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As ever - driven by sheer curiosity ( i.e. in my case, plain old stubborn cussedness ) - if you look at the XML file for bar 20 (as originally issued) you see this - the "interesting" bits are the "durations" - highlighted in red -
<measure number="20" width="373">
<note default-x="14">
<pitch>
<step>D</step>
<octave>5</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>6</duration>
<tie type="start"/>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>half</type>
<dot/>
<stem default-y="-45.5">down</stem>
<notations>
<tied type="start"/>
</notations>
</note>
<note default-x="184">
<pitch>
<step>D</step>
<octave>5</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>3</duration>
<tie type="stop"/>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>quarter</type>
<dot/>
<stem default-y="-45.5">down</stem>
<notations>
<tied type="stop"/>
</notations>
</note>
<note default-x="270">
<rest/>
<duration>2</duration>
<voice>1</voice>
<type>quarter</type>
</note>
<note default-x="326">
<pitch>
<step>D</step>
<octave>5</octave>
</pitch>
<duration>2</duration> <<< should be 1
<voice>1</voice>
<type>quarter</type> <<< should be "eighth"
<stem default-y="-45.5">down</stem>
<notations>
<technical>
<up-bow default-x="2" default-y="5" placement="above"/>
</technical>
</notations>
</note>
</measure>
<!--
Yes, indeed they add up to 13 ( eighths ).
I imported the XML to MuseScore - and - without a doubt - during the import it makes bar 20 a 13/8 measure
***However*** and this is just a "warning" to folks who may have taken the original XML file - compared to the click track as generated (which is what we should be using of course, I only mention MuseScore and the XML file because I know some folks will probably do this) - if you DO use the XML file in musescore, it will, after bar 20 be a 1/8th beat "out" ( late ).
IF YOU ARE USING MuseScore (or indeed any other program that imported the XML file) YOU SHOULD CORRECT IT after import - change the "Bar Properties" for bar 20 FROM 13/8 to 12/8. The fact that the bar is treated as 13/8 is not actually shown in the visible score...... but, trust me on this, it IS a 13/8 bar
I did this just to check - and once corrected in musescore, with the tempo set to 60bpm for a dotted quarter note, it (the MuseScore playback) is in all ways identical to the timing of Pierre's @Fiddlerman click-track (which I checked using Audacity by bringing in both the actual click-track from Pierre and the (corrected) playback-audio from MuseScore - it is identical in timing after the correction)...
BUT - really - you should all use the actual click track unless you absolutely - absolutely (LOL) know what you are doing....and just pretend the last note in bar 20 as shown in the score is a 1/8th note, and not a quarter
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Member
I am planning on making a video. I am doing 1st violin for sure as I love this carol. It is a favorite! I am having difficulty with the bowing though. If I just play it I do ok but once I focus on bowing I end up slowing down way too much. Maybe I just need to keep working at it. If I am unable to master the bowing and just play it would that be ok as well? I would also love to submit a second video. I have found that playing a second or third/fourth part can be challenging though as you are not carrying the melody. Which additional part would be most needed? Not sure I can get more than two done.
Member
If I were paying attention correctly, in the video that Pierre posted, he said that he included the consecutive up-bows to force a kind of staccato feel without notating the notes as staccato. I took this to mean that as long as those notes have a proper pause between them, then the actual bowing shouldn't be critical. Disclaimer: I'm a novice both to the violin and the Fiddlerman community, so I could be completely misreading the situation.
Regulars
@DonnaF I agree with @wonderputz , if you have the phrasing correct with pauses, I think bowing is not critical. (I am a novice too, but it hasn't stopped me!). Regarding your comment about another piece that is not the melody, when we record we have the click track going in our ear, which is the melody. It is like playing in an orchestra, which I find totally grounds me for the harmony part I am playing.
For practice, I play the click-track back out loud, even better, while practising my harmony parts. I hope you give it a try, and I am sure it will be good.
Regulars
and just pretend the last note in bar 20 as shown in the score is a 1/8th note, and not a quarter"
I never was much good at pretending... made my sister crazy I printed the the parts out an added my "very artistic" tail to make it an 8th
The bowing suggestions are a challenge I can't resist... I'm going to get it right even if it's for NEXT Christmas down down up up down up down......ahhhhhhh
Bob in Lone Oak, Texas
Regulars
I too am working on the proper bowing. It's a challenge for sure but you know, practice, practice, practice.
Opportunity is often missed because it wears suspenders and looks like hard work.
Regulars
Regulars
Do we have an estimate on who's working and on which part?
The deadline is closing fast and the thread has been awfully quiet so I figured it doesn't hurt to ask...
So far I've been working on part 1 and I might try recording it today... though I still have issues with the tempo being slightly slow and I just keep running out of bow on the last second of the really long notes or if I slow the bowing down too much and happen to be doing vibrato, the bow starts bouncing on the last portion since it has more up/down instrument movement than forward one, but we'll see how it goes
If everything goes according to plan and I can record a decent version, I'll select another random harmony part and will start practicing that, but no promises, since the deadline is almost here so I might not make it to the recording stage with that one...
Cheers,
Ferenc
Regulars
Nice!
I've just finished recording... took like 10 takes till I got it right... everytime there was some issue.. I either hit the light above my head with my bow... or my back started to hurt from standing too much :)) After those 10 takes and finally getting it somewhat decent... I went to listen... turns out the audio cut out halfway through..... lol...
So after being super exhausted and resisting the temptation to break my bow several times.. I restarted my computer to fix the audio issues.. and did like 5 more takes... now I'm gonna see which one's best and send that... or just cheat and make a decent version from the 5.... lol
If I do any more parts, I'm not gonna bother with the background and stuff that's for sure I'll just play them sitting down and you can show the video from the main one or whichever you like...
I'll send you the email in an hour or so with the google drive link to the video
Regulars
I've just about filled my disk up with recordings of O' Holy Night, still haven't got one I want to submit yet. I'm planing on submitting all 5 violin parts (born optimist!) but seem to have some problems that I need to work on. The lower c# in part two never sounds right when I play along with my recorded part 1...
Still a few more attempts before I commit myself (some say I should have done that long ago)!.
I'm sure there are many others still preparing, so I'm sure the turnout will be great.
"I'll be Home for Christmas" is a great tune. Although, the version I'm familiar with is more along the line of Bing Crosby showing my age a bit maybe, but I do prefer the harmony in the previous clip.
Bob in Lone Oak, Texas
Regulars
I think it is quiet here because of the desperate practising and recording we are all doing! I am doing same as Bob, trying to submit all 5 violin parts. Some will be better than others, for sure. Also will submit at least a couple cello parts for variety. I will have a few major days of recording later this week, and then will pick and choose...
Member
Hi,
I'm a new member. I came across the fiddlerman site and the Christmas Project. I haven't played in a long long time and so I'm having some difficulty with the timing and bowing and also the playback file. I seem to hear a few notes that are not in the violin part #1 in the playback file. Anyway, I will keep practicing and hope to submit a video. Not sure it will make the final cut but if you don't submit you have no chance. Thanks for listening.
Landon
Regulars
Member
Thanks Mark, I just practiced for the first time with an ear piece and that seems to help quite a bit. I had been practicing without the playback in my ear just to get the notes and the bowing pattern down. It has been a long time since I have read music but it is coming back. Anyway, I feel a little better about my results now so from now on the ear piece is in. Thanks for the encouragement.
Landon
Hmmm... well... a first shot at vln 1. This demo/test take has a low-ish level backing track - intentionally - it'll help me get the final take somewhat better. I'm really struggling with the full bows and bow distribution in the latter part of the piece....
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Member
Project Panic here, especially timing issues for the harmony 3 part. Billy G, thanks for the video. Are you playing to the click track? If so, I can work on violin 3 listening to your video. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m hearing on the click track. It sounds like the melody, but at times it seems to be a harmony, so I get lost and can’t correct. I need a perfectly timed model of the melody—fast, so I’m going to work with your video. Thanks!
@NellieGirl - I understand exactly what you are getting at. I have a similar issue, and created an "animated" backing track playing violin 1 only.
I created this by taking Pierre's MusicXML file into MuseScore, and then recording the video (and audio of course) of it playing through the score.
It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to note that I did this myself, it is not an actual part of the project from Pierre - but - I have double, and triple checked the timing of my animated score against Pierre's click track. To the best of my knowledge it is in all ways identical in timing.
I do not want to publish it here - JUST IN CASE it is in some way wrong in the timing, but I really do not think it is - the checks I did were "comprehensive"
I will post it on YouTube as unlisted, and I'll PM you the link.
Hope it helps....
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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