Re: Mandolin to Violin
I think every musician would benefit from some serious time with a violin. As a pianist and guitar player and a dabbler in many other instruments, the violin was the most ear-opening experience for me! When you don’t have frets or keys, the slightest change in placement of a finger and even the angle of that finger affects the pitch. Suddenly you have to listen in a much deeper way! And the bow controls that note from attack through sustain until release. You have such amazing control of the note.
A decade or so ago I spent some year or two with a violin. I eventually decided I just couldn’t spare the time needed to keep my skills at a decent level. Last week I decided to start again and I was horrible! But I again enjoyed the deeper listening that the stringed instruments require and am willing to practice a little each day to see how long it takes me to be able to really enjoy the violin again.
(By the way, I’m involved with FIDDLING. I’m not sure I would bother trying if I were interested in playing classical music- I definitely don’t have the time or skills for that demanding genre. Yes, good fiddlers have mad skills, but a lot of local groups of musicians are a lot less demanding if you can use a fiddle to add some flavor to bluegrass and country songs. )
Doug Brock
2018 Kimble 2 point (#259), Eastman MD315, Eastman MDA315, some guitars, banjos, and fiddles
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