It's funny that there could be disagreement over something as fundamental as looking at your hands for piano. Some very good players feel very strongly that it doesn't matter. Look at your hands if you want to. I have been I think very unfortunately influenced by them. I have finally decided to very consciously not look at my hands. I will try not to think about being 46 when finally deciding this. I don't like needing my eyes constantly going all over the place and I think it's limiting me. I suppose my memorization could be a lot better. And if it was it would be somewhat less of an issue. But even I have two hands. Perhaps I need to get better at just staring inbetween the two instead of whichever is doing the harder part. But I prefer to just learn to play without looking.
I actually wrote a learning exercise last night called "blind jumps". It's thirds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 8ths going up to two octave jumps.
My routine:
All 12 major scales. Both hands. Just two octaves. This is something I have neglected that I need to get better at.
Trills. Just ten seconds for each combo.
The blind jumps exercise.
Sight reading.
Going back over old repertoire while not looking at hands.
Maybe some new.
I have almost completely neglected technique exercises and sight reading up till now. Not sure why in the last few weeks I suddenly care. I haven't eaten sweets in 38 days. Maybe this has caused some subtle change. Previously I ate them everyday. Sometimes to excess.
I recently suddenly love Chopin nocturnes. It caused me to search and see if there's anything else I suddenly love. Chopin etudes are nice. I seem to feel the same about everything else. Maybe learning his Funeral march is what did it.
In other news Hawth and I moved to the tree room. Always loved this room. He is finally got the attention span somewhat for real movies. Watched gremlins and now raiders of lost ark.
Also I'm forcing him to play the piano. Just 5 minutes a day. Trying to get him to enjoy the process of improving. Which he clearly is so far everyday.
