Every single note, every measure, every phrase is taking longer than anticipated for this piece. Each moment has it's very own unique style, phrasing, and challenges that need to be addressed individually and slowly before you can go on. As opposed to some pieces out there you can learn the phrase and the form and pretty much be done with it because it recaps a lot. This piece is deeming to be one of the most challenging that I've ever encountered.
When I picked this piece originally I found it on Youtube where this 15 year old girl from Poland, Marianna Bednarska, was playing this piece like a maniac. I knew right away that she was a beast of a player because there's nothing easy about this and she made it look easy, but I still thought to myself, "It'll be a challenge but if a 15 year old can do it, why can't I." I may very well eat my own words but until then I'm battling on. The best part about this concerto is that once I get past pages 4 and 5, from there until the Cadenza it's mostly all Recapitulation of material from the first 3-4 pages. So by the time I'm half way done I'll be almost three quarters of the way to the end. But then there's the Cadenza to consider which I'll deal with when I get to that point but that will be a hurdle within itself.
The other piece that I got to dig back into was the snare drum piece that I chose. I had fun picking up the tempo trying to get my singles fast enough to play it without any double strokes in the whole thing. I've seen a few videos online of people playing Lonely City Suite but most of them use diddles in far too many places. In all of the three movements there is one phrase, which is really just one measure, that may or may not need to utilize double strokes. To put into perspective there are 32nd and 64th notes being played at 85 bpm. At this point I am just a few clicks away from playing it at full tempo without any diddles, it definitely takes a lot more control and sensitivity than almost any drum piece I've ever played but it is not impossible to do this way.
Speed is matter of will and relaxation, mind over matter. I've always maintained that speed is in the mind, our hands and limbs are capable of things that often times our minds can't conceive. This is usually because someone along the way told you, "You can't do that," or, "That's too hard," or some combination of those. It is one of the hardest things to do BUT the more you relax the faster you can go. Speed is not achieved through force but through sensitivity, being aware of your body and your surroundings in a Zen like state it's really about understanding where your limits are at but then knowing how to push those limits to expand your range of speed. Then it's just a matter of patience as the saying goes, "Slow makes fast and fast makes slow," couldn't be more true. Start slow and then slowly pick it up over time. This is why practice must happen every day, even if for a short amount of time. If every day you're working toward a goal then little by little as much as you may not see it you are stepping closer and closer to that goal.
I'm working hard at not looking to far forward into the pieces that I'm learning, trying to stay focused on the task at hand and not let my mind wander to logistics and/or worrying about needless things.
Happy practicing, speaking of which...I'm going to do some more of right now.
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