Week 2: Share your Love! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of the "Music YOU Love" practice challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream! (<- link comes soon)
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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Update on Lagrima...and a new piece: Venetian Boat Song by Felix Mendelssohn!
I believe I am getting the mechanics down now for Lagrima. There were some fingering decisions that I've had to make that seem to have slowed the process down a bit. I'm still not at the point where I feel free from the mechanics to fine tune the interpretation and dynamics, but Rome wasn't built in a day!
Also, I was thinking that Lagrima wasn't "enough" for this challenge, so I decided to throw another song into the fire. Venetian Boat Song by Mendelssohn is a piece that I have always loved since I first heard Julian Bream perform it decades ago. I've attempted to start it before, but got distracted. This is a perfect time to revisit it. What could be more romantic than gliding along in a gondola in Venice?
I am just getting started with this, so this is a very rough run through of just the first 16 measures - which is interesting, since the entire piece of Lagrima is just 16 measures!
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joosje Thank you Joosje!
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Eric Phillips Thanks Eric!
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Moyses Lopes Thank you Moyses!
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My attempt at James Edward’s arrangement of Clair De Lune. I’ve mostly settled on the fingerings and changes. All that is left now are spot practice, practice practice. Hopefully get to see more improvement next week.
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don That is very good, Don. You have a good grasp of this piece, which looks really difficult - I have never attempted it. I am looking forward to seeing your progress. You have it all under control.
BTW, Tariq Harb has a wonderful YT of this transcription.
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don Wow! That’s amazing! A gorgeous James Edwards arrangement—and you play it so well! I play it on piano, but it looks much more difficult on guitar.
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Jack Stewart Thanks! Yes I got to know this arrangement when I chanced upon Tariq Harb playing it.
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Marilyn Blodget Thanks Marilyn. I think generally piano arrangement will always be more difficult to be play on the guitar but I really love this piece so for me it is really worth to put in the effort to make it work.
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don Great job Don. This is such a long and difficult piece. You already have great control of the most difficult elements. Thanks for sharing.
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don I love your repertoire choices, Don! Great work and I hope we get to hear your progress.
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don Beautiful, Don! Great choice and you're in the way, no doubt that you will master it! Thanks for sharing!
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don Great job Don! This is coming together very nicely! It looks very difficult. I don't know if I would have the guts to attempt it. Kudos to you!
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Eric Phillips Moyses Lopes Steve Pederson thank you for the kind words. Hopefully it will sound better by end of this challenge.
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Marilyn Blodget I'm still learning how to do this! I've always loved Julia Florida by Augustin Barrios. I have enjoyed playing it over the years, and I'm dusting it off for this challenge.
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Marilyn Blodget Beautiful, Marilyn! Great choice, but I don’t hear much dust to dust off.
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Marilyn Blodget That was beautiful, Marilyn. Everything was point on, tone, phrasing, harmonics. If you're dusting that off then your house is a lot cleaner than mine (well... that's a very low bar.
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Marilyn Blodget Eric Phillips Thanks Eric. Next challenge is memorizing, so my focus is not limited by having my eyes on the page.
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Jack Stewart Ha! I don’t see how we’re supposed to have a clean house while playing classical guitar!
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Marilyn Blodget Beautiful Marilyn! I understand the benefits and challenge of memorization. Much better to play without the score to concentrate only on the music. I tried doing it for my submission today, but wasn't solid in a few places-- but still worth the effort in long run.
Your legato, tone and color in the lyrical melody sounds wonderful.
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Barney Thank you Barney!
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Marilyn Blodget this is another of my favorite piece on guitar. Thanks for sharing, love how lush and connected it sounded, especially the first section.
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Marilyn Blodget Very nice Marilyn, well done. Can you tell me more about your guitar and the strings you are using? The tone is just great.
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Andre Bernier My guitar is a 1969 Ramirez 1A that I purchased at the Ramirez store in Madrid in 1969. I’ve played the same guitar for over 50 years! I am using Savarez Alliance Cantiga (high tension) strings. For nail care, after shaping I use Micro Mesh abrasives from 1500 to 12000. Then I spit polish with Dico Jeweler’s rouge.
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Marilyn Blodget Thanks Marilyn, I guess I will have to plan a trip in Spain to visit the Ramirez shop.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
