Winging It

Shaniya H.  photo courtesy of Kathy S.Johnson

The ultimate joy of performance is improvisation and thanks to the simple beauty of Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds', my students were free to work their bows confidently over open strings as the spirit moved.




Delvon and David (photo courtesy of Kathy S.Johnson)

We performed the song in the key of A which was comfortable for our vocalists and allowed the violinists to harmonize using the open d, a, and e strings (the occasional g just added interest : )

Moi : ), Shariona,Trinity, Shaniya,Delvon, and David  (photo by Kathy S.Johnson)

In choosing music for my students I am endlessly searching for popular tunes with uplifting messages. The cheerfulness of Marley's lyrics and pleasant reggae rhythm of the piece make this one of my favorites.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bob+marley/three+little+birds_20021728.html

The value of a thick skin

I am emotionally attached to my callouses. When I look at my left hand and see the indentations and tough skin on the fingertips I know I have paid my dues. Hours and hours and more hours of dues. The callouses represent to me the better part of my character, the part of me that doesn't give up, the part of me that is persistent in striving for something better, something more beautiful.  My callouses protect me from pain while I perform my music. They have been with me from childhood, born of repeated pressure of tender skin against tempered string. My callouses have produced a million notes in my lifetime. It is my sincere hope that they produce a million more.

Don't have your own callouses yet? Take heart! Here is a link to a great article on how to deal with the pain of learing to play the guitar while developing your callouses. May you play a million notes ; )
http://www.wikihow.com/Ease-Finger-Soreness-when-Learning-to-Play-Guitar

Don't Fret!!

The violin is a fretless instrument - unlike the guitar, banjoe, ukelele, or mandolin which utilize metal bars at intervals on the fingerboard. Violinists must rely on their ears to ensure the note played is in tune.

An old trick of the trade employed by music teachers is the use of electrical tape to mark the finger placement for beginning students.

The tape is removed as the student begins to rely more on his ear to recognize correct pitch and as he develops an understanding of scales and musical keys.

Taking the tape off is a rite of passage for the violin student - it is a significant achievement  indicating the student understands something that will remain a mystery for most folks!   : )

Bend Your Thumb!

Sounds simple but it is harder than you would expect!  This is the first big challenge for aspiring violinists - how to hold that darn bow !  My students at the Boys and Girls Club are giving it their best shot.  B.J. (above) has a good start, he has his thumb bent and a solid grip on the bow. In the weeks ahead we will be working on spreading his fingers apart and pivoting his wrist slightly in the direction of the index finger.

This student wants to hold the bow like a sword! En garde!! With patience on my part and persistence on her part she will loosen her grip and the angle of the bow in relations to the instrument will be more perpendicular than diagonal.

This is a really goodlooking bowhold considering this is just her second lesson!  She is very relaxed and has a beautiful sweep of the fingers and, although not visible from this angle, her thumb is bent! Yay!

Katie has been studying privately with me for almost a year now and she has developed confidence in her bow grip. The thumb is bent and the fingers are spread to cover a wide area of the bow allowing Katie solid control of the bow stroke to produce notes with beautiful tone!

and finally, The Master, Jasha Heifetz and the perfect bow hold : )

My Little Violin

I received this violin as a gift from my parents last summer. They had come across it in their wanderings about the Pennsylvania countryside. The little fiddle is the right size for a 4 or 5 year old child (which is 2 years younger than I was when I started studying the instrument) !
                                                                           
                                                                             (Me ☺)

 So my new little violin has a lovely sound and is just waiting for the right student to fullfill it's purpose in this world ; )

I also have available for rent a half-size intrument (center above) which would generally be suitable for a child of 7-8 years.