How I practice: an addendum

I last described my practice methods here, in 2017, complete with a YouTube demonstration.

As described here, I began experiencing what golfers would call the “yips.”

I continue to experiment, and I continue to have problems from time to time; today’s playing was clean, but some of last Sunday’s was not.

I have had a degree of success from what I consider an important modification to my practice methods, and have updated the 2017 posting. In short, I start more gently. On the first day’s work with a new piece (or an old one, returned to after months or years), I begin with three slow play-throughs of a short segment, typically two to four measures.

And for that phrase, I call it a day and move on.

The rhythmic work which is at the heart of my practicing waits for the second day. I suspect that pressing on with it on the first day, before the mind has had time to process the slow play-throughs, created a level of tension that ultimately led to difficulties.
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After a long hiatus, I have posted a recording to YouTube; it is the choir's rendition of the Preces and Responses by Richard Sanderson, as sung for the Feast of the Epiphany 2019. It can be found here.