Gypsy Camp Blog

A couple days ago I received a query asking how to play ponticello easily and to great effect. Now in case you don’t already know, ponticello is a kind of special effect. And it is produced when the bow tracks so close to the bridge that the string is forced to produce higher frequencies than are part of the normal overtone series. The result is a kind of eerie, slightly scratchy color to the sound.

Now, there are two issues that make the execution of this effect a little more challenging than drawing a pure tone.

First, it is critical that the bow track right next to the bridge, without the slightest deviation. You may have noticed that when you draw a normal tone the bow can move back and forth between bridge and fingerboard somewhat without negatively impacting the sound – one does like to avoid this. As soon as the bow wanders from the bridge in ponticello, however, the effect disappears immediately.

The second issue is control. Because the bow is not fully ‘in the string,’ as we say in string parlance, there is, in fact, a greater tendency for hidden tensions in the bow arm to manifest in just the wandering mentioned above.

Sometimes, in the case of the bow suddenly passing OVER the bridge – and this happens to everyone at one time or another – this tightening can lead to an alarming result.

The question is how to practice this technique so it becomes secure and well behaved without the counter-productive tensions mentioned above.

First thing I would do is slow, quiet, long bows in ponticello – the bow right next to the bridge – to get in touch with the placement of the bow, from tip to frog. Once you’ve gotten a sense of the bow placement, and the relaxed unfolding of the bow arm, begin playing some scales and arpeggios using the entire length of the bow; very smooth, no spaces between the notes. At first you may want to play single notes per bow. Yet as the ease of maintaining bow control increases I suggest you slur notes together, reaching eight or twelve to a stroke.

Gradually increase the weight on the string; relaxed arm weight until reaching forte or even fortissimo. Remember, the downward weight and pressure should in no way affect the freedom of the arm to move the bow horizontally.

Now ponticello is also often called for in combination with tremolo, a fast, repeated, and unmeasured stroking of one note. To practice this variant I recommend arriving at tremolo by starting at a slow rate of speed using just the forearm, in the upper half of the bow. From there gradually increase the speed and narrow the travel of the bow. As you stroke more rapidly, again add arm weight to reach a dynamic of forte.

The secret to adding tremolo successfully goes back to the purity of your detach, really. Understand that I do not use my wrist – unless I’m feeling quite lazy – to produce my tremolo; simply the forearm. And for this the elbow joint must be absolutely free of restriction.

Playing Ponticello really forces you to separate the vertical weight of the arm from the relaxed horizontal movements of the arm. It requires absolute freedom in the joints of the right arm. And these, taken together, make it an excellent tool for sharpening the efficiency and purity of your bow arm.

Clayton Haslop is Concertmaster (first violinist) on hundreds of Hollywood movie soundtracks, including The Matrix movies, Titanic, Avatar, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Star Trek, Up, Jurassic Park, Apollo- and The Perfect Storm. Haslop’s bestselling Instructional DVD courses are used by beginning violinists to professionals worldwide.

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Information on boxing punch bags is everywhere on the Internet, and it’s all yours if you perform a quick Google search. The biggest question out there is without a doubt how you can fill your own boxing punch bag.

People have differing opinions of which material is the best. Water is liked by some, as is sand, or even grass.

The first two work decently, though the quality varies depending on what you’re using your bag for and what materials make up your shell. Filling a standard size boxing punch bag with water, for example, is a mistake unless you feel like mopping.

Grass is the only choice here that just doesn’t work, no matter what you’re filling. Packing a boxing punch bag with grass will result in a soft bag that won’t condition anyone’s fists and will start to smell in the future.

Do consider that when it comes time to fill your boxing punch bag, you’d be best served by purchasing an empty shell from the store rather than letting your aunt sew some kind of material for you.

Even if you’re looking for something more budget conscious, in the end, your sister’s sewed boxing punch bag will end up costing you more money and time than if you’d have purchased one in the first place. The consistency of the bag will be all wrong.

So what can someone do that doesn’t want to buy a full priced boxing punch bag? Never buy a sack and go with it. Sacks are not built to take the kind of pain you’re going to be dealing on it day in and day out.

The best thing to do is to simply bite the bullet and buy an unfilled boxing punch bag to custom fill yourself. The upside to this decision is that unfilled boxing punch bags are cheap — it’s the stuff on the inside that differentiates an Aries or TKO from an Everlast.

There are numerous ingredients you can use to fill your boxing punch bag. Your best bet is to pick a few of these and use them to create a mixture that will perform for you year after year despite daily punishment.

Some ingredients you can use to fill your boxing punch bag include:

* Cotton, or anything made from cotton

* Cloth or yarn made from wool

* Normal air

* The foam of an old mattress

* Water or other liquid

* Old clothing

* Saw dust or shreddings

* Pillow or any other type of feathers

* Non-cooked rice

* Varieties of sand

* Material used for packing, such as styrofoam

* Rolled tight and packed up garbage bags

* Rubber of any type including shredded tires

Here is what your dojo does, something that you’ll probably never hear from anyone, even after requesting an honest answer. The formula is as follows.

Pack your boxing punch bag as tightly with cloth as possible, attentively removing any looseness to keep the boxing punch bag of good form and thickness to prevent deforming.

What do you do to combat this?

Pour in some find sand near the bottom to maintain your bag’s shape and keep it weighted. Line the edges with cloth — you can use sleeping bags or army sacks if you’d like.

Next, pack the core with feathers and any rubber you have at your disposal, like shredded tires.

A boxing punch bag will help develop not only stamina and strength but endurance and success. Think of buying one for yourself today? There are many amazing deals on boxing punching bags and other boxing gear available on the Internet, so contact a recommended seller and get one for yourself today.

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Reoccurrence of certain thoughts, images, and fears that sometimes get out of control may indicate that a person has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). There are a few cases of OCD where a person can get panic attacks because some of the impulses that come with OCD makes the stress and anxiety level of a person higher, causing a full panic attack. The WebMD states that some of the practices that are done by a person with OCD can only temporarily take away that person’s anxiety.

FamilyDoctor.org reports that people with OCD typically have other forms of anxiety, and this includes panic attacks and panic disorders. They may experience bouts of depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, extreme phobias or have an eating disorder. Panic attacks may occur as a result of the person not undergoing their usual ritual that previously helped them lower their anxiety. Panic attacks and panic disorder affects thousands of men and women in the United States, and some of these people also show signs and symptoms of OCD. However, there are several ways to keep they symptoms of OCD and panic attacks under control.

One effective way of treating anxiety is to undergo therapy. There are many cases that anxiety and related disorders are effectively suppressed by prescription medications.

In many cases, the person suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attacks will need to pursue some natural treatment options so that they can lead a healthier lifestyle. Experts say that eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and reframing thoughts about certain fears can help to reduce the risk of panic attacks and reduce or eliminate the need to exhibit OCD behaviors just to cope with day to day life.

It is a sad fact that OCD cannot be prevented, but if detected in the earlier stages, a person may get the coping mechanism to deal with the problem with the aid of healthy options. Idle minds, bad diets, and lack of physical activity are factors that greatly contribute to getting anxiety disorders and there is an urgent need for people like this to make a positive lifestyle change.

In cases where the obsessive thoughts and compulsions have overtaken a person’s daily life, intervention by a mental health professional can help. Obsessive thoughts and compulsions that are causing anxiety have the ability to trigger a panic attack, so the person may need to maintain a notebook of positive statements that they can reference when they are feeling anxious, learn how to recognize fearful and irrational thoughts, and undertake deep relaxation exercises on a regular basis to help lower their anxiety, naturally.

Panic attacks and OCD can take over someone’s life and make it difficult to cope with daily stressors. Understanding the link between panic attacks and OCD can make it easier for people to empower themselves and overcome anxiety so that they can lead a healthier and more productive lifestyle.

If you’ve ever suffered from anxiety when vacationing or traveling, there is hope. Successful non-pharmaceutical approaches are emerging to help you to free yourself from the unsettling thoughts that can lead to panic attacks.