Summer Project



Disclaimer: not my fiddle.  I found the picture here.  I would have taken a picture of my fiddle, but I can't find the dang camera again.  This one is nice, though.

Oh yeah, you've seen it right.  I'm learning to fiddle.  Many, many moons ago, when I was a young lass, I knew how to play--kinda.  I was in the orchestra in middle school.  I had a violin that was given to me by a friend of the family; a beautiful instrument, which I loved to look at and loathed to play.  I don't know if it was the teacher, or the songs, or my age, but I just hated it.  As soon as I could quit, I did.

Fast forward an unmentionable number of years, and I felt the yearning to play again.  As the beautiful violin I owned so many years ago had been sold, I asked for a new violin for my birthday, and got it.  I proceeded to buy a huge number of books on how to play, how to read music, songs for the violin, and so on.  I started, got totally frustrated, and promptly quit.

Oh yeah, I'm a quitter.  Go me.

Anyway, fast forward still many more years, and I still have the violin.  The dang thing's moved to every house we've owned and I've opened it maybe twice.  But the call started again.  However, there were small kids to raise and plenty of things to do, and I just never found the time.

Ha!  Now I'm making the time.  My kids are bigger, and though there are still more things than ever to do, I'm taking it on.  I'm pleased to say that I've been at it for two weeks, and I set aside an hour every day to play--AND I look forward to it (that's a biggie).  So far, I totally get it.  It's like the light went on at last for me and this instrument.  I know how to tune it, I know how to string it (just ask me how many D strings I've popped so far), and I know how to play scales.  I can find most of the notes with my fingers and I've kicked the crap out of "Mary Had A Little Lamb", "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat", "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Shortnin' Bread".  I'm currently working on showing "Amazing Grace" who's boss (except I popped another D string-dangit).

This time I conquer the fiddle.  Maybe the key is not playing classical music.  Maybe I just had to mellow.  Who knows.  My goal?  I want to take on that solo from "Dust In the Wind".  That's the aim here.   Or "Devil in the Kitchen".  Either one.  Or both.  Anyway, this time I can do it, I feel it in my bones. 

Stay tuned.  There will be plenty more where this came from.