Violin--an intoxicating poison.
My violin experience began with an impulsive purchase, an injured hand, a crashing between what can only be termed as love and lust for the instrument, and a gifted dynamic instructor.
I started playing violin around the end of March 2005. I purchased the violin one week, fell and seriously injured my left hand the next week, and in my own mind, overcame the injury up to this point. The injury caused me to over compensate in noting and holding the violin in ways that now in July I'm only beginning to attack with a little success.
I immediately fell in friend-love with my instructor, whom has one of the most intense personas I've ever encountered. She plays with the local symphony and is associated with one of the more long-term prevelant music houses in our region.
When I first began playing, I was spending literally hours and hours and hours, basically creating bad habits technically, but honestly, walking with Ptolemy's ambrosia in human terms--it really was a crashing of cultures. The truth is that the intensity with which I fell in love with this instrument is nearly embarassing as an older male. This kind of intensity is normally reserved for adolescents with a cause. I can only compare the experience to a romantic's first true adult love.
Anyway, my left hand has been a huge source of frustration; and, I'm still looking for the silver lining for having prevailed thus far; however, at a minimum feel sure the value-added focus will be one of the payoffs. I'm technically through Suzuki volume one, though I have a lot of mastery to accomplish before I'm willing to move one. I'm awestruck by vibrato in the same breath.
Having taught myself a messy over-done but somewhat effective finger vibrato several weeks ago, (today is 7/12/05) I applied it to the twenty-five or so songs I've learned by ear beyond Suzuki--the overall effect was very nice to some extent. I was waiting to apply the vibrato to the Suzuki songs when my instructor reigned in my manic moment. She teasingly threatened me that I would not create more bad habits for her to try and correct.
Disappointed is an understatment, having lost my new toy. The expressiveness that the vibrato added to the simple but beautiful songs I've learned was now gone. I felt dis-spirited to be honest, and in my own words, felt like a child looking at presents under a Christmas tree a month and a half out from Christmas--I should've added, spoiled child. I honestly think I got a little depressed.
Anyway, I'm working past that, and in that I told my instructor I was likely to cheat, have even considered hiring another instructor to work on vibrato alone on the sly. :biggrin: At least I was honest. The reason I need to learn vibrato out of sequence and very early, is that I also play piano, banjo, guitar, indian flute, etc., and at least on piano and guitar, have a developed level of expressiveness, that considering guitar, paled when compared with the way the violin makes me feel; and, the overall spirit of my efforts are not to aspire to be a Paganini but to have fun. Moreover, there is something far beyond simple newness going on underlying my enthusiasm, in ways I can't understand. Yes, I am spoiled, but also honest and know myself pretty well.
With that said, I also know how much time I wasted with trial and effort on the guitar. And in the same breath though it contradicts my comment about Paganini, I do want some intensive technical proficiency. This instrument---IS----all that. I'm embarassed as I write.
Last week I diverged from Suzuki and learning by ear, and started adding some technical etudes. I 'got through' the first one and because of my hand find it more challenging than necessary. I also find it very instructive at the same time, forcing several small advances in noting, dexterity, strengthening my 4th finger, and so forth.
Also last week, I physically explored the piano octaves expressed on a violin (about two and a half for practical purposes), went back and corrected some bowing and noting habits that while I realized were there, don't think my instructor realized I realized were there, and overall had a couple pretty good practice jam sessions thus far.
07/13/95
Tonight, we went over the Happy Farmer, the new etude, talked about pinging notes, going to third position, and escoterically the parameters that third position creates in terms of playing general music. My left hand is still growing stronger, and the next few weeks will be very important, in terms of both healing and 4th finger.
6:44 PM
I started playing violin around the end of March 2005. I purchased the violin one week, fell and seriously injured my left hand the next week, and in my own mind, overcame the injury up to this point. The injury caused me to over compensate in noting and holding the violin in ways that now in July I'm only beginning to attack with a little success.
I immediately fell in friend-love with my instructor, whom has one of the most intense personas I've ever encountered. She plays with the local symphony and is associated with one of the more long-term prevelant music houses in our region.
When I first began playing, I was spending literally hours and hours and hours, basically creating bad habits technically, but honestly, walking with Ptolemy's ambrosia in human terms--it really was a crashing of cultures. The truth is that the intensity with which I fell in love with this instrument is nearly embarassing as an older male. This kind of intensity is normally reserved for adolescents with a cause. I can only compare the experience to a romantic's first true adult love.
Anyway, my left hand has been a huge source of frustration; and, I'm still looking for the silver lining for having prevailed thus far; however, at a minimum feel sure the value-added focus will be one of the payoffs. I'm technically through Suzuki volume one, though I have a lot of mastery to accomplish before I'm willing to move one. I'm awestruck by vibrato in the same breath.
Having taught myself a messy over-done but somewhat effective finger vibrato several weeks ago, (today is 7/12/05) I applied it to the twenty-five or so songs I've learned by ear beyond Suzuki--the overall effect was very nice to some extent. I was waiting to apply the vibrato to the Suzuki songs when my instructor reigned in my manic moment. She teasingly threatened me that I would not create more bad habits for her to try and correct.
Disappointed is an understatment, having lost my new toy. The expressiveness that the vibrato added to the simple but beautiful songs I've learned was now gone. I felt dis-spirited to be honest, and in my own words, felt like a child looking at presents under a Christmas tree a month and a half out from Christmas--I should've added, spoiled child. I honestly think I got a little depressed.
Anyway, I'm working past that, and in that I told my instructor I was likely to cheat, have even considered hiring another instructor to work on vibrato alone on the sly. :biggrin: At least I was honest. The reason I need to learn vibrato out of sequence and very early, is that I also play piano, banjo, guitar, indian flute, etc., and at least on piano and guitar, have a developed level of expressiveness, that considering guitar, paled when compared with the way the violin makes me feel; and, the overall spirit of my efforts are not to aspire to be a Paganini but to have fun. Moreover, there is something far beyond simple newness going on underlying my enthusiasm, in ways I can't understand. Yes, I am spoiled, but also honest and know myself pretty well.
With that said, I also know how much time I wasted with trial and effort on the guitar. And in the same breath though it contradicts my comment about Paganini, I do want some intensive technical proficiency. This instrument---IS----all that. I'm embarassed as I write.
Last week I diverged from Suzuki and learning by ear, and started adding some technical etudes. I 'got through' the first one and because of my hand find it more challenging than necessary. I also find it very instructive at the same time, forcing several small advances in noting, dexterity, strengthening my 4th finger, and so forth.
Also last week, I physically explored the piano octaves expressed on a violin (about two and a half for practical purposes), went back and corrected some bowing and noting habits that while I realized were there, don't think my instructor realized I realized were there, and overall had a couple pretty good practice jam sessions thus far.
07/13/95
Tonight, we went over the Happy Farmer, the new etude, talked about pinging notes, going to third position, and escoterically the parameters that third position creates in terms of playing general music. My left hand is still growing stronger, and the next few weeks will be very important, in terms of both healing and 4th finger.
6:44 PM
posted by al justice | 12:37 PM
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