Epic Eartraining Post, Part 1

So here's something new and interesting. I'm going to blog - as I practice - eartraining.

I haven't gone through my new practice sheets yet, so I'm going to do that now, but as I go, I am going to write about some of my experiences in more detail. On my record sheets I have an area set aside for "observations" but since this is an initial trial run and I won't be using the sheets today (and it will be a comprehensive run, going over every skill), it will be a good opportunity to reflect in detail on my strengths and weaknesses.

So I started off with some Alexander, about 20 minutes of constructive rest and some shoulder moves (both of these are on my daily warm up for oboe routine, I'm hoping to get them in every day).

If you aren't familiar with it, constructive rest is an exercise from the Alexander Technique in which you are lying on your back, knees bent, and with your head resting on a large book or something equivalent. While this position in itself is highly beneficial for the body, a very conscious, directed constructive rest can be extraordinarily rejuvenating. Two things are key for this, I think - focus and nonjudgemental observation. First of all, the mind needs to be kept in check - focused on being present in the body and not wandering off. However, if the mind does wander, it is essential to merely observe this wandering thought and let it pass by. No point in berating yourself for lack of focus - that's just bad vibes with the inner coach (inner coach being a Plogerism). The other facet is observation. The first part of constructive rest I learned was to observe the body, beginning with the toes and working up and then when I finish, starting over again. Which foot has more weight on it? Where is the most weight? How does the foot make contact with the ground? Etcetera. And after making progress in that, one begins to add several types of subtle moves or exercises to the repertoire.

So that has been very refreshing. I am targeting a couple of areas right now, including my lower back (giving it permission to release from an arched position), releasing my knees away, and my neck/shoulders. Already, in only three days of focused Alexander, I can detect a huge difference.

I began my eartraining Odyssey with rhythm, and the difference that the preceding Alexander work made was already strikingly evident. Normally when performing rhythm exercises, my desire for precision and accuracy becomes physically manifested as extreme tension in my upper back, arms, and particularly the tops of my thighs (are those quads? I think?). I'm going to keep reminding myself to release the knees away, and to put any tension in my hands (the metronomes).

Longy 5s (mm50) and 7s (mm40). All the work I put in last semester really payed off. Coming back to a skill, it will take a little time (but less time than before, each time!) to get the Nerf ball back up the hill (um, another Plogerism, I'm still not sure of that metaphor, why a Nerf ball?). But I am evidently in a very good place here. I absolutely nailed the 5s first try (both 2-3 and 3-2), and the 7s with only a few mistakes, but no hesitations. Excellent.

Nothing too interesting to report in performing Starer. From now on, for the sake of the brevity of the blog (too late), I am only going to write about things that I think are really worthy of mention.

Now, in performing Starer sightreading then immediately taking dictation (a few bars at a time for now), the interesting bit is that the longer held values are where I make mistakes. The busy parts are easier to remember, because I'm more conscious of them, probably because they look more intimidating. Brain tends to dismiss quarter notes and half notes. Which is exactly where I should be paying attention as a performer, since those are places where the audience's brains will also dismiss quarter and half notes if I'm not careful enough to make them interesting! Hmph.

O look it's raining outside. Might I say pouring? Might I say the old man is snoring? Nah, my dad is at work.

Anyway, just did some scale degree improv. Something that is a huge weakness for me. I always sort of hide in group improv in class, and if I have a solo turn, I can get away with a few very uninteresting bars. I'm always ashamed of how uninteresting my improv is, but I know it is partly because I'm not comfortable enough with pulling the scale degrees out of the air. And every time I go out on a limb and start sounding interesting, I am naming some other degree than I'm singing (I mean, at least it's always a degree in the correct chord...). I'm sure Prof Ploger would tell me this is happening because I am not visualizing the keyboard with the names of the notes on it. I'm sure she would be correct. Well, this time, using the handy technology of my electronic mini baby grand in the house, I recorded a chord progression and then played it back while singing improv to it. This was kind of neat, because little lights go on above the keys that are being played, so I could see the outlines of the chords as I was improving. Of course, if this were only happening in my head. One step at a time. I'll keep at this skill, it's definitely in need of improvement.

Ok, mayhaps that is enough for now. My brain hurts, and besides, my mom just came home. Part 2 coming soon. And probably parts 3 and 4. This might take a while to get through the entire practice sheet I made...