#musicalmayham

[musicalmayham]

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Working on this grade 7 piece from the RCM bridges series. Progress so far on the Theme and first variation. 

[musicalmayham]

R. Riera's Montonia, bar 13-14.

I don't know what  the heck I did there; but OW HAND CRAMP. That shouldn't have happened. And that freaking hurt.

[musicalmayham]

So I just happened across this video on Youtube. It's a nice little snapshot of each point in time and many of the most popular/important bits of music on the Classical Guitar.

So what is your favourite era? Stately Baroque? Constrained but lulling Classical? Playful and free Romantic?

[musicalmayham]

The Story until now:

So, a couple years ago I started learning guitar on a steel string, which was fine.  I did the whole chords and strumming thing, but when I started to look at finger picking I fell in love. The peice I was looking at was 'Is there anybody out there' by Pink Floyd.

I thought that style of playing was fun, and went looking for more to learn. I found 'Romance' by mistake and learned that. Little did I know that was my first step on my journey of Classical Guitar.

Two years ago, after having been playing on a steel string for 3 or 4 months I was given my first Classical Guitar for Christmas. It was a cheap Denver, worth maybe $120CDN. I got good use out of that guitar, it had a nice cute tone, however it didn't project well. Up until two days ago, that was my guitar. I used it for everything. Performing, practice, teaching, everything. It didn't matter that it was cheap and all laminate. It was mine.

Two days ago, my guitar died. It stopped sounding right. There was an uncontrollable buzz on the D on the second string; which then spread to other notes all over the fretboard. I tried changing strings, I tried everything. I wanted to get it repaired, but it would have cost more than the guitar itself, and I'm broke.

Since I have to perform Tuesday night I was pretty put out that I couldn't, and that I couldn't practice this weekend, or until I could afford a new one. My father came up with the answer of renting one for a month, since it was only $18 to do. So we decided to do that so I could perform. I mean, I'm getting paid $50 to play, so I could pay them back for the rental afterwards.

So they set it up and we asked my uncle to go pick it up since he was in the area. When he got there, unknowing to any of us, they didn't have the guitar and dad had called the wrong store. So instead of just coming home, he bought the guitar brand new from them, a $500 guitar, and brought it home for me as a Christmas gift, and I know he really can't afford to be doing that. We were all surprised, and it was very very generous of him and I'm very thankful.

So I ended up owning a La Patrie Concert for Christmas. I don't usally get touched by stuff like that, and I usually have the shittiest luck, but for once something turned out and it's really nice.

Meet Carmen, pictured above. I named it Carmen because of it's Itallian/Spanish root, for Carmel, which reminds me of Caramel, because the sound board is Cedar and looks like it. Also, for it's Latin root, Carmen, which means song or tune, because it has a beautiful tone. It sounds like it has a little choir singing inside the body. And finally, because Carmen is close to Cameron, the name of my uncle who bought it for me.

I just thought I would share the Christmas Magic with you all, and I hope you guys have something wonderful and unexpected happen for you too.

[musicalmayham]

Michaels Musical Advice for the day:

If you feel like you have the tempo right and it sounds great to you, slow it down a bit. You're probably playing it too fast.

[musicalmayham]

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I think this will be cleaned up just fine in time for Christmas.

How's everyone's holiday cheer!

And of course oh mighty tumblr god, I have permission to upload my own recordings of music.. :P

[musicalmayham]

Teaching music is fun but makes me feel guilty. I hate scales. I feel evil for inflicting them on other people. At least it was a fun, easy to use scale.

[musicalmayham]

So this is and will be my week this week..

What does the week of a Music Major who isn't a Music Major Look like?

Monday: Choir Rehearsal (Large Choir, I'm a bass!)

Tuesday: Second Choir Rehearsal (Church choir, I do guitar!)

Wednesday: Nothing.. Except as much Guitar Practice I can cram in, because....

Thursday: Guitar Lesson, Chapel Mass, Irish Music Gathering... Also playing music at a Fund-raiser

Friday: Nothing. More practice. Because...

Saturday: Playing at a dinner, opening and intermission, plus choral work.

Sunday: Chapel Mass as part of Choir.

+ Cramming in practice whenever I can for 5 pieces I don't even have yet to get a credit for guitar.

+All my other homework that a student with a full course load deals with at this time..

And I wonder why people don't believe me when I tell them I'm not a music major..