Posted by brya31 on Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Well its hard to believe it's already been a year. At this time last year I was really focused on Mary Had A Little Lamb and Twinkle Twinkle...kinda makes you laugh to think how much the beginning stages of learning a fiddle is much like being a newborn child. I had no idea what scales were, I had no idea what to do with either hand and I sure the heck didnt know what a darn jam session was. A year later I know my scales, I have let Mary and her little lamb leave the pasture and I am now focusing on good bowing, good inotation and off and on dabblin with doubestops. I go to the jam session every other week and I enjoy playing my fiddle around other people.......I definately never thought I would have the nachos to do that. I even pulled it out at lunch yesterday and played for my Manly boss...I thought for sure he would tease me, but instead he was a bit amazed and even complimented me for playing so well and doing so well with not ever having played another instrument.......ok he was probably being modest, but I was still proud of myself for playing in front of him. I just happen to take my fiddle to work because a co worker wanted to see it. My future goals will be to learn those darn doublestops...dad says grandpa always played that way....I would sure like to get those darn things down so I can surprise dad someday..goal #2 I sure would like to be able to fit in more at the jam session...be able to lead a song and even take in on a break once in a while. #3 Hope someday my wife see's how hard I have worked at learning this instrument and rewards me with a open check toward a fiddle.....ok that is a bit far fetched.......I hope she allows me to indulge in a fiddle that isnt intended for students.
Year #2 Here I come
6 comments on “One year anniversary”
Cyndy Says:
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 @7:13:28 PM
I hit the one-year mark at the beginning of this year. I geared up for it during the Christmas holiday by reviewing all the tunes I had learned, celebrated in a quiet way, and then regrouped, set some new goals, and lept into year two. It was a happy time. CONGRATULATIONS . . . and here's to new fiddles in the year to come! Cynthia
Rene Says:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 @6:46:58 AM
Yeah, I told you that it could be done and the you could do it. Awesome, keep up the great work.
I'm still working on #2, I can't ever seem to figure out how to take a break at a jam.
When the time comes for that New (to you) fiddle you will really really appreciate it, and the better fiddler you are the easier it will be for you to tell a really good instrument.
bj Says:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 @6:47:19 AM
Rob, you have a lot to be proud of. Most of us who came to this very difficult instrument did so after learning music playing something else, and already had at least some of the basic concepts (like keys and scales and chords) down. You had to learn all that from scratch, which is so much harder, especially when you're not a brat kid!
Have you been playing your scales using a drone string? If not, maybe you should add that into the warmup. If you're doing a d scale, simply play the D and A strings the whole time you're working through the scale, both up and down. Then you can do the same thing with the G scale on the G and D strings, and the A scale on the A and E strings. Once you've got those down, you can work on switching the droned note when you transition your fingering from one string to the next.
I have faith in you that next year this time you will be looking back once again and telling us that it's funny how you used to not fit in at the jams, and how silly it was that you couldn't lead tunes, and now it's just SO simple!
Percy Says:
Friday, May 1, 2009 @1:25:57 PM
Rob -- thanks for the encouragement and kind words.. and maybe we'll end up in the same nursing home -- and we'll put together our own jam session!
mudbug Says:
Friday, May 1, 2009 @2:04:43 PM
Congrats Rob!
Yeah, you spend your early days trying to play each note by itself, without hitting other strings, by the bow being at a certain angle, then for double stops you gotta try and find that in between angle. Like Rosanna Rosanna Dana said ' It's always somethin' " !
brynmawr Says:
Saturday, May 2, 2009 @7:25:01 AM
ah.. ok... Rob is your name... great! Yeah... what everybody else is saying! This is a most difficult instrument, but as you are discovering, it is well worth the effort.... it tends to be addicting...lol. I like what Percy said about the nursing home! Wouldn't that be a riot.
Keep playing. Keep having fun with it.
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