Violin lesson #72

I was on reduced practice this week as I tended to a flu-type cold. It kept me away from work for two days and away from the Paniyiri festival (where I could have stalked Helena and Vicki but I digress...)

I kept up with my scales and exercises and it showed. I was able to finish off the A melodic minor scale. I'll miss those sad scales. Now I have two octaves of A major to do, and I don't expect there to be problems. I am also to do the G minor and A major arpeggios.

My sliding up and down exercise is getting very good, except that I forget when to slide sometimes. I really need to pay more attention. I expected this to have been finished by now. I also made the last note a harmonic. I was stunned when Laura pointed out that it was not harmonic. It wasn't until about two thirds of the way through my lesson that I realised that harmonic is actually the last note in Rum-Bah Ba :) I knew there was one somewhere.

I can now start on the Bow Strokes exercises. Staccato, Martele and short nut-end strokes (what, no pretty name for them?). They are supposed to sound identical so Laura suggested I record them to make sure they do. I remember Sirisha playing this exercise and I am trying to remember what Laura said to her.

I got a tick for Rum-Bah Ba. No sticker :( I learned the rhythm well enough, and most of the notes as well as the dynamics. This means I move on to syncopated rhythm and Vanilla Ice Cream. This is going to be tricky until I get used to the rhythm (stressing the off-beat) and the bow stroke style. It should be good fun to learn.

That was it for my lesson. Sirisha turned up a little while after I started but now it was  her turn.

Her pieces sounded really good. She has some funky music going on there =) I noticed two things: first, Sirisha looked so focussed when she was playing contrasted with Laura accompanying on the piano who looked like she was having the time of her life, and second, Sirisha seems to move around more when she plays than I think I do. It's neither a good thing or a bad thing - just different. I wonder if moving around like that helps to relax the player as well as get into the music.

There was an incident on the way back to work after my lesson. I was carrying my case hugged close to me when I decided to hold it by the handle. Only then did I realised I had not zipped the case and most of the contents spilled onto the ground! Tragedy! Patience is fine, so worry less :) As I was packing away I met Damo, who plays the harmonica as well as studying music business and stuff. He asked if I would be up for a jam, and I said sure. He also wanted to know if I played something other than violin and I told him I was okay with a keyboard. We swapped numbers so I'll wait and see if anything eventuates from this random encounter. Just in case it does, I'll see if I can work up some time to learn a little blues on the violin.