WEEK THREE Updates: Main Thread - Where the magic triumphs!
Hellooo, everyone, and welcome to WEEK THREE - the final Main Thread for this challenge! 
Why is this thread necessary?
Because the Week 1 and Week 2 threads are now both officially monstrously long 
And navigating them can get tricky with the lack of multiple page display.
But Mircea - I hear you say - can we still post in the old thread?
Yes, of course! Feel free to reply to others in the old thread to your heart's content. Just make sure you post any new updates (whether text or video) in this thread instead.
"Oh no, I didn't see this thread, so I posted a new update in the old thread!"
No problem at all! Just tag me (@Mircea) and I'll move your post 
These admin powers I got here are actually pretty cool! It turns out I can move individual replies between threads.
Where are the Week 1 and Week 2 threads?
Find the Week 1 thread here! And Week 2 here!
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Download the music:
- Exercises 1 - 12 (← click)
- Exercises 13 - 24 (← click)
Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!):
- Etude you worked on:
- One thing you found easy:
- One thing you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
Sample daily update:
- Etude you worked on: No. 1
- One thing you found easy: The polyphony between bass and treble flowed very naturally, I had an easy time playing each line like it belonged to its own voice.
- One thing you found difficult: I had a hard time creating enough variety throughout the repeated measures.
Feel free to make these updates as short or long as you wish!
-
Etude I worked on : no 24
easy: just the kind of chords you need for your favorite solo, very consistent accompaniment in middle voices, steady bass.
difficult: some L hand stretches, create stress in the hand. Long piece, not easy to record in one take...
very difficult: regularity in all voices, control of finger a (plays all melody notes, right after the beat). Some hesitations when te chord chamge is not well prepared.
really difficult: get enough smoothness and regularity in the middle voices (i and m). Note: recording problem, my 3rd string (i) comes our louder in the recording than in real life (I checked with my 'audience'.) Though I did follow the recording live stream course, I still cant work this out. And I have poor equipment. So, room for improvement
-
joosje Hi, how good you are! Played with technique and sweetness, sinning not being able to see
-
joosje Absolutely marvellous! To play a piece like that in such short time. Well done!
-
joosje Very nice job on a difficult piece! The im alternation sounds even throughout, and you bring out the melody in a lyrical way.
-
joosje Very nice! Thanks for sharing that recording. I plan to work on that wonderful piece, too, either within the challenge time or even later.
-
joosje thank you very much for uploading, it sounds really great !!!
-
joosje absolutely beautiful!!! The melody shines and the other voices shine too in their subtle ways. Also you don't fail when the arpeggio changes. I am studying it now, I hope I can record it before thursday but it will not be at your tempo, that is for sure. Big big congratulations!!!!
-
-
This weekend I won't have much time so here is one extra, I worked on this week.
Etude I worked on: no 12
Easy: sight reading. Phrasing. Simple, catching melody, in 6ths. The F tuning of (6) saves me from the barred F chord. (several times made the barre by mistake at the end LOL)
Difficult. Maintaining a legato smooth and singing in the 2 melody voices. Making it sound as simple as Sor meant it to be. Work in progress...
-
joosje Hi, I finished the compliments in English, if you want them in Italian I have many, Very good
-
joosje Joosje that's wonderful you make it sound so easy. The recording quality is also very good. I haven't looked at this one because of the F tuning but you have inspired me to record it by the end of the week. A challenge within a challenge!
-
Giuseppe Gasparini looking forward to the Italian. Language of music
-
joosje Really beautiful! You make me want to pick up my guitar and play it too!
-
joosje Brava! Very legato
-
joosje Well played! F tuning is not that often (but here it helps a lot
). Thanks for recording and submitting that. -
joosje you sound warm and beautiful!!!! it is a beautiful piece! I may try it for my last
-
joosje wow, great playing !
-
-
Today I read study 23. The only easy part is the key of e major. The rhythm of the fast arpeggios on beat one of every measure changes so keeping time is difficult. Also ther are a few strange notes in this edition I’m not sure if they are intended so I changed them to be more idiomatic. Blasphemous I know!
-
David Chidsey looking forward to your recording. 23 is a gem, but very demanding, technically. I don’t think it’s blasphemous to correct the manuscript in this one. Sor never wrote anything that’s not playable and doesn’t sound good - correct me if I’m wrong
-
joosje I'm sorry I'm trying to record it but I have two big problems.
1. I'm not good enough, lol. I just can't get the arpeggios to sound even and clean, always too messy and it's frustrating.
2. My equipment frustrates me. I bought a brand new MacBook Pro last year that should be able to handle a simple recording using OBS and a usb microphone but nope, the computer heats up and slows down and can't seem to handle simple tasks. I've used apple products for years but am seriously ready to throw throw this thing out of the window. I think I got a dud because Apple products are supposed to "just work". I am going to go back to just using an iPhone to record but it's the sound that will suffer a the expense of better picture quality.
Anyway, I gave it the old college try today but I'm not satisfied enough with the results to share publicly. I'll try an easier etude tomorrow.
-
David Chidsey OBS is a PITA, it's not optimized for MacOS and uses a lot of resources for nothing, so it's more a question of bad written software than the quality of your machine TBH. You would be better served if you just record audio in Garage Band using your USB microphone, and sync your video in iMovie after. Or use Reaper + Resolve or if you have some budget LPX and FCP. The video I posted last week was done using OBS, because I wanted a quick and simple setup, and it was a nightmare, it was 720p and there was also delay between audio and video because the video was slower to come in than the audio. I did a few takes and my computer was running hot as hell... So OBS is definitely not good for your machine, I personally thrown out OBS from my computer, using GB+iMovie or LPX+FCP everything runs smoother and the computer suffers less. On the iPhone there's an app that helps unlocking some camera features, it's called FilmicPro and it's not too expensive, and if you connect your USB Mic to the iPhone you would be able to select it as the input source, so you'll have your audio printed to the video. I hope you'll find a way to enhance your workflow and resume your recordings!
-
Blaise Laflamme Thank you for the supportive response. I've been trying to complicate things a bit too much I think.
-
David Chidsey Dear David, i also use Apple-Computers since Microsoft p..... me off.
I have no experience in all that software and startet recording only at the time of Martins great Workshop. My Machine ( iMac27" late 2011, 16GB, 3,4 Ghz) has only OS 10.13.06 - so the newer Video-Software Martin used in workshop is not running. Reaper is running - everything works fine. I am using OSB but it is impossible to do recordings in HD...the pictures are slower than the audio. Now I use 640x480 and it works. Buying a new iMac is really expensive - I cannot afford that. But maybe there is somebody who is really well informed and can help you to get your Machine working great ? I cross my fingers for you
-
Blaise Laflamme Dear Blaise, OBS is only running only with low video settings on my iMac- otherwise a big delay between Video and Audio happens and a hot Machine. You mentioned "GB+iMovie"...
What is GB ?
Thank you very much . Best Regards Olli
-
Olli On my machine, latest Mac-Mini 2020 pre-M1, any resolution is lagging and OBS makes my computer running hot as hell while using 140% CPU and just because the application is opened
Sorry, GB stands for GarageBand that comes free with any Mac. Another free option is Audacity but Reaper is your best bet for free.
-
Blaise Laflamme thank you, Garage Band, ok - hmmm, when I use OBS the CPU goes maximum 15% ...??? that is really strange
-
Olli did you have assigned any external camera, like a DSLR, or an audio interface?
-
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
