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My violin lesson was cancelled today. It has happened a lot lately.

My violin and viola were not quiet today, though. I worked on my bowing and intonation. My bowing is getting to where it was before I started going backwards! Yippee. I spent a lot of time working on my intonation, also. I feel I made some good progress on that front today.

I spent a lot of time trying to be more expressive with “Danny Boy”. I tried to make, “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” lighter sounding. I worked on using my fourth finger where appropriate to get it stronger, with the lesson songs. Say that the “E” string has no other note played on that string after an open “E” after playing a note on the “D” string, I use the fourth finger on the “D” string to play the “E”. We just started doing that, so I worked on those songs. I also found songs that I had been doing with situations like that, and have switched to the fourth finger where appropriate. Very busy, exacting day on my violin.

Then I got out my viola and was working on the bowing and intonation on that. Hmmm. Bowing and intonation is much easier on my viola. I don’t do the fourth finger use on my viola. Will worry about that when I get lessons for it. It is not as easy, and maybe the “rules” are different, so, will wait for guidance from my instructor with that.

Then there was just fun time playing them while keeping all I worked on in mind and using it. I just got out my violin, again, about 1 1/4hours ago, around 7 pm. It actually went well. I played “Danny Boy” slowly, using my bow and speed as much as I could for expression since there is not vibrato. I tried phrasing and dynamics I watched last night in Fiddlerman videos. So extremely helpful. “Danny Boy” was the best I have ever done it. 

“When Irish Eyes are Smiling” was also probably best I have done. Even “English Country Gardens” went well during that session 1 1/4 hours ago. My lesson songs that use the fourth finger for the open next string we much smoother tonight. 

So, my lesson may have been cancelled, but, I actually had my own, almost all day, lesson. 

As a side note, it is so much easier to just pick up a violin or viola and play now that they are all just hanging on my wall waiting, begging, to be played. The wall rack was the absolutely best addition to all of my musical supplies and accessories.