...had to edit my previous post (nothing unusual). 🙄

Wow, amazing what seeing sunshine does to me - fresh brain today!  Realized utilizing BOTH, Spark Mini and Spark Go apps need NOT be any concern to me, right now!

All I have to do on each Spark amp - make sure I'm happy with what I've customized for the 4 presets I'm allowed.  I don't need the apps connected, or Bluetooth paired, to play LIVE in STEREO with the amps' presets!  They remain on each amp until I change them!  IT'S LIKE HAVING 8 DIFFERENT AMPS AT MY FINGERTIPS - 'if' I don't want to use the same presets! 

That is PLENTY to work with!

Okay, got other stuff I want to try/experiment with, especially on my Akai Mini Play keyboard, before my stereo looper arrives next week.  I LOVE the drum pads and synth qualities of the keyboard.  Quite a few things I still want to try/get acquainted with before DAW enters into the picture.

Yesterday, I spent some practice time differently & it was EXTREMELY relaxing/satisfying! 

Think this tune came to mind while searching potential names for my new fiddle... took a recording of Enya's "Caribbean Blue" (always LOVED this song), slowed it WAY DOWN to where I couldn't really distinguish individual notes.  Then, concentrated on feeling & playing what arpeggios sounded good (to me) over it.  Yeah, nothing crazy, but was interesting how it made me more aware of the way it modulates. 

Mercurial, felt like I was playing the movement of water! 🥰 

Yeah... I'm liking the idea of using my ol' Mortimer for altered tunings - may go back to CGDAE strings on it, but I need to look at dressing the top edge of that bridge (depending on what thickness of strings I use).

Wow, my excitement disappeared with the arrival of MORE crappy, rainy weather - I'm having a terrible time getting motivated today. 

At least I put some very productive/fulfilling time in playing last night!  AND, think I've decided what I want to play for JohnG's Memorial Party. 

My cables & stereo looper arrived.  I should be jumping for joy, but the weather is aggravating my normal aches/pains.  ...grumble, grumble.

...still haven't settled on a name for my new 'blue' 6-string fiddle... if I don't figure out something soon, it'll get stuck with something lame, like 'True Blue' 😣 & I'm far too happy with 'it' for THAT! 

Been intrigued by a new theme song "True" - it's from a Romantic Korean drama on Netflix I've been following.  Typical romantic/tragic ties to past lives, but a bit of a twist - a 'demon' becomes a woman's guardian - action, humor & romance.  The Story folklore has this guardian 'thing' typically occurring in ancient times - almost leaning along the lines of "The Golden Compass".

Anyway, I'm hooked on this dreamy theme music & hopefully it will jump-start my motivation tomorrow if I experiment with my fiddle/effects to interpret this.  

Just a 'quick' memo (okay, not so quick)... I got all the notes for "True" notated, in C# minor, the other day - still have a few places to fix so it sounds more like the video.  

Itching to play this on the new fiddle with some synth-type effects tonight (only been playing it acoustically) - my plan for after dinner, anyway. 😊

Funny, didn't think about how MUCH different this style of music is, until I got into it - compared to the typical fiddle tune notation I'm more used to looking at/reading.  It's a real challenge for 'me', but it's been VERY rewarding to get some of it right! 

The video music repeats.  I decided to write it ALL out (in succession), instead of using a 'da capo' symbol.  Figured this way I could try to see/compare, different configurations of note duration (and rests) in some of the measures better this way, determine which 'sounds' best.  'Ties', especially tying over a bar, is only a nagging voice in the back of my mind at the moment... will consider them later.

The audio 'playback' feature of the 'Notion Mobile App' is indispensable - helps me 'hear' where note durations are off, what needs to be lengthen/shortened.  

Really bugs me that I DO still have a hard time determining 'rests' when hearing very long note duration/decay like in THIS STYLE of singing. 

I can't easily tell where some notes actually end and a rest begins! 

ABitRusty was kind enough to show me "True" sounds GREAT in Bb minor (Thank you)!  Definitely easier to play in this key - will try other keys, too.  I learned why Bb minor is used for notation instead of 'A#' minor! 😉

I shouldn't even be thinking about using alternate tunings on my old fiddle right now, because it will get me side tracked, but remembered a tune I wanted to try - it's TUNED UP a half step.  This is really unusual for me - since I tend to like going lower, but "Mother's Delight" (Pg 2 - Cross Tuning on The Fiddle Thread) sounds wonderful this way, played by Katie Davis Henderson (originally played by Frankie Gavin). 

Tuning UP takes this tune from Eb minor to Dm! 

I looked at The Session & the 4th version (in D dorian) works for how "Mother's Delight" (session link) sounds in the video - just don't know if it's easier to play than the tuned-up version. 

Temp dropped & ground is at least white the last couple days - sun even showed it's face a few times.

...almost feel like playing Xmas music!

Jeez, I have some REAL mixed feelings tonight! 

Was going to work on fixing the measures I have for "True", figuring there's got to be some ties over bars (I don't have) & it would change where I've put rests... yada, yada.

I have no idea what made me check to see if someone transcribed this yet on YT.  THOUGHT I CHECKED BEFORE I STARTED THIS!  Someone transcribed "True" TWO WEEKS AGO!  ...can't decide if I'm really HAPPY, or MAD at myself for wasting my time!!! 🤗😳😡 

Jeez, I spent a lot of time on this, too... maybe I'll still benefit from correcting what I have notated - the comparison & act of changing it, will hopefully make me more aware.  Guess I should be happy I at least got the time signature, key, & notes correct... not feeling that way though. 😕  Don't think it helps to show what I did, at this point.  

I was going to look into the easiest way to transpose to another key using the Notion Mobile App, but then started transcribing the "Lumberjack's Waltz" & got sidetracked. 🙄

The difference between this transcription and the "True" video I presented earlier - the 2nd half (here) is an octave higher. 

...don't understand how I can be bummed out & happy at the same time... maybe relieved. 😣

Has anyone had trouble with geared pegs?

Pretty bummed out tonight. 

Hoped it was just a fluke that I had trouble with my 'A' string peg while trying to tune last night.  Thought maybe there was too much string wound on the peg - found it surprisingly hard to unwind, but got it.  I cut some off & wound it back up, finally got it tuned up. 

Thought the 'A' was holding until tonight... I accidentally touched it while I was trying to tune my 'D' string!  Had the SAME problem with 'D' string peg, but it doesn't have too much string wound on it.  I got them to stay for now, but scared to death to touch them. 

I've NEVER had this problem before with my other violin & viola (also geared pegs).  I understand how they work & I did press 'in' as I tightened - neither one wanted to hold.  The pegs on my new violin look like 'Perfection' pegs... thought I might have 'Wittner' on my other violin & viola, but after watching Gibbles review 'Perfection' pegs on a Glasser 5-string - guess that's what I've got. 😁  HUGE difference in size between these pegs on my 6-string vs the smaller ones on my 5-string violin. 

😞 Think I'm going to have to make a call tomorrow... we'll see, going to research a little 1st - don't like the thought of parting with my new violin for even a day, let alone a month!  ...but something's not right. 

My new violin arrived pretty much in tune & STAYED in tune!  Did have trouble with the 'D' string sound (tried to live with it for 2 days), so switched it out with my other violin Rondo D.  I had noticed the peg resisted turning, but thought hey, it's new - didn't give it another thought, until now.

@SharonC -

Thanks for the help!  

That's the best video I've seen & made me look to see if it was the problem, but mine were slipping within in the mechanism. 

The strings didn't let loose while I played/practiced more (after posting), which was good.  So, today I tried working the pegs more.  With a lot of 2-handed muscling I finally got the in/out feature to work properly!  Scary part - 'felt' like I had to pull hard enough a normal wooden peg would've gone flying!  Couldn't get that to work yesterday.  I WAS concerned I might break something... guess I was less concerned today. (lol) 

So, feeling MUCH better about this - must be they are just new... it was just VERY unexpected. 

Appreciate you took time to help! 🥰 

I thought maybe these pegs were larger than my other ones, but there's only a longer extension/sleeve-thing (pegbox is so wide).  Jeez, never noticed before - my large Viola has a pegbox that's actually SMALLER/narrower than my other Violin (and they are both 5-string)!  ...only mentioning because I still wish THIS pegbox & scroll were smaller. 

Btw, anyone thinking of geared pegs - I DO like them, rarely use my fine tuners.  Gibbles has a good review video on how they work - and I really never had problems with the ones on my other violin, or my viola. 

I was looking over the "True" piano score today.  Been in the back of my mind to figure out why I was having trouble deciding where notes should be tied over the bar lines. 

Had a bit of an epiphany... but at this point, I think I should continue this over in my Emily's Exploration - Swing, Syncopation & Other Uneven Music blog, because let's face it, nothing I like is ever heard (by me) as simply straight forward 3/4 or 4/4 time. 😉 

It is kinda hard to play "True" smoothly on the fiddle in C# minor, so I probably should get around to transposing it to something else, but I wanted to see how well I could do in the original key if I persisted with practice.  I haven't explored the possibilities of shifting to other positions yet - I'll do that first, before transposing.