yes, i'm in gr4 (learning for a year +)... i wan some beginner level duet is coz my fren who play the er hu is just beginner.. so in order to be able to play with her, i have to find some really simple and beginner pieces to play..

hmm.. i don't really get what you mean by soul searching for instruments.. haha..

Cassie... i will be meeetin wit the 'gang' later tis evening @ MPO (2nd rehearsal)
I will ask them for u.... but cannot promise will b a beginner version.... hopefully not going to a hard one too.

I just landed back to KampungKUL yst to b the carry boy again.....

btw: why she and not He.... then both of u can be a cool couple... (guzheng & erhu).. but make sure not (guzheng & dizi ... and make sure he is not
"Ling Wu Chung".. LOL ) !

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Added on April 21, 2010, 10:40 amit's just an hour performance... still got time to catchup wit the last call before the Happy hour ends for 1 round of St. James Gate from the tap...

This post has been edited by subangman: Apr 21 2010, 10:43 AM

Cassie,

Soul seraching is to find something your inner being desires. It is usually used to refer to a person seeking the right faith/religion that will lead to God. For this people came up with the idea of a soul mate. That means a partner that is most compitable to you. In my case, I meant toying with all instruments until you find one that best suits you.

For start try the Negara Ku that I posted.

Subang,

Likely, I will join you at the well.

in a way, i am trying to soul searching for my ultimate instrument.. i really wanted to learn many many instrument.. if time and money allow.. :

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Added on April 21, 2010, 6:10 pm thanks in advance ya! if u really can get some duet for me it will be sooo great! ^.^

dun worry about the difficulty.. i guess i can modified it to be simpler..

ling wu chung?? cool.. didn't think about it this way.. too bad i couldn't find a he to duet..


This post has been edited by cassiemissy: Apr 21 2010, 06:16 PM

wow .. i have been away for quite a long time ...
anf this topic has plenty of replies ...
it took me hours to finish them ... haha ...
i stopped my guzheng class for 3 months ... due to the col exam T.T
and glad that i have started it again in april !! so excited ..

btw .. thx to faceless for sharing info
i will get some time to finish them

Hi Clarie,
I am not the host here, so it is not apporiate for me to welcome you back. It is nice to have you back, anyway. If there is anything you like to know about how to select a guzheng, just let me know. I think, I have an edge here on this matter. As for syllabus and where to find stuff in the Klang Valley, Subang is a great help. Please stay tune with us here. As the say, "the more kaki, the better".

Wow Cassie!
You can modify a song, eh. I guess, that comes with the theory stuff they teach you in paino lessons. I wish I had that skill. I don't think it is that diffcult. It a question of chord progression (which I learnt in guitar) and key. Heck, I really don't know what key is all about. Sigh! I never meet anyone who can point me in the right direction on this subject

Subang,
As I write, you are at the rehearsal. Hmmm, if my guess is right you are at the well:) Have fun!

dear faceless,
thx for offering helps, but i ady have a guzheng
i wish the guzheng experts can share their thoughts and experiences here ...
as i always got probs on some technical issues...

i wonder ... why would u so familiar with guzheng stuff.. r u a guzheng teacher ?
i have numbers of questions to ask

btw ... i have quite a lots of music scores..
if anyone need it ... i can scan n post it here
p/s: but mostly are some classic guzheng pieces

This post has been edited by claire_freedom: Apr 22 2010, 12:38 AM

i haven try modifying any songs before la actually.. what I've in mind is like if there's a piece that's too difficult for my fren to play, then i just omit some notes and just ask her to play the main melody lo.. instead of some decorative notes.. haha.. that's what i think la.. since i did not done it before, i've no idea whether it works or not but still, it will worth a try.. haha..


what do u want to know about key? maybe i can help u a little?




do scan and share it here if you are free!! Chinese classical pieces are 100% absolutely fine with me! ^.^

This post has been edited by cassiemissy: Apr 22 2010, 10:47 AM

Claire,
I am not a guzheng teacher. If there is anyting you like to know about the making of guzheng maybe I can help you. If you want to know technical stuff on playing then I am not likely to be able to help. I had only been playing for 2 years. Just ask perhaps others can help you.

Cassie,
For a start you can tell me what is a key. I had always heard people say what is they key for a song. I had no idea what it means.

Cassie,
See if this song helps.


Attached thumbnail(s)

Thanks so much for sharing.. going back to try it! ^.^


Btw, a key is like Cmajor, G major, D major, A minor, etc etc.. basically, a piece of music is govern by a key.. for example.
Gmajor have Fsharp. And all the F in the music will have sharp unless stated otherwise.. Without the sharp, the whole music might be in a whole different pitch..
You know chords right? there are keys in chord as well.. CEG will be the tonic chord of Cmajor. DF(sharp)A will be the tonic of D major, and so on..

Different key brings different mood throughout the music and changes of key in a piece will cause changes of mood as it also change the pitch and chords progression.

I might not be able to explain it very well though.. hope you get the rough idea..

if not, maybe some other people will be able to explain it better..

This post has been edited by cassiemissy: Apr 22 2010, 03:08 PM

can anyone teach me how to post a video clip here without going thru utube ?

This post has been edited by subangman: Apr 22 2010, 08:07 PM

Cassie,
I am not clear with your explaination, but thanks anyway.

Subang,
I know you got footage of the rehearsal too bad I can't help.

dear cassie,
i have no idea on which piece to be shared...
coz i have 2 books ... which are the syllabus of my guzheng class...and there are the same with the syllabus posted by subangman ...
and additionally i have another book, which contains some pieces that are not the syllabus...
u re welcomed to give me the title of the song u want ...
i will find it from my books
the score shared by faceless was in my book too
btw .. thx for explaining the key stuff. ..
i am quite confused with those keys ...

dear faceless,
maybe i need ur help when i consider to get a new guzheng ...
may i ask ... u stopped joining guzheng class ?

hope u guys do share some pieces ..
other than skills and technique ... i need some guidance on catch up the emotion with some pieces ..

the cheapest way...utube guzheng....

i always surf youtube for some great music
oh ya ... here is one of the songs in the syallabus ...
i love this song very very much ..
unfortunately this song is far beyond my level ..
cant learn it yet :S

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1aaZs6VhaM

Claire,
I am still taking guzheng lessons. I am wondering where to buy your 2 books? In my school every one plays for fun and had no intention of taking the exam. We had one basic book which was hand written by laoshi. After completing that book laoshi will give us peices to play. Going through book stores, I only manage to buy one book.

On emotion again. Let's see if I can use another angle. Let's use a happy song. I think you should have 凤阳花鼓. It is a very popular song and you should know the tune. You can pluck without emotions and it will sound flat (not out of tune, as long as you strike the right note it wont be out of tune). Think of how to play it more lifely (because this is the mood of the song). It is all about of how you touch the strings. Try to imaging the strings as a stage and your fingers as a balerina dancing gracefully on it. This balerina knows which steps to add power and which steps to glide lightly. Just let your fingers dance gracefully or playfully. Try it for a few bars first. Then get someone to listen to you playing flat and the other with feel. If they can hear they difference, you got it.

icic ... i get my books from my sifu
i can get for u too if u want
but it is kinda expensive o ... rm 80 each ...
but u have no intention to sit for the exam in the short term ...
u can consider to get urself a photocopy book

i have 凤阳花鼓 in the book .. but my sifu skipped it :S
he skipped some songs in the book ...
instead... he would prefer we learn it on our own ...
as the tempo part would be ok for us ...

i feel like when im practising alone...
i could put more emotion on it ..
but when my teacher is beside me ... i will be a lil bit nervous

but ur suggestions are great ... will have a try on it
i have no idea on uploading vids ... otherwise i shall upload vids of my practice and share with u all

This post has been edited by claire_freedom: Apr 26 2010, 05:10 PM

Claire,
Playing in laoshi presence is nerve wrecking. Although I had overcame stage fright since school days, I still panic when my loashi comes over. I just want to make it perfect so that he can give me a new peice to play. Now, I just don't care. I guess knowing that I had already aquired all the skills listed in the exam book had given me a sense of accomplishment. No more new tricks to learn Now is a question of how many classical piece I can play. That takes time. To play with feel you also need to know the story behind the song.

RM80 is really steep. I guess the teachers want to make some commission for selling the book too.

Actually, I am looking for one particular book. It is a collection of peices from different genes (Henan, Hokkien, Hakka, Teo Chew ...). One of my class mate had this book but it is a photocopy of photocopy book. Since you said you have lots classical pieces, I figure it may be this book. If I could I prefer to buy original. Authors and publisher must make some money for their effort. If I still can't find that book, I will have to throw my conscience out of the window and photocopy it.

I see exam as expenses. There is no need to cough out money if you do not have intention to teach professionally. I am content with sharing my 1 sen experience for free.

Subang,
How much did you pay for mei mei's copy of the exam book? The exam book is not important to me. If it is reasonablly price it would be good to own it.

If anyone want to buy guzheng directly from Yang Zhou china, can contact me.
I always import and distribute to many music shops.
not only gu zheng, many other traditional instrument also can.
012-3636 317