January 16, 2007 at 1:45 PM

For some reason the MLK Holiday always marks the end of winter for me. I've thoroughly scoured the sales racks at my favorite stores and am now drawn to the Easter egg pastels featured on the mannequins. Those marketing people really have my number. In reality, we have not had winter in Georgia yet-it's been mid 70s forever it seems like and we are setting record highs daily. I am attending a conference in Orlando next week and as I was trying on springy type clothes from my closet to consider packing, I had to turn on the air conditioner! This is the strangest weather we are having in the South.

The Southern Crescent Symphony starts back rehearsals tonight and I look forward to the new music. Our next concert will be an all Beethoven performance and I have not played any of the pieces before. My church orchestra music is easy this month, so the little practice I've put in over Christmas/New Years has been dedicated to scales and etudes. I also enjoy practicing some fairly easy solos w/accompaniment on CD. My intonation is not spot on and playing with these recordings helps me match pitches. Intonation has been the hardest piece of the puzzle for me in learning to play the violin. I don't have Emily's intuition. For those of you who have been playing many years, some of you a life time, are you still constantly making adjustments to play in tune or does there come a time when your fingers just land on the right spot?

From Scott 68
Posted on January 16, 2007 at 2:51 PM

after several hours of scales every day for several years the fingers start falling into the right sopt

From Emily Liz
Posted on January 16, 2007 at 3:44 PM

Hehe, the windchill right now in northern Wisconsin is ten below! But it's my choice to live up here, anyway, so not complaining. Nonetheless, enjoy those upper seventies for me...mmmm.

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on January 16, 2007 at 4:28 PM

I've been playing 22 years, and I still wince when I listen to stuff I recorded a year ago...and probably now. It takes some time to pass before I notice that I was playing out of tune. I'm at the point I think that MAJOR intonation issues are clearly noticible and adjustable. But the finer tuning of playing....it is a lifetime struggle. I can hear proper intonation very well. Good ear. But getting the fingers to match the pitch in my ear isn't always simple.

Starting viola has opened up the intonation item to a greater space in practice concerns. If you are just relying on your fingers to know the right spot, if you switch instruments, or play a different violin even, you might find yoruself in trouble. It is a combination of both. And a little intuition.

Sals,
JW

From Emily Grossman
Posted on January 17, 2007 at 10:09 AM

Donna, buy me a pair of flip flops, will you?

From Donna Clegg
Posted on January 17, 2007 at 3:11 PM

Sure thing, Emily!

From Charlie Caldwell
Posted on January 17, 2007 at 10:25 PM

The weather here has been remarkably warm lately, hasn't it? Very odd, but now the cool is coming in. I thought it was very cold in Kennesaw today. Good luck with intonation. It usually takes awhile to get in tune. I know it took me a few years to learn the difference between being in tune and out of tune.

Charlie

From Patricia Baser
Posted on January 19, 2007 at 2:26 AM

I moved to Macon from Michigan, so I had to laugh the first time a low of 45 was described as bone chilling. I am also not used to seeing flowers blooming year round. Regarding intonation, although muscle memory after years of careful practice definitely makes it easier, the first thing I always do is set my hand position by tuning 4th fingers against open strings and then checking other perfect intervals-esp. 4ths and octaves.

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January 16, 2007 at 1:45 PM

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