Creating the vids was so exciting I forgot to post my stats for 4/20-4/26/07
All scales are done using MMHD short bow and then long bow.
Book reading is done trying to sight read, then a breakdown of the measures that are troublesome and then played with a metronome slowly if I don't like the piece and up to tempo if I do.
4.20.07
Memorizing: Bouree Measures 1-9
Scales: D,G,C,Am
Reading: Essential Elements (EE)- Cello Book 1 - pages 35/36
4.21.07
Left hand exercise: 1434
Scales: D,C
Reading: EE p37-43
4.22.07
Left hand exercise: 1434
Scales: D,C
Reading: EE p42-43
4.23.07
Scales: C
Reading: EE p43
4.24.07
Scales: F
Reading: EE p43/46 Completed.
Reading: Start Rubank p16
New note: B flat
4.25.07
Winer bowing exercises 1-4a
Scales: A
Review: EE p46 - Bach Minuet #2
Reading: Rubank p16-18, Suzuki Bk 2 p6
New Notes: G# (D string), C# (G string)
I can't believe the Rubank book is making beginners stretch so much....
4.26.07
New Notes: F# (C string), E flat (D String)
Review: Bouree (M1)
Review: EE p46 - Bach Minuet #2 (M2)
Reading: Rubank p23, Suzuki Bk 2 p6-7
Might as well post stats thru today.
4.27.07
Winer bowing exercises: 3abc
Suzuki Bk 2 - p8 Minuet (M3), measures 1-9
2nd position makes more sense to me than extensions
Reading: Rubank p23
Bowing stick exercises
4.28.07
Winer bowing exercises: 1,2,3
Left hand exercise: 1434, 1424, 1323 pizz only
Suzuki Bk 2 - p8 Minuet (M3), finish reading, work on tricky sections
Scales: G C D A F Bflat Eflat
Thumb: harmonic D A
Bow stick exercises
4.29.07
Winer bowing exercises: 1,2,3
Suzuki Bk 2 - p8 Minuet (M3), work on tricky sections, begin memorization
Scales: G C D A F Bflat Eflat
Thumb: harmonic D A
Bow stick exercises
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Looking Ahead
Started looking at second position and thumb. Figure it will take a while to build a thumb callous so might as well start the torture. Not trying to play any notes with the thumb other than the harmonic A and D. Second position actually looks pretty easy, having the 2nd and 4th finger match up to the open strings makes it easy to doublecheck intonation. For all you fellow beginners out there, don't worry I won't get too far ahead. I have several trips that will seriously interfere with practice this summer. One already starts this coming Thursday - Sunday. Been doing heavy bowing work this week. The vids showed my bowing as a major weakness. One comment I received from a suzuki teacher friend was that my bowing hair was going the wrong direction -- away from the bridge instead of towards it.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Some Think Different
Two videos I found amusing
Rondo for 37 cellos
http://www.mythropolis.de/2007/04/01/ethan-winer/
Pachebel Rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
Rondo for 37 cellos
http://www.mythropolis.de/2007/04/01/ethan-winer/
Pachebel Rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
Thanks
Many thanks for all the positive feedback and encouragement.
GGP's videos gave me the courage to post on YouTube.
Guanaco and Cellodonna's blogs inspired me to write more than exercise notes.
It's a conspiracy to make me practice more.
Even the parakeet sings happily along.
My husband has demanded that I give the cello a name.
After much contemplation, I've decided on Velina.
Velina has Latin (Italian) roots and is also a Bulgarian name meaning "popular or great". Found it under April name days on the net. I like the alliterative sound of the name -- Velina Violoncello. Of course, it will probably end up being shortened to Lina Cello.
GGP's videos gave me the courage to post on YouTube.
Guanaco and Cellodonna's blogs inspired me to write more than exercise notes.
It's a conspiracy to make me practice more.
Even the parakeet sings happily along.
My husband has demanded that I give the cello a name.
After much contemplation, I've decided on Velina.
Velina has Latin (Italian) roots and is also a Bulgarian name meaning "popular or great". Found it under April name days on the net. I like the alliterative sound of the name -- Velina Violoncello. Of course, it will probably end up being shortened to Lina Cello.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Okay, Time to Laugh
I've gotten my first request from a friend wishing to hear me play...so here are two pieces with a few "wince" moments. Yes, yes, I know the bowing hand is way too slanty, the bowing erratic and the intonation could be better... and I look way too serious.
On the other hand, what do you expect, I've only been playing for two weeks :)
M1
M2
On the other hand, what do you expect, I've only been playing for two weeks :)
M1
M2
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Twelfth Night
Just finished reading through the first exercise book that came with the cello -- "Essential Elements for Strings" that I started 12 days ago. Reminds me a little of the "A Tune A Day" books I had when I first started the fiddle. Anyway, it was good for note reading. Now starting the Rubank Elementary Method for the Cello which I got from the library which looks similarly simple.
It's interesting to see how the different books approach the beginner. "How I Play, How I Teach" by Paul Tortelier has 10 pages of photos devoted on how to handle the bow. "The Complete Cellist" by Matz/Aronson reminds me of a military handbook.
Stamina is getting better. I can now practice for about 1/2 hour before needing a break.
It's interesting to see how the different books approach the beginner. "How I Play, How I Teach" by Paul Tortelier has 10 pages of photos devoted on how to handle the bow. "The Complete Cellist" by Matz/Aronson reminds me of a military handbook.
Stamina is getting better. I can now practice for about 1/2 hour before needing a break.
Book Binge
Went to the public library today to take back an overdue book and on a whim checked out their Fine Arts section -- ended up bringing home 3 cello instruction books plus one book on cello history. Checked the card catalog and requested an instructional video that's at a different branch. There were also lots of real music scores -- snuck a peek at Schubert's Arpeggione and Haydn's Concerto. Wow. The Vivaldi didn't look so intimidating.
Whimping Out...
I've decided to drop the two virtual courses I was going to take this summer at MDC. I figured my plate was getting rather full. In theory, this should give me more time to practice the cello :)
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Wonderful World of Blogging
I've had a few false starts with blogging. Trying it when it first appeared on the net. Never felt inspired to keep them going. They were mostly private blogs tracking records, sort of what I thought this cello blog would be.
I've kept personal journals for years, mostly when travelling. I started posting travel logs for friends and family on my personal website when an eBay friend took my husband and me on a tour of Bulgaria. I received a lot of positive feedback from that so continued the tradition with other trips.
I had been emailing some friends and family personal updates on and off and after visiting an acquaintance from Africa's weblog, I got inspired to create a personal blog on my website.
Its actually more fun to blog than keep a personal journal. It forces me to write in a different style. Also, adding photos really makes a difference. Photos are so easy to add using server side technology than uploading via ftp.
Googling, I came across gottagopractice's blog and decided to re-establish a blog with blogger.com. Blogger.com has gone through so many changes over the years. Looks pretty good now.
Anyway, appears that this blog is evolving into a more introspective one than my other one.
On a whim, I had posted my cello blog link on the "cello by night" forum and was amazed at the response. I've been attacked by the cello bloggers! What a nice concept! When one isn't in a class setting there's an isolation to learning an instrument as an adult. I felt that separateness when I was studying the violin in my twenties. There's no one to share your woes or little triumphs or even to compare yourself with.
I've just started reading Guanaco's cello blog which starts in November of 2005 when he decided to learn the cello at age 55. It's an exotic setting as he lives in Alaska where the nearest cello teacher's 60 miles away. He starts out practicing over an hour a day. Wow, that's stamina. I'm lucky to do ten minutes and then I take a break and come back later.
Also of interest was Guanaco's lifestyle similarity. He also retired early, and lost quite a bit of weight during the past few years. I had been scolded by my GP that my blood sugar was too high and if I didn't start exercising and losing weight, he'd make me take pills. So I started the South Beach Diet, Labor Day 2004, and lost 30 pounds. I put my husband on SB also but he only lost 10 pounds. I was more conscientious about exercising 20 minutes a day.
Anyway, its time to put the computer and groceries away and take out the cello. Got a compliment on my playing today from my husband. That's really great. Compliments don't come often from him.
I've kept personal journals for years, mostly when travelling. I started posting travel logs for friends and family on my personal website when an eBay friend took my husband and me on a tour of Bulgaria. I received a lot of positive feedback from that so continued the tradition with other trips.
I had been emailing some friends and family personal updates on and off and after visiting an acquaintance from Africa's weblog, I got inspired to create a personal blog on my website.
Its actually more fun to blog than keep a personal journal. It forces me to write in a different style. Also, adding photos really makes a difference. Photos are so easy to add using server side technology than uploading via ftp.
Googling, I came across gottagopractice's blog and decided to re-establish a blog with blogger.com. Blogger.com has gone through so many changes over the years. Looks pretty good now.
Anyway, appears that this blog is evolving into a more introspective one than my other one.
On a whim, I had posted my cello blog link on the "cello by night" forum and was amazed at the response. I've been attacked by the cello bloggers! What a nice concept! When one isn't in a class setting there's an isolation to learning an instrument as an adult. I felt that separateness when I was studying the violin in my twenties. There's no one to share your woes or little triumphs or even to compare yourself with.
I've just started reading Guanaco's cello blog which starts in November of 2005 when he decided to learn the cello at age 55. It's an exotic setting as he lives in Alaska where the nearest cello teacher's 60 miles away. He starts out practicing over an hour a day. Wow, that's stamina. I'm lucky to do ten minutes and then I take a break and come back later.
Also of interest was Guanaco's lifestyle similarity. He also retired early, and lost quite a bit of weight during the past few years. I had been scolded by my GP that my blood sugar was too high and if I didn't start exercising and losing weight, he'd make me take pills. So I started the South Beach Diet, Labor Day 2004, and lost 30 pounds. I put my husband on SB also but he only lost 10 pounds. I was more conscientious about exercising 20 minutes a day.
Anyway, its time to put the computer and groceries away and take out the cello. Got a compliment on my playing today from my husband. That's really great. Compliments don't come often from him.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
So Why Am I Taking Up The Cello?
As a child I grew up with gypsy music. My mother's hungarian background exposed me to great folk music. My dad brought home a violin but the violin repair shop said it was in awful shape and to not even bother trying to learn on it.
A few months later my mother gave me a guitar for my birthday and said I could take music lessons at the shop down the street. A year of guitar lessons seemed enough to get me into jazz band at school and then I dropped that when I joined a local song and dance group "Sing out Miami" as their rhythm guitarist and eventually their main guitarist.
After high school, there wasn't anything to do with the guitar as I didn't play folk music, jazz or rock and roll. Auditoned for a few bands but didn't get chosen.
Started dating a guy who played violin. Our first date involved me watching him play in the second violin section of the community orchestra. This re-ignited my interest in the violin. Went out and got a used Chinese fiddle from the local music store and took few lessons before my teacher skipped town. That left me stranded for awhile.
An adult community center offered free lessons so I ended up going there. The teacher was actually a violist so I eventually switched to viola. I really didn't like playing the high notes on the violin. Also, everyone kept telling me to play louder and I just thought it was too much sound next to one's ear.
The viola was nice but there always seemed to be plenty of viola players in the community orchestra. There was also the disadvantage of being seated in front of the wind players and getting blasted.
So eventually I quit the community orchestra. Took up classical guitar as it was a nice quiet instrument suitable for playing at home and not bothering anyone.
Then while I was taking music theory courses at MDC and the professor told me about his chamber music classes. I played violin (not so willingly) at first and then switched to classical guitar. However, the guitar sound doesn't balance well with other instruments.
There has been a constant problem in the chamber music class with keeping a cellist. Every year there's a cellist that begins with the program and then quits. So when I saw the $200 cello on craigslist, I decided to be pro-active about the chamber music class problem.
Actually, I've thought about learning the cello on and off for many years but starting prices of $800 for a student cello was a deterrent. Also, where in our one-bedroom apartment would I find a place for it?
At this point our home is so full of junk that I decided that one more bulky item wouldn't make any difference.
So that's why I'm now a beginning cellist and my goal this summer is to learn enough to play some simple chamber music in the fall.
A few months later my mother gave me a guitar for my birthday and said I could take music lessons at the shop down the street. A year of guitar lessons seemed enough to get me into jazz band at school and then I dropped that when I joined a local song and dance group "Sing out Miami" as their rhythm guitarist and eventually their main guitarist.
After high school, there wasn't anything to do with the guitar as I didn't play folk music, jazz or rock and roll. Auditoned for a few bands but didn't get chosen.
Started dating a guy who played violin. Our first date involved me watching him play in the second violin section of the community orchestra. This re-ignited my interest in the violin. Went out and got a used Chinese fiddle from the local music store and took few lessons before my teacher skipped town. That left me stranded for awhile.
An adult community center offered free lessons so I ended up going there. The teacher was actually a violist so I eventually switched to viola. I really didn't like playing the high notes on the violin. Also, everyone kept telling me to play louder and I just thought it was too much sound next to one's ear.
The viola was nice but there always seemed to be plenty of viola players in the community orchestra. There was also the disadvantage of being seated in front of the wind players and getting blasted.
So eventually I quit the community orchestra. Took up classical guitar as it was a nice quiet instrument suitable for playing at home and not bothering anyone.
Then while I was taking music theory courses at MDC and the professor told me about his chamber music classes. I played violin (not so willingly) at first and then switched to classical guitar. However, the guitar sound doesn't balance well with other instruments.
There has been a constant problem in the chamber music class with keeping a cellist. Every year there's a cellist that begins with the program and then quits. So when I saw the $200 cello on craigslist, I decided to be pro-active about the chamber music class problem.
Actually, I've thought about learning the cello on and off for many years but starting prices of $800 for a student cello was a deterrent. Also, where in our one-bedroom apartment would I find a place for it?
At this point our home is so full of junk that I decided that one more bulky item wouldn't make any difference.
So that's why I'm now a beginning cellist and my goal this summer is to learn enough to play some simple chamber music in the fall.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Cello Studies - The First Week
Background - guitar early teens. violin early twenties. viola late twenties. classical guitar in my thirties. Now in my forties trying the cello...
Thursday 4.12.07
Picked up nice student cello off craigslist for $200
Friday 4.13.07
Throughout the day - trying to play cello up for maybe 5 minutes at a time.
Started D Major Scale - First Position
Note reading - AB C# D on first string
D E F G on second string
Reading book "Essential Elements for Strings, Cello Book One" by Michael Allen, Robert Gillespie, Pamela Tellejohn Hayes. Pages 1 - 18
Pizzicato - Bouree, Bach Suite 3 - Measures 1 - 9. Attempted to bow Measures 1-3
Saturday 4.14.07
Scales - D & C
Reading book - pages 18 - 21
Long bows 20x on each string
Bowing Bouree - Measures 1 to 9 Attempted
Sunday 4.15.07
Suzuki style - Mississippi Hot Dog (MHD) and Music Make Music (MMM)
Bowing for C & D Scales
Reading notes for the G String
G A B C
Book pages 22-29
Monday 4.16.07
Pizz. 1 4 3 4
Pizz. 1 4 2 4
Pizz. 1 3 2 3
Tuesday 4.17.07
Scales C D Am G
Book 30 - 33
Wednesday 4.18.07
Book Pg 34, Exercises 135, 136, 137, 138
Using Mirror to watch bowing
Bouree Memorize Measures 1 - 5
Thursday 4.19.07
Pg 35, Exercises thru 142
Mirror Watch
Bouree Memorize Measure 6 - 7
Scales D and up the 2nd string.
MHD Rhythms
MMM Rhythm
Thursday 4.12.07
Picked up nice student cello off craigslist for $200
Friday 4.13.07
Throughout the day - trying to play cello up for maybe 5 minutes at a time.
Started D Major Scale - First Position
Note reading - AB C# D on first string
D E F G on second string
Reading book "Essential Elements for Strings, Cello Book One" by Michael Allen, Robert Gillespie, Pamela Tellejohn Hayes. Pages 1 - 18
Pizzicato - Bouree, Bach Suite 3 - Measures 1 - 9. Attempted to bow Measures 1-3
Saturday 4.14.07
Scales - D & C
Reading book - pages 18 - 21
Long bows 20x on each string
Bowing Bouree - Measures 1 to 9 Attempted
Sunday 4.15.07
Suzuki style - Mississippi Hot Dog (MHD) and Music Make Music (MMM)
Bowing for C & D Scales
Reading notes for the G String
G A B C
Book pages 22-29
Monday 4.16.07
Pizz. 1 4 3 4
Pizz. 1 4 2 4
Pizz. 1 3 2 3
Tuesday 4.17.07
Scales C D Am G
Book 30 - 33
Wednesday 4.18.07
Book Pg 34, Exercises 135, 136, 137, 138
Using Mirror to watch bowing
Bouree Memorize Measures 1 - 5
Thursday 4.19.07
Pg 35, Exercises thru 142
Mirror Watch
Bouree Memorize Measure 6 - 7
Scales D and up the 2nd string.
MHD Rhythms
MMM Rhythm
Thursday, April 19, 2007
College
Well next Tuesday finishes my coursework with MDC for this term.
Intro to Education, Intro to Education Technology, Understanding Diverse Populations, and the usual chamber music course.
No real challenges other than having to write some papers -- something I haven't really had to do since 1976.
Finally got to play my classical guitar trio for the chamber music concert -- Matiegka first movement. Teach gave me A+ for improvement.
Intro to Education, Intro to Education Technology, Understanding Diverse Populations, and the usual chamber music course.
No real challenges other than having to write some papers -- something I haven't really had to do since 1976.
Finally got to play my classical guitar trio for the chamber music concert -- Matiegka first movement. Teach gave me A+ for improvement.
Learning Russian
Been trying to learn Russian for about a month now to prepare for the trip to St. Petersburg in June. Listening to Pimsleur in the car twice a week and got a new program called Unforgettable Languages (UL) which uses a link-word system to help one to memorize words.
The "Before You Know it" Flash Cards I downloaded from the internet are nice because you can write the word on your keyboard.
I also have Rosetta Stone.
The only one I have been good about keeping up with is the Pimsleur.
My pronounciation drives my husband crazy. He took Russian back in college 40 years ago...
Hopefully now with classes ending, I can devote more time to the language CDs.
The "Before You Know it" Flash Cards I downloaded from the internet are nice because you can write the word on your keyboard.
I also have Rosetta Stone.
The only one I have been good about keeping up with is the Pimsleur.
My pronounciation drives my husband crazy. He took Russian back in college 40 years ago...
Hopefully now with classes ending, I can devote more time to the language CDs.
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