, I’m thinking four hours is a lot of time.

John

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