Overall a good lesson.

Chopin Etude: Improving. Need to make the beginning as calm and controlled as the end - listen to the sound first.

Chopin Ballade: I tend to avoid practicing this because I am afraid it is too hard and won't work. Should start at where it gets hard and just do it. Should try to analyse the harmonies more as they are probably not so complex when you understand them.

Rachmaninov: both preludes are better. The middle section of the Op 23 No 5 middle section needs to be more lyrical and not too slow.

Scarlatti: practice louder for clarity and then tone it down.

Onwards!

Scarlatti: Although the fingers must be light, more weight can be put through the wrist so the fingers don't need to be raised so high.

Chopin Ballade: Chopin is always so difficult. So much depends on state of mind. I'm more afraid of playing Chopin than of any other composer. The key constantly drifts and there are lines within layers within levels of sound.

Rachmaninov: Much easier - he says what he means and means what he says. The two preludes are now both fun to play. I like it once the notes are "in my fingers" as they say.

Arthur has a 16 year old student who has just come second in the Brisbane Eisteddfod. She beat adults and university students alike. I've heard her play and it is lovely. She likes to go very fast and seemingly has no fear. I suggested Arthur enter her in the national Concerto competition.

5th August already. This was a good lesson. I played well. I'm back to yoga classes and the neck and back are better.

Arthur and I discussed the role of breathing in performance. It would seem an obvious thing to breath in and then out and then in again and keep doing that but apparently not for me.

When I forget to breath through a passage, I panic and then it falls apart. I may need to mark breathing points on the score. It might also help to listen to non-pianist musicians and singers.

Arthur gave me a bio on John Ogden to read. The first chapters are very interesting for someone who never went to a music college per se.

Let's see. Sunday was the 28th. The neck/upper back/ left arm are getting better and I did go to my lesson. It's a subtle thing but sometimes both Arthur and I are in a strange mood and the lesson doesn't go too well. Not much else to say really.