:: Redwood vs Black Horn ::
Having vented in the past few entries, I think i'm much happier, having gotten the load off my chest. Partly helps that I managed to solve certain deliverables, so that's pretty much water under the bridge.
It's been pretty surreal the past few days:partly due to fatigue, partly due to my recent obsession in getting the $1.3k redwood pipa. I touched it yesterday (the pipa, not anything else, don't get any funny ideas) and it really called out to me. It was so pretty and the sound was really so clear and light!
I may actually put off getting my HTC and getting the redwood instead...
Anyway, back to the subject of pipa, it's not like my black ox horn pipa is bad but it is showing its age (re: more than 20 years old) and the sound is beginning to be a bit muffled. Teach says my pipa sounds more like a drum... but I've had it for more than 12 years already... I don't know if I can bear to chuck it...
I guess I'm nothing more than a sentimental fool at best.
On another note, I'm glad that teach has said that my tremOlo (heh) has made marked improvement. I guess it's time to move beyond Grade 2! : )
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In related news, I've finally progressed (re: finished) through "Six Tunes with Multiple Rhythm Transformations" (老六版变奏曲) without too much drama (re: teach sighing in exasperation and nagging me). Her keeping quiet and listening to me trudge through a song, with a slight frown on her face, is always a nerve-wrecking event, lemme tell you. If there ever was a "feats-of-extreme-bravery / bravado" scale, I would probably place the act of performing for her somewhere in between taming a lion and sticking my head in a croc's mouth...
Anyway, the song is really, in essence, a practice piece to hone the different playing techniques. There's one portion of the song where the melody is completely comprised of nothing but harmonics - which is cool - of course. In another portion, the song requires strength from the left hand as there are many notes which are generated without plucking (by the right hand). In other words, the note is plucked with the fingers on the left hand whilst pressing another note with the same hand. The sounds are hence muffled. In another variation, the note is generated by very deftly pressing the notes against the fret, also, again, without plucking... I think in guitar terms, this is what they call a "hammer"...
All in all, quite a fun yet frustrating piece to play...
@@@@
On another note regarding the cost of my much desired redwood pipa, if my cousin is permitted to pay $30k for his Stradivarius replica, I don't see why i can't pay slightly less than 30 times that amount for my pipa. Humphf.
It's been pretty surreal the past few days:partly due to fatigue, partly due to my recent obsession in getting the $1.3k redwood pipa. I touched it yesterday (the pipa, not anything else, don't get any funny ideas) and it really called out to me. It was so pretty and the sound was really so clear and light!
I may actually put off getting my HTC and getting the redwood instead...
Anyway, back to the subject of pipa, it's not like my black ox horn pipa is bad but it is showing its age (re: more than 20 years old) and the sound is beginning to be a bit muffled. Teach says my pipa sounds more like a drum... but I've had it for more than 12 years already... I don't know if I can bear to chuck it...
I guess I'm nothing more than a sentimental fool at best.
On another note, I'm glad that teach has said that my tremOlo (heh) has made marked improvement. I guess it's time to move beyond Grade 2! : )
@@@@
In related news, I've finally progressed (re: finished) through "Six Tunes with Multiple Rhythm Transformations" (老六版变奏曲) without too much drama (re: teach sighing in exasperation and nagging me). Her keeping quiet and listening to me trudge through a song, with a slight frown on her face, is always a nerve-wrecking event, lemme tell you. If there ever was a "feats-of-extreme-bravery / bravado" scale, I would probably place the act of performing for her somewhere in between taming a lion and sticking my head in a croc's mouth...
Anyway, the song is really, in essence, a practice piece to hone the different playing techniques. There's one portion of the song where the melody is completely comprised of nothing but harmonics - which is cool - of course. In another portion, the song requires strength from the left hand as there are many notes which are generated without plucking (by the right hand). In other words, the note is plucked with the fingers on the left hand whilst pressing another note with the same hand. The sounds are hence muffled. In another variation, the note is generated by very deftly pressing the notes against the fret, also, again, without plucking... I think in guitar terms, this is what they call a "hammer"...
All in all, quite a fun yet frustrating piece to play...
@@@@
On another note regarding the cost of my much desired redwood pipa, if my cousin is permitted to pay $30k for his Stradivarius replica, I don't see why i can't pay slightly less than 30 times that amount for my pipa. Humphf.