Tag Archive: violin


Finishing Friday

Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Crochet, Diamond Painting, Knitting, Music — 2 Comments
August 30, 2024

Well into the water now. That dark part was difficult as the symbol # and the ‘A’ look alike in dark blue. I had to use my lighted magnifying glass to figure out what was needed.
I need another color for the rest of my ponytail holders. With only 2 inches to finish, this will be done by the end of the day. This is crocheted. I think I got the pattern on Etsy. Yep. Here.
So the watermelon socks are coming along. I debated whether to add the arch-hug as I call that ribbing but I really like how it’s working out. This pair should be way farther along but I had to tink out about 2 inches. And though I now knit Continental, ribbing is still slower.  The finer yarn and needles are hard for my hands. I knit these in shorts spurts.
I had started the heel on these already but realized it was too soon. So I had to tink back. Another inch of arch then I can do into the heel.
Unfortunately for my hands, even this easier pair is at the arch ribbing. I hope I can move on to the heel in at least one pair. Like I said ribbing is slower and gets old.

In the music realm, my violin is moving SO SLOW! I figured out I was over resining the bow. This is where a live teacher would have helped a lot. Getting my lessons via YouTube can be risky. But I can now squeakily play Twinkle, Twinkle (ABCD…), and Mary Had A Little Lamb, and started Jingle Bells. Nothing sounds like music. The positioning of violin and bow are still awkward. The instrument seems to hold  tuning well, now that I’ve figured it out.

Isn’t it pretty? But my eyes have the hardest time focusing first to the bowing area and then figuring out where my fingers need to go. Tracking the A string, the second from the right, is where one starts. My eyes cross and things start hurting quickly. So I give this baby short spurts.
This one, my Enya Ukulele, is my favorite baby. I can sing with the songs I’ve learned. I have a couple memorized. My fingers have developed callouses. You can’t see them. But the strings no longer hurt. And a bit of cellular memory is kicking in so I’m not peeking at strings or music pages as often.

Ah, but, wrap me in plastic and kill me Dexter! This theme song that I picked up from MusicNotes has been tough!!! It looks easy. But not for me. I don’t usually have to listen to the song to get it. Thank goodness MusicNotes has a track to listen to. Even so, I couldn’t get the way it was written. I have finally memorized the beginning.

But midway, there is another section that sends me to a ‘nice cup of tea.’ Okay, let me explain. No. I can’t. Here:

Again. Short spurts. Still very slow. AND I do ‘air playing’ nearly 24/7 I find myself working on it in my sleep.

Thankfully, Succession Theme is recognizable. It’s fun to play the whole piano! Lots of ledger lines or octave lines to reach out for.

Speaking of

It’s time!
For those who think I get everything done. The laundry sat in the dryer two days and sat near me yesterday and today. The bike is yelling that I didn’t do that yet. There’s only 24 hours in a day! I still have Duolingo to do.

Piano time!

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Finishing Friday

Filed under: Blogging, Crochet, Diamond Painting, Gratitude, Happiness, Knitting, Music — Leave a comment
August 16, 2024

Besides finishing The End of Alzheimer’s (see previous post) these are things I’m working on this week.

I’m venturing off the sand and into the ocean!
Two more rows then, if I decide to, the arch hug.
Three more inches of ribbing to the heels.
Another ponytail holder nearly finished.
Starting the increases for the heel as of this row.
Yikes! Hard ones! Now I may have to peek at the answers!

Musically, I’m beginning to recognize The Dexter Theme. It has been hard as how it’s written is a little hard to interpret. After I get the basics I may rewrite it to the way I hear it on the show.

Succession, title song from the show. I didn’t much like the show, but I loved the music. I’ve finally played all the way to the end. It’s certainly not ready for anyone’s ears. Still it’s fun as I get to play the whole piano, less than an octave from either end. It’s cool!

Since the smoke causes my throat to hurt a bit I haven’t been playing the recorders, just in case it’s more than smoke irritation.

Enya, my ukulele, is getting easier. The B flat minor has been the toughie. But it sounded fine a couple times this week. I’m beginning to pay faster and smoother and having fun.

Violin! Whoa, what a challenge! I’ve barely gotten beyond tuning and putting resin on the bow. But I can finally say I’ve played Twinkle, Twinkle a few times now. My eyes get tired looking up the strings to my fingers. But I think that is good for my lazy eye and tracking issues. So I’ll take my time and learn.

I rarely report on my Duolingo, but it is such habit for me to pick up my phone and do a Duolingo 5 minutes here or there. In fact, it has joined me as I ride the stationary bike. It works when I’m just riding slowly but I have to put my phone down to get cardio.

Our weather is getting chilly. Though we get smoke from other places we’ve had huge rains lately that seem to help clear the air a bit. As of next Monday we will have a low in the upper 30s. I think we will welcome an early Fall.

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Finishing Friday

Filed under: Blogging, Crochet, Diamond Painting, Knitting, Music, Uncategorized — Leave a comment
August 9, 2024

Sadly not many diamonds reached the beach this week. This and my piano on the south side of the house are too hot to sit for long. Succession is coming along. The first page is starting to sound like it has promise.
The scrunchie is done. Yay! Time to start a new one. It’s an easy crochet pattern I found on Etsy.
Empty needles called for more socks so toes are nearly finished.
Huggable Arch is coming along.
Ready to do heel increases.

I had to get peg drops for my violin 🎻. I’m learning basics like tuning and putting rosin on the bow. Finally making notes sound halfway like notes. So much so that I’ve managed the first line of Twinkle, Twinkle.

I’ve nearly memorized Imagine on the uke.

With smoke the recorders aren’t getting attention because deep breaths and scratchy throat make this a bad choice for now.

With smoke and heat the only exercise I get is on the stationary bike.

It is getting cooler. And September seems closer. Let’s pray we all make it. Fires on our coast, floods to the east. I hope we all make it to Fall.

Anybody else finding routines hard in the heat?
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Meandering Monday

Filed under: Blogging, Diamond Painting, Happiness, Knitting, Music — Leave a comment
July 29, 2024

With the backlight on you can see how far I’ve been able to dot into the suds.
Without the backlight you can see how the colors paint the picture.
Yay! I caught back up to the beginning of the tinking. The rest is progress, I hope.

My daughter shared a recorder YouTube with me. It is fun and may explain my adult experience. I didn’t have a recorder in grade school. I only met the instrument when I was blessed to be part of a Renaissance/Christmas group. We played and sang at mall openings, rest homes/nursing homes, churches and caroling. We even recorded an album in an actual studio in L.A. But at that time I was better at singing; just a baby in recorders.

This YouTube reminds me of my trying out the recorder in the last couple years. I can play all the black belt songs. Yay, me! But I’d love a great teacher for moving forward. Mostly I’ve taught myself through books and a few YouTube tutorials.

Anyway, enjoy.

Oh, my Succession song is finally sounding like there’s promise. Dexter Theme still sucks.

My poor violin needs tightening in the pegs. I’m learning how to do that. No songs yet. Just learning how to hold, tune, put rosin on the bow. And possibly on the wayward peg, apparently.

Meanwhile, I’m loving the Olympics, wishing for a pool like crazy! Oh, well, pretending bike racing instead.

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Finally Friday

Filed under: Blogging, Crochet, Diamond Painting, Knitting, Music — 4 Comments
July 26, 2024

I’m so far from finishing anything. And I am proud to say I’m starting something new.

Next to my Enya Ukulele is what looks big enough to be a guitar. But Enya is small.
Isn’t she pretty?

Way back in my 40s I was gifted a violin that a friend found on a wall. It was a planter. She took it to a violin maker and he was able to make it perfect for a first violin.

My daughter and son wanted to join and soon we had a 1/2 for my daughter and a 3/4 violin for my son.

At the time I was teaching keyboard at a couple elementary schools. I was introduced to the violin teacher in the same schools. She kindly allowed my trio to come to her classes to learn.

I got to learn Twinkle, Twinkle before the program ended. My son didn’t seem to like violin at all (though he grew up to be in a band as a guitarist, so maybe he did like strings?). My daughter was probably too young. She would lay the violin on the floor and saw with the bow. Sadly, hers was the best of the three instruments.

Somehow the violins left our lives. I’ve been wanting to try again but never could find one at a price I could afford.

Then I saw this during Amazon’s last sale. Even $46 seemed too much but my husband said I should go ahead.

The set up per the free YouTube tutorials went okay. Then, tuning. I was sad I couldn’t tune a couple strings.  More tutorials. I finally found one about loose pegs. The fix was easy.

The book that came with my Mendini by Cecilio violin instructed new students to spend time holding the fiddle, tuning, and rosening the bow every day. So I know this will be a slower learning experience than the Ukulele. But I am excited to learn my first song!

Well, that is, after I learn the holding, tuning and putting rosen on the bow properly. So I’ll just enjoy how pretty it is and the four notes I can play from the properly tuned new baby.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to memorize Imagine, Amazing Grace, Auld Lang Syne, and Edelweiss on my Enya. It might take a while.

One ponytail holder finished. The next one nearly finished. Crocheted.
Finally on the heel of these slipper socks.

See the wrap-around yarn? All tinked and ready to try again.

A few more rows until the heel.

Piano scheduling had difficulties this week but I started attacking Succession and Dexter measure by measure.

Oh and the sunset beach

Stepping into the foam.

Okay. Despite the Olympics, time to do strings!

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Review: Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung by Min Kym

Filed under: Books, Reading, Reviews — Leave a comment
November 16, 2018

Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life UnstrungGone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung by Min Kym
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Passion.

That is what this book inspired in me. The music major (piano/voice) in me was jumping up and down as I read and listened to this book. By the way, I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley.

As I have often said, it is hard to rate an autobiography. It is their life, their truth. Even so, if you have practiced any instrument for any length of time you feel what the author feels about her violin. Min Kym has written a readable and relatable story. She describes her passion to play the violin in great detail. Stagefright doesn’t seem to enter her world as she is with her best friend at all times. Her life goes downhill when the violin disappears. I won’t give spoilers but that is enough. I have been without my piano (by the way, I have a love/hate with the piano) and worse found times when my voice didn’t work (bronchitis, etc.) and I know I was a mess!

I don’t want to rewrite her book or tell much more. I think musicians will appreciate this book the most but others will enjoy it, too.

The biggest thing that has happened to me since reading this is I want a violin to play with! I’m watching sales hoping. I know I might never get past Twinkle, Twinkle, something I did learn when I tried it a long time ago, but, I want to try!

View all my reviews

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