Interesting, I grabbed my Fiddlershop viola off the wall rack earlier. I believe I played ir better than ever. A really odd thing was that I did not put am shoulder rest on it, I didn't mean to play it for long. I am busy with other things and grabbed it in between tasks.
I went through my regular songs and for some reason, it was the best I ever played them. So strange!
I wonder why that happened. I have no idea, but it was a huge boost.
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I have been on vacation for a week. I got back about 1 am this morning.
This afternoon, I picked up my viola and really was able to play it quite well. I even tried adding some double stops to Amazing Grace. I was never taught double stips in my lessons. I think I did it right. I just don't know where they sound best in that song, plus, I did not know quite how to stop the double stopping and go back to one string, but it sounded neat. It seemed when I did it, I just kept doing it and had a hard time switching back to normal playing.
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This morning I got out my cello. I was very surprised. The Obligato strings held their tune all week. Nice! I did my Myfanwy, the Bourrée, and added Amazing Grace.
I had been doing Amazing Grace on my viola and violin. I have never done it on my cello. I like it.
I used my Voice Memo app and recorded Amazing Grace and Myfanwy. I could hear improvement in the Myfanwy. I recorded Amazing Grace twice and could hear improvement when I recorded t the second time later in my session.
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Unfortunately, I have not ben able to play for a few days. I think mynears are happy! Nah, I do think I am improving. I know I am having more fun.
It is weird, I am really enjoying my Fiddlerman cello and I have fun playing it, and look forward to it. I think that part of it is that I am comfortable with this cello, and I love the sound.
It is the same with my Viola, I love the sound. I get a much better sound from it han I did from my other viola, Love it.
In a couple of days, I can get back to it. I have been looking at my sheet music. I don't know if that helps, other than making me wanting to get back to it. No health issues. I just have a lot going on here. I get frustrated when I can only get them out for a few minutes. I should do that, but I really hate having to stop soon after setting everything up.
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I just finished working on my Bourrée and Myfanwy.
I added the next section to the Bourrée; I added nothing to Myfanwy. The little section of shifting in the Bourrée is enough new stuff added.
I am watching my bowing because I am getting some odd sounds, like the string have broken wire, But that is not the issue, it is just that twang sound you get. I cannot figure out what I am doing.
There is also a part in the Bourrée, the new part with the little bit of shifting, that I run put of bow, so I was trying to figure that out. That is one of the areas with the odd sound, too. When I go from the E on the A string and then the A on the D string followed by the G# on the D string, I am weak, run out of bow, and have the bad sound. I am trying to bow slower so that I do not run lut of bow, and to end closer to the tip with the nite before the E string.
Now that E on the A is a slight shift. The A on the D is a shift in the D and is directly across from the E. It is so awkward for me to do that. My 4th finger is very weak and is not going to get strong, maybe I should change up the fingering to suit my abilities. I am not a spring chicken and it is what it is.
Note to self, need to make another clean copy of the Bourrée, before I started making it up. Some of the early notes I no longer need, but I have to add different notes. It is too messy.
@wtw and @Ripton, and @Violaman Any suggestions and thoughts, even though this is cello, just the idea of adjusting fingering to suit my needs.
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@Ripton I think being tense is probably the main issue, now that you mention it. I bet that since I know I have issue in those certain spots, I am tensing up as I get to those areas.
I hope that is not the case, because I don't know how to stop thinking about those areas, and issues. Sometimes, anticipation is not a good thing. But, when it is the Carol King version, always great!
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Regulars
Mouse said
... I know I have issue in those certain spots...
Can you skip ahead and only play those few measures? II am horrible at working like this but when I break a tune down into subsections it does help me get the whole tune. Then again, maybe that's why it takes me days or weeks to learn a new tune...
@Ripton I have tried that. I have worked sections, then started a little ahead and added it to a few measures before it, jut to work it in, and keep do that until I start from the beginning and try to continue through. The minute I get to the sections I separated to work on, I know it, and freeze.
That does work for a lot of people. It works for me, until J try to work it back into the piece. Isn't that weird? So, then I get tired of breaking it apart, because putting it back together doesn't seem to work, so I just start working on a large section over and over, and fuddle through those parts. They bowing always gets me. Maybe I need to make clearer marking on music that is more in the line of encouragement, instead of careful, slow down, etc. Maybe, keep going, you got it, etc?
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Well, two more days and then I will have my cello space back! I do strum the strings every time I walk by. Sounds like the C string might be getting a little flat, expected, but oddly, the other strings are not that noticeable right
The knitting machines, that have been sitting in my cello playing space, will be picked up and and on their way to their new home in a couple of days. The person I am giving them to is going to stay a little while and give me a few lessons on how to do a few things that I have questions about. Neat. Nobody I know around here does machine knitting, that I know of. If I had been thinking more quickly when I bought the machine from the lady just on the outskirts of the nearby city, about 12 mikes away, I would have asked her if she knew of anyone else around here that did machine knitting. I did not think of it. I was fascinated by her story and her mindset. Oh well. I sure miss the local Pennysaver. The internet really sucks for anything specifically local.
But, I will be able to get back to Myfanwy!
I have a couple of songs I would like to do on my cello, viola or violin. I think they are 60's songs. I have to figure out how I will do them. It will be cello first, then viola. I am not yet ready for them on my cello, because I am doing Myfanwy and the Bourrée, so I have time to figure it out.
I am seeing light more and more as the days click by and I get closer to getting my cello area back. I am pleased that I found a good home for the knitting machines, though.
Later.
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Oh, wow! I installed my Krentz magnetic modulator/wolf tone eliminator on my cello. Wow! I watched a video by someone, may have been done by Krentz. He showed how to install it and how to use it to get a different tone from your instrument.
I got rid of the wolf, and then I moved around like he said. Very nice. I didn't do too much, I have a headache, but when I am better, I am going to play around again. I noticed just a tad wolf on the open D, but it is gone from the rest of that string. I don't think I will worry about that. It is barely noticeable and might wake up another wolf if I' get too picky, so I am just going to play with the movements in the other directions, I will have to looks at the diagram that came with it, and maybe re-watch the video so I am moving in the proper directions. But that will be later.
I am relieved the two magnets connected and I did not have to go fishing for the piston end in the cello. 3 for 3 with doing that.
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Ms. Blog, good practice and playing day.
I worked on "Myfanwy" on my cello. I actually did pretty good with it. I also played, "What a Wonderful World". I will never stop playing that. I think "Myfanwy" take the same slot. I love them both, I did notice the difference with the Krentz magnetic modulator wolf tone eliminator. That was not made it be a better session than most, but I did notice it. It just felt good to play my cello today.
I also did my ukulele. What fun was that? I have a Hal Leonard book 1 for it. I like the Hal Leonard series, at least for beginning, never used it much beyond book 2. I logged in and registered the book so that I could use the tracks provided for the book.
I love my Fiddlerman Ukulele.
The tracks were necessary. I was supposed to be doing strumming patterns, but I was more strumming to note timings as I was singing the song in my mind. If a note was between beats, I strummed. I was not supposed to do that. It helps to use the tracks. I am finding myself fascinated by the ukulele, but I do love my cello. I hope that in about a year that I can use my ukulele along with my cello, viola and violin. We will see.
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I did my cello this morning. I noticed that I am beginning to spot missed fingering a lot more easily now. I can tell more often if I am flat or sharp with a note, at least this morning.
I was working on Myfanwy and added about three more measures. I also did my What a Wonderful World.
I then did my ukulele, which is coming along, also.
It was a good day.
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Regulars
I have purchased a ukulele to learn so that I can use it as rhythm or beat back up for my cello and viola. I have been using Hal Leonard to learn. I added a SkillShare course this morning. I went well. I should have thought of that before. I do subscribe to SkillShare.
The course was good. I wore out the pad battery. It is npw charging up again.
Mouse
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I did my viola this morning. I did some songs I have memorized, just short little ditties, mostly from Suzuki. I then tried What a Wonderful World. I do play that on my cello. I figured it out on my cello a while ago. I am not trying it on my viola.
I shift a lot with What a Wonderful World on my cello. I find it hard to shift on viola and violin, so, while I am beginning to learn What a Wonderful World on my viola, I am not shifting. That is how I did it with my cello. First position and then I added shifting where it was appropriate, either for fingering or sound. Open strings do sound a little different than that same. ote shifted in a different string. To me, the fingered shifted note sounds fuller and softer, if that makes sense.
The session went well. I was actually pleased. I heard some really nice sounding notes that were spot on, and the other notes were not too far off. For me, that is great progress. I used to not even notice when I was off, I am able to do that more often now.
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