The Instrumentalists Thread

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Dude, EV . . . that's . . . pretty awesome.

[EllethValatari]

Isn't it? I haven't gotten to the point where I can play all four parts and put them together like this kid, but I can play each part separately...I'll have to post a video sometime!

BJ-very nice jammin'. That song is from my favorite Johnny Cash album...he's quite an insightful man.

[Tessar]

You guys, you need to check out a book called "The Art of Practicing." http://www.amazon.com/Art-Practicing...0117985&sr=8-1

I picked it up from Halfprice the other day. It's about the "mindset" of practicing and has some parts on physical posture/relaxation to help you play your instrument or sing better. It has definitely changed the way I think about practicing.

It really improved my piano playing (and, coincidentally, my typing speed) because I discovered a couple of things that I was doing wrong with my posture. I actually played my speed scales about 1/4th faster today than yesterday... I was doing halfnotes cleanly at 168ish, and today I did 204 cleanly pretty easily. So that was neat.

It's nice to move from what you thought was relaxed to being even more relaxed.

[Rían]

Sounds good - I definitely need to relax more - I have a lot of tension in my hands playing the harp, esp. now that I've been off it for so long because of all the surgeries and health issues. And what's really a bummer is that my right hand's reach is shorter now because of the surgery on my right shoulder It's really affected my octaves I have to re-learn muscle memory - can't just grab an octave

BJ - that is AWESOME!!!!!

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Sounds good - I definitely need to relax more - I have a lot of tension in my hands playing the harp, esp. now that I've been off it for so long because of all the surgeries and health issues. And what's really a bummer is that my right hand's reach is shorter now because of the surgery on my right shoulder It's really affected my octaves I have to re-learn muscle memory - can't just grab an octave

BJ - that is AWESOME!!!!!

Sorry, Rian. I know that must be difficult for you to have to readjust... if your body has changed, maybe you should consider getting a few more lessons to have a teacher's help? I know it's not a perfect example, but when guys voices change they rarely just blossom into awesome singers without the aid of a teacher, while a lot of girls are very good at a young age due to the fact that their vocal mechanism doesn't change very much. If the reach of your arm has changed, you might need a teacher's help to readjust your technique to fit your new 'reach'.

But don't feel too down. I know some people who are nutso piano players that can't reach an octave and they just adjust their technique to fit their tiny, tiny, child-sized hands. >.>

[katya]

Sometimes when I'm playing piano (or certain other things like DDR) I noticed that I clench my teeth. When I noticed myself doing it I stop but it's weird.

I am so thankful I have big enough hands for piano. If I couldn't reach an octave properly? That would be horrible! I have problems with some songs with big reaches (like Moonlight Sonata) but generally not too bad. I've had to leave bottom notes out of chords before though.

So I almost have the second movement of Beethoven's Pathetique down. It was not really that hard at all. I just have to get it memorized a little bit better. I'm pretty happy about this but I have to say, I don't think I like the song as much as before I learned to play it. I had a feeling that would happen.

[Tessar]

Been listening to violin music all day these last few days while I study... it's probably the only thing keeping my brain from asplodin'. Really enjoying the Bach stuff, of course, and getting into Paganini, although I'm still not 100% crazy about all his stuff like I am with Bach.

I'm going to try to practice a little tonight, although with my final so early tomorrow morning I may not get the time to. Still a few more things to review.

About the clenched teeth comment: Apparently when I practice violin I put my tongue between my teeth. I don't know why. It ends up being painful because my jaw is resting on the violin and so that puts pressure on my tongue... but I don't feel it till I take my jaw off the violin, and the pressure lessens.... then it's ouchies. O_o Gotta stop chewin' on my tongue!!!

[katya]

Sometimes my mouth just hangs open. That happens too.

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by katya

Sometimes my mouth just hangs open. That happens too.

As a side note, I am saving the above quote to use out of context if we are ever having an argument about something and I need to appear more credible.


Today we had a cello player do the solo at the presbyterian church. He was aaaaaamazing. He played an arrangement of What Child Is This for the prelude, and during the service he played the Wextford Carol.... soooo gorgeous.

Found out later that he's the first chair cellist for a nearby symphony, and I could certainly believe it. He's fantastic.

[Tessar]

GUH. YOU GUYS.

Apparently I have no ability to tune the violin whatsoever.

I swear I twist the peg a fraction one way, and BAM. Super sharp. I twist it half a fraction back the other way, and POW. Super flat. >.< I can. not. make. it. TUUUUUUUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's driving me crazy... of course it's just barely out of tune, but it's enough for my ear to tell and when I plunk out an exercise that has open notes it drives me absolutely freaking bonkers because it's all, "Mary had a *WONK* lamb, *WONK* lamb, *WONK* lamb. Mary *WONK* *WONK* *WONK*"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH. >.< TUNE!!! TUUUUUUUUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rían]

The top 5 strings on my harp are that way - I just kind of put the tuning key on the peg, breathe on it and think "up" or "down"

[Tessar]

So apparently it's the strings and not -just- my inability to tune. Even my teacher has a little trouble tuning the violin, and it wont stay in tune very well... it needs new strings at some point, but for now it's okay.

Also, interesting little side note.... apparently I have the body of a violist. My neck and shoulders are designed for playing viola, not violin. So the viola teacher that my violin teacher shares a house with had to step into my lesson and help us out because we've been spending the last few weeks trying to figure out why I can't hold the violin without it causing me to clench my jaw to "hold on" to the violin.

So we had to put a piece of sponge on the violin shoulder rest, to build up one end of the rest, and then we had to change out the chin rest and I'm having to hold the violin sideways like a violist, rather than at an angle like a violinist. I'm glad we finally worked it out, but when we were all done fixing it I couldn't play any more. We not only changed the height, but the angle of the strings, so I was trying to play and I couldn't find any of the notes and I kept playing on strings other than the ones I was trying to.

So this week is going to be all about readjusting to the new height and angle.

[EllethValatari]

Yes it is! If only i could film myself and do that

[Rían]

I'm not a huge fan of guitar, but I came across Laurence Juber last night on a Masters of Acoustic Guitar program on tv - the guy is just amazing ... he will even change the basic tuning of the strings for different pieces, which I've never heard of.

[Rían]

I was at a charity tea yesterday afternoon, and there was a harpist there playing on a Celtic harp like mine (the smaller kind, not the huge pedal harps) - I came over to watch her, and realized that I was at least as good as she was. She was playing just standard background-type harp music, while I play mostly Celtic tunes, which are harder. I realized that if I got up a set of "relaxing" harp background music (basically the melody in the right hand, and chords played different ways in the left), then maybe I could be one of the players for a big charity event where harp players are placed throughout this large garden setting and people just stroll around and come across the players as they go. It would be kinda fun, and not so scary as just sitting and playing for people (the problem is that I've never been able to perform music for anyone - I just get too nervous - but this is kinda like playing for yourself)

Anyway, it was a nice realization that I could play at least as well as someone who was performing (but she wasn't really good )

ALSO - does anyone who has a wooden instrument ever use wax/oil? We're so dry out here in Arizona, and I was putting lemon oil on a wooden piece of furniture, and started wondering if I should be doing something for my harp ... I looked it up, and they did indeed recommend putting oil on the harp every few months (and I've had it for years and never used oil!) but only special musical instrument oil. They said that I could use guitar oil, though, which you can easily get at any large music store. Does anyone here use oil on their wood instruments?

[Earniel]

It's probably not the same league, but I try to oil the didgeridoo every year before summer. If it cracks because of the heat, it's spoilt forever. Oiling should prevent that.

I use ordinary fry oil, the didge teacher said that was okay. It does smell vaguely of fries because of it. You get a bit hungry after playing on it. I've tried adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil for the smell but I suspect I have to use the whole bottle if I want to cancel out the fry smell.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

I was at a charity tea yesterday afternoon, and there was a harpist there playing on a Celtic harp like mine (the smaller kind, not the huge pedal harps) - I came over to watch her, and realized that I was at least as good as she was. She was playing just standard background-type harp music, while I play mostly Celtic tunes, which are harder.

Rian, i adore Celtic music and the Celtic harp. I would love to hear you play!

[Tessar]

RIAN!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!!!

CHECK THIS THE HECK OUT!!!!!!

http://youtu.be/5_xs2PIixA4


It's a freaking cardboard harp.

WHAT?!!? That's right. A cardboard harp!!!!!!!!!!! And it sounds pretty freakin' good. O_o

It's a wooden frame on a cardboard soundbox. I mean... WHAT?! Who even thinks of these things?! My mind is blown. I've been thinking about that for the last two days. It just blows my mind that you'd get a sound like that out of a cardboard harp.

[Tessar]

On an unrelated note (hah) I contacted a local harp teacher and am going to set up some lessons.

I'll have to talk to the teacher, but I'm thinking about a couple of harps and I'm sort of torn.

I'm not sure if I want something neat and portable like the little cardboard harp (relatively inexpensive, and apparently very sturdy... plus they'll send you a replacement soundbox if something happens to it).

Or maybe a harpsicle (fulsicle version), which is also portable but of higher quality:




Or a smartwood harp, which is still light-weight but has more strings (about 11 pounds):

Or something entirely different. O_o I'll definitely have to let the teacher guide me... then save up some to buy it. The carbon fiber harps I saw look SO FREAKING COOL... but unfortunately those are like $5,000+. >.<

[Rían]

Cool! When did you decide to take up the harp? I'm sure you'll LOVE it!!!! The good thing about the harp is that you can sound pretty good fairly soon, unlike instruments like the violin. I love playing my harp - I miss it very much because I can't play much because of all my shoulder problems. I keep looking at it and hoping that I can play more soon.

That cardboard harp is amazing It might be a good start for you. It doesn't sound as good as a better harp - it sounds a little plinky, like my Mom's travel harp - but it's invaluable to actually have a harp at your beck and call so you can put in time with it and "fiddle" around with it and just get the feel of it. For that price, it sounds like it's a good idea, but ask your harp teacher.

Two things I would HIGHLY recommend - one, start off RIGHT AWAY with lessons - I didn't, so I picked up some bad habits that I had to unlearn. Technique is absolutely crucial to good sound and the ability to play anything but very simple pieces. You have to have proper plucking technique (angle of finger placement and style of pull) and you have to have placing technique (you place your whole hand on the strings a phrase at a time, instead of note-by-note, like piano). So definitely do lessons! IMO, you don't have to do a lot of lessons, once you get the essentials down, as long as you're musical (which you are, obviously!) but you MUST do lessons at the start.

As long as the string spacing is normal, it looks like the cardboard harp is a good idea, unless you want to rent a harp instead. I wish I had waited just a tad longer to buy my harp, because I would have gotten 3 more strings on the bottom if I had had more experience - that lets you go thru the inversions of the chord on your left hand a lot easier. My harp starts at a C on the bottom, goes up three octaves, then has 4 more strings on the top - it's a 26 string harp. I wish I could have those extra strings on the bottom instead now that I'm more experienced.

For your eventual harp, get levers on all the strings instead of just on a few. That gives you a lot more flexibility for playing in different keys. I tune my harp to 2 flats now - used to tune it to 3, but didn't usually play in that key so I changed to 2. That lets me play in 2 flats up to a few sharps by flipping levers.

Well, I'm excited to hear from you!!! You'll LOVE it!!