Violin Expressions: July 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

Practice Calendar is up! I feel squeezed...

Today I decided to start a practice calendar. Let me make it clear: I won't be scheduling my practices (at least I don't believe I will). However, I'm planning to keep a practice log just to be able to monitor a bit my progress and most importantly to keep track of the pieces I practice or play especially when it comes to scale or studies; this calendar may help me diversify the keys. I seem to have this obsession with the G and A Major; maybe because they're the easiest in 3 octaves. Going-up in the scale and as of the 4th position the intonation is a bit shaky. I really hope to be able to improve the shifting by September. Now I have no choice but to maintain this calendar ;)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

After few hours practice...

This is an update to my Rusted Violin post below. I basically worked on some scales today Canada Day (mainly G and A major) and a few Sitt studies in the first and third position. The tone is somehow back! A fellow blogger from Strings magazine referred me to a good article about regaining the tone after a stop; See Playing Catch-up, it's interesting!

A Violin Friendship

When I say I'm an "Adult Learner", I feel that it has some kind of sexual connotation to it; I have to find another word than "Adult"! For the sake of "concision", I will be brief.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I picked-up the violin for a couple of years. I was on and off lessons and abandoned the whole thing quickly. For years and years I would take back my old lousy instrument and fiddle on it.

Finally, few years ago I started taking lessons again and my teacher at that time encouraged me to play in a local amateur orchestra. This was the main incentive to learn and grow. I must admit I got better with time and efforts and enjoyed playing with others.

I failed sometimes to keep a good pace of lessons and practice but I never abandoned my new friend.

Why Violin Expressions?

I was quiet hesitant of starting a new blog. I have quiet a few of them but I use them mostly as a work area for the music ensembles I play with: announcing next concerts, sharing some free sheet music online, etc.
I decided this time to take my personal blogging to the next level by creating a blog related to music and most importantly, related to music study from an adult learner's perspective where I would share my thoughts, challenges and wins. It's probably a self-reflection that will help me do a self-analysis on a learning curve I'm trying to trace and follow.
I said to myself: "Why not sharing it with some friends and the general public!". I've read blogs and watched videos related to violin technique for instance and learned a lot from them. So probably through my reflections, I will be able to share some of my experiences that can benefit others or you may find yourself quickly falling into boredom (I hope not!).
Welcome to Violin Expressions ;--)