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After I finish with the GP, I am going to get back into the cello. I am doing violin for the 2024 Group Project.
The Bumble Bee Flies
Learn Viola on Violaman and Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk
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I have been remiss! I have been working on a group project, and I am using my violin for it. I will be able to get back into my cello and viola after.
On a up note, no pun intended, the violin part of the group project is coming along.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I finished the Group Project! All submitted. Took 11 takes! I am so bad at that.
I played my cello 2 days go. Still loving those Dominant Pro strings on it.
The Bumble Bee Flies
Learn Viola on Violaman and Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk
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Well done. It's nice to see you alternating between instruments. What are you playing with your cello, have any new tunes that you would like to work on?
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@wtw I haven't played it much, lately. I will be going back to where I left off, with the Boureé and the other pieces. I am trying to work in dynamics with What A Wonderful World. I have been playing it for a while, but I have never done anything with dynamics. I figured this song out on my cello in my own, from the piano sheet music I have.
Thanks for visiting my Hole in the Wall!
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I have not been doing my viola or cello for a bit. I have been busy with violin. I did, however play Auld Lang Syne on my viola. I did it by ear, not sheet music. It is an easy one to do that way, This is just an MP3 audio.
My A string playing is rather weak. I will be using this periodically during the year to help with my A string. I do not want to try the A on the D string until my A string playing becomes stronger.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Choosing a song to work on a something specific is usually a good idea. Open strings are in a way easier (no need to worry about finger placement/strength/...), but it can be tricky to get a good tone out of them, especially the highest one. On my violin, I find the open E string to be quite shrill, so I very much prefer a 4th finger on the A string (not always possible).
If you want to maximise your use of the viola A string, using the same song, another thing you can do is transpose it a fifth up : playing exactly the same fingerings as you do now, but on the D and A strings (hence, starting the song on an open D). You won't be able to play an open E and will have to use a 4th finger on the A string though (but that's the only difference).
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My viola has been sounding much stronger. I think I am getting a little bolder with my bow. I think I am using a litle more strength with it. I do no think I was using enough before. Takes just a little more oomph to bow the viola than the violin, I think.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I played my Fiddlerman Viola today. I absolutely love the sound I get from that viola.
I did a song I was doing on my cello, that I am not fond of on my violin, "What a Wonderful World". It is lovely on the viola. My room was not exactly quiet, so no audio recording, another time. I do need to try one of my other shoulder rests with it, though. The Kun just does not work. I will fo through my viola shoulder rests another day and see if I have one I can replace it with, before trying a new one.
It was dun playing it and hearing that beautiful full sound. I think it is the Fiddlerman Soloist Viola. I have them15 1/2" and it is very robust, lovely deep soulful viola sound. Love it.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I will be trying my viola again next week. It has been a while because the wrist was getting sore holding it.
It is not injured, just old joints. I tend to listen to it when it protests.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I think that I will try playing my cello a little bit every day and see if I can get my blowing arm stronger, I am not sure why it started getting sore, but if I think back, I think there was a stretch where I was not able to play it or my viola due to outside activities. I think that that may have been what triggered y weak bowing arm, and also my sore left hand when holding my viola. That is all I can think of. I just have to gradually get the muscle back.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I did just finish my cello. My bowing and fingering was pretty bad, compared to what ot was. I decided to,go back to Suzuki Book 2 and do the May Song. I also did from open string to the fifth note on each string, so there was a shift. ie The A string from open A to E. I did this on each string a few times. My arm got sore, and I noticed my fingers were weaker. Takes a bit more for cello than viola or violin, at least for me. I have to work my way back.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Neat. I just played my viola. This viola has such great sound, so glad I was able to play it without issue. It is a Fiddlerman Soloist 15.5 inch.
I haven't played it in a while and it only needed tweaking a little bit to tune it. That was a surprise.
I only played 2 songs. No audio. It was a spur of the moment thing. I surprised myself. I think I was pretty much playing with good intonation. Of course, my ears can be out of tune, and therefore, it sounded in tune!
I did decide to order a red circle shoulder pad from Fiddlershop. I think I need a lower chinrest. I just place my viola on my shoulder with the Fiddlerman Freedom chinrest. It only needs a tad more height, so I ordered one. Well, 2 because I am getting one for my violin, too. That will need a different chinrest, maybe, because the violin is not as deep as a viola.
Off to get some cheese.
Mouse
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I need to get back to my viola. I have such a hard time with disciplining myself to stick to a plan I create. I tend to sway and play tunes I like and forget the plan I have to improve my playing ability. I have not figured out anything to keep me disciplined. 
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I just watched and listened to @wtw's videos in the Critique section.
https://violaman.com/forum/cri.....rto/#p2964
After watching how she holds her viola, and noticing how comfortable she looks, I am going to get my viola down and compare how I am holding mine, My wrist gets sore when playing it now, so I have not played it in a while, so sad!
I need to see if it is something I am doing wring, or just old joints. I think it is more the way I am holding it.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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I worked on my viola this morning. I changed out my chinrest and tried different things with my shoulder rest. It still seems like it is too high. I feel my neck bending back. If I want to stabilize the viola, my jaw feels pulling and pressure. Neither of those an be good for any long time playing, or even semi-long. I can still feel it in my neck, a little.
I am not sure what to do. I wish there was somewhere around here that had an assortment of options and someone knowledgeable to help. Or an individual who could help with what I have. Videos about this simply do not work and only add to the frustration. Pads I bought do not work for me.
This is so frustrating. My viola has such a wonderful sound, and I do prefer playing viola over violin because it has a much more soulful and a deeper sound. But, because of the lack of ability to get it comfortable, I play more violin than violin.
Don't get me wrong, I am truly enjoying my violin. My violin has a beautiful sound. But as a preference, I prefer the viola and cello.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Mouse said
I worked on my viola this morning. I changed out my chinrest and tried different things with my shoulder rest. It still seems like it is too high. I feel my neck bending back. If I want to stabilize the viola, my jaw feels pulling and pressure. Neither of those an be good for any long time playing, or even semi-long. I can still feel it in my neck, a little.I am not sure what to do. I wish there was somewhere around here that had an assortment of options and someone knowledgeable to help. Or an individual who could help with what I have. Videos about this simply do not work and only add to the frustration. Pads I bought do not work for me.
This is so frustrating. My viola has such a wonderful sound, and I do prefer playing viola over violin because it has a much more soulful and a deeper sound. But, because of the lack of ability to get it comfortable, I play more violin than violin.
Don't get me wrong, I am truly enjoying my violin. My violin has a beautiful sound. But as a preference, I prefer the viola and cello.
Tell us which shoulder rest and which chinrest you are using.
Do you not have an alternative shoulder rest that is obviously lower?
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I have a Kun, Fiddlerman Freedom, Fiddlerman similar to Kun, Bon Musica, and another that is similar to the Kun shoulder rests.
I have to look up the chinrests and see if I can identify them. I wish they were labeled like shoulder rests are. I do have the Fiddlerman Freedom, which I love because of the sift edges, but it does not seem to be working for me now. I don't know what the others are, but I will check and get back. I have both side and center mount.
I have issues trying to figure out if I need to hold it more to the side or front. I was more to the front, but I think that more to the side will cause less stress in my left hand and wrist.
Anywhere I hold it, I have issues with the A string, as many do, but I haven't figured out how to solve that.
I will not have time to check all the chinrests any time soon. We will be visiting lur granddaughters for our yearly visit soon, so I am gathering things I need to bring for that week.
This morning I did lower the Kun and widened it so I could have it further up the viola to see if that helped, but by the time I dis that, I was sore, so not sure.
If i get a chance, I will start trying to identify the chinrests.
Thanks.
The Bumble Bee Flies
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Don't worry about the chinrests. And an ordinary Guarneri tends to be the lowest.
Holding the viola to the side seems best.
All I can do is suggest trying an Artino Ergo - they are cheap.
Funnily I found my original Artino rubberised metal mute in a box yesterday (I've been desperately decluttering). I also found about four sets of strings I didn't know I had. 
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This is the chinrest I put on it this morning at the end of trying. It was used with the lowered Kun.
The Bumble Bee Flies
Learn Viola on Violaman and Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk
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