making a noise, somewhat joyfully
Oct. 23rd, 2014 10:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzfishThe past month or so I've been musicking.
It's a little weird to realise that I am deliberately choosing to practice. Not a lot: half-hour a day, 4-5 days a week. But still. Turns out, not being forced to do something makes it more likely I'll enjoy doing it.
On Monday I took my cello to a highly-regarded luthier to see if he could find a way to stop the horrible buzzing it makes when I play low notes, and also fix up anything else that looked like a problem. We spent about twenty minutes going over the whole thing. He identified a couple of things that I knew were problems (strings, bow hair), one or two things that I'd suspected were problems, and a few things that I hadn't noticed but were pretty obviously problematic when he pointed them out.
The thing about cheap cellos (and this is not an expensive cello) is that they cost about as much to fix as the expensive ones. Oh well. It's less than a new cello would run, and it'll be nice to have it in good shape again.
I like the deep sound of the cello, and while I may be awful at it I've at least got a foundation to start from for getting better. The trouble with the cello is, always has been, that it's not terribly portable. I can in theory haul it around town but I can't take it with me any further than that, not without buying a second airplane ticket.
A few weeks ago I got the idea in my head that it might be neat to learn to play the viola, so I can travel with an instrument, and maybe get in on late-nite convention jam sessions. I hemmed and hawed for awhile, and eventually convinced myself that if I'm going to do this, now, when I have no commitments, is clearly the time.
Last week I poked around online, found someone who offers lessons, and signed myself up. I had my first lesson yesterday.
It's been long enough since I first learned how to play the cello that I don't remember the process at all. I can make guesses, and I've listened to plenty of screechy six-year-old violinists. I expected to be horrible for awhile.
Ha.
I have a ways to go before I get to be "horrible." This week is bow hold and bow-hold exercises, viola hold and preliminary fingering exercises, and the occasional bowing of open strings.
Bow hold's not so bad. It's different from the cello hold but the basic concept's the same; just have to tuck my pinky differently. Bowing open strings is alright, once I got the viola in a decent position. Eventually I'll learn to only hit *one* string at a time. (I'm having trouble seeing the bow on the strings. That is, it's hard to focus on the bow when it's right in front of my nose, I get double-vision. This has been true for as long as I can remember, it's just never caused any problems until now. Exciting.)
I am having a great deal of trouble with the left hand exercises. My wrist will bend like that but only under duress, and I can't understand how I will ever be able to shift. I'm pretty sure this is attributable to tight forearm tendons from ... I don't want to say "RSI" because 1) it's undiagnosed and 2) it's not really an 'injury,' but, that kind of thing. Stretches and practice will help.
I figure I'll try the viola for a few months, decide whether it's something I'm going to stick with. If so, at that point I can stop renting a terrible student instrument and dip into savings for something better. Maybe a carbon-fibre Luis & Clark or something similar, since I have ridiculous ideas about getting a busking license and playing outdoors in all weather. (The store where I got the viola had a Luis & Clark cello. It is beautiful, and just feels *good* to play.)
In any case I'll be happier once I have my cello back from Michael. Then when I get frustrated at my lack of skill/progress on the viola, I can pick up the cello and make something resembling music.
It's a little weird to realise that I am deliberately choosing to practice. Not a lot: half-hour a day, 4-5 days a week. But still. Turns out, not being forced to do something makes it more likely I'll enjoy doing it.
On Monday I took my cello to a highly-regarded luthier to see if he could find a way to stop the horrible buzzing it makes when I play low notes, and also fix up anything else that looked like a problem. We spent about twenty minutes going over the whole thing. He identified a couple of things that I knew were problems (strings, bow hair), one or two things that I'd suspected were problems, and a few things that I hadn't noticed but were pretty obviously problematic when he pointed them out.
The thing about cheap cellos (and this is not an expensive cello) is that they cost about as much to fix as the expensive ones. Oh well. It's less than a new cello would run, and it'll be nice to have it in good shape again.
I like the deep sound of the cello, and while I may be awful at it I've at least got a foundation to start from for getting better. The trouble with the cello is, always has been, that it's not terribly portable. I can in theory haul it around town but I can't take it with me any further than that, not without buying a second airplane ticket.
A few weeks ago I got the idea in my head that it might be neat to learn to play the viola, so I can travel with an instrument, and maybe get in on late-nite convention jam sessions. I hemmed and hawed for awhile, and eventually convinced myself that if I'm going to do this, now, when I have no commitments, is clearly the time.
Last week I poked around online, found someone who offers lessons, and signed myself up. I had my first lesson yesterday.
It's been long enough since I first learned how to play the cello that I don't remember the process at all. I can make guesses, and I've listened to plenty of screechy six-year-old violinists. I expected to be horrible for awhile.
Ha.
I have a ways to go before I get to be "horrible." This week is bow hold and bow-hold exercises, viola hold and preliminary fingering exercises, and the occasional bowing of open strings.
Bow hold's not so bad. It's different from the cello hold but the basic concept's the same; just have to tuck my pinky differently. Bowing open strings is alright, once I got the viola in a decent position. Eventually I'll learn to only hit *one* string at a time. (I'm having trouble seeing the bow on the strings. That is, it's hard to focus on the bow when it's right in front of my nose, I get double-vision. This has been true for as long as I can remember, it's just never caused any problems until now. Exciting.)
I am having a great deal of trouble with the left hand exercises. My wrist will bend like that but only under duress, and I can't understand how I will ever be able to shift. I'm pretty sure this is attributable to tight forearm tendons from ... I don't want to say "RSI" because 1) it's undiagnosed and 2) it's not really an 'injury,' but, that kind of thing. Stretches and practice will help.
I figure I'll try the viola for a few months, decide whether it's something I'm going to stick with. If so, at that point I can stop renting a terrible student instrument and dip into savings for something better. Maybe a carbon-fibre Luis & Clark or something similar, since I have ridiculous ideas about getting a busking license and playing outdoors in all weather. (The store where I got the viola had a Luis & Clark cello. It is beautiful, and just feels *good* to play.)
In any case I'll be happier once I have my cello back from Michael. Then when I get frustrated at my lack of skill/progress on the viola, I can pick up the cello and make something resembling music.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-23 06:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-25 07:28 pm (UTC)Now I am going to drool over carbon fiber instruments again. The odds of my ever actually being able to justify spending 5 grand or more on an instrument are vanishingly small, but... Also there was the testimonial story about the lady who got stuck in a snowbank in CO somewhere & dragged her carbon fiber cello home several miles through the snow, dried it off, & it was still in tune.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-24 02:32 am (UTC)As I have recently been messing about with violin (though have yet to commit to any sort of formal lesson) I definitely commiserate with frustration at lack of skill/progress. Especially as I've previously only played instruments where getting the right notes is a bit more straightforward (flute and piano).
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-24 08:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2014-10-25 06:56 pm (UTC)Congratulations on your decisions and best wishes in your new musical adventures. That is so fabulous. I hope you'll keep us updated on your progress!
(no subject)
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