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Starting at the late age
Topic Rating: 4.5 Topic Rating: 4.5 Topic Rating: 4.5 Topic Rating: 4.5 Topic Rating: 4.5 Topic Rating: 4.5 (6 votes) 
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Fiddlestix
Michigan, USA

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February 9, 2013 - 9:06 am
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Personally, I don't think the "craze", to play violin has changed over the last several decades'. I just think it's due to the fact that we have more access to finding out these stat's, via the internet and that we are more aware something that was of no interest before, but are now, because we have just taken on a something new. Therefore we become more curious and want to know everything about playing and technique.

Example: Buy and new car. You  don't realize how many there on the road that are identical until you own one. Your attention has been drawn by being aware of it.

 

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 9, 2013 - 10:22 am
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Very good point Fiddlestix. :-)

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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KindaScratchy
Massachusetts
February 9, 2013 - 2:42 pm
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Not to get too off topic, but Daniel makes some interesting points in his last post (#20...too long to quote) that I think have some analogies in food production.

Just as he says that society transitioned from making our own music for entertainment to paying a few "elite" others to entertain us, around the same time period we transitioned from producing our own food to paying others to grow, process, prepare and sell us our food.

We have even created food elite: big agribusinesses, large brand name food manufacturers, mega supermarkets, fine restaurants and celebrity chefs.

And similar to when we see renewed interest by ordinary people in learning certain musical instruments, we have also seen renewed interest in home gardening, canning and preserving, cooking and buying from small local farms.

OK, stepping down off my food and agriculture soap box. Pardon the brief interruption. Now, back to music...

treble-1226semiquaver-1214concertina-4198violin-studentspike-1268jimi-hendrix

When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,

I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.

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Janny Wanny

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February 9, 2013 - 3:19 pm
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HI everyone, New to the violin, new to the forum.  I'm a piano teacher.  I've had one successful adult student.  The others have dropped.  Why this one is succeeding.  She is having fun and not condemning herself with negative self talk.  So, I wanna play the fiddle.  And the violin.  I want to carry it into the woods and sit, no, make that stand, and play my heart out.  I plan to NOT use written music but play what I hear. I also plan to take it to church and play there, light streaming through stained glass windows. I'll make mistakes along the way and learn from them.  And yes, maybe even play for my family....I'll make them listen, I'm old, they'll have to be polite.  And maybe, just maybe, they'll be inspired.  Ok, for my next birthday, (eleven months from now) I give a private concert. hip hip hooray

bunny_pole_dancer

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Picklefish
Merritt Island, Fla

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February 9, 2013 - 4:12 pm
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Happy Birthday Janny, (1 month late, sorry) welcome to the forum.

"Please play some wrong notes, so that we know that you are human" - said to Jascha Heifetz.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 9, 2013 - 4:37 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429

Hey Janny Wanny,

I'm guessing that is not your real name. LOL, I LOVED your introduction. Maybe we should add it to the introduce yourself forum as well. thumbs-up

I love your attitude and I love your goals. My favorite is:

Janny Wanny said

And yes, maybe even play for my family....I'll make them listen, I'm old, they'll have to be polite.

That is the spirit. Probably they won't have to be polite and possibly they will love it. It sounds like you have music inside of you and that is a recipe for success.

Look forward to your concert in less than a year. hats_off

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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KnarfEK

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February 11, 2013 - 2:22 pm
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Just starting at 58. Played guitar for decades and now in semi-retirement I am indulging myself. Already got clawhammer banjo down pretty well. Did some piano but hit a wall so slowed that down. Noticed that all the local jams include everyone but fiddlers. So....squeak...squawk...squeal...onward toward fiddledom!

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StoneDog
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February 11, 2013 - 3:39 pm
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@ KnarfEK >

I hear ya on that > I also played guitar for years. Been thinking about getting back out there and jamming again > only this time I'm a gonna bring the fiddle along with me. Well, after I can play a few notes on it. Its a very interesting instrument.

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xenophobia

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February 24, 2013 - 9:53 pm
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New member. I love the site. Fiddler man, you are the man!

I just passed my 70th birthday, and never held a violin until age 65. My granddaughter expressed an interest while in jr. High, so I bought one and gave her lessons. She soon lost interest. The instrument lay in the corner.
Throughout my life I have attempted to experience many new things. After all, there's only one bite at the apple before we become cosmic dust again.
I picked up the fiddle at age 65 and have made noise with it nearly every day since. Taught myself to read music, got lots of books and videos, watched hours of YouTube. I am living proof it is never too late. Very hard! But, never too late.
I have never played outside my home, or in the presence of anyone but family. I have many hobbies(boat building, clock work, motorcycles, ham radio, computers,etc). I only mention these to reveal my insatiable thirst for new knowledge and experiences.
I love playing and struggle daily to improve. Maybe, one day when I feel ready, I will post a video.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 24, 2013 - 10:42 pm
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xenophobia, you will fit in here perfectly. Lot's of members with very similar situations here on our forum.
Glad you kept to learning the violin. Having started in your middle 60's could have given you an excuse to stop but you have persisted and that is really cool. :-)
We love encouraging each other here and look forward to reading your future posts and getting updates on your progress.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Iaen
Magnolia, Tx

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March 1, 2013 - 7:16 pm
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Hi folks, another new member here.  First off thanks to Fiddlerman and others here.  Great site chock full of help.  

I am 49+ and just picking up the violin.  Believe it or not my Doctor recommended it.  I have bad tendinitis in my right elbow area and he thinks the bowing motion with wrist movements will help strengthen the tendons.    

Seems strange but it seems to help.  I will admit I do enjoy a well played violin anyway.  Now I just have to try and get to were I can stand to listen to myself playing.  How do people deal with old worn out eyes?  I have been near sighted for decades and know am also going far sighted.  Just my luck the fingerboard area is the area I have a hard time seeing.  Even with my expensive progressive lenses.  Working on memorizing the note positions but it helps to able to see them also.  

Once again thanks for the great site and help.

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KindaScratchy
Massachusetts
March 1, 2013 - 8:31 pm
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Welcome, Iaen! I also started learning to play at 49 (one year ago) and am dealing with similar issues with tendonitis and progressive lenses. Isn't it great being almost 50?

rofl

Hope you like it here! I'm sure you will!

-- Diane

When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,

I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.

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ozmous

Honorary advisor
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March 1, 2013 - 10:40 pm
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Oh, and btw, the great Giuseppe Tartini also started at a late age, here's an info via wikipedia:

"It appears Tartini's parents intended him to become a Franciscan friar and, in this way, he received basic musical training. He studied law at the University of Padua, where he became skilled at fencing. After his father's death in 1710, he married Elisabetta Premazone, a woman his father would have disapproved of because of her lower social class and age difference. Unfortunately, Elisabetta was a favorite of the powerful Cardinal Giorgio Cornaro, who promptly charged Tartini with abduction. Tartini fled Padua to go to the monastery of St. Francis in Assisi, where he could escape prosecution. While there, Tartini took up playing the violin."

There, he learned the violin after he was married, about ca. 1710....and he was born in 1692, he was like 18 years old at that time....

cheers! - ⁰ℨ

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StoneDog
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March 1, 2013 - 11:11 pm
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I use my ears Iaen.

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FiddleDetroit
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March 1, 2013 - 11:44 pm
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Welcome aboard all, sadly I didn't see this post till just now.  Sorry for the late welcome, but nevertheless it's great to see more new people here to interact with!  

Iaen - Have you tried putting tapes in the positions your fingers need to hit?  That could make it easier to see the positions referencing the color of the tape rather than the strings and fingerboard.  Could be worth a try at least :) .  

 

In some cases starting at a late age can be really beneficial, more ability to understand some of the advanced aspects of an instrument that may be harder to attain as a child.  Seen all the 'negativity' on articles about adults not being able to learn as fast but times are changing a bit...  People are going to school in their 40's and if ya can do that you can learn Violin.  My personal belief is that if someone has the drive, dedication and are willing to put their mind to it they can learn any instrument proficiently.  I've seen it done many times and as Oz was cool to point out Tartini is a perfect example  :) .  Fiddle on, with our arthritis and other wonderful ailments that can't keep us all totally down haha!

 

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Iaen
Magnolia, Tx

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March 2, 2013 - 12:25 am
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Thanks all for the welcome and advice.  I have been browsing here for a couple of weeks or so and have found it to be a cornucopia of information.  

Kindascratchy, not really sure if being almost 50 is great but I do have fun.

Oz, thanks for history lesson.  Learned something new today, always a good thing.  Tartini learning to play at 18 is definitely different than at 49 but is still something to look at and go dang.  Fortunately there are others here in person or in stories told that show it really doesn't matter at what age you try to learn something new as long as you try.  

Stonedog, learning to use my ear is something I am working on.  Learning to break the habit of using my eyes to watch my hands will just take awhile.  If I can do it on this keyboard I am sure I can do it on the violin.  Just going to take a bit of time.

FiddleDetroit, on a media like this I don't honestly think there is such a thing as a late welcome.  I have only had my violin for about 3 weeks and just after I got I caught one of the nastiest head colds I have had in my life.  Didn't want to do anything except curl up on the couch.  Just received and put on a "Fretless Finger Guide" a couple of days ago and I will see if that helps any.  If it does great, if not I am out a few bucks.  Motivation and dedication can be my greatest problems.  I leave notes around the house and sticky notes on my pc screen to remind me to do things.  Kinda of a personal kick in the butt.  Best I can do is keep plugging away at it.  Nice to know that I have a place like this to come with a question or some help if needed.  Thanks all.

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