Kamote Q

i started taking violin lessons april 10 last month. with 5 sessions behind me, looks like my teacher john agapay will stick at least another 5 sessions more. he was worried i'd give up (on the first session he already told me only those kids forced by parents to learn stick with learning violin); i was betting he'd give up on me (i always felt i can't sing and music has always been an awkward and unnatural thing for me to do).

learning to play the violin is hard. (fine, teacher john definitely knows his stuff). in fact, after the first session, i actually thought things over - why i brought upon myself such punishment of bearing some instrument stuck under my chin and holding it up with my left hand - nakakangawit! as if i don't have enough troubles being a software developer. oppps, yes, math and logic don't seem to mix with arts and spontainiety.

now comes the whys. (i needed to write these down lest i forget and give up).
1. it actually soothes the all stressed-up me after work. hmmm, it is actually fun!
2. the compelling desire (i don't know where it first came from) to learn it. i remembered, i was in japan, working on some project when it hit me: i wanted to learn to play the violin. why the violin? maybe because i can carry it anywhere. and i don't have a love for guitar. so like all loves, this one needed no reason.
3. it would be nice to have my children learn to sing or play an instrument.
4. i enjoy hymns and classical music. i hope to be able to play those to family and friends.

what have i learned so far.
1. bearing the instrument.
2. holding the bow properly. right thumb musn't come down flat.
3. left thumb should keep it's place so it will make things easier for the other fingers to move around.
4. 3 basic rules of bowing
- bow should be slightly slanted
- bow parallel to the bridge
- bow in one track only
5. i got a paganini rosin and learned how to use it
6. cleaning the bow of rosin residue afteruse.
7. cleaning the violin
8. hah! i know the parts and an elementary knowledge of what they're there for: thumb pad, nut, frog's eye, bridge, what have yous.
9. i now know some musical symbols - g-clef, leger lines, notes, staff; i also know how to calculcate the number of notes per meter that are enclosed in bars (hah! this is actually math and logic!) and knowing my musical alphabets, A-G. others may argue that it is more proper to learn the syllables (do-re-mi). but hey, i know my A-G by heart. like, what comes after E? it is F. but i wouldn't instinctively know what comes after sol. :p
10. the first position.

there's is a galaxy of difference between knowing and knowing things by heart. teaher john asked me to play some last night and commented, my music comes out naked. bare-bones. he added, however, that it is a start and i am actually making progress. on the other hand, i feel that i am learning too slow but sucker that i am, i cling on to those words of hope with all my might.

reality checks.
1. it will take me at least a year to be able to play. so practice pratice practice.
2. i am quite envious when i see teacher john plays with speed and precision. he told me to focus on precision, speed will come later.
3. maybe another 5 years to really really play.
4. graduate school won't accept me, but hey, maybe i can get a degree of some sort. a certificate? haha!
5. i need to learn to tune my violin. twin is passionate about that and i can feel her urgency. but first things first, i need to listen intently to the sound it makes. slight changes i should notice. should should should. to someone who blabbers a lot, this is a mighty challenge.

with all those thoughts out of my system, i need to get back to my programming tasks. so i can afford to play my violin.