Practicing for Permanence: How Recording Changes the Way I Learn a Piece

Over the next few weeks, leading up to the release of my new single — the Allegro from Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 2 — I’ll be sharing a few reflections from behind the scenes. These posts are my way of letting you in on the process: the doubts, the breakthroughs, and the strange magic of recording something you love.

Allegro from Violin Sonata No. 2, BWV 1003 by J.S.Bach

📅 Release Date: May 23, 2025

📹 Video coming soon in YouTube!

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There’s something fundamentally different about preparing a piece for a recording versus preparing it for a concert. In a live performance, things happen, they breathe and fade — the pressure is intense, but it’s also fleeting. A wrong note vanishes into the air. A magical phrase dissolves into silence. But a recording is permanent. It sits there, frozen in time, waiting to be replayed, scrutinized, loved, or dismissed. That reality completely changes how I approach the guitar.

Once I’ve practiced the piece thoroughly and it feels in strong shape, I begin the actual recording journey by making what I call my first round of analysis recordings. These aren’t meant to be final — they’re more like mirrors. I use them to really listen, to zoom into the phrasing, articulation, timing, and tone. It’s like holding up a hyper-realistic photo of your own playing and examining every detail. I often catch myself doing things I wasn’t aware of — maybe I’m brushing through a phrase too fast, or one voice is too dominant. I take notes, I critique myself (in a kind way), and then I go back to the guitar and work through the specific sections I want to evolve.

This becomes a sort of cycle: practice, record, listen, adjust. Little by little, I start finding the flow. My phrasing becomes intentional, my hands feel more grounded, and the piece starts to take on a shape that feels truly mine. I never expect perfection — I know it’s unreachable — but I do aim for clarity, honesty, and something that resonates. Once I feel I’ve reached a point where the piece lives naturally in my hands, I begin preparing for the final session.

That preparation is almost ritualistic. I dedicate a full day beforehand just to test the studio setup — microphones, cables, lighting, camera, everything. I don’t want to think about tech on recording day. I want to wake up, warm up, and enter the process fully focused, with a quiet mind and a practiced body. That’s when the music can really speak. That’s where the next chapter begins.

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The single “Allegro” will be available on May 23 on all streaming platforms, and the full video will premiere on my YouTube channel. I’d love for you to listen, and if you enjoy it, to share it.

Pre-Save Now!

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