No, the Sage has not died. He's just been slack with his blog...
In truth there has not been an awful lot to report for these two lessons. I have passed more scales and arpeggios but I still have the same exercises and pieces. Each time there is something else to learn with them. Sometimes it's my bowing (yes yes, more bow) and sometimes the bow hold (hold the bow lightly, don't grip it). I appreciate Laura taking the time to teach me correct techniques. I have said it many times before: I don't know where this violin journey will take me. One thing I am sure of is that I don't want to be stopped by poor technique :) The flip side of this is that I often don't get the practice time I want at home. I have a family so there is alway stuff to do and I sometimes find myself struggling to get good quality practice time. On other occasions there is time to practice but for various reasons I can't get into the mood so I let those chances pass by. Of course, later I feel guilty and that doesn't help. I think I need to learn to be satisfied with what I have and to make the most of my opportunities. The last thing I want is to get to the stage where I put down the violin and never pick it up again.
On a lighter note, Laura did mention one of her students is buying a violin, so if I can get to one of the try-out sessions that would be cool. There was a suggestion there would be one at Animato, which I would like to visit again - it is where Patience was first sold, before she came to me. Also, Laura is playing with her quartet on Friday night at the Conservatorium. If all goes well it should be an awesome night: free beer and nibblies at office location, the Tuba performance, and a visit to the West End night markets. Finally Mzaza are having an intimate (ie small crowd, not a love-fest) show in August prior to recording an album. I have a ticket. Now I just hope I can get to the event =)
Hopefully next week I'll post on time, and brag about how well I played my pieces.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Violin lesson #76
I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last lesson. It has been hard at times to keep motivated with practice but I have done my best.
It was good to see Sirisha again. We keep in touch outside of classes so I know she has been doing very well since our last lesson.
The lesson started off with our Greek duet "Paploma". We both decided to learn a duet. It is not that the song itself is especially difficult - the hardest part is probably getting used to the 7/8 time signature - but we are learning so much else at the same time. For example, it is not easy to adjust to someone playing right next to you, and often playing something different. I don't quite know why it is different to the times Laura has accompanied me on some of my other pieces (with piano or violin). But unless I want to spend the rest of my violin plahying days as a solo artist I am going to have to get used to it. Otherwise I will not be able to play in a quartet or any other ensemble let alone anything like an orchestra. It also highlights to me that if I were to get serious about making music with others I will have to commit to spending what would otherwise be family time practising and rehearsing with others.
Brief aside: On June 18 I went to a Waziz session at BEMAC (part of the Queensland Cultural Center). They are a group of musicians specialising in Balkan and Middle Eastern music. They made me feel welcome and it was a great experience. However, even trying to learn one of the songs would require a commitment of time I just don't think I can provide right now.
Back to the lesson... Paploma was sounding good. Laura provided some guidance on how to play the music for the rest of the song so now I can have a go at playing all the way through. She says we are doing well and some parts are really sounding very good.
After this is was time for scales. I was happy to earn two stickers: one for A Major (two octaves) and the other for A Major arpeggio (two octaves). What practice I have done in the month since my last lesson focussed on scales and studies first. Laura the explained the formula behind the Major scale. It goes
Tone Tone Semitone Tone Tone Tone Semitone
Seven steps for the eight notest in the scale, starting and ending on the same note an octave apart. Knowing the formula allows a musician to play a major scale starting from any of the twelve notes (seven natural and five accidental). As a demonstration Laura very quickly had me playing a B-flat major scane even though my fingers were out of the one position I know. I don't know if this is something I was specifically taught previously or something I came to realise one time when I was mucking about on a keyboard. But it is a part of music theory that some people pick up easier than others. As a software engineer and soemone who is good at mathematics as well as having previous musical experience, I understood the concept immediately. Music is mathematics. Mathematics may or may not be music.
I moved on from here to the stacato exercise. This was okay but not passed. I need to watch my tempo so playing this exercise with a metronome will be really really helpful. Also, the staccato at the nut of the bow need to start with the bow on the string. I baulked at that because putting the bow back on the string before the next stroke makes a scratchy sound that I really don't like. HJowever, it is important to endure that to make sure the bow is on the string before I start. That sound will go eventually.
I had time for one piece: I chose the Minuet by Telemann. It went well, though again not well enough for a pass. I think here too I need to watch the tempo. The passages with the notes that required rapid string changes (aka elbow circlies) had improved so I was happy about that.
After this it was Sirisha's turn. She did very well with her exercises and pieces and I think increased her sticker total by one. Her new pieces (new at least to me) sounded very pretty.
When we were done Laura spoke about an article I shared on Facebook. It was about the age people should start learning the violin. I think general consensus was around four or five. Laura told us she started late. She was eight =) Goodness. Really? Three to four years later is considered late? What is it about those extra years that is so important? If you have been learning and playing the violin for twenty years, does it matter when you started? Won't you eventually catch up to someone who started a few years before you?
I guess I will find out for myself... eventually.
It was good to see Sirisha again. We keep in touch outside of classes so I know she has been doing very well since our last lesson.
The lesson started off with our Greek duet "Paploma". We both decided to learn a duet. It is not that the song itself is especially difficult - the hardest part is probably getting used to the 7/8 time signature - but we are learning so much else at the same time. For example, it is not easy to adjust to someone playing right next to you, and often playing something different. I don't quite know why it is different to the times Laura has accompanied me on some of my other pieces (with piano or violin). But unless I want to spend the rest of my violin plahying days as a solo artist I am going to have to get used to it. Otherwise I will not be able to play in a quartet or any other ensemble let alone anything like an orchestra. It also highlights to me that if I were to get serious about making music with others I will have to commit to spending what would otherwise be family time practising and rehearsing with others.
Brief aside: On June 18 I went to a Waziz session at BEMAC (part of the Queensland Cultural Center). They are a group of musicians specialising in Balkan and Middle Eastern music. They made me feel welcome and it was a great experience. However, even trying to learn one of the songs would require a commitment of time I just don't think I can provide right now.
Back to the lesson... Paploma was sounding good. Laura provided some guidance on how to play the music for the rest of the song so now I can have a go at playing all the way through. She says we are doing well and some parts are really sounding very good.
After this is was time for scales. I was happy to earn two stickers: one for A Major (two octaves) and the other for A Major arpeggio (two octaves). What practice I have done in the month since my last lesson focussed on scales and studies first. Laura the explained the formula behind the Major scale. It goes
Tone Tone Semitone Tone Tone Tone Semitone
Seven steps for the eight notest in the scale, starting and ending on the same note an octave apart. Knowing the formula allows a musician to play a major scale starting from any of the twelve notes (seven natural and five accidental). As a demonstration Laura very quickly had me playing a B-flat major scane even though my fingers were out of the one position I know. I don't know if this is something I was specifically taught previously or something I came to realise one time when I was mucking about on a keyboard. But it is a part of music theory that some people pick up easier than others. As a software engineer and soemone who is good at mathematics as well as having previous musical experience, I understood the concept immediately. Music is mathematics. Mathematics may or may not be music.
I moved on from here to the stacato exercise. This was okay but not passed. I need to watch my tempo so playing this exercise with a metronome will be really really helpful. Also, the staccato at the nut of the bow need to start with the bow on the string. I baulked at that because putting the bow back on the string before the next stroke makes a scratchy sound that I really don't like. HJowever, it is important to endure that to make sure the bow is on the string before I start. That sound will go eventually.
I had time for one piece: I chose the Minuet by Telemann. It went well, though again not well enough for a pass. I think here too I need to watch the tempo. The passages with the notes that required rapid string changes (aka elbow circlies) had improved so I was happy about that.
After this it was Sirisha's turn. She did very well with her exercises and pieces and I think increased her sticker total by one. Her new pieces (new at least to me) sounded very pretty.
When we were done Laura spoke about an article I shared on Facebook. It was about the age people should start learning the violin. I think general consensus was around four or five. Laura told us she started late. She was eight =) Goodness. Really? Three to four years later is considered late? What is it about those extra years that is so important? If you have been learning and playing the violin for twenty years, does it matter when you started? Won't you eventually catch up to someone who started a few years before you?
I guess I will find out for myself... eventually.
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