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Annmarie Harrison
Purely a vanity question, rather than violin related, but is anyone else sad to see their nails go :( Admittedly i've been cutting them short (quarter of an inch) for years as having long nails whilst raising a family isn't practical. But a month ago I realised even that quarter of an inch was way too long. Yes my violin playing has improved greatly which brings me immense joy, but as my fingers are pretty long (i'm often said to have piano fingers, and yes I do play) my hands now look shy and naked, but I'm sure the sacrifice will pay me back a hundred fold.      
2 Responses
Posted: May 24, 2013
Last Comment: May 24, 2013

Ray
While I'm playing, say B flat on the E string the note occasionally and rather inconstantly during a bow stroke.  Is the probable reason due to inconsistent bow pressure?  I stay on the sound point and bow speed is constant.  Perhaps the culprit is the second finger?  Thanks for any thoughts.

Ray 
3 Responses
Posted: May 22, 2013
Last Comment: May 23, 2013

Annmarie Harrison
Hi Beth, 
I just want to say how much your videos have helped me. I had to have violin lessons at school 20 years ago (not optional!) and I resented every minute of it. The violin was awkward to hold, the bow was awkward to hold, my intonation was rubbish - oh the list goes on and on, and the worst part I had to endure it for 5 years! ...But for some weird reason in my late 20s whilst studying for my degree, I had a bright idea to buy myself a violin, but eventually talked myself out of it, I couldn't play it in teens, so 20s would be even worse (the old adage about its harder to learn new things as you get older kept going through my mind) Anyway I turned 34 in February and I bought myself a violin. I started watching youtube videos and I must admit running before I could walk (half of the fun of learning sometimes) I recorded myself and I somehow managed to produce a funeral version of Hot Cross Buns, and even funnier than that I said joyfully "Oh, that's the best i've ever done..." I've now been working on the beginning videos for about a month now, concentrating on producing the best tone I can, and after 2 weeks of dedicated practice I can now bow straight, and cross strings without hitting other strings, even playing a high speeds (again, for fun) I am now starting on intonation and i'm pleased to say Twinkle Twinkle.... is sounding crystal clear. So now that I am more knowledgable, I may tackle Hot Cross Buns again! Wish me luck lol.    
2 Responses
Posted: May 23, 2013
Last Comment: May 23, 2013

Angela T
Hello everyone!
Been a while since I posted, but with the due date of the Virtual Ensemble looming I really need some help in polishing up my recordings. I want to apologize for the camera angle.  I did not realize until the end that when I hit the "record" button on my iphone screen, I tilted the phone away from me! So sorry.
I can hear how my performance needs quite a bit of polish. Many notes ever so slightly out of tune. And there just seems to be a lack of confidence in my playing and I don't know why. I feel like I'm attacking the notes while playing, but it certainly doesn't sound like it in the recording.  And while I feel like I'm following Beth's instructions on dynamics, I don't hear any phrasing at all in my recording. 
Thank you for any help you can give to get me sounding succinct!
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4 Responses
Posted: May 23, 2013
Last Comment: May 23, 2013

Mary Reeley
Here's my virtual ensemble submission of Ashokan part 1.  I played using the sound track
with click.  It sounds much better with the track playing in my ear so I   hope I will mix in OK.  I did many takes trying to use more bow, but found myself concentrating on that and my intonation went out the window, so lots and lots of more practice and challenges ahead.
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9 Responses
Posted: May 16, 2013
Last Comment: May 23, 2013

Joseph Hamorski


Hello Beth,

What is the best way to set up my practice time? Some days I have more time than others, ranging from 15 min to several hours. I am very passionate and excited about my learning to play my violin as I have only been playing since for 4 months. I am overwhelmed with all the information available, and am looking for a more structured path to make the best use of my time and steady improvement. There are so many areas to practice as reading and playing music is new to me at age 48. 

Thank you for your time,

Joe 

9 Responses
Posted: May 16, 2013
Last Comment: May 23, 2013

Tim Parsons


Hi Beth,

Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive resource. I'm learning from scratch and have worked through the first 35 videos or so.

I'm a secret violin player! I'm a 38 year old police officer, I work shifts and manage to practice when I'm not at work. I hope to be able to play Pachelbel Canon to my wife when I'm good enough and re-propose to her for an anniversary in future. We married to a tape recording of it 14 years ago.

I'll set something grand up to reveal my unknown talent and play to her and probably some family too!

I'm enjoying learning but find time to practice an issue because I can only do it when my family are out. Am I as well to just keep plodding on through the lessons or do you have any advice to speed up my progress to achieve my goal?

7 Responses
Posted: May 22, 2013
Last Comment: May 23, 2013

Kenneth Ozimek
I have been so smitten by the violin that I have become a collector of them. I have noticed that my intonation sometimes suffers when I switch from one to another. My theory is that the string height may be the problem. When my fingers press down on a string that is higher than another, it will have a greater effect on the intonation, thereby necessitating a slightly different placement of the fingers for accurate intonation. 
  To put it another way. Lets say the e string is 4mm on one violin and 3.5 on another. It would seem to make sense that pressing the 4mm string will stretch it slighly more causing more variance in the intonation.
  Any thoughts?
2 Responses
Posted: May 19, 2013
Last Comment: May 22, 2013

Joe P
I just found this presentation by one of the leading experts in overcoming performance anxiety.  It is long, and the recording is not great, but it has some great advice!
joe
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1 Responses
Posted: May 22, 2013
Last Comment: May 22, 2013

george sharpe


JUST FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH: I COULDN'T OPEN THE PDF ATTACHED TO THE ''PINKEY FINGER''....THING....OK,  I HAVE WINDOWS 7,HOME PREMIUM..IT COMES WITH ..........WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER........SOMEHOW--THE  '''WORLD'''  CHANGED MY SET UP, UNKNOWN TO ME---maybe it was a windows update  that installed--??----SO THAT MOST DOWNLOADS WERE SENT TO THE ''WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER''      INSTEAD   OF         WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER.........OR   ADOBE READER..........AND IT WOULDN'T OPEN plus many other things....SO I TRIPPED OVER HOW TO CHANGENGE ''HOW TO GET 'BACK' TO THE PROGRAM THAT WILL OPEN STUFF......FOLLOW  BELOW  /TRAIL TO GET TO SET ASSOCIATIONS.........GO DOWN TO PDF  IN LEFT COLUMN,SEE WHAT PROGRAM      IS      OPENING  IT...IF W-MEDIA CTR- TRY CHG. TO  W-MEDIA PLAYER OR ADOBE...click-click-out !

Control Panel\Programs\Default Programs\Set Associations

 

 

4 Responses
Posted: May 21, 2013
Last Comment: May 22, 2013