Peter's latest post has disappeared (Maybe he thought he was giving out too much information?) and Robert's latest post is full of shit about his god. He also put up a slightly dodgy image.
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| A tribute to Brother Benedict? |
Anyway, I thought that lots of pictures of me playing the violin might cheer everyone up.
I completed my 3 hours yesterday. After completing the first hour, I headed into Wellington to Alistair's Music. I was very lucky that he had the chinrest that I was looking for.
I like my old chinrest, but this one pulls the violin a little to the left. Look how well it balances on my shoulder (no shoulder rest needed).
It is still early days, but it seems to make the fingerboard more accessible. It takes a little bit of pressure off the side of the first left hand finger.
It's a pity I didn't brush my hair before asking Shelley to take these pictures.
If you look at the very first picture on this post (before Brother Benedict) you'll see that the chinrest still crosses the tailpiece, but not as much as the old one.
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| The 'old' chinrest. |
It's taking a little while to get as comfortable on the new chinrest. It just takes time, I guess.
Last week a friend came around and asked me to straighten the bridge on her violin. After completing the job, I tried her chinrest (no smutty remarks please, Peter) and it felt really good. I thought, "I've got to find one of these." I've discovered that I don't want my violin pointing too much to the right. It does put a bit of pressure on the side of the left hand first finger, as I told you earlier. With the new chinrest the bowing feels somehow nicer too, as does moving up the fingerboard. Yes, some of this could be my imagination but time will tell. Hey, vibrato seems easier too!
Well, there you go.
Sii gentile.
9 commenti:
Where did you say she tested her chin?
Mine is completely off the bridge. The further to the left it goes the more you can get your pinky finger across the strings.
Watch top players on YouTube. Most have their chin over the tailpiece regardless of where their chinrest is.
I see that Peter is back. Rob says that he has been a bit deranged lately. Rob knows about logical thinking and presenting facts because he uses AI.
Okay, no comments from Peter. I'll wait for one before I comment on his post. Robert is giving me violin advice. Grate. No that's not a grammatical mistake. He'd be better off doing some study on how to improvise before he gives too much advice. The blind leading the blind. I guess he learns that from his religion. I've got more practice to do so the boys (old men really) will have to entertain themselves. Ciao.
What do I know about classical music, Rob? I have a B.Mus(hons) degree in classical music. Just for the record.
Has TC's latest post gone again yet?
Classical music is a broad term that generally refers to the **art music of the Western world**, distinguished from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is often characterized by its:
* **Formality and Complexity:** Emphasis on sophisticated musical structure, harmonic organization, and the development of musical themes.
* **Aesthetic Values:** Historically focused on qualities like balance, clarity, and depth of expression.
* **Notation:** Music is generally precisely written down in musical notation, allowing for performance across different times and locations.
* **Instrumentation:** Often associated with the symphony orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion), as well as solo instruments like the piano, and various forms of vocal music (opera, oratorio).
### Two Meanings of "Classical Music"
The term "classical music" can be confusing because it is used in two ways:
1. **Broad Sense (Western Art Music):** Encompasses the entire tradition of European music from roughly the Medieval era (c. 500) to the present day, including all of the periods listed below.
2. **Specific Sense (Classical Period):** Refers to a particular era in this history, the **Classical period** (c. 1750–1820), which is characterized by a focus on elegance, balance, and clear formal structures (like the sonata form), exemplified by composers such as **Haydn** and **Mozart**.
### Main Periods of Western Classical Music
The music in the broad sense of "classical music" is divided into several historical periods, each with distinct styles:
* **Medieval** (c. 500–1400): Dominated by sacred music like Gregorian chant (monophonic) and the early development of polyphony (multiple independent melodic lines).
* **Renaissance** (c. 1400–1600): A flourishing of polyphony, with the rise of vocal music like the mass and madrigal.
* **Baroque** (c. 1600–1750): Characterized by dramatic expression, elaborate ornamentation, and the development of major and minor tonality. Composers: **J.S. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi.**
* **Classical** (c. 1750–1820): Emphasis on clarity, formal structure, and balance. Key developments include the symphony, concerto, and string quartet. Composers: **Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven.**
* **Romantic** (c. 1820–1900): Focused on intense emotion, individuality, expansion of the orchestra, and larger-scale works. Composers: **Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Wagner.**
* **20th Century and Contemporary** (1900–Present): Features a vast range of styles, often departing from traditional tonality and form, including Impressionism, Expressionism, and Minimalism. Composers: **Stravinsky, Debussy, Schoenberg.**
Thanks AI but I already knew all that.
You asked me wot (A)I knew.
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