bunnyhillsv.com Blog

If you decide to learn how to play an instrument be sure your teacher can play. Mine plays really well, here he is playing Orange Blossom Special at class this morning.

With the instruction of a great Idaho teacher, Mr. Ron Wade and inspiration from Barrage and others on YouTube I think I’m progressing. And oh yes my old friend Norm who suggested I practice every day. He should know, he’s been playing music a long time.

I have to drive an hour + to my lesson once a week. One time I had a little too much coffee on an empty stomach. Not a good idea. My lesson was a disaster. Shaking in all the wrong ways and hurried through it all as well. So my advise, eat before you play.

Oh Well… What the Hell… here is Tennessee Waltz. I tell you what it is in case you don’t recognize it by the awful way it’s played.

I’m not really in Yosemite, that’s the Photo Booth app in Apple software. The hat was a bit of a tribute to my great uncle Noel a West Coast Fiddle Champ.

3 Months on the violin and counting… That’s my mannequin, she’s the only one interested in listening at this stage.

From the lesson book this was the first song I felt I could really put some passion into playing. Ha! At least it felt that way. This too is about 3 months along.

I’m taking lessons but couldn’t resist teaching myself how to play this old favorite This is about 2 months along. This was about the time I tried playing by ear. It took awhile to discover which finger position made which sound.

Girl friend iPhone Birthday Greeting. Saying Happy Birthday got a little more fun with a custom video delivered not in print but on my iPhone. Forget that I’m a beginner violinist and can’t play for s–t ya gotta love the idea. Created on a Mac using the iSight video with one of the ready made effects. I imported the clips into Final Cut Pro and added Live Type transitions. Output the final movie to my iPhone and at the party instead of handing her a traditional card I played the movie from my phone. Lot’s of fun a gift that keeps on giving.

First week on the violin request for Jingle Bells from friend. Pretty terrible, but not bad for only playing for one week.

Looking for a place to practice. My family is threatening to throw me out because my playing is so bad. Well hang in there what do you expect in one week.

The funny thing is I posted this on facebook and received 2 very different responses from friends. One said “oh Vickey you’re such an inspiration, really cool” And the other one said ” Don’t you dare think about bringing that damn thing to my house” “At least not until you learn Jingle Bells then maybe”. Little did she know I was learning Jingle Bells even though it was April.

This is the tipping point band, The Steeldrivers, I heard this song and said ” that does it, I’m going to learn how to make that sound”. I went down to the local music store rented a student violin for $20 a month and signed up for lessons with the owners daughter.

Okay… it’s time to start a blog for just my experiences learning to play the fiddle or is it a violin. It’s pretty much both at this stage. Sometimes it’s blue grass fiddling and sometimes it’s classical violin. While I started out thinking only fiddle I actually find the classical pretty cool. The idea that I can define a genre at this stage of the learning process is ridiculous anyway. I’m playing rudimentary Jingle Bells, Can Can and Happy Birthday.

I, at the of 58,  I just decided it wasn’t enough to listen I had to make that sound.