I remember...

Notes, originally uploaded by Fish Stalker.

When I first started my regular violin classes I bought a stand, a mute ( now still missing yes folks I can't find it ) a shoulder rest , a very good bow, a violin tuner, a violin case AND a strapless black long dress I called " my performance dress". I wanted to have a mini soiree with close dear friends in attendance as I dazzle them with lovely music made by me. The dress has never been worn. I haven't had the courage to perform properly in front of a small group of people. Maybe this year....(yah)

It's that time of the week....

Well for those of you who have taken time to read this blog, you would have realised that saturday mornings are devoted to frantic intensive violin practise session. It's 8:00am. I leave you now.....to tune the ole machine....and get started on some arpeggios in the minor key. Be back later...

Excuse me...I need to go practise my scales..

Created by Madconductor.

The wrong sort of fingers

Photo of my fingers hard at it on a different instrument.

What a dreadful situation. My second finger being that bit longer than the average has made it impossible for the 4th finger to anchor down whilst playing. This is going to make it extraordinarily difficult to become a superb violinist let alone a violinist who can play 5th position at ease.Short fingers have plagued violinist for centuries( surely.) The violin-teacher and I sat back for a bit this evening, whilst we pondered my fingers. ( At least I'm sure I did....the Teacher, perhaps could have been thinking about dinner)

You cannot change the cards you're dealt with.

And I found this article on Orphic Anthroposophy, which writes exactly what I want to read. Amazing:)

Practised to death

P ractising the violin. That's the answer to the query "what have you been doing these days?". Of course I haven't been ( ahem) quite as regular with the practising. You know these things, they tend to get shoved to the bottom of the to-do-list of things. And it's now begun to show. Boohoohoohoohoo.

Short fingers at work

“I was much distressed by next door people who had twin babies and played the violin; but one of the twins died, and the other has eaten the fiddle, so all is peace.”
Edward Lear

At about 7:40am on most Saturdays, I would peel the eyes open and just about that time, give or take a couple of minutes, the urge to practise grips me right in the right wrist. From then on, the stool is pulled and the notes turned to the right page, and the blasted "scales and Arpeggios" book is on on the music stand. The neighbours deserve an award for their patience with my playing. But I should like to gently point out that they are in a posession of a baby who cries ( according to my tuner in C sharp and E flat....some nights). So we're pretty even for now.