June 2007

What is your quest?

June 12, 2007 13:51

Hello,

My name is Paul McCrone, my quest is to seek the ... best violin I can get to upgrade from my student violin (who needs a holy grail?). Oh, and my favorite color is blue.

It has been quite a while since I posted! Sorry about that!

I have been busy. I continue to make progress. I am still in the second Suzuki book, but now I'm on the 11th piece, the Minuet in G by Beethoven. I think I am just about there. We'll see tomorrow, when I have my next lesson.

I have already begun listening to the next Suzuki CD for the 3rd book, and I am excited to start on that! Such wonderful pieces!

Steve, my teacher, has been drilling me with vibrato excercises. One particular excercise has me playing two octaves of the G major scale (all 4 strings in the first position only) and play in such a way as to have only the one finger of the left hand touching the violin - no support from the thumb at all - to develop my finger strength and abaility to play, I guess. I have noticed an improvement in my vibrato since doing this exercise. It's hard though!!! still it's worth it.

As mentioned before, I am currently on a quest to find an upgrade to my student violin. I was recently in Chicago, and I visted two places: Semans Violins and Fritz Reuters shop, near/in the Lincolnwood/Skokie area. Both shops were dazzling to me, being a newbie, and both offered tremendous learning opportunities. Both places were worthwhile to visit. I bought a bow at Semans, and I am very pleased with it. At Semans, they let me try several of their violins. I was impressed. I noted that I can tell the difference in some of the violins - some seemed bright, others more dark, some mellow, some a little noisy, some clear. Wide varieties in abundance. I took pictures, and I will post more on these visits later.

I also visited Midwest Violins in Omaha Nebraska. Owned by Glen Hadsell, this business is operated out of his home. Despite the informal environment, I found Glen to be extremely knowledgeable, and a great player in his own right (he's a former member of the Omaha Symphony). I felt like I should have payed him for a violin lesson after we got done. He was very helpful and friendly. He has a great selection of very sonorous violins from various places. Czech, German, Italian, American, Chinese. Mostly from the later 1800's. Nice collection.

All three places allowed my to try out their violins and were very willing to help.

I am still on my quest and I intend to take my sweet time and not choose impulsively. There are two other places that I want to visit.

Well, that's all for now. I will write more later.

Best Regards,
Paul McCrone

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