(no subject)

[acroyear]

Anyone who was "self-taught" to do what they do was therefore taught to do what they do by someone who didn't know what they were doing.

Comments

[dglenn.livejournal.com]

"I'll tell you now, you'll need help with the bow." This doesn't surprise me. I've already got enough clue not to assume that my being able to play a double-bass pizzicato will mean I can automatically play it arco. (OTOH, the one really magical thing about bowed psalteries is that a novice gets a good tone the very first time he or she picks one up, unlike pretty much every other bowed instrument, as far as I can tell. Not that that's relevant here, but I felt like mentioning it.)

"I can likely help you with either the bow or the brass, if I ever get some time one of these days..." I was thinking of hitting up Gherhardt for help with the brass 'cause he's local, but he's even more busy than you, so I may
wind up taking you up on that offer.

"and you show me how to get a decent pick hand" Okay, but with the caveat that I don't usually use a pick myself (I use my fingernail). I'm pretty sure I can help anyhow, since I've taught guitar students to use a pick.

I've got the basic embouchure for the brass (yeah, that's how it's spelled), so I can get a tone out of the baritone, but my tone isn't great and I'm not used to thinking entirely in harmonic overtone series (despite being able to play a couple of tunes entirely on harmonics on the guitar). Obviously I still need help getting the embouchure exactly right, but I'm a lot closer there than I am with the shakuhachi.

I was keeping a mouthpiece next to my computer to practice with as you described, but I put it away for some reason I've since forgotten. I'll pull it out again.