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Wow, they baroque('d) Raspberry Beret! ...de-funk'd the Prince! 😮
LOVE IT - thanks for sharing that, Sharon! ...ideally, wish they would have come full circle - by including a really 'funked out' Bach section. Still, a great arrangement & I enjoyed it!
Yum, beautiful raspberries!
Our Black raspberries are still going strong on the wetter side of the yard, even though partially shaded. I like that each color has a different flavor - the black ones are my favorite. Unfortunately, Kevin had to take over pruning for me & he doesn't always remember that even though our raspberries bear fruit every year, each cane bears for 2 years (he easily ends up pruning prematurely & it has caused a poor harvest a few years ☹️).
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ELCBK said
Our Black raspberries are still going strong on the wetter side of the yard, even though partially shaded. I like that each color has a different flavor - the black ones are my favorite. Unfortunately, Kevin had to take over pruning for me & he doesn't always remember that even though our raspberries bear fruit every year, each cane bears for 2 years (he easily ends up pruning prematurely & it has caused a poor harvest a few years ☹️).
I think I've been guilty of doing the same--I cut them back quite a bit without a thought to the fruit bearing cycle. Don't have that many this year, I think, as a result.
The area of the yard that these are doing well (and the other didn't) has shade about half of the time--has the morning sun, but then more & more shade as the day progresses. The failed ones were in full sun. 🤷🏻♀️
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Practice Technique
Another Olaf video. He talks about a way to approach practicing—taking suggestions from. . . a juggler.
At around 8:23, he talks about bowing warm-up—I’ve been doing a very similar thing, i.e., simple (open strings), but focused on bowing posture, position.
YouTube Video: He Found a New Practice Technique: Can it Supercharge Your Progress?
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Practice – Neuroplasticity
I have been practicing in front of the mirror for the last 2 weeks. It has helped. There was a time when I found playing in front of a mirror difficult—i.e., I had a hard time making corrections real time—I found it confusing.
That is no longer the case. I’m sure it has something to do with new neurons/synapses in the brain or something. Yes, playing violin makes your brain grow
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Music and the Brain
Continuing my thoughts from yesterday with the brain. YouTube interview with violist Dr Molly Gebrian—I know I’ve mentioned her somewhere else on the Forum. Her website is here:
https://www.mollygebrian.com/m.....-the-brain
Around 9:40, she talks about taking breaks (“the brain needs breaks”) and “bouncing around” (as opposed to practicing for big blocks of time, and focusing on one thing). Good news for most of us
YouTube Video: Unlock Your Musical Potential with Brain Science
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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@SharonC -
YESSSSS!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you - for reminding me about Molly Gebrian! Strabo also introduced us to Molly's videos back in 2022 (Music and the Brain Thread), but I had forgotten.
I'm VERY happy with how I've been learning, but have gotten some flack for it! Love that Molly is a VIOLIST - and I love she also advocates 'mental practice' (hearing/feeling the music & our playing inside our head) as being comparable to physical practice!
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(repost fm 21 Jun)
Duets
I’ve created and posted videos for the 3rd tune, The Clock Shop, from the Applebaum Duet Bk1 in the Learning Thread:
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/l.....s/#p145031
This duet is different than the first two in the book because the two violins play at different times. The 1st violin starts, then 2nd violin comes in, and then 1st violin rests, and so on--sometimes they play alone, sometimes together. Good practice for counting, at a beginning duet level.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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(repost fm 22 Jun)
Lament Party
Posted another tune in Stringy’s Lament Party here
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/p.....5/#p145032
I think the tune is usually played in D minor, but I played it in A minor (1st version I came upon). Created a 2nd part for the viola and had already practiced it in A minor, so decided to stay with that.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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(repost fm 23 Jun)
Musical Fails
All the things that can go wrong. My mess ups seem pretty minor compared to these.
YouTube link to Classical Music Fails
I think my biggest performance mistake was when I played a duet with my teacher (I was playing 2nd violin) at a nursing home, and I played the entire 1st line (about 8 measures) in unison with her; I played the 1st violin part rather than the 2nd. Don’t know why—I hadn’t been practicing it, so it wasn’t like it was fresh in my mind. About 4 measures in, I realized what I was doing, and just switched to my 2nd violin part at the next line. It wasn’t a complex piece, and no one knew any better.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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(repost fm 24 Jun)
Performing - Playing in Front of People – How to Manage it
The musical fails during performances talked about in the prior posts are sometimes the result of the environment (string breaking, blown light bulb, etc.,), and sometimes individual tension/anxiety.
This is a quick video suggesting how to become more confident with performing. Like all things violin, in order to improve it, you need to practice it. Alison indicates in the video,
“It improves with exposure. . . Don’t wait until you are ready – You become ready by doing it.”
And, more importantly, by shifting perspective: “Make it about the music—not about the judgement of the other (i.e., observing) person”.
Playing Violin in Front of Other People
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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(repost fm 25 Jun)
Memory
I have never performed a piece (other than a basic 2nd violin backup type thing with simple music) from memory in front of a live “audience” (I’ve done it in front of my teacher, other students, and the camera). I’ve not had the occasion to feel the need to.
I have memorized pieces (or sections of pieces)—but it has been the result of practicing them so much that I remember them; I did not set out with the goal to memorize them.
Not a statement of its value—just not a priority for me.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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(repost fm 26 Jun)
Practice
Been working on speeding up some passages. Breaking everything down, doing it several different ways.
Since there is a combinations of slurs crossing strings and single strokes crossing strings, I’ll practice with open bowing to get the bowing pattern & bow positioning.
Then I’ll focus on left hand, working on getting my fingers to hover for the next note (or if it is on another string, I try to place it ahead of time) so that I get to that next note faster, more smoothly.
I have found changing the rhythm up while practicing the passage helps, too. There’s something about doing this that makes it easier to find the notes more solidly when I switch back to the straight 16th note rhythm.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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(repost fm 27 Jun)
Summer Storm
Had quite a light storm a couple of nights ago. Video from my phone – added a little Vivaldi (from Presto movement, Concerto No 2 in G minor – Summer, The Four Seasons)
https://violinvids.sharonslc.c.....be33344-23
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Duets
I’ve created and posted videos for the 4th tune, The Mule Driver’s Song, from the Applebaum Duet Bk1 in the Learning Thread:
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/l.....s/#p145040
For the 2nd violin, the tune introduces a couple of double-stops.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Octobass
When a regular size bass is just not enough—tuned two octaves below a cello.
Don’t know that I’d want an instrument I’d have to use a ladder for to change the strings. And the bridge looks as big as a person’s head.
3-minute overview of the Octobass - YouTube link Up Close with a Curator: Octobasse
Folks playing this big thing:
YouTube link Verdi Requiem octobass excerpts
YouTube link Amazing Grace, Amazing Octobass
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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This reply will disappear Sharon. I'll be restoring from the latest back up from over a week ago because the SP update is buggy. I can't roll it back because of rebuilding the database. Please copy it to repost tomorrow. Thanks
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
This reply will disappear Sharon. I'll be restoring from the latest back up from over a week ago because the SP update is buggy. I can't roll it back because of rebuilding the database. Please copy it to repost tomorrow. Thanks
@Fiddlerman Got it--Thanks for the heads up 👍
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Actually, I decided not to restore an old backup, but to ride it out with the new update. Updates are ultimately designed to be better and SP got back to me. They will straighten out the issues. if anyone notices any new issues with the Forum, please send them to me. I already submitted a list but can keep on adding to that list.
SharonC said
Fiddlerman said
This reply will disappear Sharon. I'll be restoring from the latest back up from over a week ago because the SP update is buggy. I can't roll it back because of rebuilding the database. Please copy it to repost tomorrow. Thanks
@Fiddlerman Got it--Thanks for the heads up 👍
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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The Pulse
I sometimes use a metronome when I practice, and I’ve used it during my recording of the duets from the Applebaum book videos I’ve posted in the Learning thread.
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/l.....lin-duets/
I use a metronome in the Applebaum videos for a couple of reasons,
1) To align the two violins together in the video for the “duet” part
2) To demonstrate the importance of maintaining a steady pulse
Chick Corea (jazz musician) gives some advice in this video in how, as part of your practice, you can improve your rhythm:
- Listen to and mimic recordings of music you like
- Record yourself playing, listen to it to assess what you’re doing
- Find musicians better than you & learn from them
YouTube Video: The “Secret” to Improving Your Rhythm and Time by Chick Corea
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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New Horizons International Music Association
The ensemble group that I was a part of for a few years was part of the New Horizons program. It was developed with the focus on older beginners. They have groups throughout the US and Canada (and a couple in Ireland & Australia). There are more bands than there are strings groups.
They have a few in-person events a year, and now also some virtual ones. I’ve attended a virtual ukulele class—teacher provide music to practice ahead of time; then we had five 1-hour zoom sessions.
There are also some lecture type events. Upcoming ones are here:
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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