Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Private messaging is working again.
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(17 votes) 
Members
Offline
Well, the season is upon us again, and so it is party time here at Fiddlerman.com!
Party topics usually are mostly videos we post of ourselves playing. Which is great, and I hope we see plenty of that. I am going to suggest maybe making this party thread a little more this year, though. If you can't/don't do video, maybe post audio. If you compose a holiday song, perhaps you might post the score or whatever of it that you're willing to share here. If you take a photo (especially, but not necessarily limited to violins and violinists/fiddlers), consider sharing it here. Maybe you have something interesting or fun happening for the holidays that you can tell us about here. It can all be part of the fun. No matter how new you are here, I hope you can feel comfortable jumping in and getting involved on the party fun any way you can think of.
So I will kick this party off with something I did to get some holiday mood going for myself and my household, and that does not happen to be a video. I recently was taking an online course in music production and how to use DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software and etc. I was getting a bit burnt out on the holiday songs I've been practising, and wanted something new. I like playing to backing tracks, but didn't find anything that was quite the feel I wanted.
So I put what I learned in that course to some use and "fleshed out" a midi of a well known traditional Christmas classic, Audeste Fidelis (Oh Come All Ye Faithful). I hadn't found what I wanted, which was sort of "Orchestra minus one" so I could play the main melody against the backing track so it could feel maybe like being in the soundtrack to a holiday movie or program.
I share it here, in case anyone else might have some fun playing to it or hearing it. It isn't a "serious project" of mine, just a few hours of holiday flavoured fun.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
My wife came in and asked if that was me playing....I was tempted.
That is beautiful. Just add a violin and what a great email Christmas card. Thank you.
Regulars
Offline
DanielB,
That is very nice thank you!
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
Offline
Wow, that was really nice, Daniel! Very impressive work and lovely to listen to.
Great party idea, Dan! Thanks for getting it started. Guess I'll be the next to arrive. 
I took my WWYAMC project Violin 1 video and added guitar (rhythm) and mandolin (Violin part 3) tracks. I accomplished something I've never done here on Fiddlerman.com. Not saying what...you'll have watch the video to find out.
And, if we were all at an in-person party, I'd probably give all of you a little bag of the spiced pecans I make every year at Christmastime. Since I can't do that, here's the next best thing: the recipe. Enjoy!
Spiced Pecans
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups pecan halves
In a mixing bowl, beat egg white and water until foamy, but not stiff. Slowly add all dry ingredients except pecans. Toss in pecans. Spread out evenly on a sheet pan and cook for one hour at 300 F, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool, then put in tins, bags or other gift containers.
- One 8 oz. bag of pecan halves = 2 cups
- Three batches fill a typical sheet pan
- Stirring is very important
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
Regulars
Offline
Kindascratchy,
Thanks you sound great! 
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
Offline
Thanks @DanielB for kicking that off, and @KindaScratchy - nice work - and yes - I got it - it's that cheeky little SMILE !!!!! Yayyyy !
P.S. Recipe looks good as well !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Offline
@DanielB that was great... thank you. Thanks for the great kick off for our Christmas Party.
@KindaScratchy - that was great... "kindasmiley" (wink) Always lovely. Good job.
Merry Christmas.. and Happy Holidays to all.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
Members
Offline
@KindaScratchy: Excellent playing! And is the accomplishment perhaps that you are playing from memory?
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
Offline
DanielB said
@KindaScratchy: Excellent playing! And is the accomplishment perhaps that you are playing from memory?
I was playing from memory, Daniel, and that is an accomplishment for me. But, that wasn't what I had in mind. I meant the fact that I managed a small smile while playing. That was thanks to Mr. Scratchy who showed up while I was recording and made some funny faces that made me smile.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
Offline
AWH... I kinda like mr Scratchy making you smile. It is so very heart warming. You two make a lovely team.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
Regulars
Offline
@DanielB - Thanks for kicking off the Christmas/Holiday Party. Loved your 'O Come All Ye Faithful' midi - what a fun project - nice job. I like the music minus one concept.
@kindascratchy - Nice playing. Loved the guitar/mando backup and the quick smile at the end
. The spiced pecan recipe looks wonderful - can't wait to try it.
"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?
~~Albert Einstein
Offline
Spiced pecans seem so very yummy. Enjoy!
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
Offline
Man - I did a "play-along" to @DanielB midi - I just don't believe this - for what it was - I mean my part poor as it is and not much rehearsed - I'm well annoyed - it is about 5 mins video - I gave a bit of an intro - and - heck - 10 hours to upload to you tube.... I mean to say - WTF.... fine.... if I REMEMBER NOT TO SHUT DOWN the ol' PC here b4 I hit the hay it may get there... who knows... man... NOT funny...
[ Sorry folks, just Grumpy Old Bill here ]
Seriously - I mean TEN HOURS to upload 8 mins of video.... this is NOT funny
hmmmmmmmmmmm NOT a happy bunny 
And what is worse - IF I had done a few more takes - for another 15 mins or so, it would have been better - that's what REALLY annoys me....
I'll post the link when (if) the upload to youtube succeeds... I'm scared to troll around the forum 'cos that eats up bandwidth and will make the upload even longer to finish...
arrrh, indeedely doodely, LOL.... sorry folks, just had to get that out of my system, nothing "new" about it - I should have expected this... pretty normal really for choosing to live here... even my "sprend" posts for video submissions can take 3 hrs for a couple of minutes video file ( and 3 outta 4 times fail due to a timeout error )so it can take me a whole 12 hrs to "make sure" a "sprend" ( or any other upload ) actually WORKED... what a total PITA that can be...
Sorry guys/gals - just plumbing the depths of despair here.... it will work out OK in the end...
.... sorry folks, that sounded like a grumble - well - yes it was - but it's all down to the very, VERY limited "broadband" we have here - I just needed to talk ! Excuse me !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Regulars
Offline
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
Offline
AHA !!! it only took 7 hours.. LOL and here it is....
I sort of apologize in advance - I know it is not my best shot at this (we are all so self critical ) -
(1) It was only rehearsed a few times
(2) Clearly, I was playing by ear, and I didn't really figure out the bowing / down-bow accents - and that distracted me- and continues to do so... but I have the measure of it now....
(3) Believe it or not - my EV has a longer nut-to-bridge length by about 75mm (and it cannot be adjusted! Well, not easily) than a "normal" violin set up - and although it "becomes natural to me once it is in my hands" most of my recent playing has been on the FM Concert, a "normal" violin !!! And sweet it is, theres a subtle change required when I go to the EV ( Oh - it is the EV that is "wrong" BTW - hmmm I say that - but cheap EV's are cheap EV's - you know...)
The above are of course not EXCUSES in any form or manner- it's "just where I am at the moment"
Anyway - after 9 months - LOL - here we go -
This is my Xmas Video-Card for all my FM Community friends, colleagues, forum and chat posters, and of course @Fiddlerman himself, from whom I have learned so much in the last 9 months...
THANK YOU ALL and have a VERY MERRY XMAS
And a special thanks of course to @DanielB for the backing track - thanks, Dan !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Offline
The Fiddling Violist said
http://youtu.be/Z9LXNaR-P2M
Man - thank you ! ROCK THAT "GOD REST YE..." BRO ! ahh sweet sound !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Members
Offline
Excellent playing! Bravo Bill!
I like the FX and sound you're getting on the EV! Sure doesn't sound "cheap" to me. My EV also has a non-standard string length, a little shorter than is "proper", so I have to adjust when switching between it and the acoustic violin (which *is* proper). I know what you're talking about with that. LOL
But in any case, you did great! Bravo!
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
Members
Offline
Barry, there is only one word I can think of for your playing on both those songs...
Awesome!
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
Regulars
Offline
Bill, Diane and Barry
Great playing I hope you all have a Joyous and Wonder Holiday Season.
With violins there is no fretting over the music.
Offline
@OldOgre - you too mate - MAKE IT A GOOD ONE - by my command !
(Looks like Dan's thread has turned into a general "Merry Xmas" thread - let's keep it for that - and anyone else who cares to have a play along to Dan's mp3 .... Oh Come all Ye Fiddlers, ...... ) LOL
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
1 Guest(s)
Fiddlerman
ELCBK
Mouse
