maryellen437 said
Hi everyone. I'm very happy to be here amongst fellow string players. I've wanted to play the violin since I was eight years old, but my parents bought me a guitar instead, lol. Quite a few years back, I found out that the school where I worked had some old violins stored in the basement, and I got permission to take one home. It didn't sound very good, but I was still thrilled. Then I met a coworker who I found out was a professional violinist and inquired if she had any old student violins lying around that she wanted to sell. And, that's how I purchased my first violin, a used Knilling that served me well for a few years as I self-taught myself the basics with some Suzuki beginner books and lots of YouTube videos.

Typical parents. lol
Glad that you decided to take up the violin, and happy that you found us here.

This year, I decided that I need an upgrade and gifted myself a Fiddlerman Master for my birthday, which of course I love, love, love. I practice pretty much every day and have made some real progress. But at my age (63), I can't really play fast pieces because my old fingers just won't move that fast.

Thanks for purchasing from Fiddlershop! 😁
About the fingers....I know the feeling. lol
Just take it easy and increase slowly. Your fingers will adapt.

My next goal is to learn vibrato, a task that seems almost impossible to me, although I won't give up. It's sort of like patting your head while rubbing your tummy to me. Bowing up and down while trying to make my left hand do something else isn't working out too well so far. I continue to watch YouTube videos and do finger and hand exercises, hoping that one day it will just click. The sound of vibrato is music to my ears, and if I can ever accomplish that movement it will be a cause for celebration. If anyone has any tips for old hands and wrists, my ears are open for suggestions.

With vibrato, no-one really thinks they will be able to do it until it just happens. I have a few videos out there on vibrato but there are many others. Baby steps forward and someday it will happen. Like your, "I won't Give Up" attitude. That will go far.

I've wanted to submit a video for the Fiddlerman Group Christmas Project for several years now, and this year I finally did it. I had to settle for Violin 4 because like I already explained my old fingers just won't move that fast, but no matter, I did it. I hope my submission was good enough to be included, and can't wait for the final video to be produced.

Actually with your luck, there was no easy part this year. Next year I hope to make parts easier. I get carried away and forget to do that. I even accidentally left the 3rd part an octave too high when transposing parts for viola and temporarily adjusting the octaves, then I forgot to change it back. No one complained though. lol

~ Mary Ellen, a retired wanna-be violinist

Looking forward to following your progress.