So, what's everyone hoping to achieve with their string learning and playing in the coming year?

Here's my list:

*Complete Essential String Method Books 3 & 4 by the end of August (as we hope to be going abroad for a year from then)
*Take and pass (with distinction, hopefully) theory grade 4 or 5.
*Take and pass well viola grade 1
*Make a good start on grade 2 level material
*Be able to play lots more short pieces from the books I have, i.e. Superstudies for Viola 1, First Repertoire for Viola 1 and so on.
*Start with some of the Hoffmann studies I have.
*Make a good start on shifting and 3rd position.

I hope to be able to continue to play whilst we're away, although I may need to get a hire instrument/cheapo viola locally, so I have a full year's work there.

Now, what about you?

Learn and memorise at least 3 major concerti starting with Brahms
Know at least 4 (ie 1 1/2 more) complete Bach Partitas/Sonatas
Study 12 (ie 8 more) Paganini caprices to a basic level

Get a very solid basic LH technique; finger placement, elbow position etc
Bowing - perfect basic bowstrokes and develop more flexibility of sound
Vibrato - generally fix it and improve variety
Have all major and minor double stopped scales memorised and fluent

Yes, that would do me nicely It could be a good year actually - lots of practice time, some clear and interesting goals, the fear of starting music college...

My aims next year:
win best solo competition at school.
Go on tour with the thames youth orchestra.
Find a choir suitable for someone turning 18 in feburary.
Improve significantly in my violin playing.

nothing quite so advanced...

1) pass grade 3 violin in march / april
2) pass grade 3 theory in march / april
3) be in a position this time next year to be thinking about entering grade 4 for both!!!
4) master the art of vibrato

(i work full time, so can't devote as much time as i'd like to violininininining)

*Achieve a little more confidence in playing!
*Sort out vibrato,
*brave an exam and manage to pass it,
*improve double stop scales,
*get a lot more competent with bowing techniques generally

the list could go on but the year will be too short..

N

I am going to do an exam this year if it's the last thing I do. I have to prove I can do it.
But that means I'm going to have to...
A) Start playing again. Even just taking my violin out of its case would be an improvement.
B) Get healthier so I can play for more than 10 minutes without getting ridiculously tired.
C) Stop comparing myself to absolutely everyone and remember something barry-clari told me... 'Fiona plays violin in Fiona's way.'

So, I may not be memorising major works or winning competitions but I want to love my violin again. I suppose it's one of those things that's easier said than done.

Miss Ross, I like that post and I'm with you on aiming for those goals!! I need to get my viola out much more and, yes, health can be a real problem at times. Still, it could be worse and I don't need to learn to love my instrument as I already do, I just need to be more organised about stuff.

I'm not sure what my stringy aims are. Any suggestions? I only started learning in July

Sort out the shoulder problem that's causing me so much difficulty with stamina
Relax my vice like grip on the fingerboard when I get stressed
Gain confidence- particularly in carrying on with a piece when I've made a mistake
Consider taking an exam

Oh, I do love my violin. We're ... on a break.


Babybird, what have been your main challenges so far? Maybe you could focus on overcoming those?

glad that advice has helped you.

and now seeing as I'm not a string player (yet), I'll retire gracefully from this thread...

Well, you could take up the 'cello...

Miss Ross, I haven't yet had any challenges with my viola (luckily!) Obviously some might turn up in the new year

Still working on that, but the 'cello teacher I was going to use is leaving the area at the end of this term , so I've got to wait 'til the school employs a new 'cello teacher, and start negotiations all over again...

<mumble> guitar </mumble>

Come over to the dark side and dump the shoulder rest altogether I bet if you fix your first problem, the 2nd one will go too. Well, it has to actually

My aims for violin are:-

To develop my vibrato so it does what I want when I want it.
To become better at shifting.
To develop my bowing so that it's more consistent and so that I have more types of bowing to use.
To become more confident playing in flat keys.
To get my fingers moving faster and in synch with the bow.
To become more confident playing with and infront of others.

I could go on but the main thing is to keep enjoying playing it.

Well, harp is kinda a string instrument so I’ll say my goals are

To spend a bit more time with the harp (and have a better balance (practise-wise) between piano and harp) - I’m just doing the bare minimum at the moment

To try not to have my eyes glued to the strings while playing – I know I’m still very much a beginner, having only started learning in May, but I simply can’t find the notes if I have my eyes on the music. What I’m doing now is quickly “scan” the music then play with eyes on the strings, but I think it should be the other way around (i.e. quick glance where my hand should be going and play from the music)

I completely agree with you actually. It's difficult to know which problem occured first. bah

I would essentially like to start feeling like a violinist this year. My playing essentially ground to a halt after failing the Grade 6 exam at Christmas, yet my determination to be good at the violin is stronger than ever. I really need to get some lessons sorted out very soon, and make up for lost time. I've never really felt like a violinist, as I've always been taught how to get through exams, with little in the way of technique. This year will be the year of mwl1 and the violin, I'm hoping! Acceptable vibrato and shifting here I come!

My goals for the violin are:

join an orchestra
enter for a theory exam
not get stressed over the amount I can practise
relax left hand on fingerboard
develop shifting and positions
learn all grade 3 scales
remember to enjoy it!

Spark

OK, bowed strings...

I've completely one of my goals already! I've arranged a lesson for 1630 on Sunday!

I'd like to start feeling like an organist! I need to get a regular practice regime going, so that I can make some real progress. I've tended to get really disheartened, when it is really just a question of lack of practice that is holding me back. I'd like to be able to play the congregational carols at my choir's Xmas concert next year, instead of wimping out like I did this time! Possibly grade 7 in the Summer Term (I'm aiming for a grade a year).

I'm also taking up the harp, so I would like to buy an instrument before the end of 2009 and hopefully get at least grade 1 under my belt.

I think I'm perhaps not even going to attempt to get anywhere with my goals. They're hopeless. I may as well accept now that I won't be able to do it. Good luck to everyone else.

You *can* achieve them all. I believe in you completely...

How about adopting "try to be more optimistic" as an extra goal

Let's see:
Finished all 3 octave scales by the end of 2009 (just curious, in the ABRSM system, before grade 8 , how many notes do you have to slur for scales?

Complete one violin/piano sonata (mozart) to performance standard

Shift accurately and effortlessly

3rd finger trills with absolute control

Make beautiful vibrato that does not resemble hand seizures

You will only know that when you've worked hard on them throughout next year and it's December 31st 2009 and you haven't achieved them.

There's plenty of time to work on them. Even if you really think that you can't do it, prove yourself wrong

That last suggestion is kind of a tricky one, (see Henry Ford quotes about our belief in success or failure!!), but I do think that you can do it, Miss Ross, and that you need to gradually build up your confidence and enthusiasm. Give it a try and see how you feel about it, but never, never, NEVER give up before you start!

Sorry! I can't believe I wrote that.

1. Complete my B Eng (Hons) with the Open University
2. Do Violin Grade 1
3. Lose 5 Kg

For me it has to be:

* continue with harp - maybe think a very very remote thought about a grade ???? I am only a beginner so we will see how practice goes between now and the spring - it's too early to say just yet and this could well be a 2010 project

* work at Grade 8 piano (but being realistic that is really a 2010 project I think)

* try and aim for Grade 8 theory in May - I definitely want to get that out of the way

* maybe try for Grade 5 singing before the end of the year

* Finish my OU music Diploma in Oct

That should just about keep me busy.... woops I should remember I have a job to go to as well !!!!

Hopefully the weight loss will follow automatically - working on the theory that if my hands are busy they won't find my mouth!!!!

Elizabeth

get past my first year at the RSAMD

really improve my technique, INTONATION and general playing

successfully fit in 3/4 hours a day of practice

lose weight/exercise more

get laid at least once

eat less chocolate ice cream and sundaes

save my loan by not getting p*ssed every thursday night

Good question! Now that Grade 8 violin is done :

- Improve my process for memorising music
- Get my intonation rock solid in every position
- Play for other people, not just on my own
- Start work on DipABRSM pieces
- Start composing those simple European melodies again

I'm really hoping I will be able to find the means to buy myself a decent violin so I can get playing again. Won't happen until summer at the earliest, though.

Did something happen to your fiddle, Benjaminja? (if that's not an indiscreet question...)

Get my eldest (11) back enjoying playing the violin again with his new teacher. The last one was a (w)itch - who really shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children who want to play the violin for fun as opposed to trying to be the next "greatest" fiddle player.

Also plan to help youngest (10) ready for his G5 clarinet by learning his scales v early and not giving me heart failure the week before his exam!

1) Get myself into a good music college/university at overseas
2) Get myself to practice more in violins...
3) Memorize all Scales in major and minor for my clarinet
4) Buy myself a new clarinet mouthpiece
5) Get myself a gorgeous girlfriend
6) Get involved in MPYO (malaysian philharmonic youth orchestra)
7) LEARN MORE IN MUSIC
8) Study more in conducting
9) Finally... gets a lucky draw and become rich... (kidding)

Oh I have AMAZING plans for 2009 which funnily enough may include you all....... (and before you think that sounds something seedy please bear in mind it's all related to my post-grad degree in contemporary art so watch this space.......)


Otherwise:

Pass Grade 4 violin in March (although with studying and back injury I suppose my first aim should really be to start playing at all again.........)

I'd quite like to join my local orchestra too ... although I might be using them for something altogether different.....

Think a little pickled shark/violin project......

heheheheh

I've injured my shoulder so I need that to get better, then I can rejoin a local orchestra. In the meantime play more tango music to get my arm working.

If we all have to come to your end of course exhibition, then you all have to come to the college open night when my work will be displayed!!!

I would like to:

1. Find a viola teacher
2. Start playing again
3. Persuade my friend who took up violin a couple of years ago to play some duets with me - and find some music to play

I can't begin to plan anything more specific until i find a teacher.

Long term i want to play with other people in some way - but that will have to wait until my youngest can be left in the house between me going out and my husband getting in from work, as i can't find any orchestras that meet during the day, so I'm really looking at 4+ years away for that one.

1 - do my grade 8 violin
2 - get into a music college... or uni if music college is impossible! (though definately aiming for the first option!)
3 - do well in my A levels