Instrument Players - Come and chat (Part II)

[CoteDAzur]

Previous thread is here.

We filled one thread, so here’s another

I keep acquiring instruments now people know I'm 'into' music. Someone recently gave me a trumpet, a clarinet and a mandolin!

The mandolin seems most appealing...anyone know how to approach it? It seems to have double strings...which I think need replacing.

Lucky you, Tintini! I've got someone's saxophone on loan, but nobody has actually given me anything yet.. I had a go on a friend's ukeleles (she has loads of them!), which was fun, but I know nothing about stringed instruments.

I'm trying not to take on too much at the moment... Hopefully taking g6 piano in the autumn. I've started thinking about the abrsm performance diploma on the flute... But I'm not sure about that. Not sure how to go about finding an accompanist, or if I would need formal lessons to get back to to speed. It's 20 years since I took g8, although I'm finding its coming back more readily than I had expected. I'm sure my lovely piano teacher would help me with it - but his area of expertise is keyboard instruments (he does seem to be able to play most instruments pretty well though). I've ordered a Mozart sonata which is on the diploma repertoire list so I think I'll casually get to grips with that and see how it goes. I'm also considering an exam on the sax, but I'm not sure when as I certainly don't want more than one exam per session.

Fluke that's really impressive - definitely don't try and take more than one exam per session!
Mistgri I see what you mean about the Prelude - my fingers are managing to find the right keys most of the time so I'll just keep at it!

I definitely need a new flute for the diploma though... Which I am currently saving up for.... Having done a bit of research is like a solid silver head joint, a split-e mechanism and probably open keys. I'm not sure there is a huge benefit in a b-foot joint - how often do you really need to play a bottom b? I need to try some out...

Good luck flukeskyerunner and tintini I awwlike the sound of acquiring instruments!

Doing a diploma sounds awesome. I had hopes of doing piano practice on maternity leave but in the end the poor piano is used for her own musical "explorations"! But I'd love to upgrade my viola which I do play in orchestra, and I'm trying to tell myself I need to get grade 8 first. This could mean I either do some proper practice and reward myself with a viola or I get put off by the idea of an exam and then still have the money, so win win! I did grade 8 violin so on principle it should be doable but that was in 2002...

I decided against a b-foot joint. Extra cost, extra weight (so different balance to normal, though I guess you get used to it). But mainly because most flute music is written for the normal range, so seems rare that you'd actually use those extra two notes. In terms of playing non-scored music, three octaves seems enough surely?!

Do you think you'll do jazz or classical sax exam Fluke?

I think a nice new instrument makes you play more because the sound is better, so why not buy the viola before the exam Grey? Justified by wanting to sound your best for the exam?!?

Tintini, I like your argument a lot! I think I will start by learning the scales and if i get them sorted I'll consider viola shopping! From when I was learning the violin I liked learning the pieces but learning to play diminished 7ths etc in tune always seemed like hard work.

Not sure Tintini, but I'm probably leaning towards jazz.

for jazz!

Loving this piece, I adore Bach! This one has to go super fast... But not yet!

Fluke that does look good! I don't have it in my selected Bach but making a note of it for the future!

Loose the second page is even better. I love fugues. Getting the fingering right makes such a difference, and it seems quite natural on this one unlike the prelude I'm struggling with.

I love Fugues, too, and Bach is the absolute master of this kind of composition. The story of how he improvised a five-part fugue on the spot for Frederick the Great based on Frederick's own (incredibly difficult, chromatic, irregular) theme which he heard there for the first time is legend

However, it needs to be said that Bach's keyboard music is NOT written for the piano, so if that is your instrument you need to be careful to (1) play each key with equal force, and (2) not use the pedal, ever.

The reason is that Bach's keyboard music is polyphonic, like an orchestra or a choir, and it's important to be able to hear the separate melody of each "voice". A 4-part fugue, for example, has the same theme repeating in Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass and those need to be played with equal importance, not favoring right hand over the left like often played on the piano.

The pedal can't be used at all when playing Baroque music because it carries all notes and so destroys the polyphony. If Bach wants a sound to carry, he expects you to hold down that key (often on the orgue) or to play an ornament like a trill (often on the harpsichord).

Yes to all that about Bach.

It's very important when playing Bach on the piano to work on holding the notes for the right amount of time (fingering is critical!) and getting the voices right - you have to learn to listen to them separately when playing them together.

My teacher taught me a technique for bringing out the main melodic motif as it transitions between the different voices - you practice playing one note in a chord staccato so that you learn not to overemphasise it, then when you go back to playing it normally you have more control over how you play it IYSWIM.

I use the pedal sparingly (and not at all for Bach or Mozart), because I have a dodgy ankle that makes playing pedal correctly difficult. But playing a lot of Bach has taught me a lot about holding notes and getting phrasing right without the pedal.

Have had little/no internet access for a couple of weeks, but back online now. And I kinda accidentally bought another new guitar... oops!

I’ve also signed up for a cover contest on a guitar forum (you record yourself performing a cover of a song, and members of the forum vote for their favourite). It’s just a fun thing, but I’m pooping myself that everyone will think I’m rubbish (more my singing than the guitar really). But I also think it’ll be good to get some feedback because the only people who ever hear me play are my husband and kids (and maybe the long-suffering next door neighbour!).

Ironically, on the pedal front, I injured my right leg running so now no chance of pedalling on anything.
I'll do a marathon non-pedalling practice this afternoon!

Just starting looking at the g6 Chopin prelude - it's deliciously melancholy. I'm not massively struck by any of the pieces in the C list. Anyone else preparing for an exam? I'll hopefully do it in November, but I may have to find a new piano teacher in the next few weeks so I'm not sure... (Sob sob, I adore my teacher 😪)

Oh dear, that sad have came out much larger than expected! I am very sad though!!

Face, not have...

Fluke DS1 is playing Tugela Rail and it sounds very atmospheric.

Loose Sorry to hear about your leg injury!

Just had a listen to the Chopin piece on YouTube, Fluke. Very nice! How’s it going?

Had a listen to Tugela Rail too, Never. Pretty relaxing I thought, I’d probably fall asleep listening to someone practising that, lol.

I think I'll do Tulega Rail as my C piece. I'm not wild about it, but I expect it will grow on me when I start playing it. I love the Chopin, it's relatively simple to play but with a few unexpected modulations - very moody.

I had a listen to some of the flute diploma pieces, I love Bali Moods 1 so I've ordered the music.

I'm going to do this: