I worked on the Fiddlerman 2023 Group Project this afternoon. I am doing the cello part. Then I worked on Myfanwy and refreshed What a Wonderful World. I love playing What a Wonderful World.
There were two little sections that had some confusing notes on the group project piece. I think I got it right, but I contacted Fiddlerman to make sure.
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I just finished an hour session with my cello. I was going to do viola later, but this was plenty.
I think I did really well. One of my goals is getting better at bowing. I really paid attention to my bowing. I did better, it is still pretty sloppy. I never hold it straight enough for as longs as needed so as not to catch the open string just lower than the one I am playing. Of course, that means that with that dastardly C string, I hit the bout. It is getting cello war scars. Maybe badges of courage?
I do feel a sense of accomplishment after today's session though. I spent a lot of time with the group project cello part. I kind of tapped my foot to the speed I think it will be at, at any rate, it will be close. I have smoothed out a lot of areas and figured out better fingering for some. I always start in first position and after I am a little more familiar with the note sequences, I adjust with some possible shifting. I added shifting today. I am not sure there are enough notes allowed for the one measure towards the end. I will ask Fiddlerman about it, Right now, sometimes I stretch it and other times I add the note! LOL
After I was finished with the group Project, I spent quality time on Myfanwy. Quality time means I really really really made myself not just think of how beautiful this song is when played right, and paid attention to what I was doing, It is hard to do because I absolutely love this song. I find myself distracted with most sessions when I play it by seeing and hearing that beautiful video I have of it.
I then spent time trying to improve What a Wonderful World. I will never tire of this song. I was trying to figure out how to add that "oh yeaaaaa" at the end today, Have found it yet, I will. I only did that when I was done with serious playing.
I also tried to get Edelweiss better. It actually was better today.
So, I had a wonderful session today.
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I was able to get another cello session in today. I worked on the Fiddlerman 2023 Group Project, Myfanwy and What a Wonderful World. I also tried a song I do on my viola, I cannot remember the name. It sounds pretty good on the cello, but I think it is suited more for the viola and violin.
When I was done with my cello, Imdid a little on my viola. My arm was sore from too much machine and hand-knitting yesterday, but I wanted to try Myfanwy on my viola. I think it needs the soulful cello sound.
Are any of you joining in on Fiddlerman's. 2023 Group Project?
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Lean on Me would be great! I think that In My Life would be good too. That is the theme song to the old Providence series that was in TV. I just found that series on a station that has old tv series on it. I never knew it existed when it was actually in TV. I think I like it because of that opening song! I keep picturing it with my viola or violin. I think viola.
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I had another good session yesterday. I was able to figure out a couple of sections for cello that confused me. One was an issue with not really reading the music correctly. For those reading, I habe never had real music theory, so this does not mean it is difficult, it isn't. I was able to figure it out,
There were a couple of places I just didn't see something on the sheet music. Maybe better glasses are needed?
I also did better with Myfanwy and What a Wonderful World.
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Well, it has been 2 weeks. I was working on the group project and Myfanwy today. I have a loooong way to go.
There are some killer runs for me to do on the cello part of the group project. I don't seem to be improving on those. Oh, I just thought of a way to try do one of them! There is one that ends with an F# that switches from F# to F a couple times and then ends with F#. My fingers for the F and F# will not work next to each other, it is a joint thing, I can't separate them enough. I can shift up to second position and play the F with the index finger instead! I will try that the next time.
I did work on eliminating my nasty wolf tone. I have improved it, but it is still there. That dastardly D is really bad, but better. Not sure where to go with the Kretz eliminator, so I left it where it was. I will see what it sounds like the next session. It is better.
The cello sure vibrates when it does that wolf tone! It is vibrating less now.
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I don't like copying and pasting my blog post from the other site to here, but I do have. busy day today, so I am just copying and pasting part of my other site blog here.
Well, I worked on my group project. It went well, after a bit. I did try my new fingering on that measure with the tricky fingering with the 8th notes. Voila, as opposed to "viola", it worked. I have to get the speed up for those notes, but the fingering works. I worked the runs. Work well until I insert the measure before them. Guess I have to work them alone for a bit, yet. All in all, I think there was improvement. I am trying to memorize the run notes so that I can just concentrate on playing them.
I worked on Myfanwy and played What A Wonderful World. I noticed that my French cello bow works so much better on those two songs, but my Fiddlershop bow that cam with my wonderful cello works better with the group project. Not just a little better. There is a vast difference. Weird. I love both bows. Probably the wood, style, and aging of the older French bow. The sound just fits the other two songs better, so it is easier to play those two with that bow, whereas, that bow makes it harder to play the group project.
I have noticed differences in bows before, but not like this, sound and playability was vastly different, interesting. I will have to remember that when learning a song. Figure out which bow works better, too.
Well, off to finish the shoulder slope on a sweater, I have yet to make a nice sweater in the knitting machine, trying again. Then I have some cards to make.
I will be checking back in during the day.
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Had fun with my viola for a change of pace.
I tried to play A Bicycle Built For Two from hearing it in my mind. It was so sad. All the tires were flat and both riders were lost.
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Regulars
Well, I worked on my cello part for the group project today. Found out I was doing a section wrong. G# was thrown in there. I thought it was a G. Sounded okay to me! Did change m fingering there just a tad.
I am working on some parts without bowing. Just plucking away. I am thinking that might make me pay more attention to my fingering of notes. We will see.
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I don't like to copy and paste from my blog on the other site, but here goes, anyways, LOL
I was on a roll with Myfanwy, but could not play today. We took the A/C 's out of the windows this morning.
I then emailed the daycare center admin at the BOCES school down the street to see if they could use a few toys we bought for our granddaughter for when she visited for a few days back in 2017. I sent a photo. She replied back very quickly, "The kids would love them. Thank you!"
Then I had a quilt I could not repair. I made it for my older daughter decades ago. I folded it up and put it into the car with the toys. I figured we could stop at the ASPCA and see if they could use it.
Off we went to BOCES. We dropped off the toys in the main office, To out surprise, the girl we had as a babysitter was the main office admin. So nice to see her, so we caught up.
Then we went to the added 10 miles to the ASPCA. Yes, they could use the quilt.
Busy day.
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I spent quite a bit of time on Myfanway early this morning. It was time to record.
Still a lot of work. Will be continuing on with the next section, by playing through where I stopped, otherwise, it will sound like two pieces because I will continue to pause after what I did here.
I don't finger the normal way. I have to adapt because my little finger is just not strong and at my age, it is not going to get stronger, so I am adapting for it,
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Regulars
I started working with the click tracks for the Group Project this morning. I am feeling pretty good about it. Oddly enough, I find it easier to use the click track for the entire project, not just the 4th part. I think it is because I can hear how it fits in with the main melody.
I really want to get this done as good as possible. So much to learn in this. I will be doing this more than Myfanwy. But, I will be doing Myfanwy so that I do not go backwards with it. Cello is a great project part.
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I have been busy working on the group project. I am getting there, but still needs a lot of work. Great learning piece.
I changed the cello strings from Obligato synthetics to steel. Much easier to bow. I don't have enough bow control for the Obligatos, but they sound great on my cello. Oh well.
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