40 year old lady learning the violin Options

[katemorrisviolin]

Hello forum, I'm new here and would enjoy hearing from other likeminded adult learners. I've recently changed instrument from classical guitar to violin. I've had a year of violin lessons and am taking grade 3 this term. It's a beast of an instrument, the difference between making a beautiful sound and a noise that makes my thirteen year old son bound up the stairs to shut the door on my practice room, is the tiniest of adjustments. I'm not sure where my playing will lead me, I'm not confident and consistent enough to play with others yet, but I just feel compelled to push on with it.....it is a long term project. How I envy my children, who belong to school orchestras and wind bands and choirs. How I regret not doing the same in my youth. I play a violin that belonged to my grandfather who was a boat builder, and used to play the saw! He was a lovely proud Irishman. He probably called it a fiddle.
Anyone else out there wrestling with the same most difficult of instruments?
Kate
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jojo]

Hello Kate,

congratulations on making the most clever decision in your life: taking up the violin! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I'm Jo (jojo) and I started at age 37, now 41 (soon 42yrs young), so have been learning 4 years and 9 months exactly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yay.gif)

'not sure' the 'exact' stage I am at RIGHT NOW, perhaps around grade 7-ish as I am preparing with my teacher to take the Trinity Advanced Certificate this time next year and that is a performance exam equivalent to grade 8

I loved the grade 3 syllabus as it made me feel so 'grown up' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) it's when you start shifting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yay.gif) I remember learning all the pieces in the current orange ABRSM grade 3 book, that was back when it was came out in 2008 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
My favorites were: Old Joe Clark (I felt like a show off violinist doing the left hand pizzicato (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)) and of course 'Oh mio babbino caro' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I still play all of the grade 3 pieces occasionally, for some reason the hold a dear place in my heart (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (maybe because of the transition to shifting???)
Are you learning any of these pieces by the way?

By the way: yes the violin is terribly hard, but don't worry....IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I am joking but I am also being serious, BUT in a way, though it gets harder, it also gets 'easier', now I know it sounds like I am not making much sense here..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

as you get into the more advanced stages you will find that it gets more challenging (as the techniques you are learning are more advanced) and you get more critical of yourself (I am talking about the higher grades where I am at now), but you will also have learnt the skills to 'help yourself' more too, and you will have learnt a lot of the 'foundations'/building blocks so in a way it gets easier too....

hope I am making sense now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I could talk violin forever so I'll stop now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

and more importantly than anything else:

WELCOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.gif)

[katemorrisviolin]

Hello Kate,

congratulations on making the most clever decision in your life: taking up the violin! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I'm Jo (jojo) and I started at age 37, now 41 (soon 42yrs young), so have been learning 4 years and 9 months exactly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yay.gif)

'not sure' the 'exact' stage I am at RIGHT NOW, perhaps around grade 7-ish as I am preparing with my teacher to take the Trinity Advanced Certificate this time next year and that is a performance exam equivalent to grade 8

I loved the grade 3 syllabus as it made me feel so 'grown up' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) it's when you start shifting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yay.gif) I remember learning all the pieces in the current orange ABRSM grade 3 book, that was back when it was came out in 2008 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
My favorites were: Old Joe Clark (I felt like a show off violinist doing the left hand pizzicato (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)) and of course 'Oh mio babbino caro' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I still play all of the grade 3 pieces occasionally, for some reason the hold a dear place in my heart (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (maybe because of the transition to shifting???)
Are you learning any of these pieces by the way?

By the way: yes the violin is terribly hard, but don't worry....IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I am joking but I am also being serious, BUT in a way, though it gets harder, it also gets 'easier', now I know it sounds like I am not making much sense here..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

as you get into the more advanced stages you will find that it gets more challenging (as the techniques you are learning are more advanced) and you get more critical of yourself (I am talking about the higher grades where I am at now), but you will also have learnt the skills to 'help yourself' more too, and you will have learnt a lot of the 'foundations'/building blocks so in a way it gets easier too....

hope I am making sense now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I could talk violin forever so I'll stop now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

and more importantly than anything else:

WELCOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.gif)