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Regulars
Working on The Prayer, Lori my piano player and I played it for the first time In service last week, polishing The Lovers' Waltz and Hallelujah with her to play. Also working on You Raise me up to present it to her and see if she game to açcompany the me. And a thank you to Perrie who graciously let me use his fingering from the version he posted.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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Working on a number of things right now, in various stages of playability: the Tschaikowsky Violin concerto in D, Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, the Bach Chaconne from the 2nd Partita, Dvorak's Romance for Violin and Orchestra, the Dance Macabre and also the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso both by Saint-Saens. Plus to play with my wife who plays piano: Pacabel's Canon in D, an arrangement of the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, in this case for piano and violin, and the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria.
But I must say, that recently watching Tina S's guitar version of the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata got me interested in pulling out my electric violin and figuring out how to do something similar.
I play a lot in the winter, but almost not at all in the summer as I have a traveling outdoor job then. But I always miss playing very much! It's in my soul!
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Wow, it's nice to see such diversity & dedication here in one place. This is a fantastic resource for options to consider & choose from down the road once I get past making mostly scratching noises, lol.
For now I'm still working on designing/fine tuning a comfortable practice session that's a good balance of not too much 'work only' things but also has some fun stuff like actual tunes as well that I know I can stick to without being overwhelmed. Using the Fiddlerman's lesson videos here (& a few on other sites) I'm working on basics like my timing, proper bowing technique, clean string switching, etc & apply it all to my Grade 1 scales, arpeggios & such. Reading music has always come hard for me but I'm trying to work on that as well. Although I enjoy the 'boring' stuff like these I've also made sure to incorporate practicing some actual tunes so it's not just all work but some play in there to. For my first melodies I'm practicing "Over the Rainbow", the theme to "The Godfather", "Sunrise Sunset" (from Fiddler on the Roof) & the theme to a video game called "Journey". It's a beautiful string piece I've really liked ever since I played the game last year. I make sure I get my basics done first each day, then I practice one of the tunes mentioned throughout the rest of the day depending on what I feel like at the time.
So yeah, I have my work cut out for me but one of my goals is to try to be proficient enough by the fall to try & make a small effort to contribute to one of the projects you guys have going on here sometimes. That's down the road I know but I'm looking forward to it.
Good luck to everyone!
"I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin."
~Albert Einstein~
@Crazymotive Both tunes sound lovely. Hope to hear you play them sometime. I need to get familiar with them. I have "baby" versions of both and I really should give them a shot. I will add these to my list. My big mistake was buying an ebook of the "easy" classical. I need full size sheet to play with. I do have the extra large Ipad now and that helps. I so need to get my act together and do one of the main things in life that makes me truly happy. Which is violin.
@Helvetika I am sorry your year started out like that. I can tell you mines been rough too. Just today when playing a bit, I thought to myself..."get back to lessons." And there was a voice in my head to tell my teacher... you are going to have to start fresh on me... I've been cheating and playing fiddle tunes for a few years. Hahhah.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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Thanks! I've found some relatively easy version sheet music for some, the others I'm picking out by ear & thinking they're a good balance of fun but still 'beginner challenging' as well. It's slow going to be sure but that's on purpose. I'm taking my time & as mentioned I'm concentrating on getting things/basics right the first time. So I'll look for 'perfection' later, I'm having fun lol.
Thanks for your videos Pierre, they are a tremendous help!
"I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin."
~Albert Einstein~
I love to hear what other people are working on, as so many of these tunes I am not at all familiar with, especially classical.
@coolpinkone - sorry to hear you've also had a rough start to the year, hope it picks up & big congrats on the baby, the other baby (bow) and the new library room. Sounds awesome!
Regulars
I'm still keeping up with practicing my etudes and shifting stuffs, but moved on to working on Liberty over this past weekend. It's a tune I have wanted to try for a while, but never got around to actually doing it.
I haven't felt overly productive, I must be at a plateau for a moment, because I just feel rather blah about my progress and where I'm at with my playing at the moment.
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World's Okayest Fiddler
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Regulars
I haven't really been having too much trouble with that lately, but even if I were, I think my teacher would make sure I got out of it pretty quickly. I think he may be weirder than I am, if only in the limited world of violins. (That's an odd experience for me. )
For example, recently, he's had me working on a Cajun rhythm. It's eight eighth notes: The first two are slurred on a down bow, then an up and a down bow, then two slurred on an up bow, then a down bow and an up bow. Done slowly, it's not hard, but at speed and with fingering added to it, it's trickier than it sounds, especially remembering to alternate the down bows and up bows for the slurring parts.
I was commenting that an additional complication would be the emphasis that the starting notes of each slur should get and he suggested using more bow, so that I'd be near one end of the bow or the other. That made the whole thing fall out naturally, because I'm not going to try to do a long downbow if I'm near the tip or a long upbow near the frog. And doing a long bowstroke automatically gets me the extra emphasis as well.
So that was good, and I was planning on practicing it a lot over the next week, and he starts talking about doing the same thing with less bow. My reaction was "let me get it down this way first, then we'll start getting fancier." Well, the short version is, he ended up giving me a 1/16th bow to practice with this week. To practice everything with, not just that rhythm. It makes playing the slow pieces (like Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony) a whole new experience....
So I don't worry too much about getting stuck on a plateau. I can count on my teacher for an earthquake or two before very long...
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So interesting to see what everyone is working on at the moment - my teacher has brought up vibrato for the first time in my last lesson so I think this will be something I'll be attempting this spring - eep!
Other than this I'll probably continuing going through the pieces in the Fiddle Time Sprinters book.
Regulars
@Charles I don't think it's that I'm not learning new things, when I sit back and think about it, I am, and am always working on new techniques or bowing patterns, my teacher and I don't sit still very long that way (I'm the kind that I get bored really easy, even if I'm just working on something a week, haha). I just think I'm going through a mood where I'm not happy with where I am, and I'll move out of it soon enough, haha.
Very exciting @VirginViolinist ! Vibrato is fun to work on
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World's Okayest Fiddler
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I love reading everyone goals.
I need a boot camp for myself. I need to get my bowing straight. If I watch while I bow it is not bad. But when I play from sheet which I do with new songs... it goes bonkers.. after fives years.. a nasty habit.
I have no excuse... a beautiful violin and a Holstein beautiful bow that make my violin sound like a million dollars..
I need bootcamp.
Vibrato...well things wiggle... my fourth finger is a lily livered coward...but it is long and strong and I can use it when needed.
Other than that, I have been opening the windows and playing for the neighbors.
It's Spring.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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