Piano practice!

Thinking of New Year Resolutions?

Those Ivories. Non-knitting Post

Warning:  This post has no pretty pictures of yarn, and is totally self-involved b.s. reflections.

Though I rarely mention it, ivories (piano keys) and ebonies (organ keys) are as intertwined in my life as eating, sleeping, knitting, relationships, and bodily functions.
Does one retire from such activity?   I suppose one does if something physical happens to prevent the movement of fingers. But now I'm not sure.  In the past few years, I've noticed my little fingers, and they seem to be my main topic when I address playing issues.  I feel like they don't want to take part anymore.  But, I drag them along, and recruit their services.  Just like any repetitive activity, I don't think too much about the mechanics of it, just the surprise factor when something doesn't turn out as expected.
What have I learned in 60 years?  From sitting on a bench in front of 88 keys, I've learned to relate a diagram (printed music) to my movements on the keyboard.  And out comes sounds that are pleasant. Mostly!  That's where the little fingers literally fall short occasionally, and the sounds are not there or (cringe) unpleasant.   I've learned to expect more from my fingers, but nothing is going to bring them back to their former selves.  They are crooked, and one is too flexible, and the other isn't flexible. Even so, the change has been gradual, and my mind and hands have adapted.
For those of you in a similar situation, my only recommendation is focus... Dang, the "f" word again. Focus with help...in the form of the ultimate non-technical tool:  A pencil. Really!  I've found my best weapon against embarrassing goofs is a pencil.  If something goes wrong, and I can locate it, a little/big/dark circle around the problem is my best defense.  There is so much on each page, and my eye needs just that mark to bring focus to something that I need to focus on.
Sounds simple doesn't it?  It is, along with thousands of hours...
So here comes the computation...  Sixty years times 52 weeks = 3120 weeks. Say I have played an average of 2 hours a week over my lifetime... I recall weeks of twenty hours as an accompanist, and weeks of none, so I'm being conservative... And giving myself 6,240 lifetime hours.
There have been services this weekend, shared by ivories and ebonies, and the music goes on. Apprehension always precedes these events...I am my own worst enemy until I start playing!  If my fingers are actively participating, as happens in the days/hours before performance, I feel very insecure.
I wonder what I would be reflecting on if my mommy hadn't decided to take me to piano lessons in September 1954?

Ivories and Paws

Sometimes I feel like this!! (If you can't view it above, use the link below.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-hQwjrzjTQ&sns=em

Nine fingers

I feel a little guilty that my blog is "Yarn" heavy, and "Ivories" doesn't get equal time, but that's life around here.  As I think about it, I've had ivories in my life since 1954, and yarn... hard to pinpoint, but it came a little later (still, it was in the late '50's).
Now I have news about "Ivories" since 5 weeks ago I started using nine fingers instead of ten.  It's been a long standing habit I've created for myself, of using and depending on ten fingers but I've amazed myself at making nine work.

Yesterday I played 4 hymns (and 15 verses), a prelude (Battle Hymn Tribute, pictured above), an offertory (Elegy), and a short postlude (short variations on hymn tunes).  This was all on organ where notes need to be connected one to the other by slipping from one note to the next, holding them down until the next is played, and since my left pinky is out of commission, the pedals cover nicely the lower notes.  It works!!  I particularly liked the Battle Hymn Tribute by Behnke because it starts and ends with Amazing Grace.  People like it because they have to like one of the two tunes, and if they like quiet music or loud, it has both.
Yesterday was also my debut playing piano (haven't played since early May and never with nine fingers).  I originally said-- NO WAY!  Then I tried the piece for women's ensemble, and it wasn't half bad.  A minimum of octaves (pictured below) and the last verse was "a capella", my favorite!!  I cheated skirted around most octaves to begin with, but by the third service (and third performance) I got braver and found I was reaching more notes.


I've come to grips with how old my hands look... so I'm leaving this untouched photo in.  Not all hand shots are this flattering... :)
One amusing glitch yesterday:  As I was turning a page with my left hand (and covering music with my other appendages) I made a loud cracking noise as my plastic splint hit the music desk.  It startled me, but I guess I was playing loudly and no one else noticed!