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Mouse’s Hole in the Wall
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (1 votes) 
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Mouse
November 5, 2024 - 1:45 pm
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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

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Mouse
November 18, 2024 - 5:07 pm
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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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November 22, 2024 - 9:15 am
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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

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wtw
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November 24, 2024 - 6:01 am
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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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November 24, 2024 - 8:36 pm
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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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December 28, 2024 - 1:58 pm
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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.

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The Bumble Bee Flies

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wtw
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December 29, 2024 - 7:32 am
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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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January 4, 2025 - 9:00 am
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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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February 26, 2025 - 12:22 pm
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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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April 3, 2025 - 2:14 pm
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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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April 3, 2025 - 7:56 pm
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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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April 4, 2025 - 11:20 am
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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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Mouse
April 8, 2025 - 6:36 pm
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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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April 18, 2025 - 4:05 pm
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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. blurry_drunk-2127_gif

The Bumble Bee Flies

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April 23, 2025 - 7:04 pm
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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

Learn Viola on Violaman and Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk

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