Quick run through

Just 20 minutes to spare before work this morning. I ran through Fly Me to the Moon and Barrelhouse Blues several times each at the marked tempos. Its definitely time to focus on Swing Fun - my third Grade 3 jazz piece.

A piffling 30 minutes

30 Minutes Bill Bachman singles.

I intended to do some piano when I got in but I was soooo tired. Work again tomorrow. Sunday is my first day off in weeks - been working every day and most evenings recently. I'm exhausted!

Long, busy day.

Drums:

1 hour Gary Novak lick 1000 repetitions

30 Minutes Bill Bachman Singles

30 Minutues playing 12 bars time/12 bars solo trying to incorporate some of the patterns I've been doing the 1000 reps of.

3 hour rehearsal. I'm totally sick of my drum kit. I really need new stands (which work and aren't rusty) drums which I actually like the sound of and cymbals which don't sound like a radiator.

...Playing was okay though.

...by the seat of my pants.

Tonight I was doing a concert with one of the youth bands whose percussion section I coach. I had a frantic phone call this afternoon asking if I could stand in with one of the other bands whose percussionist had let them down at the last minute. With zero rehearsal I sight read the stuff through time signature changes, tempo changes etc etc and felt I did a pretty good job. Oddly I find things like this more stressful when my students and their parents are around because I definitely don't want to look like a chump in front of them!

The concert was at a local private school and their facilities and equipment were RIDICULOUS. Far far far better than we have in the entire county and this was just one school... if only all schools were this well funded and resourced...

Gary Novak & Return to Piano

I finally got round to listening to a Gary Novak clinic I found online a few weeks back. Some very interesing ideas in terms of learning to make the most of your ideas on the drums - using the same pattern with different note rates etc... I think I have a new lick to practise 1000 times tomorrow!

I've also been looking into buying a new drum set and selling my two old ones. I'm currently fishing around for prices...

Piano wise:

20 Minutes Fly Me to the Moon 100-144bpm

20 Minutes Barrelhouse Blues 60-88bpm

20 Minutes Improvisation - having a little play with some of the ideas in Jerry Bergonzi's first book (chapter 1!)

20 Minutes Jazz Piano Grade 1, 2, 3 scales/arpeggios (up to B flat Lydian) I need to start at this point next time so that I make sure to cover them all, including the ones with trickier fingering!

Tuesday

My Tuesday School has a ski trip this week so I had plenty of spare time today in addition to my pre-work practice.

I managed 2 1/2 hours of drum practice working on some of the ideas I got from my recent idea exchange with John. I'm still experimenting with the 1000 repetitions idea but doing 100 at each tempo working up the metronome in increments of ten. it definately works but it is exhausting.

I have also been regularly practising the Bill Bachman single strokes exercises quite a bit in the last week. Its the first 'pure technique' practice I have done in quite a while.

I should really practise piano today but I'm sooooo tired. I have spare time during the day tomorrow - I'll catch up then.

Busy, Tiring week

I was away with work all week - Lots of rehearsing but very little individual practice time. I did do quite a bit of playing though and took turns with a colleague transcribing a Youngblood Brass Band arrangement. Its ages since I have done any non-drum transcription and I was pleasantly surprised by how easily it came. Using Sibleius makes things a lot quicker (and easier to check!)

I have another very busy week ahead - different gigs/rehearsals on every night this week so it may be next weekend before I really get back into the swing of things in terms of piano practice :(