Easing Back Into It

This week I have been getting back into regular practice. Due to tendonitis, the last few weeks have been quite sporadic. Trying to keep everything as loose as possible whilst playing - awareness. Following each session I have been massaging my hand and forearm. Doctors orders were to keep sessions brief. Have been doing each thing (singing & mouthpiece ex. aside) for about 5 mins each. Anyway here's a run down:

Monday:
Singing: Billie Holiday's "Sun Showers"
30mins playing:
Starting with air letting held note emerge then fading out to air
5ths against drone
playing/singing D major slowly playing bach inv 1 (D)
mouthpiece only - d major

Tuesday:
Singing: "Sun Showers"
Mouthpieces exercises: D Major signing and playing with drone. Stuck at it longer than normal today.
20mins playing:
Playing with done (D): Long Tones (5ths) D major scale 60 met.
Overtones: "letting it fall" (aka descending octaves without octave key)
Bach Invention 1 - slowly with metronome

Wednesday:
Singing: "Sun Showers"
Mouthpiece Exercises: with drone... felt bottom end open up a bit today
15mins playing: (morning)
Overtones: "Letting it Fall"
Scales/long tones: D Major with drone. Held notes
Tone Tracks: tone matching with recording (I'll probably write more on this later)

Planned on doing more in the afternoon but following a mammoth dish washing effort my shoulder advised me otherwise..... Lesson - don't let the dishes build up/practice before dishes!

Thursday:

Singing: "Sun Showers" - I've been focusing on Billie Holiday's vocal today I finished off singing with Lester Youngs solo too.

Mouthpiece exercises: warmed up a couple of reeds while playing D Major Scale and chord

17 mins playing:

Overtones: Letting it Fall - chromatically F thru Bb. Was feeling good so I worked my way up and ended with chromatically C thru Bb. Doesn't take long and is a great starting place.

Scales: D Major with and without drone. Quarter notes at 40 and 60bpm. Also fooled around a bit with playing 4 over 3.
Packed up (and wrote these notes) listening to Doha.

Had a second session in the afternoon

More Mouthpiece Exercises (great warm up)
Breaking in some reeds
Then moved onto working slowly on Bach's Invention #1 for about 15mins

Friday:
Singing: "Sun Showers"
Mouthpiece Exercises: playing against a drone (breaking in a couple of reeds)
15mins playing
Scales: D Major against drone - 60 bpm alternating quarter notes and 4 over 3

Bach Invention #1 - 60 bpm and then finished off with 100bpm drum metronome cd
Packed up listening to "Sun Showers" on loop

More mouthpiece exercises for a warm up.
15mins playing
Overtones: Letting it Fall and Tone Matching
Étude: worked on one of the Lacour Messiaen Etudes  - I had been working through some of these earlier in the year. Was nice to get back into it.

All in all it has been nice getting back in to some regular work on the horn. The plan now is to slowly increase the time each day.