New Year!
2024-03-21
- new tunes and old tunes
- spelmanslag starts again anew
2024-03-08
~ 20min
- go over first 2 lines of corrente! I am getting the hooked bow sound, but the double stops on the first bar still eludes me
- either way it sounds like the notes
- the old bow gave way - there's a metallic smell of metal grinding metal - i think I over-turned it :( hope it stays ok.
- it smells like blood? is it coming alive finally? or is it dying? it smells old.
- is it bad to breath in metal rust dust?
- smells like nickle? something metallic
2024-03-07
~80 min
- Tamlin's with Aj
- need to go over it a few more times
- memory exercise with McKechnie's Farewell, I need to redo Part B which is a bit tricky. Try to link it up with the next tune in the Bay Street Sessions
- Afterwards, went back through the Blazin' book 3, in particular the Catch and Kiss the Romp which is a cracker of a tune! I want to relearn that tune
- Afterwards, went into some Jenna Reid tunes
- Afterwards, started Corrente of Partita II - which is a mess but somewhere in the middle of that is a tune
More of an Omnibus re-review, but I felt good and my shoulder is ok.
Fiddle loved Taigh Sia
2024-03-05
~60min
- upper strings workout with Alex Laing
- String crossing with shifting is a great exercise and breaks my brain a bit in the good way
2024-02-28
60+20 = 80 min
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Tamlynn review first 2 lines, but on repeat, add in double stops!
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Shape it - first time through slow mellow, very beautiful sound, second time through go fast! with double stops, synchopation, make it a different feel.
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went through some josefin's waltz
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night time Bach session, 2 lines of Partita II allemand, after the repeat. It's starting to make more sense, but I still need to "glue" it all together.
2024-02-27
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60 min
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D minor scale 2 octave with shifting on the e - I should make a G and D string shfit exercise out of it, but that's for tomorrow!
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Tamlynn's first 2 lines, the tricky part is the rolled "2" on the g and d strings that is only achievable if the left elbow is a little bit toward the D side (to get ready for the roll). If the left elbow is too far left on the G side, there isn't enough clearance on the fingers to make the sound clear.
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pallet cleanser Salve in G, trying to clear up the A string, it's sounding better but I'm not sure if I really am getting better or just going backwards?
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into Partita II, in d minor
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worked backwards from the last line after the repeat, and progressively worked backwards to -3 line. Those lines are glorious! I am amazed at being able to play this music and my fiddle agrees. It smells good.
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also tried a bit of the beginning of Partita II before the repeat.
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the main confusion is in the middle right before the repeat and right after the repeat - I still need to go through those lines
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I can totally tell that I've improved because the last parts (the most recently learned) sound better than the first parts, when I had some bad habits where the sound persists. I'm going to have to correct that, but should I do it at the expense of moving forward?
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yes it's always better to fix first rather than to move on and forget to fix after. keep going over the Allemande this week, but next week I have to start the Corrente and that will bring its own entirely new challenges!!
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The way to tell if a fiddle likes the music is if it smell good while playing it.
2024-02-26
- upper strings workout with alex laing
- getting the hang of shifting
- getting up to the higher registers of this fiddle and it's a fine sound
- taking a rest, part 2 will be some tamlin memory exercise!
- also need to replay partita II
2024-02-21
- learning Tamlin! First part!
- had an earthquake drill
- activated my fiddle protection protocol
- the last time I had to act on it was in Toronto on QE when someone left their kitchen stove on and the fire department came to clear the building.
- a bit rusty
- need to build a 2 level kit
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first is the emerge kit
- emerg clothes, jacket, clothes for 3 or 4 days, protection like gloves, masks, hat, small umbrella, etc
- backup hearing aid kit and spare batteries, enough for about 1 month
- laptop/ipad
- ID / passport
- some nonperishible food packets like powerbars
- some nonperishible water
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2nd level suitcase & tech
- wind turbine
- spare power extension cable
- 2 sets of extra batteries
- spare computer
- hammock
- some food
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3rd level
- refresh the 10L water carrier every month
- some source of fire / portable stove
- longer term camping gear - 6 person tent
- sleeping bag
- canned food
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2025-02-19
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80 min
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1 hr check up with Alex Laing of Benedetti Foundation's upper strings bootcamp!
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10 min on fiddle tunes
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I realised that my practices are getting longer! It used to feel like a huge burden to do a 30 min practice (both in terms of physical endurance/stamina as well as running out of things to practice), but nowadays, it's easily to fill a practice session with a variety of different physical and memory exercises, tunes, scales, and the big bad Bach as well.
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I am also no longer running out of energy at the end of practice sessions - in fact practice sustains me and I feel more energetic after a practice session!
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need to check into shifting, arpeggiated shifting, string crossings, finger balance on the bow hold, and supportive thumbs on both left and right!!
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also I retuned the HF upper strings!!! it will take about a day for it to get comfy, and I'll go for the understrings tomorrow!
2025-02-14
- Happy Violintines day!
- putting in place my new practice!
- day 1!!
2025-02-12
- listened to Laura St. John's Partita II
- very free, very intentional, her Ciaconne is one of the best!
2025-02-10
- decided to just go and achieve my goals
- structured practice
- green book fiddle tunes
- Bach Partita II, exploring allemande after the repeat
- dance tunes from Spelmanslag.
2025-02-09
- saw Beolach!!! met some heros
- biggest takeaway: you're allowed to be different!
- dead on rhythm work
- close fiddling the way folk singers sign close harmony, trading off parts
- mellow vs sharp, at the same time, in different times
- plan to go to celtic colours
- dropping the bass!
- dancing at the root of it all
- snap crackle pop
2025-02-08
- midnight morning session with Jenna
- HFAA open hearth, but I have class and had a huge lab and assignment due so I can't really attend this time.
2025-02-07
- played for family over the last week or so
- learned reeling in the pints both sections
- learning 1st part of mason's apron
- still practicing, just not keeping track, but not nearly daily either, so it's all good, just keep going!
2025-02-01
- midnight morning session with Jenna
2025-01-31
- building momentum
- gaining steam
- learned reeling in the pints into mason's apron
- review first line and last line of partita II allemande
- I think that's the structure I'll use - learn matching lines from the beginning and end, work my way to the centre, where Bach's harmonies are the most complex
2025-01-30
- a little bit more
- Partita II allemande
- relearn reeling in the pints part b
2025-01-29
- a little bit
2025-01-20
- memory exercise review Deliverance both parts
- review reeling in the pints
- decided against VAM Strings III - just not really excited about it, was more about FOMO.
2025-01-17
- first lesson of new year!
- Reeling in the Pints!
- Registered but haven't paid for VAM Strings III
- I'm a bit scared, but I should do it despite being scared
- first rehearsal is on Monday, I should learn the music before hand, go through on Saturday night and Sunday morning?
2025-01-13
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took a very long break from fiddle
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those delicious upper strings are finally coming back!
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play through McKechnie's Farewell and Nova Scotia Fiddler's tunes from memory
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might still need to go see Stephanie at Wilder & Davis to take care of a little bit of nasally / harshness on the A string?
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The E string is pretty good! just a bit nasaly on B on A string?
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it took about a month for the fiddle to settle down
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what are my fiddle goals this year?
2025-01-02
- start a new 100 days
- getting fiddle back in tune after a holiday