I am taking concertina lessons and am very motivated to practice.
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
Full Version: Where To Practice?
I usually practicing in my room but unfortunately I have to share it with my sister so if she's doing coursework I have to find somewhere else. The living room is the normal alternative but sometimes there's another person watching tv in there and in the dining room is where the pc is and thus my brother. I've tried practicing outside in the garden and found it too...noisy. With various neighbours deciding to suddenly start mowing their lawns. But for the most part I stick to my room. Although I've been practicing the same song for a couple of days now and on the same beat the door downstairs slams every time. lol!
QUOTE (yfried @ Oct 2 2008, 09:20 AM) 
I am taking concertina lessons and am very motivated to practice.
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
Annoying the neighbors is par for the course.
Have some respect for their social times.
I'm at home during the day whilst they are at work. So that works.
Trouble is though that now they are also pensioners and are also home during the daytime. And go to bed very early.
They say it's nice to hear the tunes, but I try to keep it down to a minimum when learning a new tune.
I mean, it annoys me, so what must it be like through the wall after twenty mistakes or so.
You could try the bathroom with the water running to (sic) drown the sound.
Good luck it's not easy.
Chas
It is a problem isn't it....
I've resorted to going out to the car and settin up shop in the passenger's seat. Close the window and have at it
Our cottage is not large and since I get the urge to play early in the morning (5:00a.m.) and in the evening, the car saves frayed nerves. For my family, it's the phrases I repeat over and over to get just right that drives them crazy.
I've resorted to going out to the car and settin up shop in the passenger's seat. Close the window and have at it
Our cottage is not large and since I get the urge to play early in the morning (5:00a.m.) and in the evening, the car saves frayed nerves. For my family, it's the phrases I repeat over and over to get just right that drives them crazy.
Your playing will improve faster if you don't have to worry about what you sound like. You definitely need to find a place that works for you.
or you could hand out some ear plugs once and a while. Tell everyone you wear them too.
fjb
The soundproofing in a car is excellent, though the elbow room may be a bit restricted (try practicing a flute in one!). If the car is in a garage it's even better and doesn't look so daft.
You don't have to be a driver, just have permission to sit in the passenger seat :-)
You don't have to be a driver, just have permission to sit in the passenger seat :-)
QUOTE (yfried @ Oct 2 2008, 03:20 AM)
I am taking concertina lessons and am very motivated to practice.
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne
I would be a lot more aggressive on so many levels. When I noticed him, I would have said a neighborly good morning and stopped there. Let him initiate the complaint instead of offering an apology in the first hello.
9:30 in the morning won't even raise an eyebrow if he decides to complain. An unamplified instrument is nothing during the day. 6AM maybe, but not 9:30. If you were mowing the grass with a loud motorized mower,he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. If you were sunbathing with the radio on, he probably wouldn't complain either.
I would NOT allow a neighbor tell me what I can or cannot do on my own property, especially if it was legal. You've done nothing wrong. You shouldn't have to seek out an acceptable place to practice away from your own home.
Chance are once he realizes he can't bully you, he'll go away. Another couple of weeks, there will be snow, and closed windows, so play at home. As you get more skill in playing, it will become less "noise" and more pleasant.
People like that just P$$ me off. If he were on the East coast, he could have wound up with a couple of broken knee caps. Like I said, more aggressive on so many levels.
Thanks
Leo
QUOTE (yfried @ Oct 2 2008, 03:20 AM)
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
Yvonne
I came upon this article from the New York Times (March, 1910) while doing some research for work. "Reverend" Ramscar had a rather drastic solution to this dilema. Wonder if he played EC or AC
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/...amp;oref=slogin
I work on a ferry, being the night watchman for 12 hours a night. I take my truck with camper onto the covered car deck. I have a folding lawn chair I place out on the deck. After doing all the cleanup I sit in the chair and play to my hearts content. The steel ship produces a beautiful reverb (think of the world's biggest shower stall). I've had a mink, several otters, seals, sea lions, and the odd heron come by, curious about the sound I would imagine.
Lately I've been working on Rod Stewart's "Sailing". It seems rather appropriate, considering the circumstances, but is surprisingly well suited to the concertina. If the wind blows I just move the chair into the lea of the truck, put on a jacket, and have at it. If it's raining and blowing I move up to the lounge or wheelhouse, but they are carpeted, so no reverb, just spectacular views (well, in the summer at least). The upper decks are a great place to play as well, especially in the winter when the shooting stars are active on clear nights (i].Apologies for this edit, an irrelevant paragraph about playing my harmonica missed the post, so it was a bit out of context)[/i]
The strangest thing I did was to take my concertina paragliding, on a bet. I have a ridge I soar over here about 2.5 miles long and 500' high. I can cruise around 800'-2000' and if the wind is about 17kph SSE, I'll slowly crab along about 800' above the road and forest (1200' ASL). I played the three tunes I knew, but the wind sucked the sound away, to my ears it sounded really bland. Normally I have eagles coming around, but they stayed away that day, probably more to do with my god awful playing.
I took a digital recorder (an H2) with me with a wind sock in place, but the recorded sound was terrible, nothing but major wind rumble and disturbing thumps and scrapes, as I touched it constantly. It did pickup the sound of my vario beeping away, but that was right next to it on my instrument deck and the concertina sounded way off in the distance.
Anyone else have a weird place you've played?
Lately I've been working on Rod Stewart's "Sailing". It seems rather appropriate, considering the circumstances, but is surprisingly well suited to the concertina. If the wind blows I just move the chair into the lea of the truck, put on a jacket, and have at it. If it's raining and blowing I move up to the lounge or wheelhouse, but they are carpeted, so no reverb, just spectacular views (well, in the summer at least). The upper decks are a great place to play as well, especially in the winter when the shooting stars are active on clear nights (i].Apologies for this edit, an irrelevant paragraph about playing my harmonica missed the post, so it was a bit out of context)[/i]
The strangest thing I did was to take my concertina paragliding, on a bet. I have a ridge I soar over here about 2.5 miles long and 500' high. I can cruise around 800'-2000' and if the wind is about 17kph SSE, I'll slowly crab along about 800' above the road and forest (1200' ASL). I played the three tunes I knew, but the wind sucked the sound away, to my ears it sounded really bland. Normally I have eagles coming around, but they stayed away that day, probably more to do with my god awful playing.
I took a digital recorder (an H2) with me with a wind sock in place, but the recorded sound was terrible, nothing but major wind rumble and disturbing thumps and scrapes, as I touched it constantly. It did pickup the sound of my vario beeping away, but that was right next to it on my instrument deck and the concertina sounded way off in the distance.
Anyone else have a weird place you've played?
QUOTE (Leo @ Oct 2 2008, 11:15 AM)
QUOTE (yfried @ Oct 2 2008, 03:20 AM)
I am taking concertina lessons and am very motivated to practice.
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
This morning around 9:30 am I decided to practice in my back yard.
There is a lot of foliage between me and my neighbor.
About 5 minutes into practicing the piece I am currently learning, I looked up to see a calico cat staring at me through the leaves. It then left.
Shortly after that, a fellow comes walking out of his house dressed in blue jeans and no shirt. He's kind of looking to see where the sound is coming from. I said, "I hope I wasn't bothering you." He replied, "well, it is a little early; actually I was just trying to figure out what was making the noise."
There is a university here in town where I live. They do have music rooms. I suppose I could play there to my hearts content knowing that I'm not disturbing anybody else's sound space.
Have you had any experiences like this?
Where do you practice?
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne
I would be a lot more aggressive on so many levels. When I noticed him, I would have said a neighborly good morning and stopped there. Let him initiate the complaint instead of offering an apology in the first hello.
9:30 in the morning won't even raise an eyebrow if he decides to complain. An unamplified instrument is nothing during the day. 6AM maybe, but not 9:30. If you were mowing the grass with a loud motorized mower,he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. If you were sunbathing with the radio on, he probably wouldn't complain either.
I would NOT allow a neighbor tell me what I can or cannot do on my own property, especially if it was legal. You've done nothing wrong. You shouldn't have to seek out an acceptable place to practice away from your own home.
Chance are once he realizes he can't bully you, he'll go away. Another couple of weeks, there will be snow, and closed windows, so play at home. As you get more skill in playing, it will become less "noise" and more pleasant.
People like that just P$$ me off. If he were on the East coast, he could have wound up with a couple of broken knee caps. Like I said, more aggressive on so many levels.
Thanks
Leo
Where do you live? In the States?
The major common sense in the States is: your neighbor is your best friend. You will be aggressive - you'll suffer the circumstances. Legal-shmegal, it doesn't matter in making friends with people around you, and they may save your life one day.
A concertina has very sharp and piercing sound. Many other instruments, louder: piano, horn, drums may not bother people. Strings generally are very pleasant, even beginner fiddlers are not as annoying as the beginner's concertina "myauing", repeating phrases over and over.
I'd go into a car, as Mark suggested, and will not brandish the Bill of Rights. It works other way around too and you don't want lawyers to regulate your everyday life.
QUOTE (RustyH @ Oct 2 2008, 07:10 PM)
I work on a ferry, being the night watchman for 12 hours a night. I take my truck with camper onto the covered car deck. I have a folding lawn chair I place out on the deck. After doing all the cleanup I sit in the chair and play to my hearts content. The steel ship produces a beautiful reverb (think of the world's biggest shower stall). I've had a mink, several otters, seals, sea lions, and the odd heron come by, curious about the sound I would imagine.
Lately I've been working on Rod Stewart's "Sailing". It seems rather appropriate, considering the circumstances, but is surprisingly well suited to the concertina. If the wind blows I just move the chair into the lea of the truck, put on a jacket, and have at it. If it's raining and blowing I move up to the lounge or wheelhouse, but they are carpeted, so no reverb, just spectacular views (well, in the summer at least). The upper decks are a great place to play as well, especially in the winter when the shooting stars are active on clear nights. But my fingers do get cold quickly on those nights, so I've taken to wearing sailing gloves that don't have finger tips, they're great, but do take some getting use to.
The strangest thing I did was to take my concertina paragliding, on a bet. I have a ridge I soar over here about 2.5 miles long and 500' high. I can cruise around 800'-2000' and if the wind is about 17kph SSE, I'll slowly crab along about 800' above the road and forest (1200' ASL). I played the three tunes I knew, but the wind sucked the sound away, to my ears it sounded really bland. Normally I have eagles coming around, but they stayed away that day, probably more to do with my god awful playing.
I took a digital recorder (an H2) with me with a wind sock in place, but the recorded sound was terrible, nothing but major wind rumble and disturbing thumps and scrapes, as I touched it constantly. It did pickup the sound of my vario beeping away, but that was right next to it on my instrument deck and the concertina sounded way off in the distance.
Anyone else have a weird place you've played?
Lately I've been working on Rod Stewart's "Sailing". It seems rather appropriate, considering the circumstances, but is surprisingly well suited to the concertina. If the wind blows I just move the chair into the lea of the truck, put on a jacket, and have at it. If it's raining and blowing I move up to the lounge or wheelhouse, but they are carpeted, so no reverb, just spectacular views (well, in the summer at least). The upper decks are a great place to play as well, especially in the winter when the shooting stars are active on clear nights. But my fingers do get cold quickly on those nights, so I've taken to wearing sailing gloves that don't have finger tips, they're great, but do take some getting use to.
The strangest thing I did was to take my concertina paragliding, on a bet. I have a ridge I soar over here about 2.5 miles long and 500' high. I can cruise around 800'-2000' and if the wind is about 17kph SSE, I'll slowly crab along about 800' above the road and forest (1200' ASL). I played the three tunes I knew, but the wind sucked the sound away, to my ears it sounded really bland. Normally I have eagles coming around, but they stayed away that day, probably more to do with my god awful playing.
I took a digital recorder (an H2) with me with a wind sock in place, but the recorded sound was terrible, nothing but major wind rumble and disturbing thumps and scrapes, as I touched it constantly. It did pickup the sound of my vario beeping away, but that was right next to it on my instrument deck and the concertina sounded way off in the distance.
Anyone else have a weird place you've played?
Hi Rusty (and Yvonne),
Your mention of "the world's biggest shower stall" reminds me of playing at the stern of a ferry on the way home to Orcas. There's a sheltered area with wooden benches which is generally deserted and more or less protected from the wind. With steel decks above and below the reverb was wonderful; exactly like singing in the shower. It did wonders for my confidence!
In the summer it's too crowded; in the winter it's too cold; but that particular day was perfect. Thanks for a fine memory.
Cheers,
Molly
QUOTE (molly @ Oct 3 2008, 11:14 PM)
Hi Rusty (and Yvonne),
playing at the stern of a ferry on the way home to Orcas. the reverb was wonderful; exactly like singing in the shower.
Cheers,
Molly
playing at the stern of a ferry on the way home to Orcas. the reverb was wonderful; exactly like singing in the shower.
Cheers,
Molly
One of my most enjoyable times practicing the concertina was on the ferry to Friday Harbor. The sound is great and the scenery superb!
Yvonne
I'm surprised that nobody suggested that you try to play quietly.
It's good practice to learn to control the instrument and to find
different dynamics and ways of expressing the music. You don't
always have to play at peak volume. The concertina isn't the pipes.
It's capable of shades of volume. Learning to play quietly as well
as at full tilt will teach you how to control the instrument and make
you a better player for it.
It's good practice to learn to control the instrument and to find
different dynamics and ways of expressing the music. You don't
always have to play at peak volume. The concertina isn't the pipes.
It's capable of shades of volume. Learning to play quietly as well
as at full tilt will teach you how to control the instrument and make
you a better player for it.
QUOTE (David Levine @ Oct 4 2008, 06:44 AM)
I'm surprised that nobody suggested that you try to play quietly.
It's good practice to learn to control the instrument and to find
different dynamics and ways of expressing the music. You don't
always have to play at peak volume. The concertina isn't the pipes.
It's capable of shades of volume. Learning to play quietly as well
as at full tilt will teach you how to control the instrument and make
you a better player for it.
It's good practice to learn to control the instrument and to find
different dynamics and ways of expressing the music. You don't
always have to play at peak volume. The concertina isn't the pipes.
It's capable of shades of volume. Learning to play quietly as well
as at full tilt will teach you how to control the instrument and make
you a better player for it.
Ah, David....that doesn't really work at my house. All musicians with hearing that is very accute. When they've had enough of me and the Morse even in the upstairs bedroom playing ever so softly, I've gotten the knock at the door...."How much longer?"
I often go to work two hours early were my office is the stone chapel where we hold our chamber music series. Having the sun come up and hit those stained glass windows is....not bad a' tal.
Hi Molly,
Our benches are extruded aluminum constructs. Highly unromantic places to perch the derrier. And in winter, well, freezing one's butt off is a cold hard reality.....lol
My wife's violin teacher is interested in coming down on a calm evening with her students and trying out the acoustics, should be fun.
Our benches are extruded aluminum constructs. Highly unromantic places to perch the derrier. And in winter, well, freezing one's butt off is a cold hard reality.....lol
My wife's violin teacher is interested in coming down on a calm evening with her students and trying out the acoustics, should be fun.
Public parks are good until it gets too hot or too cold.
And definitely, practice rooms at your local university.
My only time to practice is when my 3-year-old daughter is asleep -- which means I can't leave the property. Our new house is also very small. However, our main floor bathroom has the world's loudest exhaust fan -- you could not hear Armageddon when that thing is on. I may try to practice there -- if I can hear myself over the fan!
And definitely, practice rooms at your local university.
My only time to practice is when my 3-year-old daughter is asleep -- which means I can't leave the property. Our new house is also very small. However, our main floor bathroom has the world's loudest exhaust fan -- you could not hear Armageddon when that thing is on. I may try to practice there -- if I can hear myself over the fan!
Mark, that's an interesting dilemma. There are studies that have shown that it isn't the actual volume that people find annoying
but the perceived intrusion or imagined lack of consideration. So if the neighbor's radio is on, even at a relatively low volume,
the irritation factor is much higher than a passing airplane or more intrusive street noise. I.e., the complaining person might be thinking,
"why is he having all the fun?" or "why does he get to practice his damned concertina while I have to do the dishes?"
There probably would not be a complaint were you to be typing or mowing the lawn.
It isn't about the noise, per se. Your house mates are objecting to something else that they find irritating.
That's as much psychoanalysis as I will offer this morning.
No charge.
but the perceived intrusion or imagined lack of consideration. So if the neighbor's radio is on, even at a relatively low volume,
the irritation factor is much higher than a passing airplane or more intrusive street noise. I.e., the complaining person might be thinking,
"why is he having all the fun?" or "why does he get to practice his damned concertina while I have to do the dishes?"
There probably would not be a complaint were you to be typing or mowing the lawn.
It isn't about the noise, per se. Your house mates are objecting to something else that they find irritating.
That's as much psychoanalysis as I will offer this morning.
No charge.
QUOTE (David Levine @ Oct 5 2008, 07:10 AM)
Mark, that's an interesting dilemma. There are studies that have shown that it isn't the actual volume that people find annoying
but the perceived intrusion or imagined lack of consideration. So if the neighbor's radio is on, even at a relatively low volume,
the irritation factor is much higher than a passing airplane or more intrusive street noise. I.e., the complaining person might be thinking,
"why is he having all the fun?" or "why does he get to practice his damned concertina while I have to do the dishes?"
There probably would not be a complaint were you to be typing or mowing the lawn.
It isn't about the noise, per se. Your house mates are objecting to something else that they find irritating.
That's as much psychoanalysis as I will offer this morning.
No charge.
but the perceived intrusion or imagined lack of consideration. So if the neighbor's radio is on, even at a relatively low volume,
the irritation factor is much higher than a passing airplane or more intrusive street noise. I.e., the complaining person might be thinking,
"why is he having all the fun?" or "why does he get to practice his damned concertina while I have to do the dishes?"
There probably would not be a complaint were you to be typing or mowing the lawn.
It isn't about the noise, per se. Your house mates are objecting to something else that they find irritating.
That's as much psychoanalysis as I will offer this morning.
No charge.
Yes, I think you are right and do appreciate the gratis insight. However, revenge or maybe redemtion is on the way.
Dominique who will not practice her singing in the house unless everyone including me is gone, has taken up the fiddle. Three weeks in and she asked me to play with her, Christmas carols and a few Quebecois fiddle tunes. Of course I'm very happy at the turn of events. We knocked off over an hour of music making yesterday, even playing a few over the phone for her mother.
Oddly enough, she has no problem warming up and practicing with us in the house. Gone totally mad for the instrument she has. The kids...one hits the computer and the other dissapears into the basement to play video games. Our bulldog seems to approve of our efforts...and of course her mother.
This has renewed my secret fantasy of a family band....won't hold my breath.
I just practice in my room-fiddle concertina, singing, loud music, whatever. Of course, I live in the middle of nowhere, and my room is seperate from the house.......
oh well, no advice. Try quieter, that would probably work, and there are recent thread about how to do that.
oh well, no advice. Try quieter, that would probably work, and there are recent thread about how to do that.
Usually do all my practice on stage doing a ceilidh with the band.
I practice in my apartment. If the neighbors don't like too bad, I don't like their blaring techno at 2AM either.
*edited because I can't spell.
*edited because I can't spell.
QUOTE (Peter @ Oct 9 2008, 04:12 PM)
I practice in my apartment. If the neighbors don't like too bad, I don't like their blaring techno at 2AM either.
*edited because I can't spell.
*edited because I can't spell.
The best time to practice is when there's a big football match on...especially of next doors fave teams wins. Then they make so much racket I can play loudly and still not drown them out.
Sometimes I tend to forget just how the sound carries and penetrates. I usually am forced to stay inside to practice since the neighborhood is getting more crowded all the time. Who knew that a tiny, slapped up logging town would grow so much and so fast?
At home, I wait until my wife, who has preternaturally sharp hearing, and is no fan of any musics except very soft recorder pieces, is out. As the door opens, back goes Victoria into her case (sigh).
However, at school I do lots of "duty"; usually watching the kids eat their lunch. The concerted din of 300 twelve-year-olds is perfect cover for the sharper tones, and I muster a lot if interest in the instrument among the kids.
Ah, but it is folly to bring the beautiful and LOUD Tedrow (Victoria) into such a place, so I'm reduced to Leontine the Stagi.
But practice is practice and I must take it while it is available.
Over time I'm sure you will find lots of places to play.
Mark, I must confess to a twinge of envy in your having a musical partner in your beloved wife; it seems to be such a comfortable, pleasant thing to make music with the one you love best; how fortunate you are!
Rob
At home, I wait until my wife, who has preternaturally sharp hearing, and is no fan of any musics except very soft recorder pieces, is out. As the door opens, back goes Victoria into her case (sigh).
However, at school I do lots of "duty"; usually watching the kids eat their lunch. The concerted din of 300 twelve-year-olds is perfect cover for the sharper tones, and I muster a lot if interest in the instrument among the kids.
Ah, but it is folly to bring the beautiful and LOUD Tedrow (Victoria) into such a place, so I'm reduced to Leontine the Stagi.
But practice is practice and I must take it while it is available.
Over time I'm sure you will find lots of places to play.
Mark, I must confess to a twinge of envy in your having a musical partner in your beloved wife; it seems to be such a comfortable, pleasant thing to make music with the one you love best; how fortunate you are!
Rob
QUOTE (Robert Booth @ Oct 9 2008, 11:46 AM)
Mark, I must confess to a twinge of envy in your having a musical partner in your beloved wife; it seems to be such a comfortable, pleasant thing to make music with the one you love best; how fortunate you are!
Rob
Rob
I think so...It just took four years of her watching me play with folks to come 'round. Who knew she always wanted to play the fiddle. Now when I come in from the jobsite she picks up the fiddle and we run through our growing repertoire. Nice.
I'll be very sad when she leaves later this month for the Netherlands
.
>>>>I am taking concertina lessons and am very motivated to practice.
Where do you practice?<<<<
Yvonne
I came across your post about where to practice and have enjoyed the responses from everyone. I would love to say I am taking lessons, but there is a real lack of English Concertina players where I live. I am lucky enough to have a husband who is so excited that I am trying to learn to play. He puts up with a lot. I have been at it for 6 months and I can see a real improvement. Also getting a Wheatstone helped a lot!
Anyway I have been known to go and practice in the car or just out in the woods. We don't have close neighbors. But I also own a Yarn shop. Not all the time do we have customers, that is not good ...but... When there is no one in the shop I will get my concertina out and practice. I am getting brave enough that I try to keep playing when customers come in. I think it helps to build confidence. Last week I was playing and a woman walked into the shop. As soon as she walked in she turned around and looked up about the door and stated that was the weiredest door chimeshe had ever heard <G>
Pam
Brasstown, NC
Where do you practice?<<<<
Yvonne
I came across your post about where to practice and have enjoyed the responses from everyone. I would love to say I am taking lessons, but there is a real lack of English Concertina players where I live. I am lucky enough to have a husband who is so excited that I am trying to learn to play. He puts up with a lot. I have been at it for 6 months and I can see a real improvement. Also getting a Wheatstone helped a lot!
Anyway I have been known to go and practice in the car or just out in the woods. We don't have close neighbors. But I also own a Yarn shop. Not all the time do we have customers, that is not good ...but... When there is no one in the shop I will get my concertina out and practice. I am getting brave enough that I try to keep playing when customers come in. I think it helps to build confidence. Last week I was playing and a woman walked into the shop. As soon as she walked in she turned around and looked up about the door and stated that was the weiredest door chimeshe had ever heard <G>
Pam
Brasstown, NC
Yesterday....
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
QUOTE (LDT @ Dec 18 2008, 11:39 AM)
Yesterday....
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
So there you go; progress!
A couple of months ago, she would have said "Not long enough!".
QUOTE (PeterT @ Dec 18 2008, 01:50 PM)
QUOTE (LDT @ Dec 18 2008, 11:39 AM)
Yesterday....
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
So there you go; progress!
A couple of months ago, she would have said "Not long enough!".
It was followed by the phrase 'Can't you go watch TV or something instead?'
Hi
borrow some scottish warpipes (bagpipes) for a month then go back to concertina
chris
borrow some scottish warpipes (bagpipes) for a month then go back to concertina
chris
QUOTE (chris @ Dec 18 2008, 04:05 PM)
borrow some scottish warpipes (bagpipes) for a month then go back to concertina
Doesn't always work.I used to have a neighbor whose only complaints about my practicing were 1) she couldn't hear me very well, and 2) if I ever got over my love affair with the concertina, she would like me to take up the highland pipes!
QUOTE (LDT @ Dec 18 2008, 08:58 AM)
QUOTE (PeterT @ Dec 18 2008, 01:50 PM)
QUOTE (LDT @ Dec 18 2008, 11:39 AM)
Yesterday....
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
Me 'How long have I been practicing I didn't check the clock?'
Sister 'Too long'
So there you go; progress!
A couple of months ago, she would have said "Not long enough!".
It was followed by the phrase 'Can't you go watch TV or something instead?'
Why not do both! Isak Perlman once said in a T.V. interview that he enjoyed practicing while watching soap operas (with the sound turned down). Ugh...
QUOTE (Mark Evans @ Dec 18 2008, 04:10 PM)
Why not do both! Isak Perlman once said in a T.V. interview that he enjoyed practicing while watching soap operas (with the sound turned down). Ugh...
What do cheesy dramatic music over episodes of neighbours?
I think they just don't like the 'eek eeek erk erk Wheeeze screeech erk' noise.
QUOTE (Mark Evans @ Oct 2 2008, 03:12 PM)
It is a problem isn't it....
I've resorted to going out to the car and settin up shop in the passenger's seat. Close the window and have at it
Our cottage is not large and since I get the urge to play early in the morning (5:00a.m.) and in the evening, the car saves frayed nerves. For my family, it's the phrases I repeat over and over to get just right that drives them crazy.
I've resorted to going out to the car and settin up shop in the passenger's seat. Close the window and have at it
Our cottage is not large and since I get the urge to play early in the morning (5:00a.m.) and in the evening, the car saves frayed nerves. For my family, it's the phrases I repeat over and over to get just right that drives them crazy.
Yeah. The car is good.
I've been known to stop the car on a long drive having been listening to tunes on the cd player. Getting the tina out and having a go there and then.
Relieves the tension of the long drive and helps get the fingers around the tune.
Neighbor issues impede my playing/practice no end. SO.....!! When it rains out comes the concertina. Rain usually batters down heavily enough that one cannot hear either the TV or the other party in a telephone conversation. Raindrops starting on the roof now get a pavlovian response from me, big grin & a "kid-at-christmas" mood... I can PLAY the concertina as HARD as I like! Forget the usual hesitant gentlest of touches on an accordion reeded Edgley, rain means I can get stuck into making NOISE on the Wheatstone!
The only time I can practice at full loudness is when next door is having a party or there's a football match on the tv.
I live in a block of flats, with pretty thin walls, with my girlfriend and step-daughter. The step daughter is really cool about me practicing, but my better half is a bit fed up. What I did was clear out our storage area in the basement. It took the better part of a day, as it hasn't really been touched by cleaning products since the 40's. There I now have my "den" with a chair, table notestand, deep-freezer, bicycles etc. The room on the other side of one wall is the boiler room for the central heating, so no problem there. I hav asked the neighbors just above, and next to the "den", and they only hear me in the stairwell.
S
S
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.