Home alone in this blogging world, unless Peter can post from Wellington. I suppose he probably can, if he finds the right road to take him to his residential carpark.
Robert seems to have moved over to Facebook.
Ah well, I might as well talk about music.
I did my 1 and 3/4 hours of required violin practice yesterday. I warmed up with long bows, worked for quite a while on my double stops, ran over my four solo pieces and worked on my jazz repertoire. No AI was used. Double stops - 3rds or 6ths? I prefer 6ths. You get a wider sound, but the notes are closer together. I'll need to get that double bass practice going again soon. I'm going to a jazz jam on Sunday with my violin, so maybe I'll get the DB going on Monday. Because it is tuned in 4ths, I think that 3rds would work best on the double bass. Fourths and fifths tuning - the two instruments are like mirror images of each other.
Okay, moving right along.
This post needs a picture or two.*
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Cuba Street. |
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Moera. |
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Wainuiomata, where the girls are smarter. |
There have regularly been three bloggers in this community.
Peter, the oldest blogger (age wise), is returning to Wellington (part time at the moment) from Whangarei. His apartment is on Cuba Street, with his parking space is off a street at the back of the building. He is very close to Alistair's Music. Unfortunately, the shop doesn't have any bagpipes at the moment. Still, Alistair is an old friend of mine and, if Peter mentions my name, he and Alistair can be friends too.
Robert is/was the youngest of the three bloggers. He sort of comes and goes. His blog is vacant at the time of writing. He has been 'leaving his message' on Facebook, using a nom de plume (Testore) that he stole from me. He is presently using lots of AI pictures to present the truth of Catholicism. He lives in Moera.
I am quite a bit younger than Peter (at least a week) and was the first of the three to start blogging. That was in 2007. My blog is the foundation of this community and, I think it is fair to say, both the other bloggers aspire to get their blogs up to the same high level. For them that's a work in progress.
Moving right along again.
It is 3 degrees in the Nui this morning.We have had this clear sky, frosty weather for about three or four days. It's better than constant rain. On the days I work, it is quite a job to get the ice off the car windows.
Moving right along, yet again.
I'm going to a jazz jam tomorrow afternoon at 2pm. It's a jam that's open to all levels of playing and is held in the Aro Street community hall. Maybe Peter might show up with his bagpipes? They have a song list and most people read off the music, which doesn't usually happen at jazz jams. I don't do that. They also normally have two bass players playing at the same time. That's a bit weird. Still, it's a chance to have a play.
On Tuesday evening I'm going to an 'audition' with a folk band. They really want a bassist but I'm taking my violin to the first meeting. It's a chance to try out all my double stops. Though, the main trick on a violin, in a situation like this, is not to over play - leave plenty of room for the singer. Most folk songs work around six chords that come from the major scale. The little challenge I've set for myself is listening for these chord changes. It's a great exercise that I would recommend to any musician. As I say to my violin students, "You should be able to play like a singer sings - listening." Many Classical musicians don't really get this experience because they spend most of their time playing other people's music.
Time is moving on, so I'd better wrap this up.
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A little pun there for Peter. |
Ciao tutti.
* or three