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I wanted to prove to myself I was a real musician, I have played fretted instruments more or less all my life, and find them easy, I grew up surrounded by a large family that could play basically every instrument under the sun, those still left alive can stilll do it, including my niece whp plays quite a few different instruments to beyond grade 8. I always thought violin would be beyond me, and that violinists because they could read music were real musicians so it was a challenge..
There is a more powerful reason but its a bit depressing so wont post it here.
Cant beat a sunny day
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RDP interesting that you write, I have started several books and apathy always stopped me.
I did actually write one hundred and 30 pages about the history of bare knuckle boxing but only got to 1850 as the research eventually got to me.
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stringy said
RDP interesting that you write, I have started several books and apathy always stopped me.I did actually write one hundred and 30 pages about the history of bare knuckle boxing but only got to 1850 as the research eventually got to me.
People don't realize how much work goes into writing a book. It's not just the typing, its the research and double checking everything. And that just gets you to a manuscript. Once it's all typed you start the editing phase. First it's beta reading by your readers who give feedback on where you screwed up. Then it's rewrites, typos, re-rewrites, more typos, and even more typos that everyone missed the last 5 or 6 times they read it. Eventually you have a clean copy and now get to start writing all the supporting stuff the agents and publishers want. A synopsis, an author biography, a hook, a jacket synopsis, and so on.
All in all it takes a year for someone to write a novel that will take a reader only a few days to read. Believe me, learning to play the violin is simpler and in some ways easier.
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I can well believe how difficult it is, hope it doesnt stop your violin playing. I used to read a vast amount but dont get the time these days, my missus reads at least 2 fiction books a week, for myself music has basically taken up all my time, still read but not as much.
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@ELCBK said
Did you ever learn the "Waiting For the Federals/Elzic's Farewell/Rakish Paddy Set" (OP) that inspired you to pick up the fiddle?
she actually hosted a workshop kinda thing i attended and waiting on federals was a tune. so yeah ive played it. Shes great! VERY good teacher. whoever said you shouldnt meet your heros didnt pick well.. 😁
i havent tried rakish paddy or elzics but waiting on federals was the tune that caught my interest and propelled me on this fiddle thing. Elk river blues was another on that cd she taught. she had the 5 string used on it and let me saw away a bit on it. 😆 and no i didnt ask.. i just inquired if that was the one she used and she said yeah..and handed it over to me..lol. fun times.
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stringy said
I can well believe how difficult it is, hope it doesnt stop your violin playing. I used to read a vast amount but dont get the time these days, my missus reads at least 2 fiction books a week, for myself music has basically taken up all my time, still read but not as much.
I keep telling everyone that this current book is the last one. No one believes me because I've said that before and I've already mentioned that if this book gets picked up by a publisher, there might be sequel.
I actually wrote a song to use in the climax of this book. I haven't set it to music but the lyrics are all there. It's an updated version of "The Song Of Deborah" found in Judges (Old Testament). The Song Of Deborah isn't really a song, more of a monologue, and has no musical key or rhythm. I modified the dickens out of it to include "the Legend" that I created for the story plot and added the necessary rhythm to be able to call it a modern day "song." I think my version is better than the original even if it's all a lie from top to bottom, but I'm not the one who actually gets to say that, the readers are.
I'll keep learning and playing. How long is anyone's guess given my tremors but I hope to get to a level where I can play Vivaldi's spring.
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@ABitRusty -
So COOL!
Really like the set - have only previously heard Rakish Paddy before your posting.
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RDP, If or when you publish this one you will have to let me know and I will buy a copy, the fact that you are a writer actually answered a couple of things I was wondering about, such as when you said 'violin teachers pass a secret to their students in order to get a beautiful tone', or words to that effect, its obviously in your book,
There is actually a secret though. But its a very mundane one, its the constant repetition of scales and arpeggios, Sivori said that you could become a great violinist just by practicing scales and nothing else, or maybe it was paganini, cant remember exactly, know it was one of them though.
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stringy said
RDP, If or when you publish this one you will have to let me know and I will buy a copy, the fact that you are a writer actually answered a couple of things I was wondering about, such as when you said 'violin teachers pass a secret to their students in order to get a beautiful tone', or words to that effect, its obviously in your book,There is actually a secret though. But its a very mundane one, its the constant repetition of scales and arpeggios, Sivori said that you could become a great violinist just by practicing scales and nothing else, or maybe it was paganini, cant remember exactly, know it was one of them though.
That line isn't in the book because my protagonist isn't a music teacher, she's a concert violinist (2nd chair) who gets told by her concertmaster to go participate in a flashmob. Or else! Which is where the tale gets really wild. Angels, Divine intervention, a cursed mystical horn, super powers, the fight between good and evil, and much more.
As for the secret; it's true, there is one. It's not repetition though, it's the guidance that music teachers can give to their students to help them solve problems and get over hurdles. Little tips and tricks to help make things easier as the students repeat them over and over and over again. Without a teacher I have to discover all of those things for myself.
Which is yet another chapter in the long sad tale of me doing everything the extremely hard way.
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A teacher would be good, I must admit, unfortunately there arent any where I live, I did have one lesson, but that was it, so we are both in the same boat.
When I taught guitar, I could tell people were they were going wrong and how to fix it but it was practice that did it in the end.
Your book sounds good , very interesting.
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I'm a NRA instructor myself. It's how I understand that the rule of "practice makes perfect" doesn't work if the student doesn't know how to practice the proper techniques. We aren't gifted with knowledge, we have to be taught or learn it on our own. Teaching is easier and quicker but without a teacher there's only Door #2.
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I agree with you entirely probablly easier with a teacher, but most Irish fiddle players are self taught, admitedly they do sometimes play along in sessions which helps but others dont and are very fine musicians in their own right, there are lots of them on you tube.
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I wanted to make the worse, most irritating sound I could think of to bug my husband. The cello was too mellow, so I decided to give violin a shot 😵💫.
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I really enjoying reading why you all started learning to play the violin. Thanks for all the great stories.
I for one started after a teacher came by with a bunch of instruments and I was able to hold one in my hand and pluck the strings. Didn't know what I was getting myself into did I? 😂
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Kudos to that teacher, @Fiddlerman.
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I actually did not want to play violin at first, but my mom wanted me to learn an instrument so she put me in violin. Then my dad found the street performer Karolina Protsenko on YouTube and that motivated me to want to become a really good violinist. I started practicing alot and leanring more songs by ear. Then I started my YT channel and joined this forum and now I'm am typing this out on my computer to share with all of you guys.
"In the long run, any words about music are less important than the music."
- Dmitri Shostakovich.
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Fiddlerman said
I really enjoying reading why you all started learning to play the violin. Thanks for all the great stories.I for one started after a teacher came by with a bunch of instruments and I was able to hold one in my hand and pluck the strings. Didn't know what I was getting myself into did I? 😂
It could have been worse, you could have chosen the viola. 
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Actually, for me, the piano had too many keys to deal with. The guitar had to many strings and I could not do the, forgot what it is called when you have to hold all or almost all strings down with the index finger and then form a chord with the rest, could not find an instructor to teach me fingering for solo guitar and I reached a deadlock. Cello seemed to work well, so I decided to try violin. I like violin, viola and cello.
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ķMouse said
Actually, for me, the piano had too many keys to deal with. The guitar had to many strings and I could not do the, forgot what it is called when you have to hold all or almost all strings down with the index finger and then form a chord with the rest, could not find an instructor to teach me fingering for solo guitar and I reached a deadlock. Cello seemed to work well, so I decided to try violin. I like violin, viola and cello.🐭
Thats all that matters, what you like. If you enjoy it thats a win in my book, I have said before I think violin has an addictive quality to it, doesnt matter how good, or bad you are, or people think you are, it takes over.
Maybe because every single thing is difficult and there are no short cuts, so it creates a vast satisfaction when the smallest thing goes right.
Bar chords by the way.
I used to teach the open chords first, and bar chords once a students hand gained strength and mobility. And then the different scale patterns.
Bar chords are hard at first
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Some of this is in my blog (buried under hundreds of entries), but in my youth, I was surrounded by music, folks loved classical and big band, I played accordion, piano, organ, my best friend Jon, was a jazz drummer, his mother was our church organist and piano teacher, his father a percussion instructor at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and was also our church choir director.
Jon's and my mutual friend Paul was a jazz trumpeter and classical violinist (he got a full scholarship to college with his violin). Jon and I went to junior college together and when he signed up for group cello lessons at school, I decided on taking viola. Even then I preferred the deeper, richer sound of it over the violin. Upon completing junior college, I went into the army, then started working full time (after attempting college, but dropping out), then marriage, then kids, then career, etc.
I often thought about getting back into it, but could never justify the cost, until last year. Now, I couldn't be happier that I'm finally "back in the groove".
The old curmudgeon!
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