Just play the notes and then move onto the next etude.

All this talk about 'understanding' and 'composition' is perhaps a bit of faff. Perhaps it isn't helping.

Been looking at guitar exercises by Sagreras recently and found I'm progressing. Interestingly most of them a basically scales. Most of them are intially not overly interesting. I presume as I get further through the books they will become more interesting.

When I practice the guitar I check if i can play the notes in tune and in control. If I can then I move onto the next study. I find that easy.

When I practice the violin I try to 'gain some sense of purpose' and 'unleash some hidden quality' from the instrument... Perhaps these etudes don't have such magic to offer. Perhaps they should just be played. Perhaps the magic comes from the accumulation of these basic studies. Perhaps I should stop trying to play something magical and get on with working through these studies.

The violin seems to have an airy nature which gets in the way of progressing with this studes.

[Note; in general I am playing violin studies that are more difficult and so I should also take a step back and work through them more methodically rather than analytically. Working on a study that brings together too much technique doesn't help]

Just like with the guitar. Just play the notes and then move onto the next etude. If there be magic, let it unfold unknowingly. If it's difficult perhaps take a step back and find an etude that works on an easier challenge.

Getting the notes down is the hard part. Capture the nature of the music is easy, the instrument does most of the work.

Don't get technique mixed up with musicality.

Working on musicality is exhausting. Working on technique can be less consuming.

Scales are not magic.