On Having Attained the 2.25-yr Mark

I started practicing the RCM Level 8 etudes on December 17, 2016. I've memorised the first (Rowley's Agitato, left) and am working on perfecting it, but have also started memorising the second piece. This one is harder and requires a leap in coordination. I've also finished learning all the major scales in parallel and contrary motion (finally got to B-flat major last week!) I also have all the white-key harmonic minor scales down, and all except B-minor in contrary motion. Still need to work on that and the black key minors. 

Arpeggios have been a bit on hold since I've been home for Christmas, since the keyboard here has slightly smaller keys and I don't want to learn the fiendishly difficult arpeggios at the wrong scale—wrong hand spans, thumb crossing spans, and all that. But that difficult second etude from the RCM book has arpeggios in several keys, so I think that'll fill the gap. And I hope it won't take to much effort to readjust to the correct sized keys when I have to in a week. 

Chromatics, dominant- and diminished-seventh arpeggios... When, oh when will I be able to get to these??

Periodically, I feel a rise in my abilities. Usually this alternates with a sense of being overwhelmed and a feeling of non-progression. Around December 30/31, I felt that again--a sense of improvement that validated my decision to return to piano. The impetus for this feeling might have been my trying out one of the run passages from Chopin's Nocturne in C Minor and not finding it impossible. I've been thinking it might be time to start on his Waltz in A-flat (L'Adieu). It's an RCM level 8 piece, so it might be right at my level, and when it comes to songs I like I've usually thought maybe I should wait until I've surpassed its level before learning it. That way I'll do it justice. Dunno. It's probably the first (easiest) of the long list of songs I've been waiting to be able to play, and I've waited 2.25 years man! Well, it's among the first, at least, since the E- and B-minor preludes are among them, and I guess I didn't wait as long as I should have to tackle those. Return to them, you say?

Aye aye!