#3: Seek and Find

I am happy to say that I have made some discoveries and somewhat ashamed that I am just now realizing them. My first discovery was when I was practicing Bouree. The beginning of the song starts out in G major which is helpful because my duet is in G major. Though I've played many songs that are in G major and have practiced the scale for so long for auditions, the connection doesn't make much of a difference. However, the song goes on after multiple repeats and the key signature changes? Guess which key it's in!......... Sorry too slow it turns into B flat major (I really wish I could make the flat sign on here), which is the same key that Hungarian is in! Now this discovery made me very happy because now whenever Hungarian does arrive (still have no idea) I will be used to playing in that key. My second discovery I have Mrs. Hashian to thank for. I have been practicing my scales like a good little orch dork but i wanted another way to practice than all the ways I could think of. Suddenly the light bulb popped over my head with its brilliant glow causing me to dig through my old folders. All the way in the back of one of my binders I found Fiddle Warm-Up Runs given to me by Mrs. Hashian. None of the songs I'm playing are fiddlin' material but that is besides the point. These warm-ups contain a series of sixteenth notes in a 1-2-3-1 pattern, with random curve balls, on a certain major. Out of the three I can use two, which is all I need. the first one is G major and the third is B flat major for even more experience. My third and fourth discovery are more on the financial side. One is I figured with the miniscule income I have right now I will be able to save up enough money on my own to go to orchestra camp. I will be practicing the whole 4th week of August and I'll have much more guidance there than at my house. My final discovery doesn't have much to do with the project but I'm too happy to not say it. My tuition for Flint ($192) will most likely be completely paid for by the scholarship I applied for.

Even though it completely depresses me that Hungarian has yet to arrive, it has helped with the duet. I admit that I have not been practicing nearly as much as I want or should I am doing better than I have any other summer before. Then if I even looked at my violins resting spot general vicinity i was doing good. So far I have practiced near 700 minutes which is really not that much. This week though I have been stepping up my game and hope to do even better next week. Right now I am focusing on the second part of the duet. Right now I am at a quarter note=65 bpm (beats per minute). This is excruciatingly slow but I am making sure I have everything under my fingers before I attempt to be Speedy Gonzalaz. I want to get it to where I am at for the first half which is at a 1/4 note=85 bpm. After that I'm going to increase it until I get up to around 105-110 bpm (which is still pretty slow). Before that can happen there are some trouble spots I need to figure out first. My first problem measure is a dotted eighth slurred to a sixteenth grace note slurred to a trilled eighth slurred to two sixteenths and a quarter note eighth rest eighth note (so much easier is I could put the symbols). This is a major problem since it is repeated multiple times throughout the piece. My other problem is a grace note slurred to a eighth slurred to an eighth quarter eighth rest eighth two eighth notes slurred. This is basically a timing issue that I am working out with my trusty metronome. The other problems I'm having are shifting issues that I am fixing one at a time.

My next post will include if My good practicing streak stays or if I drop the ball. Hopefully I'll have good news.