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Thaxted - from Jupiter Movement in Holst's Planets Suite
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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
October 20, 2018 - 5:55 pm
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This was one of FiddlerMan's group projects - which I took part in - you'll find @Fiddlerman's ensemble mix-down here - 

But - although my preferred genre is fiddle-tunes - I'm submitting this, some good time after the project, for simple critique and feedback.   I have been trying ( in fact I'm permanently trying ) to impart expression, feeling, etc into pieces like this ( and into even simple fiddle tunes - they don't always have to be flat-out-fast-reels-and-jigs - although that's always a lot of fun as well of course !!! ) 

Don't judge my playing "by the sheet" ( it should be close - but that's not what I'm looking for ), because I *do* try to make it my own, which does mean timing - especially in solo form -  and (attempts at) expression may well differ from that scored and what a listener might expect - it's played simply how I feel it...

All (and any) feedback welcome, thanks folks !   Here's my solo attempt on my MJZ 905 ( she's called Li-hwa - Chinese for "princess" - or so I am told - it could mean ANYTHING LOL ) .....

Thanks in advance, all comments, critique, and feedback  welcomed !

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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Georganne
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October 22, 2018 - 9:10 pm
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Good job Bill.  That's such a pretty song. 

 

Opportunity is often missed because it wears suspenders and looks like hard work.

 

Alaska, the Madness; Bloggity Stories of the North Country

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bocaholly
Boca Raton, Florida
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October 22, 2018 - 9:54 pm
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clap

Beautiful tune. Good go of it, too. It really comes across that you've put both polish and expressive intention into it.

That slight echo to the recording is kind of interesting. Since it doesn't look like you're standing in a tiled bathroom, I'm guessing you added it electronically?

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Mark
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October 22, 2018 - 11:54 pm
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Bill,

I listened to the song a couple of times and

The song sounds good... Enjoyed listening to it.

Mark

Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.

Albert Sammons

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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
October 23, 2018 - 2:23 am
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Thanks for listening Georganne, Holly, Mark :)

Yes, expression and dynamics - a continual conscious awareness of bow speed, hair- angle, and intentional variation of playing lanes.  I don't really have these techniques fully nailed as yet, but I feel it's getting there.   

One of my issues is when I want a full-on forte or ff I'll tend to go for that by bow speed in preference to pressure.... but.... that will often lead to me running out of bow depending on whether I reach the tip or the frog, and suddenly what should be an up ( /down ) bow for the next note - I'm "stuck", "out-of-sequence", and have to somehow recover...  :)   :)   :)  

Yes, @bocaholly - the reverb was added directly from within the video editing suite I use ( NCH VideoPad ).   It can be a hard-call to make, both in whether to do it at all, and if you do, just how much to add - it can too easily be overdone.

On the subject of post-processing, sometimes, depending on the environment, the laptop fan can be running, and the fan-noise is picked up by the studio mic.  I didn't have to do anything on this recording, it was fine, but there have been situations when the fan is running, where I have split the audio out of the file, and use Audacity to do a noise cancellation (a feature not present in the NCH editor), then import the Audacity-processed audio back into the video editor, replacing the original audio with the noise-cancelled one.  Audacity is pretty darned good for that!

That's why (noise and other extraneous sounds) I'm currently experimenting with the Barcus Berry pickup which is mounted directly on the bridge.  Even though it's very light, it does, without a doubt affect the sound "under the ear" - but - so far - the output from the pickup seems to be really really clean and well balanced across the strings.   I'll probably get round to a doing full report on my findings and start a topic-thread on the forum to discuss that.

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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mookje
The Netherlands
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October 23, 2018 - 11:34 pm
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Good job Billy, beautifully played with expression/feeling! It’s not easy to play with expressions but you managed well. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed ? 

 Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about dancing in the rain!!

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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
October 24, 2018 - 2:06 am
Member Since: March 22, 2014
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Thank you @mookje - expression/feel/dynamics - I like pieces like that - they really get you thinking about, working on, and experimenting with bow control - often raising more questions about technique !  Glad you enjoyed it :) even the couple of poorly intoned notes weren't THAT far out.  But as I mentioned above - I did "run-out-of bow" and threw in a corrective 1/8th note or whatever to get me back-on-track (at about 37 seconds in) !

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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TheRedOne
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October 24, 2018 - 5:25 am
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clap1st-place

Wow, @BillyG, that was a really expressive piece and you did it justice!

Your timing is pretty much spot on, and it sounded to me like like you'd almost got vibrato! (But that could have just been the digital reverb.) As you probably know, I'm relatively new to the critiquing scene, so I can't really give any major tips.

congratulations_png

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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
October 24, 2018 - 6:08 am
Member Since: March 22, 2014
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:)  @TheRedOne - thank you - glad you enjoyed it !   And I know, it can be difficult to give helpful tips / critique as a relative beginner.  I, being self taught often refrain from adding critique, even 4 years in, as I simply know I don't have the formal knowledge (unless it is something very specific and obvious, like intonation, wrist, elbow, arm issues, bow-hold (which I vary a lot myself as it happens) and so on) - so I do appreciate your feedback!

You're correct, there is added reverb, but there is also a limited vibrato (finger movement only) in places - I say "limited" because I can to some extent do a wider vibrato - but - I'm currently playing without a shoulder-rest (which can be quite interesting, and strangely "freeing") - but - if I'm not careful with a "wide" vibrato, the entire darned fiddle can take-flight from my shoulder, and I have to rapidly catch her before she hits the floor, and I'm left holding it in my left hand, in what is a somewhat unplayable position roflol.   I may fashion a small velcro attachment to the backplate of the fiddle...  haha - not kidding - it's all part of experimentation and exploration of the instrument and its physical interface to the player.

Gives folks a laugh though when it happens ! roflAnd good luck with your own journey ! thumbs-up

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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Uzi
Georgia

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October 24, 2018 - 3:35 pm
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That sounded really nice @BillyG. 

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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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
October 24, 2018 - 4:33 pm
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:) Thank you sir, @Uzi hats_off- just happy it worked out more or less as I had hoped!  Even so, as we all do, I know where it could have been better - but nevertheless, your comments/feedback are always appreciated !  Thanks !exactly

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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TheRedOne
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October 24, 2018 - 10:56 pm
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@BillyG, what a coincidence! I've been playing for around 4 years (pretty much self taught) too! Yep, we all have our own funny stories when it come to that most marvelous of instruments, the violin... I'm trying to get the hang of vibrato but often the sounds I produce when trying to master it can be somewhat akin to that of a mosquito in the throes of death.

begpie_in_the_face-2223roflol

Good luck to you too!

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mookje
The Netherlands
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October 25, 2018 - 11:38 am
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I still have to learn to play on when I’m a bit out of tune, sometimes I’m to focused on the right notes and this limits my expression and experiments. 

But I saw a great quote and keep that in mind when I’m playing.....?

‘To study music we must learn the rules, to create music we have to break them’ 

 Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about dancing in the rain!!

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Demoiselle
Berlin, Germany
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November 15, 2018 - 10:15 am
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mookje said
I still have to learn to play on when I’m a bit out of tune, sometimes I’m to focused on the right notes and this limits my expression and experiments. 

But I saw a great quote and keep that in mind when I’m playing.....?

‘To study music we must learn the rules, to create music we have to break them’   

I saw you play that tongue drum play on YouTube and wondered whether you played other instruments before.  Because your tongue drum stuff tells a lot about musical talent, including a lot of rhythmical talent, plus obviously harmonic hearing. If you didn't play guitar, keyboard or accordion in the first place you must really be a great talent gifted by birth. Therefore I'm sure it's gonna be very interesting to watch you develop on violin. I feel like it cannot go wrong. As soon as you will have fiddled yourself free, there will come out the feeling you showed at the tongue drum.

This Planet Suite here is a miracle. It sounds really too great for a bunch of amateurs. Pierre obviously has the right instinct to prepare something which works with them plus he motivates people. His final mix is clearly a big part of the result. Now he's doing the harmonically most complicated Christmas song I know and his arrangement makes it even more complicated. The single voices are probably easier to play than the final result will sound like. Frankly, I would be like, "It's never gonna work" if I hadn't heard this here. Very impressive!

My violin is a 3/4 violin, made for right-handed players, though I play it left-handed. As I felt she was the best in the shop of all 3/4 violins I tried and the luthier agreed. I prefer Obligato strings together with Eudoxa E string. Self-made bow, weight: 24 g / 0.85 oz

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mookje
The Netherlands
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November 15, 2018 - 10:55 pm
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@Demoiselle Thanks a lot for the compliments. I played accordeon for about 3 years when I was a child. I picked it up in my thirties for a few years. I really love the violin but it’s more difficult than I thought ? The most important thing is that I’m having fun, maybe my progress is not so fast but the things I learn I want to learn good. This forum and Pierre helps a lot and is a great motivation indeed. 

 Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about dancing in the rain!!

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Demoiselle
Berlin, Germany
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November 16, 2018 - 6:28 am
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mookje said
@Demoiselle Thanks a lot for the compliments. I played accordeon for about 3 years when I was a child. I picked it up in my thirties for a few years. I really love the violin but it’s more difficult than I thought ? The most important thing is that I’m having fun, maybe my progress is not so fast but the things I learn I want to learn good. This forum and Pierre helps a lot and is a great motivation indeed.   

So it's l'accordéon again. LOL! Last week surprisingly started as an accordion week and this week it went on. Looks like violin and accordion go together extremely well. My brother plays accordion and made that experience before. Months ago he already told me he was looking for a violinist as music partner. Which I did not understand, but now I do, since I started experimenting with accordion sounds. Maybe your violin will also feel like teaming up with your accordion routine. You do profit a lot from that routine because you developed harmonic hearing that way. That will help you at the violin. Yes, the violin is very difficult but your talent is bigger than that difficulty. 

My violin is a 3/4 violin, made for right-handed players, though I play it left-handed. As I felt she was the best in the shop of all 3/4 violins I tried and the luthier agreed. I prefer Obligato strings together with Eudoxa E string. Self-made bow, weight: 24 g / 0.85 oz

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