Game over

Final day! And I did it - I played every single day this month. I didn't quite hit the promised target of a minimum of 30 minutes a day, and I wish I had played more during my week off, but I'm quite pleased that I stuck with it, despite the rest of stuff that life comes up with.

The fan says he hears a difference. I'm not so sure, but I do feel very relaxed and I enjoy it so much. I came home today - late, again - and flicked through the newspaper and then thought I'd play, before I'd even drunk my cup of tea. It went well - really well. All sorts of tunes went well. Notes in the right places, good speed. All good stuff until the fan pressed me to record and red-button-itis hit me big time and I mucked up tune after tune. The most spectacular was the two attempts I had at the King when I just failed to get past the third bar: I kept thinking that I had no idea what the next note was.

I did wonder whether the batteries in the recorder were my problem. They die very quickly so although it started with reasonably charged batteries I felt I was racing against the clock each time. Had dinner, thought I'd try again, plugging the recorder in to the laptop to avoid the battery problem. Played really well, except on every occasion I hit record. In total I have ten recordings that end with a musical car crash and some growling from me. One that might have been half OK to post (because I managed a tune and a half before it imploded) unfortunately included a rude word, so that one had to go. I started typing this then abandoned to play again because it just seems to be what I want to do this evening. And I love it - it feels so good, and yet I can play nothing at all, not a thing. I shall listen instead to someone who can play all sorts of everything beautifully. One day....

My other problem is my drones. They clearly need a spot of hemp. The high A, in particular, keeps collapsing mid-tune and throwing me.