Dare I Say...?

Dare I hope I have attained a new level of facility? I noticed a greater ease playing that C# minor nocturne run passage last night, and that without much warm up. All I did beforehand was play through L'Adieu with a few repeats of trouble passages. There's still roughness in the run though. It's not fluid, as I would like, but even this ability to play it without missing the C# keys after every other octave is an achievement. I fully expect to go back to playing it today and have my hopes dashed with a few wayward notes. Errors one thought previously fixed always crop up to throw you. I won't be daunted. I'm still struggling with stuff like that in Kabalevsky's Etude in D--the fiendish one with all the arpeggios. And I'm still maintaining my poise and actively defending against despair where that etude's concerned. Arpeggios are my nemesis. I think it's time to reverse the direction: practise them with a vengeance and become their nemesis!

I realised a couple days ago that no matter how much I think my hands have become looser since September (2016) or so, I still have a far way to go. I also understand that I have no idea what looser will look like until it actually occurs. My left hand is improving. I've returned to practising Bach's Prelude in C with just the left hand. It's working out well, I think. A little awkward because much of it is played on the right side of the keyboard, but still doable. It's a beautiful song, and I should learn it. 

I also found out my sight-reading is about at RCM Level 3, which is not where it should be, but it's definitely a whole lot better than it was. At least now I'm on the grid--the ladder--though perhaps a couple rungs lower than I should be. Technically I should be reading at RCM Level 5 if I'm truly considering myself a level 8 player. But I figure that will come with continued practice, which I will certainly do! Especially now that I realise I'm not illiterate anymore.

Laters...