Violin!

I am learning to play the violin. This thrills me to no end. I mean, is that not one of the most graceful instruments you've ever seen?? Personally I think the viola has a prettier sound (I prefer the lower notes on strings), but there were a few reasons why I chose violin instead.

First off, I grew up playing the piano and taking voice lessons. I love the piano--it's just beautiful--but I have small hands and a very limited understanding of music technique, which, combined with other priorities and no space for a piano in our apartment, has resulted in a serious decline (dare I say death) of my piano days. The strongest benefit of all those years of piano lessons is that I can read music.  I can sightread on the treble clef like a champ. And would you look at that--the violin's music is arranged on the treble clef!

The viola, while mellifluous and enchanting, has its music arranged on the alto clef.

What? Never heard of the alto clef? That's because the viola is pretty much the only instrument that uses it. If you're new to learning to read music, that's like wanting to learn a language and choosing Icelandic rather than Spanish, French, or German. Only Icelanders know Icelandic, but if that's where you want to move, then go for it! Just know that you're going to have to learn another language if you plan to move or travel anywhere else. Meanwhile, knowing French means that you can get around Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Comoros, Congo, France, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Haiti, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Morocco, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, Qatar, Romania, Switzerland, etc.

For me, who knows already how to read the treble and bass clefs, that's like knowing French and German, and yet deciding to move to Iceland and start from scratch with the whole language-learning thing.  It would be totally fine and do-able, but I'd rather use what I already know.

This also translates to being able to find plenty of sheet music, as most melodies are played on the treble clef, and violins are kinda prima donnas--they like the melody, and the melody likes them.

Second, size. It's not a huge difference, especially when I was previously playing the piano, but if something's gonna be hanging out on my shoulder, and I'm gonna be craning my neck to see, and stretching my arm to play... I'd rather it be on the smaller side of things. Violas are just a bit larger. Plus, the smaller the fingerboard the better--I have child-sized hands.

If you're even remotely familiar with Lawrence Welk, these sketches are a whole new kind of amazing.

So, it boils down to this--I can already sight read the music, I know how to listen for pitch, I'm familiar with fingerboards (Jared taught me how to play a bit on the guitar), and I'm in love with the sound of the instrument. The primary learning curve is learning to bow (rhymes with toe).

Or whatever.

That's a whole new world for me.  But Jared is willing to suffer through his wife learning to play, I have a friend who is willing to swap baked goods for lessons, and there's an adorable violin rental shop here in town who helped me find an affordable rental instrument. I'm super pumped.

And someday I'll play like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQb2axKpuw#t=142

But for now it's Ode to Joy and Twinkle Twinkle. If things get crazy, I may whip out some Doxology.