DAILY UPDATES (Click Me!) Main Thread - Where the magic happens!
Welcome, one and all, to the Main Thread for this challenge!
This is where the magic happens - the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Every day between December 6th and 19th, we are hoping to read your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!):
- Landslag you worked on:
- One thing you found easy:
- One thing you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
Sample daily update:
- Landslag you worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: The first bar was the hardest one for me to learn, although it looked easy enough on my first try.
- One thing you found difficult: I liked that it was a single line; it allowed me to focus on every note and it was much easier to read than most pieces I play.
Feel free to make these updates as short or long as you wish!
Download the full score (click ↓):
Gulli's Lessons for each individual Landslag:
- Landslag no. 1, Landslag no. 2, Landslag no. 3, Landslag no. 4, Landslag no. 5, Landslag no. 6, Landslag no. 7, Landslag no. 8, Landslag no. 9, Landslag no. 10, Landslag no. 11.
Dedicated discussion threads for each Landslag:
- Landslag 1: dark sand dunes with some moss (<- click)
(More dedicated threads will be created as we progress throughout the challenge)
↓ Let's do this! Post your daily updates below ↓
-
- Landslag you worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: The chord changes felt very easy and natural. I was actually surprise how the left hand movements seem to easily flow
- One thing you found difficult: The gradation of the dynamics. I want to work on it a bit longer to make them more progressive. I feel I'm making too many jumps
-
Henrique wonderful, happy to hear you're joining us on this challenge, Henrique! So true about the dynamics! They are such a difficult aspect to control! I believe though that if you've noticed these things while practicing Landslag I, you are already making a lot of progress! Like Rovshan Mamedkuliev was saying in his livestream today - it all begins with the awareness.
-
- Landslag you worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: I found it easy to correctly sightread for left hand notes. Viewing the video prior to playing the first time was very helpful. I will continue to work on forward motion and dynamics.
- One thing you found difficult: I found the small typeset to be a problem. I will soon be 68 and I prefer working from scores with larger print. I know I could enlarge the font if I used an electronic device but I think of my time playing guitar as healthy time away from screens.
-
Martha Kreipke congrats on taking part and sticking with it despite the small font! I believe there should be an "eye-friendly" version to go with all scores, perhaps we can make it happen at some point in the future of the Landslög!
-
I have been working on the Giuliani Study No 5, Op 48. Landslag No 1 is a great piece to play before working on it. It helps to get ready to play with hands relaxed and in the correct position.
-
- Landslag you worked on: Landslag no.1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: Forgetting time! It's the perfect piece for a very dark day here in Germany! Left hand had a nice flow, I tried some different fingerings but ended up using the ones given by the composer!
- One thing you found difficult: Bringing out subtle color differences that change over time (especially with my old strings). I had an especially hard time not to over-accentuate the second string in the 12th bar (would probably work with i-m better for me). I always had the urge to play it a little bit faster and I wasn't sure how to deal with the 9/8th signature (I think repeated some groups too often, haha)!
-
martin masterful job, Martin!!! Thanks for taking the time to do this
I greatly enjoyed your interpretation! Yeah, I also changed some fingerings around, especially some right-hand ones! I wanted that Cuban-style a finger on the first string whenever I could get it, haha 
I'm sure Gulli won't mind - perhaps we should ask him in the watch party! -
Mircea Thanks, mate, haha! In hindsight, I think I rush too quickly through the piece (haven't been to Iceland yet, but I guess that that dunes behave similarly around the world in terms of velocitiy
), I'll take greater care of the tempo in the next Landslag. Loved your recording as well!!
-
- Landslag I worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: The dynamics with the flow of the music came very naturally
- One thing you found difficult: Playing slowly enough! The rhythmic triplet figure is easy enough and the semiquavers look like other fast pieces, so it's easy to slide up past the 76 tempo marking. But I found the piece much more atmospheric at the right tempo, and felt more like the winter weather martin mentioned we have here in Berlin.
-
Roni Glaser Roni! So glad to see you doing this! I knew you would be enjoying this challenge
And what's more - we found the same thing easy! I posted my reply before seeing yours, I swear! Haha
-
Oops, posted this on the topic for Landslag 1 and now realise it should have been in here. Never mind, I'll repost here and if someone could delete my post here I wont look so daft.
- Landslag I worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: Simple structure, no fast changes, the fingerwork isn't anything complex, could do with learning where I'm going better, but as I say below, I'm not spending a lot of time on there.
- One thing you found difficult: Holding a steady tempo, and not losing count of how many triplets I'd done. Was making an effort to get the dynamics in, as I tend to pick a volume and stick to it rather than following instructions.
Lovely piece, I like the minimalist aesthetic. If I got the changes a little smoother it'd be a lovely contrast to my usual pieces.
I like the idea of this activity, but don't have a huge amount of time to spend on it. I'm hoping to just spend an hour, max, on each piece, until they get too hard...
-
Roddy wonderful job, Roddy! No worries at all about having posted in the other thread - I deleted that post, but if you want me to change things around in the future, I can also move individual replies from one thread to another
just let me know if you ever need me to, I'm happy to help! Just to clarify, you don't have to learn a new Landslag every day - you can spend as many days on a single one as you want. If you feel like learning a new one, by all means, go ahead! But it's not an obligation.
-
Landscape I worked on: Number 1 Dark sand dunes and some moss.
One thing I found easy: The notes seem to lie easy for both the left and right hand and fairly easy to sight read.
One thing I found difficult: Keeping the tempo. I have a tendency to speed up.
Hope to record some of the pieces later in the week.
-
Derek awesome, Derek! It's good to see you on here!
And so true! I noticed I tended to speed up, too, and had to consciously hold myself back throughout the piece. I feel it's the kind of work that works best when it feels like it's not rushed at all. Great observation!
-
-
Regarding Landslag I - I am confused about the 9/8 time signature. It seems as if the score might be mismarked based on how the composer is playing the piece with triplets. Could you explain? Thank you.
-
Martha Kreipke Hi Martha - here's how I think of it: there are 18 sixteenth notes in each measure, which is equivalent to 9 eighth notes, so the time signature is 9/8. But the 18 notes are arranged into six groups of three, which gives more of a 6/8 triplet-sixteenth feel. Perhaps there would be less ambiguity if the bass notes (i.e. those with downward stems) were written as dotted (rather than undotted) eighths. In any event, I would play it as you 'feel' it - that's certainly what I intend to do! (Performer's prerogative!?) Hope this helps.
-
David David, that's exactly right! Martha: as long as all notes are even in length (before rubato, rallentando and any other things are applied), you are doing it right.
-
-
- Landslag you worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: Sight reading the piece.
- One thing you found difficult: Controlling the dynamics to give overall shape to the phrase.
-
Jaime Great job, Jaime!!! I listened to your video before reading the text update, and I was about to say "wow, nice dynamic control" when I saw that's exactly what you've been working on! Guess that means you've been extra successful!
-
- Landslag you worked on: Landslag no. 1: dark sand dunes with some moss
- One thing you found easy: regular arpeggio
- One thing you found difficult: Study and record it in one day
-
Giuseppe Gasparini Wonderful job, Giuseppe! Congratulations!!
-
Landslag 1
Easy part: Right hand fingering being fairly consistent
Harder part: The subtle shift in dynamics and fingering shifts for sight-reading
-
David Chidsey Wow, good job David! Yeah, beautiful dynamics and phrasing are the heart of music, but they can become the hardest thing, the more advanced we get! You're doing it though
-
David Chidsey I really liked your interpretation, the piece breathes very nicely!
-
-
I don't think I can study and record one a day, but I will study them, I like them.
P.S and this I will try to record it better
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
