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Minuet 1, Bach - tips and feedback appreciated
4 or so weeks into Minuet 1, Bach, from the Essentials book 1.
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (2 votes) 
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coolpinkone
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February 18, 2014 - 9:57 pm
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okay... I started this one as I feel I must put some of those songs in the Essentials One book to good use.  I know it is timing and tone ... any tips would be appreciated.  I get nervous and speed  up..and then get nervous and a mental block.

  I think I need some better pausing in the end, and well a lot of stuff. Interested to what you all can throw out at me.  Besides I need to post more..I have a TON  of new songs... :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....VUUdXVKa2M

I hope to get this one really pretty in a month or so.

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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Uzi
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February 18, 2014 - 10:14 pm
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Videos are pretty good for this kind of thing aren't they?  One thing I notice, and I'm struggling with this myself,  is that your bow is doing quite a bit of arcing.  Too much shoulder and not enough elbow.  "It's mirror time," as they used to say in the T. V. beer commercial.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright

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coolpinkone
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February 18, 2014 - 10:29 pm
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@Uzi thank you...

I hear it and it sounds a bit train wreck like... lol....but I will look into that.   I am wondering if I use less elbow because of the tempo.  Good call. I am going to do some investigating and trial and error.

THANK  YOU.

 

and I forgot I have such a crazy violin face and I struggle to hold still.. LOL

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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coolpinkone
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February 18, 2014 - 11:21 pm
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okay...I am on a roll... I am working on this for a project coming up... I need some tips here too... so if you can excuse the fact that I can't stand still and I have more work.. please give it to me folks... let me have it.. :)   thank you..

 

http://youtu.be/1Px1hjzud-g

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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JuanFiddler
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February 18, 2014 - 11:29 pm
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@coolpinkone Toni, BRAVO!!! First of all, I love the fact that you are memorizing distances between sounds by using your ears not your eyes! I know it may be hard now, but in the future it will pay off, sweet fingerboard independence :D

Second, I noticed how you are starting to actually GET INTO what you are playing, when you keep making progress, interpretation will give more color to whatever you play. You will make the piece utterly yours!

 

Suggestions:

 

Remember bending your wrist a bit more, at times the bow seems to go on arch.

Go over the scale the minuet is in before actually playing it, it will be a good warm up for your left hand. Also before even playing the scale you can do just some slow whole notes on the open strings to warm up your right arm and make sure you are getting an even sound. I do this before starting to play and it works for me.

Lastly, always play very slow Toni, it's boring and everything but it is the key to get sticked in your head. Learn slow, forget slow. Learn fast, just forgot it.

 

Hope this helps Toni :D  

 

Keep up you are doing great!

 

Juan

There's nothing better than a cold beer and the warm soothing sound of a violin.

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coolpinkone
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February 19, 2014 - 1:33 am
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Oh Juan.  Thank you.  I am thinking I am not understanding the bow arch thing.  What you wrote was awesome.  I will reread and apply your tips and help. Bless your heart. Thank you...

I know both pieces are about 75 % done.  And it is a cool honor to be able to play, have helpful violin friends, and a place for help.

thanks so much.

Toni

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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pky
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February 19, 2014 - 1:53 am
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I think he meant you were not bowing straight; Uzi mentioned it too for minuet 1. If you watch your video, pay attention to your bow and your bow arm movement, then you will see what they meant. I often have to remind myself to use my lower arm to bow instead of moving my upper arm when I bow to the tip or to the frog, so my bow will be straight.

I like to watch you play, your whole body respond to it and it shows that you enjoy playing the piece. If you have a CD of those music, listen to them, you will learn what the songs sound like and it helps with intonation a lot. For minuet 1, remember to count. Use metronome if you like, I myself can never get the beats right, and I can't even use a metronome (something wrong with me?!).

 

 

 

 

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Schaick
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February 19, 2014 - 8:32 am
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Very nice coolpinkone!!  That second one is really coming along!

@coolpinkone and @JuanFiddler  Teach at a couple of my lessons has said play slower!  Play slower!!  It finally sunk in!  As an exercise I am going back over all my tunes playing s-l-o-w-l-y and with my new big bows.  

Teach had me using short bows just the middle third of the bow because my bowing shoulder was moving around too much.  Teach also had me put a rice pack [the kind you heat up for your neck] on over the bowing shoulder during a lesson. She asked me to practice with something on my shoulder.  

Also to help me visualize she put up her forearms in front of me and had me hold onto them as if it was a steering wheel.  Then she had me roll my shoulders back and down with all the weight of my shoulders just hanging down. 

It is cured, hope it stays that way, so now I am back to big bows.

Violinist start date -  May 2013  

Fiddler start date - May 2014

FIDDLE- Gift from a dear friend. A 1930-40 german copy, of a french copy of a Stradivarius.  BOW - $50 carbon fiber. Strings - Dominants with E Pirastro Gold string.

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StoneDog
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February 19, 2014 - 9:39 am
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@coolpinkone > ROCKS!! > I dance around like that when I am playing also. I can't help it. My body just moves all over the place. Sooo, looks like you are just playing not relying on the sheet music to play the song. That is huge!!

The bow needs to be parallel with the bridge, unless one is looking to get some special effects out of it. I am fighting the dancing bow. I do a lot of scales to the metronome to help. When I am trying to do a tune I become more aware of it cause I will loose my intonation and get the screeching sound and notice my bow has just started dancing. Scales to the metronome sort of condition me to stay focused, and they train my muscle memory to adhere to such things.

I can tell you are feeling the music and the body motions are just a part of that. I was dancing around the other night while I was playing {not the bow so much but my body} and fell over a pile of crap laying on the floor. Fortunately I kept my viddle upright and it was not harmed. I suppose the few adult bevs I had were a player in that but > I was just having a blast with my viddle. 

Your really becoming a player there coolpinkone > SWEET!!!!

 

 

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coolpinkone
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February 19, 2014 - 11:37 am
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@pky thank you that all makes sense to me.   And I know it is true when I bow from elbow down it is a better, straighter experience.

I have a metronome.  I need to buckle down and use it.... Or count... This is true.

@Schaick thank you.   Wow. Great tips you are passing along.   And yes I hear you and Juan....  Slower... Yes.... Slower.

@StoneDog thank you so much.  I have had a wandering bow issue also.   Recording makes it worse.  I will try scales with the metronome.  I know my intonation has tanked since I removed the tapes in December.   I am playing diligently with a tuner.  And also I have never found my tone with my new violin yet.    But yes yes... I love the tips and feedback.  Thank you.   I do play from sheet until I memorize, then I play from memory... Sometimes the mind does take over and a little run or something will just play ... And it tickles me that my fingers just knew where to go.... rescued!!!!   :)

 

 

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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Ferret
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February 19, 2014 - 5:13 pm
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Nice Toni

i 'was' going to make going to make a couple of comments but @StoneDog, @Schaick, and @pky covered it all rather well.

All that is left for me to say is, nice work :)

And I'm sure that you will get over the missing tapes very soon by the sound of your playing.thumbs-up

Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of dunno ..... What was I saying???? facepalm

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coolpinkone
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February 19, 2014 - 5:51 pm
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@Ferret thank you.

When I pick up my original violin I can find the notes better...funny how violins seem so similar but are so different.   And I still listen for the sound of the Zyex strings.

thanks for the input I am trying to have a musical break through so I thought feedback and trying suggestions would help.  

 

Yay.... Can't wait to practice tonight.

 

Thanks again!

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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Shell
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February 19, 2014 - 7:35 pm
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I really liked hearing/watching your vids!  You have a flair and I can tell you really feel the music.   :)  Thanks for sharing with us.  Was either of those, Noelle? 

Blogging my beginner journey and progress...Diary of a Fumbling New Violinist:  http://learningviolin.ca/

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KindaScratchy
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February 19, 2014 - 8:31 pm
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Very nice, Toni! I enjoyed both videos, but especially the Godfather theme.

If you're looking for observations, I concur with what others have said. Keeping the bow going parallel to the bridge is my biggest problem. Second for me is weak bow pressure.

Lately, I've been warming up by playing scales, focusing on keeping my right wrist, hand and fingers flexible and shifting finger pressure from down bow to up bow. Pierre has a video on that here somewhere. I've watched it a bunch of times, but it's finally sinking in and I think this is helping with both problems.

Something that helps me with intonation and phrasing is playing along with a recording of the tune or piece. I personally find it more helpful to be able to compare my playing with someone playing it well, than to hear only myself and try and figure out if it sounds right.

Hope some of that helps. You're doing great and I can tell you're enjoying yourself!

 

When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,

I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.

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coolpinkone
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February 19, 2014 - 10:34 pm
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@Shell thank you.  Yes.. both videos were Noelle.  I will do other videos.. I can bow much cleaner and you can hear her sound. thanks

 

@KindaScratchy thank you so much.  I agree... I need to practice scales and warm up to get in tune, and play along with other songs to get a better feel for timing and key.  I did this tonight.

 

I also slllllooooooooowed down tonight everyone... and yes.. much better.. and I bowed straighter and cleaner... so progress already. I practice "parts of scales."  I practiced slow parts of the songs with the tuner.. then I let it rip and had a blast tear it up badly with Swallow tail.  Because it has to be fun too..

 

Thanks again... I will post some improved videos.. :)

 

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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FiddleDetroit
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February 19, 2014 - 10:50 pm
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Bravo Toni, I'll definitely add to the 'emotion' compliment here because you definitely are showing the feeling of the music!  Love it!  I think moving around while playing is kind of like a requirement for some of us lol because I find myself doing the same thing while standing and if I'm sitting...  It's all over because at some point it'll drive me nuts till I have to stand up for some freedom ha ha.  Nerves are part of the stump for me here as well at times when recording.  I always try to think of something other than the camera, for me just enjoying the music works but alas that camera pops out again in my head and back come the nerves ha ha.

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Uzi
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February 20, 2014 - 2:00 pm
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With regard to the Godfather Theme (good job btw), I would suggest that you're not putting enough eyebrow into it.  Watch this video for proper eyebrow use with the violin.

 

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright

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coolpinkone
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February 20, 2014 - 3:11 pm
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Thank you.

 

Hahaha. Too funny....I have to work hard enough to try to not roll my eyeballs...  Another reason to take videos... Ha ha to get rid of ugly violin facial gestures.

 

Nice video.... He is a nice player.   I have warmed up to the big productions and his playing and conducting.   

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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Schaick
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February 20, 2014 - 5:28 pm
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@Uzi - WHY, WHY?  Oh my goodness.  LOL!!  I will never be able to show myself on video now.  I have big thick eyebrows!!  I have no idea how I use them while playing!!

Violinist start date -  May 2013  

Fiddler start date - May 2014

FIDDLE- Gift from a dear friend. A 1930-40 german copy, of a french copy of a Stradivarius.  BOW - $50 carbon fiber. Strings - Dominants with E Pirastro Gold string.

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coolpinkone
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February 20, 2014 - 11:55 pm
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Ha ha @Schaick ... I know... I have very little eyebrows but such rolly eyes.. Oh well ... We can do it... Yes yes yes!

Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato

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