Week 36 of year 2008 on the double bass

31 Aug 2008, Sun: I had an orchestra rehearsal on a Sunday. It has been a while since I had orchestra rehearsal on a Sunday and when it happens, it means that there's a concert drawing near. We rehearsed almost the entire programme for the upcoming concert. My favourite would be Forrest Gump Suite. The Rossini's works are quite a challenge to play. Forrest Gump Suite is on the other hand simple and yet nice to listen to, and it feeds my cravings for nostalgia.

3 Sep 2008, Wed: There was double bass sectional with GM. Double bass sectionals with GM always meant lots of good learning. He demonstrated and suggested how I could better overcome the technical challenges of playing the difficult sequences that were found in Rossini's The Barber of Seville Overture. He also spoke about the special effects that Rossini had tried to create in the overture. Cool!

During orchestra rehearsals, we rehearsed the programme for the upcoming concert. Admittedly, I was feeling rather tired from the accumulated effects of working long hours for a number of weeks. Anyway, the Rossini's works became more exciting to perform after the double bass sectional.

4 Sep 2008, Thu: It was double bass lesson. Admittedly, with limited time to practise, and having spent much of my remaining free time practising for the upcoming concerts, I had not made sufficient preparation for the double bass lesson. This meant that I did not practise enough and basically, I don't gain much for the lesson except to use the time to correct some of the not-so-effective fingerings that I had been using. I was also feeling tired and lacking focus. The lesson learnt: I need to practise in order to make more effective use of the double bass lesson. The more important lesson learnt: I seriously need more free time to practise!

6 Sep 2008, Sat: Just before leaving home for the office on my non-working Saturday (because of the heavier workload), I took about 15 minutes to practise on the double bass. I worked through the more technically challenging passages from the repertoire to be played during the upcoming concert. My goal was so that with more practice, I could play these passages from memory.

I am feeling thankful that I had the foresight to practise before I had left home this morning. I am feeling rather tired from the day to wish to practise anymore.

On the good side, I have purchased a new digital metronome. It is louder than my previous metronome and has certain functions that I needed such as beating in semiquavers and so forth.

Meantime, I hereby declare that for the next three weeks, i.e. Week 37 to Week 39, I would not be abiding to my goals of practising four times per week (for at least 15 minutes per practice). A break from practising, I shall take.

Officially, on Week 38, it would be very unlikely that I would practise on any double bass because I will be in taking a short vacation in Sydney from 12 - 19 Sep, and in Melbourne from 19 - 20 Sep.