Practice Log, 4 September–6 October 2024

As usual for the start of semester, I got busy and wasn’t able to practice as much as I’d like in September. Hell, I didn’t even do up the altissimo charts I’d been planning to make, though I hope to get those done during the midterm break in a few weeks. (I’d like to have printed charts to practice from, honestly.)

Mostly I played tenor and soprano, followed a little by alto. My bari’s been languishing. My practice sessions often have consisted of either Ferling or Klosé etudes—favoring the latter—followed by a tone study on one or another folk tune (lately, it’s often “Danny Boy”), and then playing or working through tunes with backing tracks or, sometimes, without them. I know I should work on some scales and transcriptions, but my energy’s been pretty low and I’ve been trying to focus on what is most fun and interesting for me now. 

I’m still working on trying to learn how to play double-time, and butting heads with what I’m seeing in a lot of Youtube videos and books, which suggests the best way to get there is through memorized licks from lick books or transcriptions. I’m trying to learn to improvise at that speed, but maybe mastering licks first would help.

The tunes I’m running these days mostly are on the following list:

• All the Things You Are
• Days of Wine and Roses
• Dienda 
• Waltz for Debby
• Black Orpheus
• Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
• Without a Song

I’m especially playing Dienda a lot these days, because the feel and chord structure kind of elude me while I’m playing. 

I’ve sort of left off on the following tunes:

• Bemsha Swing
• But Not For Me
• Four
• I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
• Waters of March (Águas de Março)
• Star Eyes
• Stolen Moments

… but don’t feel I’ve quite mastered them yet, so obviously I’ll come back to them in time. 

I still want to get back to overtone exercises, as well as playing scales and arpeggiated chords. I am at least doing it as an exercise with charts when I’m trying to internalize the chord structure, but I’m not working on technique as much lately as time feel, tone, and voicing. 

I’ve been finding play-along videos on Youtube helpful, especially those made by Phil Wilkinson and MrSunnyBass. I especially like playing with just a bass line, as it’s a real test of my memory of the nuances of the harmonic structure.