Every time I take up a new hobby you can read clear evidence of it on my bookshelves. I would estimate I have 20 linear feet of computer manuals and how-tos, and maybe 8 linear feet of music texts. Previous hobbies (ice skating, wind surfing, squash) have been recycled at library book drives.
The music books are harder to estimate, as many are over-size and are filed in a pile on the bookshelf. And I'm not sure I can accurately estimate the amount of sheet music I have. At least 4 file drawers and several shelves, plus 20 or so CD volumes. It boggles the mind.
I try to keep it in check, but have yet to completely shake the habit of buying sheet music on spec. "Oooh, this looks interesting... I think I might be able to play it someday!," and it doesn't seem to matter whether I am browsing at the store or on the internet. The only reliable solution is to refrain from browsing.
So, yesterday I stopped at the sheet music store on my way home from my AT lesson. My specific goal: to find a volume of elementary canons and fugues to play on the piano. I love fugues, and my appetite to learn how to play them was whetted by a little 5-finger canon we worked on this week. Lovely warm-up, transposed to major keys last week and minor keys this one. I was hoping to find some graded work to span the chasm between that and Bach 2-part inventions.
The good news is that I invested in a number of very interesting-looking volumes (shades of PFS here).
The bad news is that I believe there is exactly one elementary fugue in all of these volumes. Which I am greatly looking forward to playing. I think I am going to end up writing my own and playing them. Perhaps I can write out some of the simple canons in my string books to learn with two hands on the piano.
Too bad I didn't think of that before I went to the store.
1 comment:
Looks like a nice collection. I have a keyboard but am not (yet)nutty enough to start buying sheet music. I barely have time to keep up with the cello.
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