Violin Love Hate Relationship
There are moments where we get this disappointing feeling that probably our instrument (the violin in my case) is not the right instrument for us. Intonation goes awkward, melody gets dried of emotion, the bow suddenly gains weight and fingers don't respond as quickly as we trained them to do and playing a familiar passage becomes some kind of weak sight-reading... It's like the whole thing doesn't work anymore!On the other hand, we know that we dedicated zillion hours on practice, we felt like we had control over the instrument and only few days ago, the violin was sounding like never before and we felt proud of ourselves and our achievement.
Those moments where you think the relationship is coming to an end are luckily rare. Giving each other a second chance after a short brake becomes a natural behavior and the communication with the instrument returns to normal usually quickly.
I always wondered if professional musicians have those moments too or is their relationship with their instrument strong all the way.
Before the relationship ends on a sad note, the violin remains a very seductive instrument, hard to live with and hard to understand but willing to sing again.
Comment
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Comment by Juan Manuel Gonzalez de Cosio on December 2, 2009 at 9:40pm - Yes, it's so true ... my relationship with my violin seems to be a neurotic one. There is jealousy (if I don't play it everyday it will take revenge on me) and if I get truly disappointed at it, the next day it will make it up to me by singing like never before, so I can say that at times I love my violin and then at times I really hate it. There is one sure thing : I never take for granted the friendship that I feel we have ... I have to build and maintain this friendship on a daily basis, just as it happens with my wife.
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Comment by Michael on November 26, 2009 at 4:16pm -
At first in the beginning my violins wer always in thier case's. But no more just ,
having them gaze at me when we arn't engaged in audio frolics, is the extra TLC the both of us need. They share my space with me always now. Where ever they may want rest after minutes of hour or so of playing. ususally we are engaged only a few minutes a day , but at several times through out our boring days now.Never more are they retired to the dreaded case. More like a coffin if you really look at it from a small world of a violin, eh?
After it is a defenseless piece of wood.As we are defensless fiddle players.Most Irish fiddlers arew very good at boxing , eh pilgrim?
the case is the most hedious thing anyway.
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Comment by Eric Salazar on November 25, 2009 at 4:53pm - I do believe that your relationship between the violin and its owner is a very important and tricky one. I have the Paul Knorr violin that 10 years ago was given to me by an adult student of mine who liked my playing and gave it to me. I was thankful, but didn't pay attention to it until some years passed and i went to Rene Morel with 4 violins and he picked this one. However, still not conviced I kept on playing in it and thn I took it 5 years ago to Alex Bacelar in Martinsville and he did some work on it and 4 months later I had this AWESOME and beautiful sounding instrument. Which I still play today and it's still developing.... My advice to you all, keep trying out instruments but have several people listen to you before you make a decision and most of all, YOU NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE with your violin, and not you to adjust to the violin.
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Comment by Ira Kraemer on November 23, 2009 at 10:48am - Yes, that is when I took up conducting and never looked back
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Comment by Karah B on November 15, 2009 at 6:17pm - I did have moment like these one time. You can turn your other cheek but for so long XD
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Comment by BethAnn on November 8, 2009 at 2:56pm - You describe it so well!
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