Even if it is fifteen minutes

There is no short cut where music is concern. Practice makes perfect. While I believe that practising effectively can help one maximise the results that one gain from a practice session, nothing can replace putting time aside to practise.

Earlier tonight, I spent at least thirty minutes practising on the double bass.

For the upcoming concert on 10 Jan 2007 that yours truly will be playing in, there is a very challenging part for the first double bass in Tchaikovsky's Neapolitanian Dance (from Swan Lake). Actually, the notes may seem simple, but that passage requires a good co-ordination between the player's left and right hand. There is no trick to playing that passage well except to practise, effectively.

Playing G major scale as a warm-up helps a lot before I start practising that passage. I kept in mind what my tutor, MJ, reminded me: The fingers should run in a line. This reminder helps because in order to achieve the act of having the fingers running in a straight line, I need to be aware that my hand does not move in any other direction, except in a straight line according to where the fingers should be heading. In additon, it does help when I relax my left-hand and simply touch to stop the strings instead of trying to use too much strength to stop the strings.

Since there is no trick except to practise, I decided that even if it were to be just a short thirty minutes practice session, I shall take out my double bass anyway to do so. Even if I just had fifteen minutes, I could spend the time practising G major scale to make sure my fingers run smoothly up and down the scale.

My profession is not a musician, and being a working adult whose occupation is not directly related to music, finding time to practise is perhaps one of my greatest challenges.

Taking some small steps is better than than not taking any step at all. Even if I could only have 15 to 30 minutes to spare per day on the double bass, let that be. I shall practise anyway. I aim to practise at least four days per week, for at least 15 minutes each of the days.