tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post8104045332759243628..comments2024-03-22T06:38:04.697-04:00Comments on Beyond the Notes: Learning to productively say, "Forget you!" in the practice roomErica Ann Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526622607656348353noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post-54681087141628842412014-10-24T23:05:44.633-04:002014-10-24T23:05:44.633-04:00Well I have to admit, Janis, that I do use that sa...Well I have to admit, Janis, that I do use that same phrase for the reason you're talking about plenty too. ;-) And it's good to know that Rachel Barton Pine has the same issue on occasion. <br /><br />Side note...every time you mention RBP I have to smile because when I attended this string camp in the summer a long time ago, out in the middle of NOWHERE, she was one of the younger campers there. She had to be in the Main house, where Mrs. Galamian lived. Kind of an amusing memory. <br /><br />-EricaErica Ann Sipeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13526622607656348353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post-66022072621372135062014-10-24T21:40:18.711-04:002014-10-24T21:40:18.711-04:00Brian,
You are DEFINITELY not alone with that expe...Brian,<br />You are DEFINITELY not alone with that experience with what seems to be crazy fingerings. Sometimes that happens the day after I come up with a "brilliant" new fingering. ;-) I'm trying to get quicker and quicker at evaluating my fingerings though and I try to just laugh at myself when I find myself scratching my head in complete wonderment. <br /><br />Thanks for reading and for sharing your own experiences!<br /><br />-EricaErica Ann Sipeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13526622607656348353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post-15623779132888964322014-10-24T20:25:36.101-04:002014-10-24T20:25:36.101-04:00You know, when I first read the title of this post...You know, when I first read the title of this post, I was thinking that it was an interjection said in frustration, à la when you cook up a new fingering that works well, and in the heat of the moment on stage ... the old one bubbles up from some subterranean memory well. I remember listening to one of Rachel Barton Pine's podcasts where she talked about sussing out some cool new fingering for a piece she's performing, and when she's on stage, if she's not careful sometimes some ancient fingering she did when she was 12 will pop out, and she's like, "Where did THAT come from?!" It's amazing the old junk lurking in the crevices of our heads that we don't even know is still up there sometimes.Janisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post-50167129288249439852014-10-24T18:40:22.926-04:002014-10-24T18:40:22.926-04:00I've definitely had this issue multiple times....I've definitely had this issue multiple times. Sometimes I now go back to old pieces I use to play, look at a passage that seemed impossible before, and think "what the heck was I thinking with this fingering!" I noticed my ability to see better fingering as a pianist gets better with time. Now I make sure that one of my major concerns when learning the piece for the first time is if my fingering will work. I hate having to switch fingering later, it's always so hard to get away from old habits.Brian Jenkinshttp://yourmusiclessons.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post-38523263402830896482014-09-24T17:05:17.363-04:002014-09-24T17:05:17.363-04:00Violinhunter,
That's actually why I love playi...Violinhunter,<br />That's actually why I love playing music so much - the adventure never ends and as you reminded me what Heifetz said, "there is no top." Exactly! That's also why I write this blog - because I want to share with others my enthusiasm for practicing because I see it as a daily game, puzzle, and or mystery that happens to involve music that I love and playing with other musicians, one of my favorite activities. I feel so very fortunate! My hope is that somehow we can find ways to practice that alleviates that frustration. <br /><br />Thanks for reading and commenting!<br /><br />EricaErica Ann Sipeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13526622607656348353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7048025771349159983.post-67656138948943043102014-09-24T16:41:42.293-04:002014-09-24T16:41:42.293-04:00Heifetz used to say that "there is no top.&qu...Heifetz used to say that "there is no top." What he meant was that things could always be better. He could say that because he was Heifetz, a dazzling virtuoso since he was 13 year old. However, not everyone is a Heifetz - or a Perlman, or a Midori, or a Steinbacher, or a Kavakos or a Capucon or a Paganini or a Francescatti or a Hassid or a Menuhin, etc, etc. etc. Ordinary musicians should (and I think they do) realize that there are limits to what they can accomplish, even if they practice the same thing six hours a day for a year. Not every pianist can be a Horowitz or a Brendel. Not every orchestra can be a Berlin Philharmonic either. Nonetheless, perhaps there is no harm in trying, as long as you are willing to put up with a lot of frustration. MUSEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03246634997027426279noreply@blogger.com