Comments | fabricdragon: socks and violins: violins

fabricdragon

socks and violins: violins

Feb 21, 2007 16:14

this post is in two parts..
rants about the lessons. this can be catagorized as "whining" as well as asking for advice

Is it normal for a teacher to never have anything good to say about a violin? the best comments i have EVER gotten from this guy about my violins was about the new one:"you got a bargain" and "its not bad, probably not worth ( Read more... )

socks and violins, new violin, violins, shiny!

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tryst_inn February 21 2007, 22:08:59 UTC

There's always going to be some folks who would rather criticize the instrument than the player, you don't really mention how he handles your playing.

Sounds like a miserable guy, I'm already feeling sorry for him. He's lucky to have such an understanding student as you.

fabricdragon February 21 2007, 22:39:57 UTC

well, as to my playing ( ... )

tryst_inn February 21 2007, 22:42:43 UTC

I think you are wise to listen to your instincts, it doesn't sound like a good match at all.

I well remember bowing issues with the bass. We had a bowing coach we called the "wildman", since he kept accusing us of flapping our arms wildly while bowing. Hey, no shit sherlock, its a FRICKING BASS! We have to bow harder than a violinist would, as he was a violin player and couldn't play the bass.

Bassists tend to be anachronistic, anyway.

fabricdragon February 21 2007, 22:46:57 UTC

ouch...
at least this guy does play the violin, i cant imagine taking lessons with someone who doesnt play my instrument!

the sad thing is, he is right about the bowing.
i can see it in the mirror, i just dont seem to have the kinesthetic sense to be able to "feel" it. or at least not yet.
i get so SICK of going over the same things. but i cant argue the fact that i obviously havent mastered those steps yet. (or even gotten to "level" with them, frankly)

i have a new excersize to practice i hope it will help.

tryst_inn February 21 2007, 22:50:22 UTC

Our high school got the brilliant idea to bring in a bowing coach, who insisted on working with the bassists despite our protests.

The man didn't even know how to handle a German bow! He thought we were kidding when we showed him one. I tend to prefer the English, but there's certain pieces where you just need the power of a German bow which you can't lever enough on the English to do without killing your shoulder or crushing the bow, itself.

I'm not kinesthetic, either, which makes for a bad dancer. I can see WHAT people are doing, I just can't replicate it - I have no body sense in that manner, which is why blocking in ritual circle is so difficult for me.

fabricdragon February 22 2007, 03:53:54 UTC

dont know the difference in bows... can you explain it?

ah, a fellow sufferer. one of the few who understand me when i tell people "uh, no. i CANT tell that i am doing it wrong... why?"

i am a horrid dancer. enthusiastic, great "feeling" but Gods forbid i have to memorize dance steps and do it in sync with anyone else.
just out of curiousity.. did you get hit in the face in every ball sport you ever tried? i found out about the combo of bad depth perception and no kinesthetic sense that way.....
(oddly, there was one sport where i never got hit in the face.... lacrosse. something about the long pole with a net on it... pity i couldnt run....)

tryst_inn February 22 2007, 04:16:19 UTC

I can sooo relate. The only sport I was good at was horseback riding, where I could feel the rhythm. What with my general lack of depth perception due to early bifocal wearing at age 16, I avoided sports like the plague - but learned to turn away quickly anyway. With the exception of an M6 rifle sight that hit me in the eyebrow back in college (freshman year trick drill team, go figure - hey does that count as a sport? I was good at that ( ... )

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