WEEK 1: Dóbroje útro (Good Morning)!
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of the Nikita Koshkin challenge! This is the place for the Week 1 Submissions!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
- Get the Scores Here
If you want to describe your process (optional), feel free to use the following template.
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
- (Optional:) questions
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Study 6 Update
Here's where I'm at after today's practice session. The tempo is up a bit, and I feel a little more controlled. The same sections are still my weak spots (measures 5-11 and 21-22) but maybe they are a little improved. Sorry the lighting is rather poor.
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks, Blaise! The only thing different for sound is a different room. Apparently you like the sound better in my living room and not my dining room, where I usually record.
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joosje Thanks Joosje! I agree that the double-stop at the end of measures 1-2 is written as a regular quarter note, which goes along with Koshkin’s short-long motif that way. I just don’t like the way it sounds, and prefer them both staccato. As for the rolled chords, I tried a few ways and settled on what I did. I like Marina’s way, but I was not able to do it. That said, it seems to me that she does not play all those chords long as written either.
I’m not sure if #9 will be in the cards for me! I’ll give it a shot, though.
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Eric Phillips I was gone for a few days but nice to see #6 coming along so well, impressive. I really like this one (in my top 3 favs) but it looks like a large step up in difficultly from earlier ones.
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Eric Phillips spot on!!! Energetic and you give the colours of Koshkin! I was was listening to him yesterday and the sounds and wonderful noises he produces! This is very good Eric
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Brett Gilbert Thanks, Brett! I am finding it to be difficult, but mostly because I have never really done right hand articulation like this. If you are good at that, though, maybe you wouldn’t find it as difficult.
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Emma Thank you so much, Emma!
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Eric Phillips wonderful progress Eric. I think it would take me weeks (months even) to get it to that level! (That's if I would even attempt it)
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Derek It hit me like a brick wall at first, but once I started analyzing the problem and targeting my practice, I was able to make some chips in the wall.
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Eric Phillips Very nice steady pulse and articulation!
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Ok here's my today's take on Study #3... again harder than the previous ones and also more mistakes... like a low E coming in for nothing and a rough end... but that's life!
https://youtu.be/iB49X1zlQH4-
Blaise Laflamme Nice again Blaise! Are those the Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro headphones?
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Barney right, you have lynx eyes!
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Blaise Laflamme well done . It sounds just great. Thank you posting, Blaise.
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joosje thank you Joosje... at least enough for now to go straight to the next one, but I have to restring first!
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Blaise Laflamme I have the same headphones.
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Barney mystery solved! I personally like the fact they are semi-open, it helps me when tracking myself while listening to both my real sound and what's been recorded.
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Blaise Laflamme Since I'm working on this now it's great to have this as an example to follow. I like how you're posting videos just at the right time when I start working on the same piece.
Thanks for the earlier comments and advice on the tempo in #2, I was definitely playing it too fast and revisited with a more relaxed tempo which made legato easier. -
Blaise Laflamme very good interpretation. I like the transition you make on the base between the first and second part. And in the first part the arpeggiated chords, how you enhance the melody while the sweet base line is there in the back. Congratulations, you are definitely one on the references in this challenge
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Blaise Laflamme that sound great Blaise. We'll done
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Brett Gilbert I'm very happy if by any means I helped you to improve or facilitate the learning of some of these studies, keep the good work you're a fast learner!
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Emma thank you Emma, I"m glad you liked it... the tempo is probably a bit slow, at a higher tempo it flows a bit better IMHO, but that works enough to be listenable
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Blaise Laflamme Good point about using them for monitoring live. I've never tried that. Would I just wear the headphones while playing and turn up the volume knob on Focusrite?
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Barney yes that's what I'm doing, I'm finding the spot where I can hear both. It helps me ensure I don't change too much my position while playing to keep the sound right, as you can see I have the bad habit of moving when playing
, and also adapt or compensate plucking and timbers to get what I expect. But at the same time I look like Princess Leia ! -
Blaise Laflamme Got it! Thanks Blaise!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks for this submission, Blaise! Sounds good, and also it looks interesting with black clothes and black background.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
