Comments

"April is the cruelest month." Don't feel too bad. It sounds like you're just having a temporary letdown, as many of us do after a performance. The problems you've described (C natural, F natural, and 4th finger E) are difficult for all beginning students, even those who have been playing for nine months. I suggest that you take a break for a day or two, listen to some recordings that you like, and/or practice something completely different. You shouldn't fault love just because it takes a brief recess. Pauline - I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments. They're a true balm at this moment. Off I go - a glass of red wine awaits me, along with a video. Guilt-free, at that. Terez - it's probably an overdose of rain and a bit of cabin fever. Take a break for a day or two, and ask your teacher for a different song that will cover the C-E fiasco and a bit more adult :) My first ever song was the first bit of the Star Wars theme (the original one). Maybe something from The Sound of Music - kinda springy! It is hard to keep up enthusiasm in your practice when playing childern's songs! Mendy - thanks for your understanding - you're right, there have to be more sophisticated tunes to practice my problem spots! How are you settling in, BTW? I think you're right about the rain - so unusual for this area/time of year. It's got me feeling all off. After you've continually been so encouraging to me, I wish to return the favor.

For heaven's sake, you've gone this far in your violin career and are only just now feeling this way? You've done good, so pat yourself on the back. From my personal experience, I can tell you that you will feel this many times, and that it does come to pass. It's okay to not want to practice every once in a while. I don't always get much done when I'm in a slump, but I make a point to play something I like every day until I feel the next surge of self-discipline. This way, I can keep up my enjoyment and keep in touch.

Let us know how it goes. Having musical friends to draw inspiration frm helps, too.

I'm settling in fine. It's been raining here all day, so I praciticed the pieces for the orchestra. Some areas are just darned tough! So, I worked through them all day and found out that 2nd position is my friend! :) Also learned that one area is 1000X easier starting in 4th position then just repeating the same fingerings while shifting down the string rather than doing it all in 1st position. VIOLA! Now to just bring it all up to speed (sigh) that's when my left hand and right hand want to do different things! (1/16 notes all the way through at 126 bpm!)

I was searching for some pieces that you could suggest to your teacher other than happy birthday and twinkle tinkle (pun intended!) - Bach has some very simple pieces great for a beginner - March in D major and Menuet in G major, and the Do Re Me song from Sound of Music is a fun way to do scales, and Eidelwise (sp) also from Sound of Music. Greensleeves should be OK also. Some of these may be a bit challenging for you now, but they would hold your interest alot better and have something to aim for.

Emily, your favor-returning encouragement was very successful - many thanks! It feels so good to get this kind of positive support here, 'cuz life sure isn't handing it to me!

Mendy - enjoyed reading about your practice and its challenges. And Edelweiss! That's got me interested in trying to pick out the tune right this minute, but as it's 6:30a on a Sunday, hubby is sleeping, and I'm off in 35 minutes, guess it will have to wait.

Well...I haven't read any of the responses yet, but I just wanted to say that it sounds like a perfectly normal reaction. The birthday month in my house is September (two boys and now-ex-husband), and that was perfectely exhausting. I wouldn't worry about it too much--though I'm having some of the same worries about my cello (not the fiddle for some reason, which I AM practicing daily, and playing, albiet badly, with other folks several times a week).

I don't know about that C natural/E interval either--I have a very hard time getting it in tune too. Or how about a roll stroke with B flat and D on the A string and G on the E string? Try that! Seriously, though (and that was), there are certain tunes that have little passages that are REALLY HARD...but it's encouraging to really work on them, and then a month or two later, discover that you can actually play them in tune. I'm hoping that will be the case with something I'm working on right now in A major (I've never liked anything in A major before, and I'm having a really really hard time with intonation on all the arpeggios--you know, just A C# E A C# E A--ought to be simple--I guess I know what I need to work on, eh?)

So maybe work on other things in the meantime...

...be very very kind to yourself. THis endeavor of learning to play an instrument as a Mature Person, is the best lesson in humility. It renews my faith that people CAN learn things, even very very hard things.