Practicing in 113

[audio:113-keys.mp3 | titles=113 Keys|artists=music2work2]I've started every day this week by practicing to "the click" - to a metronome. I'm a big fan of prime numbers so Monday was 101 beats per minute, Tuesday 103, Wednesday 107, Thursday 109 and today was 113. I will continue up the primes until I can't keep up and then I will start at 101 again and go down as low as I can go.

The way I set up my practice sessions is to start with scales - after a few hand exercises I work the keyboard, running 1 octave then 2 octaves, 3 octaves then 4 octaves then change key; if I make a mistake along the way I have to start again at the beginning- as the metronome gets faster so do my fingers. After scales come arpeggios with a similar game and then a break. I started practicing to a metronome 10 years ago and found that it dramatically improved my playing.

After the basics I then play whatever comes to mind - having been away for so long I'm playing with very basic simple themes and only with one voice - the piano. This theme has been developing for a couple of days although it was previously in a major key. I like the tempo of 113 bpm - it seems to be a nice pace for the left hand to work in 3/4 time while the right hand picks out the melody - I'll probably continue developing the theme at this tempo and see where it leads. It is a little similar to scary movie music which might make its first appearance on the site later on this month!

Paul - 13 minutes 23 seconds

Strings and Piano - written for Paul.

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It’s a crazy information overload world – especially for those of us who live in front a screen. Where do you start: email, internet, tweetdeck, rss feed, facebook or the word document and spreadsheet that you’re supposed to be working on – the telephone rings, a colleague appears – the distractions are endless and procrastination could now be an Olympic sport.

I find that the right kind of music can be critical to me actually starting something and this piece is one of my favorites for that. It starts out so simple and clean, delicate piano, aching string melody – it actually calms me down and helps me decide where I want to focus. But there’s a change at around 10:00 minutes, the energy of the piece just picks up and whether I like it or not, I start typing – it’s great! If I’m lucky, the next time I look up is when the piece is nearing the end.

Written for Paul Ruffin, owner of ECI Networks, a fabulous bass player and all round good guy.

The music2work2 Writer's Playlist

Charlotte - 10 minutes 9 seconds

Strings and Piano - written for Charlotte.

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So this is Charlotte's session - who knows how this music comes out but I do think of her and smile when I listen to this piece

Two strings based upon three distinct piano themes. I particularly like the third one in 5 / 4 time. The piece could come across as pretty melancholic and dark - when you look at what she has been through - I guess that's appropriate - but there is a certain hope to the piece - lots of positive resolution.

I think for me, one of the things I learned at EDNF and through my friendship with Charlotte is that you can either sit there and complain or you can get up off your butt (if that's physically possible!) and do something. Charlotte and I try to do something every day and together we have taken music2work2 from an idea to a reality. I could not have done it without her and for that I thank her with all my heart.

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Charlotte is part of The Reader’s Playlist.