The following is a transcript of my piano practice spreadsheet for Monday, March 7. If you haven’t read yesterday’s blog post, read that first — also, notice how many problems are ultimately solved by slowing down. ❤️

Hanon: start 9:19 end 9:30 duration 0:10 measures 1-466

win is even and accurate at E90

BEST EVER until 14 [the 14th variation, not the 14th measure], when it became too fast to play accurately

work 13-16 at E85

Hanon: start 9:31 end 9:30 duration 0:06 measures 351-466

win is even and accurate at E85

BEST EVER

play 13-16 at E90, play all at E90

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 9:38 end 9:46 duration 0:08 measures 130-133

win is even and accurate with music

done!

next!

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 9:46 end 9:55 duration 0:09 measures 130-133

win is even and accurate from memory

worked it slowly from memory, practiced memory and evenness at E150 [metronome set to “eighth note at 150 bpm”], then from E160, WON, immediately tried to repeat/prove (whoops), failed several times and had to go back to "even and accurate from music" but then reworked the steps that got me to win condition and WON AGAIN

time to 5xCxBx

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 9:56 end 10:03 duration 0:06 measures 130-133

5xCxBx

first pass accurate but not even, hesitation between the RH F#D#F# and BbEBb in 132, BX by playing slowly enough to make the pass without hesitation, second pass achieved slowly with no hesitation in 132, BX by playing a slight bit faster to see if it can sustain at increased tempo, third pass achieved increased tempo, BX by playing at E165, this pass failed accuracy on the last RH chord of 133 (EFBbC#E), probably because I moved my hands too quickly to set them up for success, BX by playing slowly one more time, this pass was very slow and very accurate, with lots of thinking between notes, BX (is this number six?) by playing at E160, WIN and END

retain this work after playing the piece from the beginning

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 10:10 end 10:13 duration 0:02 measures 1-133

win is even and accurate with stops to 3xCxBx any errors

first error is failing to land F# at 18, this has been a continual (not continuous) error, work 17-21 3xCxBx

work 17-21 3xCxBx

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 10:14 end 10:25 duration 0:11 measures 17-23 [yes, I added two more measures to complete the transition]

3xCxBx

first pass inaccurate (doesn't count), next pass accurate but hesitant, BX by playing slowly enough to remove hesitation, this pass was slow enough to uncover a technical error at end of 20, RH not clear on what the chord is, it's CEbG, probably want to play some kind of second here but it's a minor triad to echo the minor triad at end of 18, BX by playing slowly and accurately, this doesn't count yet for 3xCxBx because you haven't achieved consistent accuracy yet, brain feels a bit overloaded trying to remember to curve the finger on the F# at 18 and to hit the minor triads and because of that is forgetting other chords, etc. and don't forget to curve the finger on the F# in 20 too, brain feels severely jumbled with too much information but managed to pull off an integrated and accurate pass at tempo, BX by focusing on the melodic arc instead of the individual instructions, that pass was smooth and integrated and beautiful and BEST EVER, we need one more way to BX this that isn't just "do it the same,” how about try crescending slightly from 17 to 21 to shape towards that A, it worked and of course I fudged the last G octave in 23, I still haven't solved the problem of "how to get to the end of a long successful work session without fudging the last measure somehow"

back to "play even and accurate" plan

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 10:25 end 10:28 duration 0:03 measures 1-133

win is even and accurate with stops to 3xCxBx any errors

two false starts b/c I thought "maybe I should record this if it turns out to be extraordinary and also the recording can help the blog, but that made it PROVING WORK and not WORKING WORK so whoops to that, let's try again

again again again

Saul Sonata #3, mmt 1: start 10:28 stop 10:30 duration 0:01 measures 1-133

win is even and accurate with stops to 3xCxBx any errors

two false starts because nervous about this being the time I was supposed to give to Mozart (10:30 to 11) and I won't have time to do a complete pass on Saul and work Mozart unless I get the complete pass off perfectly the first time, will return to this practice (pun intended) later

play 130-133 even and accurate from memory (once is enough), then play all with stops to 3xCxBx errors

Mozart Sonata #12, mmt 3: start 10:37 end 10:41 duration 0:03 measures 1-14

3xCxBx

first pass perfect but slow, BX by playing E175, DONE, BX by playing E190, that pass was very good but could be smoother, BX by playing E190 perfectly smooth, DONE

next!

Mozart Sonata #12, mmt 3: start 10:42 end 10:47 duration 0:05 measures 36-50

3xCxBx

first pass nearly perfect, rushed last LH descent, BX by playing E175, this pass was nearly perfect except did not staccato B naturals in 46, BX by doing that, DONE, BX by playing E190 perfectly smooth (whooo let's see), this pass failed because thinking about upcoming workday and taxes, TRY AGAIN, well this pass was PERFECT

next!

Mozart Sonata #12, mmt 3: start 10:48 end 10:53 duration 0:05 measures 65-90

3xCxBx

went ahead and started with the goal of playing E190 perfectly smooth, this went very well but had some almost imperceptible hesitations, BX by making melody lines into arcs so that the hesitations (I hope) resolve themselves, good, now BX by playing the grace note in 73 on the beat without rushing through it, this time the grace note was beautiful but the last note in the second run of descending sixths wobbled, ONCE MORE TO GET IT ALL and YES I DID BEST EVER

next!

Mozart Sonata #12, mmt 3: start 10:54 end 10:58 duration 0:04 measures 91-112

3xCxBx

first pass very good at E190, wobbled LH Ab in 96, BX by eliminating all LH wobble, this pass was BEST EVER but I didn't completely sound the RH B natural in 63, BX by doing that, and there it is, the BEAUTIFUL PASS THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO GIVE TO THE WORLD AS MUSIC, THE COMMUNION OF YOUR WORK AND MOZART'S GENIUS and also FINALLY, THAT PASSAGE IS EXTREMELY TRICKY

no we do not get to end here, there are two more sections to play

Mozart Sonata #12, mmt 3: start 10:59 end 11:05 duration 0:06 measures 170-186

3xCxBx

first pass at E190 had some jerkiness in RH, BX by smoothing RH melody and focusing on shape, this pass had nearly everything I wanted except the RH became jerky again in 183 because I suddenly asked myself whether I should be cresecending the LH, this pass I will do the latter without compromising the former, this pass solved smooth RH with crescending LH but there were two note wobbles, ONCE MORE, well that pass was a disaster, starting to think about work and being late for it, give everything you've got to this last pass and then call it (you can catch up with the very end of the movement in your next session), HERE WE GO, two false starts because "giving everything you've got" is a terrible mental call (what does that even mean, really), let's focus on playing even and accurately with melodic shape, and there it was, BEST EVER, now END

work remaining Mozart 3rd movement section, then play 3rd movement in full