Tag Archives: The Violin Lab

Violin lessons: It’s all in the muscles

Posted on December 13, 2011 | Comments Off on Violin lessons: It’s all in the muscles

I played my first violin notes for Mrs. Charm the other day. The old viola player rewarded me with a broad smile and a reminiscence or two. The one-note-at-a-time playing was accompaniment to the Web instructor playing (on video) and a piano behind her adding a flourish or two.

Have discovered in these violin lessons that it’s as much a matter of muscles in shoulder, neck and arms getting used to the preferred playing posture as anything else. Mine ache. Also the fingers of my fingerboard hand (left) are almost too short for good play, and the work-arounds are contorting.

I got a squeeze ball to try and build up strength in those fingers, the stubbiness being (obviously) unsolvable. My intonation (bowing) is the bright spot, so far. Very nice sound, especially now that I know how to tune. Strange instrument to learn, the violin. I see why it is recommended for kids to start so young. Their muscles are untried and can be molded easier.

Comments Off on Violin lessons: It’s all in the muscles

Posted in Mrs. Charm, Music, Science/Engineering, Scribbles

Tagged , , , ,

Violin lessons at age 67

Posted on November 29, 2011 | Comments Off on Violin lessons at age 67

I have rented a violin, embarking upon an effort to learn the instrument. Next is finding a teacher near the rancho. I have no illusions. It took me years to learn to play the trumpet and I was never very good at it. Likewise the acoustic guitar. Violin is just something I’ve been thinking about for a while. So, after a few weeks of Web wandering on the subject, I decided to give it a whirl.

Mrs. C. played viola in school, and we’ve talked about that, but my interest really grew when Mr. B. began playing the clarinet at the start of this school year. I’ve been helping teach him to read music and the sound of him playing everything from Ode to Joy to the Theme from Star Wars gave me the bug again. And I’ve also discovered the clarinet and violin are often paired.

Course having YouTube around is a great incentive: free intro lessons into the violin’s peculiar issues, and multiple chances to watch amateurs and professionals play what I think is going to be a very challenging instrument, indeed. Plus there’s the Violin Lab, part of Blackerby Violin Shop, the outfit I rented from. Adds up to enough instruction to make learning on my own feasible, if not necessarily successful. Have to wait and see about that.

Comments Off on Violin lessons at age 67

Posted in Mr. Boy, Mrs. Charm, Music, Rancho Roly Poly, Scribbles

Tagged , ,