Violin Lesson #53

This will be a short post because this lesson was a lot like last week's, except that this week I brought the sheet music and diary with me... then left it behind after the lesson :(

This lesson included information on how to clean the violin strings. The best way to clean them is with perfume. Hm... how am I going to explain that one at home? Apparently it is great for removing the rosin, and as long as it is kept away from the varnish of the violin there will be no problems.

My heartbeats are getting better. I am confident in being able to play with the heel of the bow. I certainly don't fear it or avoid it.

I forgot to play the double-stops exercise this week. Hopefully another week of practice will help.

The sound quality for Wave Machine had improved. Unfortunately it was at the expense of dynamics. I know the dynamics for this music but I forgot to apply them. Laura gave me some tips and as long as I remember to play them all will be sweet next week.

Raggle Taggle Hippie still has some way to go. It's going to be one of those songs that will take ages to get right but will sound amazing when it does.I can't do the quick fingering satisfactorily and I the bow work needs attention. It's all good though. It's getting better every week and I am learning something new with each lesson.

I had my first go at First Base this week. It was sounding pretty good. It was not "shocking" enough at the start. Perhaps I am too much in touch with my feminine side? This song also came with a lesson in economics. Save before you spend. Some notes require the whole bow to play. The bow starts off slowly (the saving) and when it gets about a third of the way along it gets faster and louder (the spending). Had their been no saving at the start, there would be nothing to spend. Nice one, Laura. I won't soon forget it. This song was actually sounding better than Raggle Taggle Hippie. It is most likely to be stamped before Raggle Taggle Hippie too.

I have not tried Plesiosaurus. I will give it  a go this week and show Laura next week. Next week is the last lesson for 2013. Laura is off to China over the holidays. It will be around three weeks before I get back into it. So I better make the next lesson count.

Unfortunately Sarisha was sick today so I did not get to see her new violin and compare instruments. I look forward to doing that when she is well enough to attend lessons again.