Practice Log for Thursday, 24 May 2018

Warm-up

I focused on right-hand technique, playing a simple arpeggio pattern in 16th-note triplets. I watched my right hand in the mirror of my computer screen, and I noticed that the thumb movement when changing the direction of string crossing is overall satisfactory, but I’m prone to making large movements when I pick up the speed. I wonder if this is natural, and whether it’s avoidable. I certainly have seen some amazing speed from pros (MAB comes to mind), but most of them seem to anchor their fingers on the the pickup or bottom string. Anchoring is fine, I suppose, and sometimes I do this, myself.

Repertoire

I learned the rhythm figure for the first section of “More Than Words”. It’s not so hard, but it feels like there are an unusual number of bars. I didn’t have much time to practice it this time around, and notating the part might prove more complicated than I originally thought.

I learned it in G flat, the original key, but unfortunately, the Ebm chord in the B section can’t be played low, which is too bad. It’s still doable, though. I’ll just have to play it up an octave. (Or maybe I’ll just play it in G.)

Notes

I listened to Muse’s Origin of Symmetry album today. There are some interesting harmonies on those songs. I’d like to delve into them when I get a chance. First, though, I’m going to finish learning this song. No rush…

Next time, I need to learn the chords for the other sections of the song as well as their rhythm figures, if they change. As far as scales are concerned, I would like to start looking at parallel fourths patterns, but I need to make sure that the thirds patterns continue to become more solid.