As you may have noticed, this blog has been very quiet recently...
Well, I just wanted to make it known that I have not abandoned the project at all and I have been steadily working at the etudes ever since my last post.
The only reason I have not been posting on this blog is because it takes me a very long time to write a post about a specific etude (I usually have to give up an entire day for this) and I simply do not have the time to write blog entries alongside my piano practice.
Currently I am in what I call the 'overview' phrase. This is when I spend about 7-10 days on each etude, with about 1-1.5 hours a day of focused practice, before moving on to the next etude. This is certainly not sufficient time (for me at least) to play the piece at the final speed fluently, it only serves as a way of getting the etude under my fingers. But I think it is important not to spend too long practising one specific piano piece, it is important to take a long break to gain a fresh perspective in approaching the piece in terms of practising and musical interpretation. Besides one tends to get bored if they play the same thing over and over again for a long time, to the point where piano playing becomes a sort of chore.
That is why I am not lingering on one etude too long, and move on to the next one relatively quickly, even if I feel I'm nowhere near the 'finish line' for that specific etude. (Let me again emphasise that when I say or imply a 'finish line' I do not mean one in the ultimate sense, only that I can play the piece well enough to pass in an amateur recital or online recording/video).
I'm just about to finish looking at Op.25 No.3 (Horseman) and will then move on to No.4. When I get to the end of Op.25 I plan to write a larger blog post where I summarise my experiences with each etude and the learning experience as a whole. I plan this to be sometime around July...but of course I can't be sure about that!
So far all I can say is it has been great fun looking at these etudes. I feel like my technique has definitely improved and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and comments later on in the year!
