What Are You Practising / Composing Now?

[Pulcinella]

I’m persevering with ABRSM Grade V pieces which I have almost got right having not had a piano lesson for 13 months.

I'm still struggling with some of the easier JSB two-part inventions one hand at a time.

[BBMmk2]

I'm still struggling with some of the easier JSB two-part inventions one hand at a time.

Funnily enough. Pulcie, I’ve always had trouble with those, as well!

[Joseph K]

So I've finally come round to the fact that I simply cannot play the top line of the Prelude from BWV 998 simply alternating with I and M fingers throughout (although in one or two places I would use the annular finger). While ostensibly logical and simple, actually I'd say this often is an awkward thing to do and actively encourages focal dystonia in my middle finger since many times it has to reach for a lower string while the index plays a higher one; moreover, this doesn't take cognisance of the comfortable natural position of the picking hand. Probably an advanced player could alternate with I and M throughout, but I know from seeing a video of Julian Bream playing the piece that it is not how he plays it. Alternating I and M makes, however, more sense for the most part in the Allegro.

[Dave2002]

I’m persevering with ABRSM Grade V pieces which I have almost got right having not had a piano lesson for 13 months.

Here is the list for anyone else who wants to try.
Einaudi, anybody?!

https://gb.abrsm.org/media/65200/piano-g5-2021-2022-rev-sep-2020.pdf

This seems to be the Tarantella which is on the list - https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6326100

and typing in ABRSM in the search box shows this by Heather Hammond also - https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6342892
plus https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6342901 Mr Trumpet Man, Gillock.

Another - https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6309661

[Dave2002]

The layout in the Handel score - msg 755 - is incorrect. https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6309661 The first bar should have an ornamented minim tied to a crotchet, but if the intention is to write out the ornamentation, then the dotted quavers - ornamented would be better written out in full, or the MuseScore feature Tools -> Regroup Rhythms should be applied - leading to a dotted quaver, followed by a semiquaver tied to a following quaver, then a quaver tied to a crotchet.

Nevertheless this might be useful for someone.

[cloughie]

Here is the list for anyone else who wants to try.
Einaudi, anybody?!

https://gb.abrsm.org/media/65200/piano-g5-2021-2022-rev-sep-2020.pdf

This seems to be the Tarantella which is on the list - https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6326100

and typing in ABRSM in the search box shows this by Heather Hammond also - https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6342892
plus https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6342901 Mr Trumpet Man, Gillock.

Another - https://musescore.com/user/31243076/scores/6309661

These are the 21/22 pieces - the 19/20 can be examined to the end of this year.

[Joseph K]

So I've finally come round to the fact that I simply cannot play the top line of the Prelude from BWV 998 simply alternating with I and M fingers throughout (although in one or two places I would use the annular finger). While ostensibly logical and simple, actually I'd say this often is an awkward thing to do and actively encourages focal dystonia in my middle finger since many times it has to reach for a lower string while the index plays a higher one; moreover, this doesn't take cognisance of the comfortable natural position of the picking hand. Probably an advanced player could alternate with I and M throughout, but I know from seeing a video of Julian Bream playing the piece that it is not how he plays it. Alternating I and M makes, however, more sense for the most part in the Allegro.

Well, it's taken a solid few hours, but I've finally finished re-fingering the plucking-hand fingering of the Prelude BWV 998. It's taken a few drafts and re-drafts, but I am fairly confident now that it falls much more comfortably under my right-hand than it did before. My re-fingering makes much greater use of the annular finger and the occasional consecutive use of a finger - which isn't all that difficult anyway and makes sense at times.

[Dave2002]

These are the 21/22 pieces - the 19/20 can be examined to the end of this year.

Maybe these will do until then in that case.

https://gb.abrsm.org/media/62972/piano_syllabus_2019___2020_complete.pdf

Examples: https://musescore.com/user/30706925/scores/5658289

https://musescore.com/user/33808446/scores/6705189

I noted that having to use the "official" scores - ostensibly to avoid copyright issues - might bring in extra revenue to the boards - though it's perhaps not a big deal.
Thus scores from MuseScore or other sites - which might be hepful for practice purposes, and to select pieces to play, would presumably result in an instant strike-out - failure - if anyone didn't read the find print. I'm not sure if it's allowed to use any other appropriately copyrighted published scores or only ones approved by the boards.

I would have given a listing from the official syllabus, but there is a copyright notice affixed forbidding distributing copies of lists.
I hope that doesn't limit the ability to post a link to the ABRSM site - as in this post - which would seem to me to be counter productive.

Since I'm unlikely to try it's not going to affect me, though I might have a look at the pieces to see if I can play any of them.

[Dave2002]

Just checked that I can still use software synths directly in Logic and Mainstage today. At first I couldn't figure out the UI, but eventually found how to get the Surge software synth working, and tested it out in real time.
I have done this before, but sometimes finding out which buttons and menus to press in user interfaces is not absolutely obvious. Realised that for some of these software systems one really needs several input modes - such as a trackpad in the left hand and a mouse in the right - or whichever combination of devices or tools one is comfortable with. A single mouse is not sufficient.

[Joseph K]

A day or two ago I discovered - or rather, put a name to - a particular hurdle I'd encountered with my classical guitar plucking-hand technique - focal dystonia.

... very pleased to say that this is well on its way to disappearing. My plucking-hand middle finger is much more relaxed and under control now, and generally doesn't curl up into the palm of my hand (or indeed curl up at all). There is still some way to go of course in terms of speeding things up, and I'm still consciously telling this finger what to do but now generally it's doing what I tell it to do and has developed a feel for the correct way of moving.

[Serial_Apologist]

... very pleased to say that this is well on its way to disappearing. My plucking-hand middle finger is much more relaxed and under control now, and generally doesn't curl up into the palm of my hand (or indeed curl up at all). There is still some way to go of course in terms of speeding things up, and I'm still consciously telling this finger what to do but now generally it's doing what I tell it to do and has developed a feel for the correct way of moving.

Brilliant!

[BBMmk2]

Brilliant!

Great to hear!

I was a third of a way through a project I was doing for a concert band in America, when my software programme, Sibelius, decided to jumble up all the parts, making it impossible for me to carry on, so I begun again! An absolute shock/horror. In some ways though, it was a blessing in disguise.

The band, which is one of the best in the USA, have liked my work thus far, thankfully. I have done four projects for them, so far.

[Joseph K]

Great to hear!

I was a third of a way through a project I was doing for a concert band in America, when my software programme, Sibelius, decided to jumble up all the parts, making it impossible for me to carry on, so I begun again! An absolute shock/horror. In some ways though, it was a blessing in disguise.

The band, which is one of the best in the USA, have liked my work thus far, thankfully. I have done four projects for them, so far.

Sorry to hear this, BBM. Here's hoping you're right in your assessment of it being a blessing in disguise.

[Dave2002]

... very pleased to say that this is well on its way to disappearing. My plucking-hand middle finger is much more relaxed and under control now, and generally doesn't curl up into the palm of my hand (or indeed curl up at all). There is still some way to go of course in terms of speeding things up, and I'm still consciously telling this finger what to do but now generally it's doing what I tell it to do and has developed a feel for the correct way of moving.

I'm guessing you're sure that your finger problems are due to guitar playing, but there might be other things which are interacting. Recently I've been investigating tools for making computer interaction easier, both for myself, and also for a few other people who may have RSI or arthritis. Currently I'm exploring the use of scroll wheels and pen tablets, and have been using a pen tablet this morning. So far I'm very impressed, though there is some time required to configure these appropriately.

I also looked up other RSI problems which artists might have, and found this interesting article - https://makingamark.blogspot.com/201...njury-rsi.html which lists a number of conditions which people who do various activities may experience. The article lists several medically recognised conditions, and points to releveant NHS help pages. I thought it was worth flagging up.

In the meantime, I hope your fingers do return to a good condition soon. One general thing which seems to come out of various problems like this is the need to take breaks, and if necessary stop whatever appears to be causing the problem - though I realise that sometimes that might not be what you want to do, or indeed feel able to do - that's particularly the case for people who need to do certain activities for work reasons.

Note the section "How do artists make RSI worse?" ...

[Dave2002]

Great to hear!

I was a third of a way through a project I was doing for a concert band in America, when my software programme, Sibelius, decided to jumble up all the parts, making it impossible for me to carry on, so I begun again! An absolute shock/horror. In some ways though, it was a blessing in disguise.

The band, which is one of the best in the USA, have liked my work thus far, thankfully. I have done four projects for them, so far.

I'm also sorry to hear about this, though I don't quite see how it is a blessing in disguise. I guess you didn't have a useful backup which would have enabled you to recover your work and the functionality of the Sibelius program. I don't know Sibelius well enough - but doesn't it have some form of rollback memory? Probably not enough, and if it's gone wrong then you will have to start over. Shame if that's the case.

Good luck with the new versions.