For the first time since I started cello in early November I am going to miss a day of practice. Actually several days as we will be traveling. I find that I am of two minds about a break like this.
One the one hand I will miss playing. I don’t view my daily session as practice as much as I view it as something I get to do. I enjoy playing and learning new music. Sure there are frustrations (dotted half notes are a lot longer than I think they are) and there are night’s when my tone is less listenable. Regardless of these little challenges I look forward to playing and I am going to miss it while we are away.
On the other hand I am starting to develop some bad habits and I hope a short break will help me to break them. I tend to squeeze the neck/fingerboard between my fingers and thumb which is causing my thumb to be quite painful at times. I need to pull with my arm and upper back rather than squeeze with my hand. All of my practicing the last week or two has been focused on less thumb and more arm. I’m hoping that not playing for 10 days will make it easier to play correctly when we return.
Finally there is a part of me that wonders what I’ll forget, how ragged will I sound upon returning? Or will the past 70 days of practice tide me over the next week without too much lost ground.