My General Practice Routine
I use two iPAD apps to keep track of the time I practice each day and general MIDI editing of recordings. For general practice I use Focus Plant and usually practice 90 minutes/day between the violin and piano. For MIDI creation/recording/editing of scores and recordings I use the Forest app. I also use that app for my exercise and other activities such as computer programming, reading, etc. I like to keep pure instrument practicing separate from all the other tasks.
Within each practice session I divide the sessions into 3 categories: Deep Piano practice (memorization, deep practice of pieces I have already started); New Piano Piece practice (brand new pieces, or sections I have not started yet) and Violin practice.
For some reason, ever since I started using these apps I now practice every day. Not sure why that works, but some ideas I got from the book "The Power of Habit". The apps create ringed pie charts of my tasks (see the above image for January). So, for example, if I am doing too much piano at the expense of violin, I can see that and adjust my neglected violin. Similarly, I am trying to sight read or learn new pieces every week, even if they are not completely perfected. It adds freshness to my learned pieces.
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This is very cool! I also play/practice cello so these apps would be helpful. Thank you for sharing.
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Shaw-Jiun Wang Great tip! thanks
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great tip!
Q : what are you using as app for midi recording?
Thank you
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Vladimir. Lupu I am using Logic Pro X on the Mac for recording my MIDI from an electronic keyboard. For scoring, I use Sibelius. The combination of these two apps are very useful for my piano and violin practice. What I do now, is transcribe the piano pieces I like for two violins and play these versions with my violin teacher. Currently I am doing that with Beethoven's 7 Variations on the Theme of God Save the King with a lot of success. It sounds great for two violins as well as piano. Some simplification is required though, for beginning violin. I need a MIDI interface to connect my piano keyboard with the Mac or Windows. I will also be transcribing Scarlatti Sonatas for two violins as well. It also sounds great with piano + violin (playing the melody line).
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