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
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[katemorrisviolin]

Lucky you Jojo having the joy of playing Bach on the violin. That's one of my dreams, I love all that.
Intonation, that's playing in tune, right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
I've got a good ear for that. Sometimes I miss my frets.....but the violin can be so much more expressive.
My kids told me I'm sounding "awright" so high praise indeed from them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/woot.gif)

[Toscaviolin]

Lucky you Jojo having the joy of playing Bach on the violin. That's one of my dreams, I love all that.
Intonation, that's playing in tune, right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
I've got a good ear for that. Sometimes I miss my frets.....but the violin can be so much more expressive.
My kids told me I'm sounding "awright" so high praise indeed from them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/woot.gif)

I play LOTS of Bach too, he certainly loved the violin, you will be playing Bach sooner than you think. There are some popular pieces which are simplified a bit in many books, Gavotte, Air on A G string, Jesu joy of mans desiring....etc. I used these as markers, they were soooo hard to start with but every few weeks I'd try a bar here and there and then a few more and then slurs and then it would actually sound a bit like Bach....you get the idea I'm sure. I have since gone on to the more "tricky" Bach and partly due to time constraints it's slowish progress but well worth it, bits of double violin concerto sound almost OK LOL.
Another "carrot" is The Lark Acscending, I could only play about 4 bars once, now I can get a way through it, not necessarily in the highest octave but so that it sounds a bit like...well a lark ascending!!

Keep with it and your work will be rewarded.....don't worry about those days when NOTHING goes well and you feel like you , you instrument, everything is not suited and the parts will fall into place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)