It's easier when you already know the tune

[frualeydis]

I'm practicing on my recorder again. If I haven't already said that i will give a little background to my recorder-playing:
1980 I played recorder in school.
Two years go or so I started using an old recorder a little, to try to play some of Neidhart von Reuental's songs. (There's a lot more informative sites in german, but since most of my readers don't read german I give you the link to the english wikipedia). I didn't practice much and had to limit myself to one octave, since I didn't know how to go further up; my 6th grade music book didn't tell me that :)
Then, at my disputation almost two months ago, I got a new recorder, with english/baroque fingering, from armillary, herzeloyde and her boyfriend Kristian. And since then I have been practicing. In the beginning I practiced 10-20 minutes every day. Then I didn't practice for a couple of weeks. But now I've started again. I started with the songs we sing, since those are the ones I have the notes for. But two days ago I copied the music for some of the songs we used to dance to from the SCA Sheet Music List. I thought that if I am going to play the recorder I might just as well learn to play something useful. I will probably never be really good, so I decided that while there may not be a lot of real musical pleasure derived from listening to my playing it would be nice to have live music to dance to.
One thing that struck me at Nylöse's christmas party is how much easier it is to get into the mood, to feel that you're actually in the middle ages; to experience what we define as the Dream (I know there are so many other definitions), when you have real music and not CDs. When someone is playing and/or singing it is real, but as soon as someone switches on the CD-player you have to start imagining that there really is a band/choir in that corner, behind a curtain. I don't mind it so much when we're dancing, because then I'm busy dancing, but when you sit and eat and talk it is a constant reminder of the modern world.

Comments

[therru.livejournal.com]

I wish I was better at playing! But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practising.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

That's why I practice. But since I am practically a beginner it may take some time.

/Eva

[myralea.livejournal.com]

i can bring my sheet music to gothenburg and we could play. i have some very pleasant music left over from the time i played in a renaissance ensemble, and i would love to get the time to play some again!
i'm not particularly good, just enjoy playing the recorders...

/m

[pinque.livejournal.com]

I wholeheartedly agree. Even a few recorders is better than a whole group on a cd, the sound carries differently.

I recently bought a cheap recorder, I played it briefly in school and probably did better at it than piano! I was thinking of seeing if I could remember how to play it again.

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

Thats one of the loveliest things at Kentwell - we have musicians playing.

I play my lute (or I would if I practices more often!) and am wanting to learn the harp (again practice!).

I would LOVE to be able to find a small group of singers where we could sing early music which is close by where I live - sadly that isn't the case, so the only time I get to sing is at Kentwell - and thats not very often now.

Live Early music is so lovely and really does "set the mood" perfectly.