Free the Notes

 


 Working with a difficult part in a piece, unfortunately the mistake seems ingrained at this point.  So I am practicing the difficult part but changing the part that precedes it.  While keeping the general idea harmonically and rhythmically but I am simplifying it a bit.  Hoping to circumvent the habit that has been established, perfect the troubled part, and then restore the preceding part.  By simplifying the part I am changing my habitual approach to the difficult part and thus not being caught by my previous muscle memory.

This is not an original idea, I read about this somewhere, perhaps in Pedro de Alcantara's great book Indirect Procedures.  I've worked this way before with some success.  This is the second evening I've been taking this approach with this section.  Tonight I began utilizing the Alexander concept of inhibition, pausing right before my right hand would move to the troubled part.  I also incorporated this use of inhibition with another problem in a different piece.  This is allowing me to see what I am and what I am not doing.  With this clarity I may be able to free these notes, may even be able to free myself.  Perhaps they are one and the same.

Stay Tuned.