WEEK 6: What We've Achieved!!!
WELCOME TO THE MAIN THREAD FOR THE LAST WEEK OF THE "End of the Year" PRACTICE CHALLENGE!
- Select Your Piece(s): Choose one or more pieces that you've learned this year. It could be something you've practiced through our live streams, a personal favorite, or a challenging piece you've conquered.
- Record Your Performance: Film yourself playing your selected piece(s). Quality doesn't have to be professional – it's all about sharing your progress and passion.
- Share Your Journey: Post your video in our community forum under the "End of the Year Challenge" thread. Include a brief write-up about your experience learning the piece – what challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and what this piece means to you. If you don't want to record yourself, show us a video of a piece you plan to take on in the next year!
- Engage with Others: Watch, comment, and encourage your fellow community members. Share your feedback, experiences, and celebrate each other's progress.
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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To start 2024 I decided to do as my first video this beautiful work by the very talented composer Marianne Vedral, I hope you love it too.
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Barney Thank you Barney, I like playing new stuff... even more when composers are still alive
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Blaise Laflamme Beautiful playing. Nice way to start the new year.
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Jim King Thank you Jim!
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Blaise Laflamme As I commented at the watch party, simply BRAVO.
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Dale Needles Thank you Dale... Working to post a few Microestudios in the Carlevaro group soon.
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BWV 1009 Prelude
This has been a long time coming but I feel this is a pretty good recording. A few glitches and I still have tone issues but, all in all, I am reasonably happy with this. Especially as a long term work in progress. I just noticed I seem to be dropping the bass at several points, especially at the beginning. Something to focus on.
I think a lot of my issues with the previous recording were mostly lack of concentration due to a pretty severe flu infection. The nails still bother me but I have received a lot of good recommendations concerning nails from many. Much appreciation for those. Incidentally I opened a general discussion on that topic and there has already been about 15 responses - so I guess I am not alone.
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Jack Stewart I don't remember your previous performance of it but this one is great! You have clear ideas, articulations and phrasing... and a lot of energy in the rendition! I think you're on the right path to get the most out of your nail-less journey. Bravo!
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Jack Stewart This is really great! Congratulations!
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Jack Stewart Wow Jack, this was great! Nice to see you back in the challenge with such conviction and success. Bravo!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise. I have started focussing on cellist on this piece. I am interested in how that will translate when I fully begin to incorporate them into my playing.
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Barney Thanks Barney. Perhaps I just needed to rant to clear my head.
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don Thanks Don.
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Jack Stewart that's a good approach... in fact I myself rarely base my playing on other guitarists versions or a guitar-centric approach, I prefer a music first approach (out of any instrument) and then how it would sound on a related context instrumentation, like a string quartet for Giuliani or Sor's music, etc...
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Jack Stewart Congratulations for persevering through your issues to produce a lovely recording. I enjoyed it very much.
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Blaise Laflamme I'm shameless, Blaise - I steal from anybody.
I do like listening to other instruments (especially original for the piece). It, theoretically, helps break out of purely guitaristic interpretations. But then, I have also found amazing interpretations on guitar. So they all go into my little bag of influences. Whether they actually make it onto my fretboard is another matter altogether.
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Jim King Thanks Jim. Nothing like a good rant to clear the sinuses.
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Jack Stewart for sure there are beautiful guitar interpretations out there and some had and have some influence on my own too, and a lot of things I like to hear the way they are would never be part of the way I would do. The thing is, for myself, copying or using a way someone else is doing is not enough to play a convincing interpretation, I absolutely need to understand what I'm doing musically to express what I'm playing. The interpretation also need to be coherent by itself and be applicable to any instrument or orchestration, that way it fits some kind of common-sense to me.
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Jack Stewart Really well done and glad Martin started the watch party with this performance.
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Dale Needles Thanks Dale. I was surprised it made it to the Watch Party since I didn't post it until fairly late the night before.
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Sor Etude op.6.6. (Yes That one)
Well, after my fairly successful recording of BWV 1009 I thought I would try this Etude again. This went much better. Still lots to work on but I am relieved it all went fairly smoothly. I have frequent difficulties on the opening ascending and descending thirds, especially the leap right after the descent begins. I can it play pretty consistently isolated and usually play it during the piece but if I mess it up once I can't get it out of my head whenever it returns. Oh well, the work continues. I do feel ready to focus much more on phrasing, assuming my wife (and dog) can stand listening to it anymore.
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Jack Stewart Again here Jack, you have a really good understanding of what's going on and where you're going musically. Those thirds are killers without nails, oh my gosh... this is probably one of the most difficult pattern to play nail-less and keep control of the sound, I'm amazed by how you manage to render them, you rock!
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Jack Stewart You've made wonderful progress on this difficult study. You are really ironing out the technical issues and showing more musicality. Nice work Jack!!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise. It was such a relief to make this recording. Still needs lots of work but I feel I at least have a solid foundation to begin that work.
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Barney Thanks, Barney. This recording was a big sigh of relief. Hopefully I can iron out the final technical difficulties and dig a little deeper musically.
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Jack Stewart Jack, that was superb. The music really flowed and your tempo was great. And, your nailess tone was also good. Really enjoyed it.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
