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So I have decided to do Fiddlerman's 35 Day Practice Challenge. I don't know if I will be diligent enough to keep this up-to-date, but I will try.
I will most likely not post videos. The challenge is to help me and having to make videos just hinders me. I don't video often. I will try to post updated photos of the calendar that I printed off that will include the times I practiced and any goals and notes.
I was going to do this in my blog, but I wanted to share it. The blog really does not get much traffic, which would defeat the purpose of actually posting the challenge attempt in the forum.
I started on Tuesday, June 7 when I traded a violin in for a new one and brought a bow home to test. I will be trading the bow I bought a couple years ago in for this bow. I really like.
I will be using 2 different violins. My new dark, warm violin and my brighter Fiddlerman Concert Deluxe. When playing them, they feel pretty much the same in my hand and when fingering.
As you can see from the attached photo of the schedule as of today, I have been playing longer than the challenge requires, so far. I find it difficult to stop at just 30 minutes. That, plus, I want to get as much playing time in with the bow I have on trial to be positive it is the one. So far, so great.
The text is a little hard to read, but if you click the photo or zoom, you should be okay. I can read it. I wasn't intending to take a photo of it when I filled it in. I will try to use something darker from now on.
Here is a link to my blog, if anyone would like to view it:
Mouse's Violin-Viola-Cello Blog
For reference to the challenge, here is a link to Fiddlerman's original post from January 8, 2015.
Fiddlerman's 35 Day Practice Challenge
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So far today, I have done 30 minutes of a piece that is just a workout. It is called, "workout". It uses every string and the fourth finger on the D string and E string. It switches between the open A string and use of the fourth finger in the D string.
I really did not do too well. My intonation and bowing was worse than it has been in ages. I just could not find the first and third finger positions. If I can just get those two finger positions to be natural for me, I would not have issues with the second and occasional fourth finger use. It is when I can't find, what I refer to as, "home base for first position", that my intonation is completely lost, not just inconsistent, I felt like I was rushing myself. I probably was. It was right before lunch and I decided to put in a session.
My bowing arm was stiff. It has been stiff all day. I think I will put a heating pad in the shoulder and elbow before my next session, later today.
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Good for you!
About the only thing I can say is that when I lost my fingering because of the bad tuner I went back to playing a lot of scales and slowed down to be sure of my finger positions. When I played a score I kept the slower timing to be sure I was putting my fingers down in the right place instead of just slapping them down on any old place on the fingerboard (which I'm still doing - argh!).
Another thing I read on another forum is that playing isn't like anything else we do in life. It requires us to use our hands and fingers in ways we don't normally use them. That means it takes awhile before we can get our fingers to physically do what our heads tell them to do. This is what makes reaching with the 4th finger so difficult.
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Thanks, RDP. Towards the end, I slowed it way down. It did get better, but I had to fix lunch, I guess it did not do me much good to squeeze in 30 minutes, knowing I had to stop.
I am trying to see if I can get used to how it feels to hold the violin and have my fingers in my home position. Feel how the arm, elbow, wrist and fingers feel. So far, I have not been able to connect it together. I figure that if I can do that, at least I will be all set when I start to play.
I will be happy when my fingers start listening to my head.
Thanks for the input and encouragement on my quest, RDP.
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I did another 45 mins to an hour after dinner. I am having a rough day of it. Not getting anywhere near the goal of more consistent intonation. I spent most of the time doing scales, slowly.
The challenge does seem to give you a mindset to do what you need to do each day. Tuesday may be a challenge to get all the time in. I have to bring the bows in and trade the one I currently have in for the one I have here on trial. I am still liking the one on trial best.
I also have to get my cello while I am there and will play it for a bit before I bring it home.
I also have to bring the violin I bought last week with the trade in. The shop owner/luthier wants to polish it up a bit more for me.
I can probably play my cello while the luthier is polishing the violin up. That will save some time.
Tuesday is a 40 minute time on the sheet. Today through Friday are 40 minute a day requirement. Saturdays add another 5 minutes to the challenge time. It can be adjusted, it is not written in stone. I have been doing longer times than the challenge requires as it is. Eventually, it works up to 60 minutes a day in the challenge.
The challenge certainly has me planning out my time.
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According to the schedule, I should do 40 minutes today. I have done 50 minutes, so far. I did much better today, than yesterday. My intonation was better. Hopefully, I will continue when I get the instrument out agin, later, which I will.
I am finding that I am actually paying more attention and being more diligent about doing actual skill building pieces, and not just songs that I like and are simple.
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I think the point of the practicing is to get good intonation after you're done with the 30 days, not already have it before you begin.
Time management... first here's an analogy:
I have "1 square foot" in my house that's totally mine to do what I want with. I put my checkbook, keys, important stuff to do, etc. there. It is absolutely mine and woe be it to anyone who intrudes and puts something of theirs in my 1 square foot. It will end up in the trash without inspection or consideration on my part. I am a complete tyrant in this regard. You can call me nasty names, pout, scream, scold or whatever else you want, but do not put anything in my 1 square foot. Or else. Wifey's purse made the trip to the garbage can once but she learned. She has the rest of the house to organize however she wants to, I have 1 square foot. Fair trade.
Enough with the analogy, back to the challenge - I set aside an hour every day for practice. That hour, like my 1 square foot, is mine and I don't want to be interrupted. Not even by the dog. If the dog demands a walk, someone else better do it before the dog asks me. Same with answering the door, I'm not going to answer the door even if it's the fire dept telling me the house is burning down. It's the only way I can get time to practice because no one else really understands how important this is to me. I can tell them, but they don't really get it. So I lean on the same concept as for my 1 square foot... that 1 hour every day is mine.
Practicing: I start with scales, then maybe an arpeggio or three, then I play something just for playing it. It's only after I play something that I begin to practice. When practicing, I take extra care to perform as perfectly as I can. Make this string crossing perfect and without crunching noises, don't accidentally pluck the string with a finger as I move them, place my fingers exactly where they need to be, and so on. I repeat and repeat and repeat until I can do what I want consistently - or scream in frustration consistently, as long as it's consistently.
I also don't do technique practice every day. Some days I spend the entire hour learning a small piece of new music. Some days it's time spent trying to perfect the playing for the new stuff I just learned. The one rule is that no matter what I'm doing, practice is for learning how to play better, not just playing.
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I like that system, RDP. I especially like the part where you said you don't do technique every day, and will spend a day learning a piece. I think that makes complete sense. For some reason, I always feel like I slacked off if I spend an entire session on a piece. But now that you mentioned it, it is actually using what you have learned, and expanding on it by adding what you need for that piece, more like practical time.
Yeh, I know it is meant to improve the intonation. I think I am too impatient.
Again, thank you for your input and tips.
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Ok, today I did both violin and cello with my challenge. The amount of time required today was 45 mins. Since I did 47 mins of violin, my cello wasn't necessary for the challenge part, but I am working on the same skills on both.
My intonation was pretty good on my violin today. I slowed down. I spent the time on a couple pieces, rather than any skill builders. I am trying to pick a piece to work on. I ventured into the Suzuki Book 2, a place I have not been with my violin. I need to stretch myself. I have been paying attention to my thinking, posture, etc, as well as playing because of my challenge goals. To achieve better bowing and intonation, I think I need a piece that is a little more challenging. I think one problem is that I was getting lazy or careless on those pieces I have been doing forever.
To my surprise, I was able to get through a few of the book 2 pieces. I am choosing between Bach - Musette pg 5, Weber - Hunter's Chorus pg 6, Handel - Bourrée pg 10.
I am leaning towards Hunter's Chorus. The bowing required is a challenge, but I need to work on it. I just have to play it slowly.
Here is my update Challenge Calendar
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I think if I was going to pick 1 piece from Suzuki Book 2 specifically for intonation improvement I'd choose Brahms' Waltz. Think about it; a waltz has to be smooth, flawlessly played, and resonant.
In my book (newest edition) it's on pg 14 right before Handel's Bouree. Not too long or hard to bow or finger, but the real challenge here lies in perfecting the intonation.
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RDP, I have problems with Waltzes, and a lot of problems with that one. I have seen that in another book, which I borrowed, and tried it a number of times. I have never been able to get the rhythm right. I know what a waltz is and how they sound, and I just don’t see it in that piece at all. It probably is there, I have just never been able to get it. I think it is just my bow control is not working with the slurs and keeping the rhythm. That is the only way I can explain it.
Also, this Suzuki book has a really bad copy. I have mentioned my issue when I see too many black notes on a page, and this Suzuki book has 3 parts on the page. There is just too much on the page. I don’t think many people understand that issue I have, my cello instructor understood it.
The Hunter’s Chorus is a challenge with bowing, a few more notes per measure than I am comfortable with and, for me - tricky fingering, no mental block like that waltz gives me, and I usually don’t do a piece that actually spans 2 pages, so it is longer than a piece I usually do. I intend to do that Waltz eventually, because it will be a challenge, but right now, I have a mental block when I see it, and this version is really bad because of all those black notes.
I am glad you asked because I took another look and came to the same conclusion.
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The challenge time requirement for today is 40 minutes. So, today I started the Hunter's Chorus officially for my piece to work on for my 35 day challenge. I will see how with the focus the challenge is giving me, if I can get this piece to a much better quality of playing than when I just do a piece without working as a challenge. I played it through slowly to become familiar with it as a whole. I paid attention to my fingering and intonation to see exactly which parts I need to put under the microscope. I worked on this for 47 minutes. I have met the time requirement, and some. Again, the day's time requirement was not enough. I want to meet my challenge quest or goal of better intonation, bowing and finger patterns. Tomorrow, I will check out finger patterns in this piece and compare what I find with the information that I gathered.
I also did my cello. I did my cello for 20 minutes. I need to see if the goals for my cello will be the same as the violin. I need to add to improve my vibrato and strengthen my 4th finger to the goals for cello.
I am finding doing this all via a challenge, to myself, is giving me more focus and determination, so on those points, the challenge for me is a very good learning tool, whether I meet my goals or not.
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So, today I did my cello, for the cello 35 day challenge I started. Today's requirement was 30 minutes, that was all I could do. I am having issues with the new strings. My bows are having a feud with the strings. I will see what happens tomorrow.
On my violin, I did the required 40 minutes. I started with the C scale to warm up. I then worked on the Hunter's Chorus by C.M. Weber.
I was trying to pinpoint trouble spots, which I found quite easily. I am not sure how to do the bowing, up stroke or down stroke. The way I think it should go, gives me issues with the slurs of 16th(?) notes. I have no idea. I am going to google it and see if I can find a copy with bowing stroke direction marked.
The trouble spots are on both pages. One is the 16th note slurs. Another is page 2. I have just started, so I am not discouraged.
On an upbeat, my intonation was quite good. I didn't sway to often and did not bet lost more than twice.
As a whole, I am still finding creating the challenge is making me play, making me try new things as a challenge.
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Cadenza strings has a slow practice of this piece. Listen to it (don't watch) while you read along on the music sheet. You'll get the feel for the rhythm and what notes should be grouped together while playing.
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I will google Carenza Strings. Thanks. Great tip to just listen and follow my music. I am grouping and getting the rhythm on my own, but I often times get it wrong and have to relearn, which is harder than learning the first time.
Thanks. The tips and comments help me with the challenge.
I did 47 minutes on the violin. Most of it was with the Hunter's Chorus with some D string exercises that use the A on the D string.
I felt like I was bowing better. That by no means means that it was good. Bowing was ignored in lessons and I really need the work on it.
My intonation seemed a tad more consistent today, also.
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Keep up the work @Mouse :–)
I can't join you on this challenge, now is not a good time, but it looks like a good idea. Maybe later in the spring. Thanks for this thread, I didn't know this challenge existed.
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Mouse said
I will google Carenza Strings. Thanks. Great tip to just listen and follow my music. I am grouping and getting the rhythm on my own, but I often times get it wrong and have to relearn, which is harder than learning the first time.Thanks. The tips and comments help me with the challenge.
I did 47 minutes on the violin. Most of it was with the Hunter's Chorus with some D string exercises that use the A on the D string.
I felt like I was bowing better. That by no means means that it was good. Bowing was ignored in lessons and I really need the work on it.
My intonation seemed a tad more consistent today, also.
Cadenza Strings. Search youboob for "Hunter's Chorus", you'll find his slow practice piece as one of the first search results. He's actually a very good player but not an instructor.
I'm no expert (hahahahahahaha!) but I think that a lot of valuable technique is ignored in the beginning when it should be being emphasized. Instead, the emphasis is on keeping the student happy that they're "learning music" by having them play a lot of different pieces. "Look at how much you've learned! You can play Twinkle, Long Long Ago..."
The reality is that sawing your way through piece after piece isn't really learning how to play. And when you finally recognize how poorly you're actually playing, even though you've been told you're doing wonderfully, it's very disheartening. And it's probably a major reason why students quit. Being conned by someone you're told you can trust, hurts deeply.
I do understand that Suzuki had a method to his madness. The earlier pieces are an introduction to music with the playing being almost secondary to learning how to read music. As you progress through the lessons, you learn to read better and understand more of what you're reading. That takes some of the pressure off so you can begin to concentrate on the playing as being the first order of business. I just feel that more emphasis could be placed on better bowing and intonation at the beginning when the student is most ripe for absorbing that information.
Maybe with a live teacher it's different. Maybe when teaching adults it's different. I only know that most of the videos I see, the emphasis seems to be on having the student play as many pieces as they can no matter how horribly they do it.
There has to be a better way.
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wtw said
Keep up the work @Mouse :–)I can't join you on this challenge, now is not a good time, but it looks like a good idea. Maybe later in the spring. Thanks for this thread, I didn't know this challenge existed.
That is why I decided to do this s a thread. I wanted others to see and either try it eventually, when needed, etc, or modify it to their needs. It was started byFiddlerman back in 2016, if I recall correctly, without scrolling back to my first post. i don't recall anyone taking him up on it, or posting about, back then. It was before I joined the forum. I am pleased you are finding it helpful. It probably could be used to get motivated and keep on track to learn a specific technique or piece.
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RDP said
I'm no expert (hahahahahahaha!) but I think that a lot of valuable technique is ignored in the beginning when it should be being emphasized. Instead, the emphasis is on keeping the student happy that they're "learning music" by having them play a lot of different pieces. "Look at how much you've learned! You can play Twinkle, Long Long Ago..."
The reality is that sawing your way through piece after piece isn't really learning how to play. And when you finally recognize how poorly you're actually playing, even though you've been told you're doing wonderfully, it's very disheartening. And it's probably a major reason why students quit. Being conned by someone you're told you can trust, hurts deeply.
You have no idea how many times I have said this. I told each instructor that I was in no hurry and needed to learn the piece and whatever the piece was teaching before moving on. Repeating, even for a month was no issue. Always fell on deaf ears.
I find this challenge is actually motivating me. Thanks for following it and encouraging me and the tips.
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With my cello time today, I was finding the piece I was working on is a little too easy, and nothing new to expand my ability. I have a few that I am deciding between. The strings seem to be working better. They feel like they are breaking in. They are keeling their tune better, too. Fingers crossed that it is not just a fluke,
I will be doing my violin later.
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