This morning I did about 45 mins in my cello challenge. I am beginning to think that even though the strings are getting easier, they still are hard to play on. I worked mainly on bowing. I did have to put two tapes on, one for the first finger and one for the fourth finger. I can't learn intonation if I can't tell pretty much the area and sound that is correct intonation. This is not being mentioned to start a debate about it. For me, it is necessary and this challenge has shown me that. I am paying close attention to what I am doing and what issues I keep repeating over and over. I have noticed over and over that if I get lost I spend all my time finding my way and the proper place and sound is not registering because I am just sliding all around, frustrated. I gave it a shot, and find that sliding around to find the spot does not work for me. 

Now, I also found that I have issues at the tip and frog of the bow. Not sure how to fix that. I also find that my string crossings are not improving. They were the reasons for bowing time. I wish I knew someone around here that plays cello. It is not the same as viola and violin. Cello is angled vertical, violin and viola are horizontal. Strings are also bigger and require more work, so violin playing, although it helps with a tiny bit of cello, does not relate, with me, with my cello.

These are all things that are becoming more clear to me as I continue with my cello challenge. I do need to find a scale book. I thought I had a cello scale book. I need to look again. I have a bowing book, but it is not dedicated to scales. I think, from looking at my violin scale book, a scale book incorporates bowing, whereas, a blowing book deals with bowing, but does not incorporate as much time to scales. At least that is the way is looks when I compare my violin scales book to my cello bowing book. 

I am still finding that the challenge has me focusing more than when I was not doing a challenge, weird.

🐭

So, I just finished 45 minutes on my violin. I worked on Fiddlerman's etudes for the D string for intonation for about 95% of the time. Once in a while I did it on the A string, although there is an etude for the A string. I don't have it in my folder for what I am working on for the challenge.

I did feel like I got better by the end. I did this yesterday, too, more or less. I almost had to start from scratch this morning, though 🥴. That was a little depressing and felt like a huge setback. I did, however, feel like I had it a lot better when I just now finished, than I did when I stopped yesterday, so maybe ...

I have a hard time with the A on the D string. It is harder hitting it from any note other than the G before it. Makes sense since the G is closer to that note. The etude has a lot of F to A, D to A (if I remember correctly). It is also harder going back down from A to D. It is harder to hit the G. Not sure why. If I am off with the G, the F and E are off. 

I do know that the challenge is what is making me aware of all of this and it is making me pay more attention. 

Oh, I also did some long slow bows for each note from D to A in the D string. Isn't part of the etudes, but I figured that it would be a good thing to do. 

I highly suggest others use this challenge, or modified, when trying to learn something. There is something about it being a "challenge" that keeps you at it, or at least it does for me.

🐭

I am still doing this challenge and keeping up, but my minutes fall show on some days, but are picked up on others, 

Today, I did my violin outside on the frint porch. It was quite nice to do it out there, except the wind. That was a pain. It wasn't that windy, but a slight breeze and paper do not mix. I used magnets to hold rhem on the stand, 😁.

It actually did not sound too bad. I used my Fiddlerman Concert Deluxe. My intonation seemed better, again, I am inconsistent, so it does not really mean anything. 

A couple books were recommended to me and I took a look at them. I am going to get them. I am holding of ordering them until I see if I need anything else with the order. 

I played my Parker American Fiddle for a great-niece and great-nephew yesterday. They were with their grandpa, my husband's brother,  who stopped over. Good timing, my husband needed help getting a TV off a wall we needed to paint today. Anyway, I played 5e Parker American Fiddle and my cello. I did have brain drain and songs I knew, I could not remember. Good thing about a 4 and 6 year old who don't do music, they do not have a clue! 

I would not have done that if I had not been doing this challenge. I know my intonation needs to become more consistent, but I still really do feel like I am improving and doing better, more times than not. 

My consistency is needing more work, but the confidence is building. Before I started this, I could not feel any confidence. I lose it at times, but it seems to cime back. This is not going to get me playing in front of people, except my 4 and 6 yr old great niece and nephew, but, for my enjoyment, it helps. This is a life long issue, and I am not, at this age, going to worry about it.

🐭

I can't believe.it has been 6 days. I am continuing with the intonation work and bowing work and I am feeling like I am progressing. 

We still have a messy house due to switching things up. I still can't do my cello. Not a large enough space available. 

This has, however, provided me more time on my violin challenge. I have not missed any days, but I have not always done the completed time required. The time frame is longer now and I split it up on some days. Sometimes, my shoulder just can't do it.

So, the challenge is still going on for my violin and will pick up again for the cello. I can feel and hear improvement. 

I still lose my way and have to work back to my home base, but not as often. I have actually bern in my home base when I started a couple times, meaning, I did not have to hunt for the first and third finger spots in first position. 👍

🐭