Weekly Warm Up No. 71
I’ve nearly reached the end of the academic year on this past Friday. All that is left to do is a bit of grading, knock out a few administrative tasks, and then….summer.
As a student, I remember one of my teachers sharing with me that this is when the “real work” begins. That statement didn’t make sense until I was on the other side of the desk.
One thing I’ve worked to improve over the past few years is having a clear idea as to what exactly I’m going to do with this time. So often I would think or hear colleagues say “Finally, I’m going to be able to practice more. I have time now.”
The correct follow up question would be: What, specifically, are your going to be practicing?
If I’m being honest, my usual answer was “Um, I dunno…but I’m going to do a lot.”
Only to find myself waking up in August and thinking where did the time go?
Looking at this more objectively, the summers that were the most productive and fulfilling always had specific (and at times ambitious) goals.
So, here we are on the brink of summer, after a couple of challenging years, and I have created a plan to push myself. For the next 16 weeks I’m going to lay it all out here in the Weekly Warm Up and share the progress I made, or didn’t make…all of it. The good, the bad, and the epic fails.
I have created four specific categories: Consistency, New Pieces, Writing, & Recording
- Consistency
- 6 days of practice each week (minimum of 2 hours per day)
2. New Pieces (to learn)
- Dizzie Gillespie: Arrangement for solo guitar
- Adam Silverman: New work for guitar & two percussionists (four movements)
- Ronald Pearl: New work for guitar & string quartet (two movements)
- Kris Johnson: New work for guitar & loop pedal
- Luke Bedford: New work for solo guitar
3. Writing
- Five short pieces for solo guitar
4. Recording
- Three movement work for electric guitar
- Thelonious Monk: Arrangement for solo guitar
- Ronald Pearl: Four movement work for solo guitar
That’s it—my “to do” list for the summer.
Next week I’ll share my schedule for the next 16 weeks and breakdown how I will get this all done. Looking forward to documenting the journey.
Question: What are the things you plan to work on this summer?
Tempo:
Quarter note set @ 80 BPM.
Right Hand Arpeggios:
(Based on this A Major Chord Progression )
- Pima
- Pami
- Pimi
- Pmim
- Pmam
- Pama
- Pimami
- Pim ami ami ami
Left Hand Slurs:
- 3210 | 0123
- 4210 | 0124
- 4310 | 0134
- 4320 | 0234
Synchronization Drills: Single String
1234 Ascending
4321 Descending
