September 2018 Music Thread

[folkmamma]

Hi all! Our lovely host Waffle is away at the moment and has asked me to start this months thread.

Here is a place for us to share stories, ask for advice, and generally support one another through our DCs (and in some cases our own!) musical journeys. All are very welcome, from the early beginners to the very advanced. Some people have been regular contributors for years, but we also have a lot of newcomers and love welcoming new contributors to the MN Music Thread team. I became aware of this group about 9 months ago via the NCO 2018 thread and I now spend more time here than on Facebook... .

Over here, I have Noo, just turned 11, violinist, violist and pianist. She is playing at aroud G7 standard on violin (first study) and is starting JD this month, eek!. Noo is also an associate member of NCO and this year joined the Pro Corda ensemble training programme, which she loves above all else! She is also very into musical theatre and regularly performs in professional and semi-professional shows - it is a challenge to juggle it all, but somehow we do. This month is a biggie for Noo as she starts secondary school as well as JD.

DD2 is Moll. 8yrs old and plays cello and piano. She is a very different kettle of fish to big sister - every bit as able, but some self esteem issues, together with a slightly quirky personality, mean her journey is not often quite so smooth (and mine completely turbulent!). Working towards G3 cello this term (although she doesn’t know it yet) and will go for a consultation at Noo’s JD sometime this term also.

I’m sure Waffle will drop in to update us on Goo, Rara and her own musical self once she gets back from holibobs.

Good luck to everyone with back to school, changes in school, new routines and audition prep! I predict September will be a busy month on the thread!

Over to you....

Thanks both!

Six weeks! Wow. I’m reassured that DS2 isn’t the only one with that particular superpower. He practices about 30 minutes a day in term (more in the hols) and did a lot over the summer, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that he is going though strings at such a rate.

Cleaning is good advice. DS2 is very particular about rosin on the strings, but I didn’t think about cleaning the whole string.

I have been considering Eva pirazzi. They have a good reputation for fractional size instruments, and DS2 likes to project. I will invest in a set once this latest set of dominants wears out (I.e. soon!)

Acid fingers here too, Taggie. DS uses Evah Pirazzi gold for E and synthetic for the rest. E doesn't last long... The lovely replacement has Dominant fitted. IF we swap we will keep Dominant for the violin as it seems working well. I suppose Dominant last longer than Eva Pirazzi (esp E)? DS wipes after every use. He keeps two clothes in the violin case - one for the strings and another for the wooden body/bow.

Taggie, miniTaggie2 definitely has made a great contribution to the string business growth:)). We have never had a string replaced(on a crap violin now and hope to move into 4/4 next year). Could be because she doesnt practise much(20mins/day, not every day).

P/S: best of luck to miniTaggie2 for his exam too. Tiffin isnt our 1st choice(and we might not get a choice/place).

Hi, ds uses Pirastro Oliv for his E string Dominants on the other 3. The oliv gives a wonderful sound. His teacher recommended the Oliv when his E string snapped. He's also only had it in for around 3 months but has been playing for upto 2 hours most days.

Thanks green the exam isn’t until January, so we are just starting some gentle preparation - mainly building confidence in maths. Other subjects are fine, I think (he is MUCH better than me at the reasoning type tests, not that that’s saying much ).

disorganized thank you! I used to use an Oliv E myself, but it was a bit too high tension on my violin, so sometimes squeaked. It was lovely though. I’ll look into whether they are available in 3/4 size. Having said that, I’m pretty sure the budget string place I got the new Dominants from sent me 4/4 and they seem ok... particularly as DH put them on really nicely. He doesn’t play a string instrument but he is very good with his hands, and is in charge of all instrument repairs here!

patrick sorry - forgot to reply! I will be interested to hear how you find the Dominants compared to the he EPs. With DS2, the Dominants start well but quickly wear out and lose sound.

Back to our normal practice routine today! But of a shock to the system! It is tough trying to supervise violin along with usual beginning of term side show (gum guard boiling, form filling, snack improvising, scraping round sofa cushions for lunch money, trainer toe cotton wool stuffing...). Quite impressed DS2 can play Kreutzer with a hot gum guard in his mouth though! Hopefully I will get us sorted out by next week. For some reason term has taken me by surprise!

Dominants were fitted on DS's previous violin (3/4) so we are not new to them. I don't recall it went off quickly. E definitely lasted longer than current EP gold. I didn't choose to use them. DS's 4/4 violin came with those strings fitted when we purchased as luthier thought it was the best combination for this particular violin. I thought of using Dominants again, but then decided to stick to the Luthier's choice.

Totally off topic but taggie do you find the boiling gum shields work? DD's school encourages parents to have the fancy fitted type which cost an arm and leg and I'd prefer not to go down that route.

se22, we've used boiled gunships for both DCs, including WE who has a fixed brace, and they are fine. Maybe go for a decent brand like Opro (who I think so the proper fittings in schools you're talking about ). Like you, I didnt want to spend a fortune on custom fitted, when DS barely plays and is losing teeth regularly (normal teeth loss I mean!) and DD's brace is constantly changing too.

se we also get the guilt trip recommendation e-mails from the school, but have always opted for the £3 homemade jobs. It is about 50/50 homemade/dentist fitted at DS2's school.

DS2 isn't sporty though. If I had a DC who wore the thing for many hours every week, I would probably go for a properly fitted one as the risk is higher, and it would probably be more comfortable.

gumshields!!!!

Gunships made me smile Floot!

Re violin strings - I've said it before but at whatever your kids do to them. If it is sweaty fingers corrosion I'd definitely experiment with steel/aluminium/silver coated strings and see how they compare. Patrick, gold Es just wear out because gold is very soft; maybe worth trying a non gold EP and see if he can tell the difference, it would last better. I was told E strings generally have about half the lifetime of other strings and gold ones less than that if you're playing a lot. (I use one now as I play very little so it'll go from old age before it wears!)

I was really interested in taggie's comment about high tension and squeaks - I have always had squeaky e-string issues, now wondering if a lower tension string might help. And yes you can use full size strings on a little instrument fine - I've put my used ones on DD's teeny violins in the past at her teacher's suggestion. Got mini EPs for her nice 1/2 size, she also doesn't play enough to wear out ever.

I seem to be permanently dissatisfied with poor violin at the moment. Don't know if it's setup, it's just not that good, it's just not a viola, hanging around with too many people with gorgeous old violins, or woeful lack of practice.

Patrick, how funny he's loving loan violin now. Is it a similar age/origin/price range?
Elena, actual stainer? They're rather special aren't they?

Sure. They are. I can hear his violin over an orchestra. Lucky he was a leader of his school orchestra last year

Wow, lucky boy elena!

Boiled ones, at that, Doubleup!! 😂

cat - I now have a Eudoxa E on my violin. It doesn’t have the character and projection of the oliv E but it blends better with the other strings and doesn’t squeak!

With DS2, it is a matter between balancing out his need for a variety of colour, reasonable responsiveness (but not so responsive he can’t handle it), with durability. Do steel strings sound harsher than Dominants? I am tempted to try EPs, as everyone seems to rave about them.

I’m reassured about using 4/4 strings on small instruments. I just couldn’t be bothered to send them back!

Which music schools your children go? And do you play violin yourself?
My DS1 went to JD few years ago but he stopped it due he finished school now. And he chose academics instead of music. I never chatted to any parents though at JD because DS went there by himself.
We didn't invest a lot in music instruments and violin wasn't his first study. It is very interesting to read about how good you are with all nuances of violin. DS2 and DS3 are still going to local music school and no one talking about strings 😉.

elena I am a violin geek, mainly because I play (enthusiastic amateur). I teach DS2 myself, although this may change soon.

No time for jd or music school at the moment - maybe in the future, after his voice breaks (he sings all Saturday). He gets ensemble playing through school, Pro Corda and Nco.

I get my music-mom fix from this thread! You are very welcome to join us geeking out about strings, reeds, teachers, jds etc . What do your DSes play? Are they all violinists?

DS1 plays violin, guitar and piano all grade 8 done. And he started uni this year. Probably he will play in orchestra there. DS2 plays violin and percussion. DS3 plays violin only. We had to cut piano lessons because it took too much time and youngest didn't want to practice at all.

Hello elena, lovely to have another fellow violinists' mum! My DS plays violin and piano and is about to start secondary instead of uni!

cat, I remember you advised me about gold string before. I was just being lazy and didn't try to change or improve the situation! We'll try non-gold next time. DS may not notice the difference anyway. It isn't the case of him being selective but we've just kept how it came from the luthier. Though the loan violin has Dominants so there is no gold issue for now! It's made by the same maker, same value, but different varnish and of course it's slightly different like all the hand-made creations should be. The tone quality is very much similar.

Floot, you made me smile too.

Nice PV. I hope you DS will settle well in secondary school. Have you got orchestra in school?
Tagging. I always wanted to study music but my parents decided against it.

I'm still laughing at gunships
My dd just had the boil for a minute ones but a good brand iirc.
It brings back memories hearing talk of dominant strings. I think dd was still playing violin when these threads first started, wow time flies.
She still has one in the instrument cupboard somewhere, amongst flutes, clarinets, piccolo, and various saxophones. She hasn't played it for years though, and doesn't seem to have an affinity towards one at all.
It's the saxophone day at the RNCM in november, the annual event that gets her pleading for a bass.
It's out of the question as no way could we afford one, but it doesn't stop her

I just had to google bass saxophone Romany - what a monster!

Given that even baritone saxophones in ensembles often seem to contribute as much in terms of sub-aural vibration as actual notes (unless well-miked), are bass saxophones like the biggest organ pipes - mostly appreciated through their vibration of the floor?

I saw one in a shop the other day (Nosebleed Boy likely to get a new sax this weekend ..... eek) and it is HUGE!