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Thanks for the explanations @Fiddlerman and @coolpinkone! Sounds like a couple of exciting projects, and great aims Toni. I keep forgetting (as we're coming into winter here) that you must be nearing summer. Good luck with the summer fiddle show (one month to go!) and the Fiddlerman project. I hope to one day be good enough to join in too - it's a good goal to have in mind!!
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@RedViolin
Yes.. summer is here. 
Even a beginner can participate in the summer fiddle show.. you could split a half hour with someone.. play a few tunes and just get the feel for it. I hope you will consider it.
Day four of a new challenge and I am wracking up the minutes and hours.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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Definitely something I'll aim for in the future @coolpinkone! Good on you for keeping up your practice!
I can't wait for summer to come around again here. My hands are freezing and feel paralyzed even without playing! Takes me ages to warm up 
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Ok so now I am working on all four fingers on the strings and discovering that I did not take fully to heart the fact that you need to do all the holding of the violin with the chin/shoulder. The reach to the g string and the fact that the curve of my left hand at the base of the fore finger has been helping hold the violin, means that I now have to pay more attention to my chin/shoulder hold and free up my left hand. I hope its more of a learning thing than an unlearning thing.
I guess the more you know, the more things become clear and obvious that were not so clear before. I think it's going to be a bit of work but I guess thats part of it.
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@toidi congrats on your playing and learning... there is a lot to it... and I didn't know and still don't know or do most of it... KUDOS to you for learning. I hope you are enjoying your playing.
@RedViolin - Have you tried playing with woolen fingerless mittens? I hope your hands warm up. It is rarely cold enough in my house to have cold hands.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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@toidi I fully agree - I've only learned to hold the violin confidently with just my chin & shoulder this year - I never accomplished that as a child (and never got to the point of using enough fingers on the strings for it to matter as a time). It really drives that home to you doesn't it! I ended up creating a Frankenstein chin rest (with parts salvaged from the one I had as a kid on my smaller violin, and from my new one for the full-size) to get something that allowed me to (relatively comfortably) hold the violin up. Still getting used to it though...!
@coolpinkone yes, I have tried the fingerless mittens
Can't wait for winter to arrive so it can get started on leaving! 
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I hope its a discovery process that i can discuss with my teacher. I'd rather focus on getting it corrected now than have to correct it later.
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Good luck with that @toidi, I hope your teacher has some good advice
I've had half a week away from the violin thanks to visiting family and illness. Finally sat down to tune it (the start of winter is wreaking havoc!) and try to get back into the challenge. I think I need to move more slowly... it's hard when you feel like you're not getting anywhere though! I guess there's no perfect balance to be struck between having fun trying new things and improving
In good news though, I bought a printer yesterday so I can print out some of the sheet music I've been collecting!
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didn't see this thread:(
I usually don't practice during weekends :P. When I don't practice during weekends, on Mondays I felt I lost whatever I achieved by Fridays and have to start over somewhere.
Our teacher has a practice contest every February. It's a great motivation for me to practice everyday - Once, I missed winning a medal for practice everyday by forgot to practice one day, of course it was a weekend. This year I almost missed again by one day and of course it was a weekend, I remembered it before I fell asleep and got up to practice LOL so I won a medal for practice all month! Not that the medal matters, it's just that I set a goal to practice everyday for that month and I want to achieve that goal. My daughter and I also set up goals for how much time we want to practice each day for that month. We did not achieve that goal but got pretty close to it (my goal was practice an average of 45 minutes each day and I think I made it to 43 minutes average).
Now I decided to catch up with my daughter in Suzuki books (I left it in book two song 9 and studied songs of my choice and songs from another book for a year or so) so I could practice with her again. If I want to advance faster, practice during weekends is essential! Plus, she won't be telling me, "how come you don't have to practice during weekends and I have to, that's not fair!"
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Welcome to the challenge @pky that's lovely that you and your daughter play the same instrument
I'm taking a couple of days off active playing as I've strained my (bow) arm at work, and can't really straighten it without quite a bit of pain at the moment. In the meantime, I've printed out and started studying some new tunes (e.g. Addams Family theme etc.) that are familiar to me now that I have my printer up and running! 
Fingers crossed I'll feel up to starting a new challenge this Sunday. I'd like to properly complete Suzuki Book 1 ^_^
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So far, so good, I've been practicing every day since Sunday, and this is before I even joined this fine site! I used to be one of those who felt my hands were way too big to manage a violin, and since I didn't start as a kid, I'd never be able to do it. As it turns out, yes, my hands are still big, but I'm actually able to do this. Part of that comes from daily practice; I'll never develop the muscle memory if I don't give my muscles something to remember, so I'm practicing every day until my last day. I'll stop practicing when I'm gone.
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I am so so happy to see this pop up again.
I am going to start the challenge again tomorrow.
I rarely miss a day playing. But there are sometimes I start to practice and its only 10 minutes into it... and I plan to get back to it and the day slips by. So I am going to use it to make sure I get the longer practice sessions.
I have been playing simple scales.
C major and G major.
I have made a commitment to bow with my metronome. Thanks to the suggestion of two people. One being our very own CdennyB.
I also have some bow exercises and pinky on bow exercises etc. (stuff I picked up on line).
Anyway... How many people are doing this again.
Cheers,
Toni
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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I have continued to play every day since I started! Some days it is just for 10 minutes but lately it has been much longer. In February practices will get shorter again. I will be watching new grand-baby!!
Violinist start date - May 2013
Fiddler start date - May 2014
FIDDLE- Gift from a dear friend. A 1930-40 german copy, of a french copy of a Stradivarius. BOW - $50 carbon fiber. Strings - Dominants with E Pirastro Gold string.
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I downloaded the calendar, and since today is a Sunday, am going to start this journey. I do miss a lot of days on occasion, so I'm thinking this will give me the kick in the pants I need.
do I get a badge for making it past the math problems ? LOL-- yeah, me !
I swear- someday I will be playing as well as my imagination
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Leana said
I do miss a lot of days on occasion, so I'm thinking this will give me the kick in the pants I need.
lol, Leana, I haven't practiced in 2 weeks, 
shame on me, I was very good with it during the summer and spring, now it's just too cold out in that room. But I need to start again otherwise this is going to happen to me, lol
It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. Johann S.Bach
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AnnyJ said
lol, Leana, I haven't practiced in 2 weeks, But I need to start again otherwise this
LOL-
30 minutes is easy for me, but I think when it gets to the 60 minute part, I am going to do a bit of pouting. I'm going to get myself some new material so I don't get bored, but not so much that I don't actually learn a piece
I swear- someday I will be playing as well as my imagination
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Hmmm.... I'd like to give this challenge a try... but my problem is that even if I would easily be doing the X number of minutes happily and easily... if I thought I HAD to do it to reach a goal the fun would be gone, lol.
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damfino said
if I thought I HAD to do it to reach a goal the fun would be gone, lol.
I understand that one, actually- that is on my list of excuses already- and my list is so long !! LOL After the first day, so far- so good ! LOL
I swear- someday I will be playing as well as my imagination
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Great to see you guys using the schedule. I need to give it another shot. I fail every time.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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OH !! NO !! I was going to mention how un-encouraging that was, but if I can't beat your skill, maybe I can beat you at this, Mr @Fiddlerman
I swear- someday I will be playing as well as my imagination
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