Assorted Violin Silliness.

October 14, 2010 at 3:26 AM

I am really not sure how to begin. I am not technically a professional violinist. I am an advanced violinist who occasionally gets paid to play something in public. I am someone who labors over a musical phrase for weeks and loves to make a pretty noise. I am someone who finds solace in scales and tortures myself with Sarasate. I am no prodigy. I am not sure what I am. I know that at this point, I am stuck with a violin attached like an extension of my arm forever, because, after putting 18 years of my quarter century in, I have a bad habit. I swear, the love of this instrument is like a drug for me.

For the past few months, I had been preparing for a rather interesting gig. I had worked hard. Shifts, rhythmic variations, fine tuning vibrato. The works. And then, I made a fatal mistake. I changed strings. My violin and I had words. It went something like this:

Violin: I don't like these.

Me: I know, I'm sorry. The ones you wanted were too expensive.

Violin: I don't - Wait a minute. . .Is it fall??

Me: Uh. .. yes. It is fall.

Violin: What happened to summer?

Me: um. . .Well. .. You're vintage. . .

Violin: You played me all summer long and didn't tell me that the seasons had changed???

Me: No offense, but you tend to be dramatic about humidity. And lack of humidity. And cold. And hot. And-

Violin. ..

Me: Don't you warp your bridge at me!

A few days and a new bridge later, Violin had mellowed out a bit. He did treat me to the full gamut of vintage violin string change trauma.

What about you, does your violin ever give you a 'tude? Have you found that it is unique to playing a vintage instrument?

From Tom Holzman
Posted on October 15, 2010 at 12:56 PM

Very good! I don't have the same sort of close relationship with my violin of 44 years, but it does let me know in subtle and not so subtle ways when it is not a happy camper.

From Elinor Estepa
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 12:12 AM

really funny! I love it!

Me too has similar interactions, everything related to violin and viola are all animated to me, and I live alone, so go figures!

I'm not saying that I'm crazy though. wink! ;)

From David Rowland
Posted on October 16, 2010 at 6:08 AM

"...loves to make a pretty noise." I'm going to remember that phrase. That really sums up what playing the violin is about.

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