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I'm not so serious as to do the "Ling Ling 40 hrs/day" practice, but how can anyone play violin, viola or cello and not be serious?
Long story, short - while researching the million music sub-genres out there (to be able to identify a song I like), I ran across this video!
This video is several years old, so probably everyone knows this artist and has seen this ...except me.
Don't judge me - I've been told my sense of humor is off a little.
- Emily
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Day 2. Any Violin, Viola or Cello humor from anyone?
This is an early Jack Benny episode (about his violin teacher).
"Rodchester" would make someone a great wife (lol)!
Wow, I remember watching some of these as a kid...
- Emily
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Emily: I started watching the Jack Benny videos for the first time recently. Although I don’t have to work at sounding bad (that seems to come naturally), I think Jack Benny had to really work at it since he really could play well.
This episode of Jack Benny, Isaac Stern is hiding in a closet playing, making Jack think that he is hearing a recording of himself—too funny. The last 4 minutes of the clip, (~22:20) Stern plays for the audience. I really like the camera close up angles that shows his playing, particularly the angle that looks over his shoulder from behind so you have a really good view of his left hand on the fingerboard.
This clip is from movie Limelight with Chaplin & Keaton is funny (without words). Chaplin actually played violin well—and played left-handed (with the strings in reverse order on the violin).
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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AndrewH - Thanks for participating! Soooo cute!
SharonC - Great videos!
I had a hard time deciding between 1st posting the Jack Benny video I did and the one you posted. I (also) just stumbled on the Jack Benny ones - been ages since I've even seen him in an old movie.
I actually don't remember ever seeing that Chaplin skit!
Thanks for participating!
- Emily
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Day 3 - I know we already have "strings" related laughs for today, but I just can't help adding one in for the Cellists!
I apologize for having too much time on my hands (at the moment).
- Emily
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SharonC - took me a minute, but I do remember watching "Limelight" - about Chaplin!
I know the audio didn't match his fingering, but he WAS doing vibrato with his right hand!
So, did he actually (regularly) play Right-handed Violin or was it just a stunt?
- Emily
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@ELCBK
Here is a link about Charlie Chaplin and his violin. Scroll down to Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin, Left Handed Violinist
He bows with his left hand - left handed violinist
Bow with right hand - Right handed violinist
The Bumblebee Flies!
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cid - Thanks!
Only recently (a little too late now) did I give this much thought - except that it would make sense to do the more complicated half of playing with your dominant hand.
I thought, if I'm holding the violin in my left hand I must be a Left-handed violinist - duh!
Good thing I'm too old to worry about embarrassing myself...
- Emily
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Actually Emily, it might make more sense to call a normal violin a left handed violin since we finger with that hand. But it's strange, and I can see logic looking at it from either way.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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When I was looking at the Charlie Chaplin info I was Googling, it said that you would normally pick up a pencil with your right hand if you are right handed. They likened the bow to the pencil, so,they called it right handed with the bow in the right hand, and left handed with the bow in the left hand.
The Bumblebee Flies!
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Ilona - 😁 that's cute - haven't seen that one!
cid - 🤔 this has been very interesting!
Did you enjoy the "Cello" humor?
- Emily
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Yea. I think that dude needs a little psychiatric help. I love my cello, but my priorities are not catching a cello before catching my husband from a fall. OUCH!
The Bumblebee Flies!
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BTW, if anyone isn't familiar with Jack Benny - most of the time, in his program skits, he would portray a terrible sounding violinist (didn't believe he sounded horrible) & never improved despite his instructor.
The end of the 1st video (in this thread) shows the superb violinist he is in real life (like SharonC mentiond) - even though the sound department can't seem to keep their hands off anything in these old shows!
- Emily
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Translation:
"What is that you're playing?"
"Vivaldi's Four Seasons."
"But it doesn't sound like it at all."
"That's because of climate change."
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cid said
Scroll down to Charlie Chaplin
"As a child, Chaplin had great ambitions of becoming a professional violin player; by the time he was 1, he was playing in English music halls but chose to concentrate on acting later on instead."
Err,...
Andrew
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Gordon Shumway - Andrew, every time I see your "Alf" moniker, makes me 😁. I actually airbrushed a portrait of Alf on an A-7 for nose art back in late 80's. I made sure it was all on 1 panel - the Crew Chief of that jet was able to R&R it to keep when the jet was re-assigned to another Air Base.
Okay, here's a terrible joke...
Q: What do you call 1 pretty good violinist, 1 average violinist, 1 failed violinist and 1 person who hates violinists - all in the same room?
A: A String Quartet!
- Emily
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