I read Guanaco's post about his warmup routine and it got me thinking about the warmup routines I have for cello, piano, and swimming. I definitely have developed routines - they are comforting. Plus I really need them now as I've gotten older.
I've been doing a very similar piano warmup (when I actually sit down to play, which seems to be rather infrequent these days) since high school, I think. I start with an exercise that I got from the teacher I had from age 9 until age 18. It is 2 hands, in unison, playing a simple pattern (C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C) repeated 4 times, then doing that pattern 4 times with the minor third (C-D-Eflat-F-G-F-Eflat-D-C); then 4 times diminished (C-D-Eflat-F-Gflat-F-Eflat-D-C); then 4 times with an augmented 5th (C-D-E-F-G#-F-E-D-C). When I'm done I move the whole thing up a half step. I keep going until I've done all 12 notes, checking for evenness of sound (volume and rhythm), how precisely in unison every note is, and checking how stiff my fingers feel. Next I move to arpeggios, doing major and minor, every key, 4 octaves or so. Then I do a major and minor scales in octaves, thirds, sixths, and tenths (I just keep cycling around the keys - c major/c minor one day, Dflat maj/C# minor the next, and so forth). I've just added in doing some 7th chord progressions. The last thing I do for warmup is play the first movement of Mozart's sonata KV333, no pedal, just to see how my fingers feel and to get a feeling for how well I'm playing that day. I'm not sure why that piece - I studied on 2 different period instruments while in college and usually think about how different a modern piano sounds compared to a piano built when Mozart was playing/composing.
My cello warmup is not yet as ritualized or elaborate. I warm up with bowing on open strings, then bowing a cross string pattern, then follow with scales and arpeggios (random keys, 2 or 3 octaves). Usually I try different bowing patterns. It takes me about 15 minutes or so before I feel loosened up. I've been trying to incorporate some of the exercises Emily Wright posted on her blog.
For swimming, I usually swim with a group (great cross-training for cello playing!!! develops arm strength!), and I'll do whatever warmup set we are doing that morning. We usually start off with some easy swimming, then kick or pull (or do some of both) and/or do drills. I can't just jump in and go full blast any more - I have to warm up (and at the end, do some easy swimming to loosen up). I don't usually feel good in the water until I've been swimming for a while - lately it's takes a mile before I feel good - I must have a lot of slow twitch muscles.
3 comments:
Wow, sounds like you're in great shape.
That Guanaco sure does get one thinking, (and motivated) doesn't he?
Your piano warm-up routine sounds intense, and I mean that in a good way. In fact, it has reminded me of some exercises that I should go back and assign for some of my students. I think I can adapt those ideas nicely into their practice routines.
Which one is KV333? Is that the A Major with the Rondo Alla Turca? My piano routine usually consists of that Rondo and some Chopin Preludes, and then I end up with Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy just for a giggle.
My cello warm-up consists of tuning. :/ (that's supposed to be my face for a sheepish cringe) Then I dive into a few scales, followed by whatever my teacher has me working on. Maybe I need to do some more thinking.
it does sound intense, but my piano warmup doesn't take a long time - 10 minutes or so, and the nice thing is that my fingers are warmed up when I'm done. KV333 is in B flat major. Rondo Alla Turca is KV331, so close. I like Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy! that's a fun one to play.
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