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What are you working on these days? Why are you learning it? Any tips for others?

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Arranging/playing Vivaldi's "Winter" for Viola and piano, Themes from La Cenerentola – Rossini, Divertimento in C-Mozart, and the second movement of Mendelssohn's Viola Sonata in C minor.

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Nice. Any challenges in arranging the Vivaldi?

Lauren said:
Arranging/playing Vivaldi's "Winter" for Viola and piano, Themes from La Cenerentola – Rossini, Divertimento in C-Mozart, and the second movement of Mendelssohn's Viola Sonata in C minor.

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Currently I am working on repertoire for an audition for a Master's degree course. I am working on the Bach Solo Sonata in G minor and the Partita in D minor. Beautiful but challenging pieces! I am also working on the Faure Sonata in A Major. This one is giving me some trouble because of "color." It can easily be a boring piece if you can't make it interesting! It isn't always about the dynamics. I'm working on bow/tone control and vibrato. I'm still looking for a concerto to work on and am thinking about the Bartok's, Bloch, Berg, etc. I love 20th century music! I also have a few other pieces on my stand, Dvorak's "Four Romantic Pieces," a Mozart Sonata and Bloch's "Nigun."

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I really hope it helps. Keep persisting. It's amazing how the problems disappear, and you wonder where they all went when you realize how well you are playing.

George T. Regenauer said:
Audrey's Musical World said:
Try pressing your left hand fingers down harder. You should see a deep groove on the tips of your fingers. Be sure that your fingernails are very short. Be sure that your bow stays in the middle between the bridge and the fingerboard and that you are adding enough pressure to the bow. Do not let it wander. Also, check that you are drawing the bow in a straight line more towards the front of you rather than letting your arm go back so that the tip of the bow is floating somewhere over the fingerboard. That is a definite no no. Otherwise, without seeing and hearing you, I cannot think of anything else. Not enough pressure on the left-hand fingers could be the problem if this scratchy sound does not occur when you play the open strings. Always wipe off the rosin build up on your strings and violin when you finish practicing. And rosin your bow each time. Not enouh rosin is worse than too much.

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Audrey, Thank you for the hints. I try to keep everything in the correct place (Fingers, bow etc) and I have noticed that the scratching occurs more when I'm looking at the music instead of the fingers and bow. I'm new at this and perhaps time and practice will prevail. I notice the problem more on the 110 year old violin rather than my newer ones. Since the problem seems to be with all of them, it has to be me. Thanks again for your reply.

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Yes, the harmonies are so touchy! That's why I love Vivaldi though.

Greg Cahill said:
Nice. Any challenges in arranging the Vivaldi?

Lauren said:
Arranging/playing Vivaldi's "Winter" for Viola and piano, Themes from La Cenerentola – Rossini, Divertimento in C-Mozart, and the second movement of Mendelssohn's Viola Sonata in C minor.

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I've recently begun work on Fritz Kreisler's 'Sicilienne and Rigaudon." The Sicilienne is lovely, but the Rigaudon is a page and a half of nothing but endless sixteenth notes. Aah! Rhythm and bowing is easy, all slurs, but the challenging part is getting up to tempo.

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I've just acquired Fairy Tale Pictures for viola. Wow. I'm ok on the first two lines, but then I run 'into a wall'. This is really a challenging piece.

---Ann Marie

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Update on the Rigaudon: bowing is more challenging than it looks at first, because there are spots where 3 sixteenth notes will be slurred, then one staccato, then the next 4 slurred. It's a spot for the change in bow direction; it's hard to not slur that one sixteenth with the rest of them!
I'm working on the 2nd violin part of Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in d minor also, and my teacher says that every single tie is cut short by one eighth note. How frustrating is that?! Grr.

Kelly Torosian said:
I've recently begun work on Fritz Kreisler's 'Sicilienne and Rigaudon." The Sicilienne is lovely, but the Rigaudon is a page and a half of nothing but endless sixteenth notes. Aah! Rhythm and bowing is easy, all slurs, but the challenging part is getting up to tempo.

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On my music stand is Bach's Double concerto in D minor. See, I am still a beginner, so I am just playing something easy.

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http://myviolinvideos.com/bachdoubledemo1.html
http://myviolinvideos.com/bachdoubledemo2.html
http://myviolinvideos.com/bachdoubledemo3.html

Here are some tutorials I've made for learning the Bach Double.
Happy Practicing!
Diane info@myviolinvideos.com

Yinmui Chan said:
On my music stand is Bach's Double concerto in D minor. See, I am still a beginner, so I am just playing something easy.

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