In the mood to play the double bass

Adequate rest helps. This is what I had gathered today.

Usually, I would feel quite tired by the end of the day after a normal work day. As such, if I were to practise on the double bass, I realised that my concentration level usually won't last me any later than 11 p.m.

However, today is a Sunday and I don't have to work. The weather has been a rainy one for most of today. After waking up and reading the newspaper, I snuggled back to bed for a morning nap. The rest seemed to help. Later in the night, at 10 p.m., I started practising on the double bass and had a good one-and-a-half-hour practice. I attributed my better state of mental concentration to the good rest that I had this morning.

For tonight's practice, I had practised selected sections from the following: Keyper's Romance and Rondo, Tchaikovsky's Neopolitanian Dance (from Swan Lake), I. Berlin's Ragtime arranged for double bass, the last two movements from Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, and Dragonetti's Solo in e minor.

The most noteworthy part was that I have managed to work out most of the fingerings for the third page of Dragonetti's Solo in e minor! Two more pages to go.

Had it not been quite late at night, and that I did not want to disturb the neighbours, I might have continued practising on the double bass. Meantime, it is approaching 25 Dec 2006, and I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas day.