New chicks

This has nothing to do with practicing but it was too hard to create a new blog using my iPhone so I will put all the chicken stuff on this one. 

So we have a broody hen that we put eggs underneath about 10 days ago and we thought we could hatch out some new chicks that way. But she is somewhat halfhearted in her egg sitting attempts and today I found a small egg underneath that she laid. So we went out to the rural outskirts of the city and picked 8 chicks from a woman selling off the extras from day olds order from a hatchery. All vaccinated for Mareks already, which is nice. We got 3 Welsummers, 3 Anconas and 2 Danish Brown Leghorns. All sexed. And now they are out in the little house under a heat lamp tonight and Buffy, the broody one, has been moved to the dog crate in the bigger of the two little runs. We shall see if she gives up sitting altogether after this. 

End of book 1

Now I am at the end of my first book. I know how to make notes on all four strings and I know three major scales. This past lesson it was time for me to look more closely at my bowing. The left and and my fingers are good for now. The bowing needs to be more consistent. My up bows need to have more weight on them.

Specifics

Trying to get more specific with my practicing. Name the notes, look for bowings, slurs, etc. Play the notes paying attention short vs long and the correct intervals. Intonation.

Ringing in my ears

Yesterday I did a page all about the E string and then for the rest of the day and also today my ears are ringing. Like the sound a CRT screen makes. Our music room is too resonant for violin practice. Today I put our carpet from Turkey down on the floor in there and we can hang the kilims on the walls. And when I practiced today, I wore hearing protectors - those big red and black ear muffs from the workshop. It helped I think. I am waiting now for the ringing to subside.
I really want to play more tomorrow but I'm a little hesitant if my ears haven't stopped the tinnitus. I had a thought to go out the backyard where the sound will just dissipate, and give a little concert for the chickens. I'll see if they even care at all about me playing a violin at them.

Unprepared

Such a frustrating lesson today. I went in knowing I was not prepared. I didn't practice thurs fri or sat so I was still learning notes and then all my bowing etc is thrown off. The bow goes bounce bounce bounce and slides around sideways and it all sounds like crap. Time also to check up on the position of my right pinky. It seems to be usually pushing the bow away. It needs to be on top so it can pull not push. And loose wrist, don't have it yet. The fourth finger is what I'm working on now, and a pickup at the front of a song. Different rhythm - up down, up down, etc. Like dancing I think, or skipping.