I will be getting my hot little hands on a fiddle this Friday! YAY!!!! I've always wanted one but couldn't fork over the money for it....

Anyhow, the story is that a friend of mine has to make a last minute move back to Ontario. She is leaving BC to live with her sister, who is need of care. As a result she is not able to take all of her belongings with her...and one of the items that she isn't going to be able to transport in her fiddle. So, she asked me if I'd take it and she wouldn't accept any money for it. Her reason? She knew that I'd take very good care of it and make an effort to actually learn how to play it.

I am going to miss her when she leaves for Ontario, but I will have a little piece of her to remember her by. And we are planning on keeping in touch via email and MSN messenger, so we won't lose touch even though the miles separate us.

Now I just have to learn to play the durned thing! Just one more instrument to add to the collection at my house - several recorders, tin whistles, pan pipes, bodhran, guitar, clarinet, and now a fiddle!

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"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." ~ A. Lincoln

"Age is no guarantee of maturity." ~ L. Blackwell

"A word to the wise isn't necessary, it's the stupid ones who need advice." ~ B. Cosby

**New GBS fanboard in the works...PM me for info & note that not all enquires will be accepted**

Go Bonnie!

Pick yourself up "Teach Yourself Fiddling" good beginning book.

Craig Duncan and Mel Bay do it right.

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

My wife tried to take up fiddle a few years ago, but quit on it. I think it was more of a "I hate my teacher" thing than anything. The guy was a knob, as Bob would say.

I'm hoping that she'll try and pick it up again...I've intervened several times when the subject of selling it was brought up...

Baldie

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Cranially Aerodynamic
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Looking for Great Big Sea songbooks? Look no further--> http://baldiespace.spaces.live.com/

I brought my new baby home! Jeez, but she's a gorgeous instrument. I'm still in shock that my friend gave her too me....yep, she's definitely a 'girl' fiddle, in my not so humble opinion.

Thanks for the recommendation, Anne! I'm going into the local music store first thing tomorrow to see if they have that book. And I know if they don't they'll be more than willing to order it in for me.

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"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." ~ A. Lincoln

"Age is no guarantee of maturity." ~ L. Blackwell

"A word to the wise isn't necessary, it's the stupid ones who need advice." ~ B. Cosby

**New GBS fanboard in the works...PM me for info & note that not all enquires will be accepted**

quote:

My wife tried to take up fiddle a few years ago, but quit on it. I think it was more of a "I hate my teacher" thing than anything. The guy was a knob, as Bob would say.

There are a few of those around....Anne can tell you one of mine was so bad, being a knob would have been an improvement, but there are also some wonderful teachers out there, Take your wife to Cape Breton and see if you can't get Ian MacDougall to teach her for a while,,,the man is a gift to any student, but especially those who have had a bad teacher in the past. He's simply the best.
If Cape Breton is out, try going to Toronto and getting in touch with Sandy MacIntyre, he plays at the Bow And Arrow on Sunday afternoons, very often and teaches during the week. He's a good teacher too.
Tell her not to give up. I am still struggling along to teach myself, with occassional lessons from Anne.

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Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
"Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." E. Wiesel
OKP's Resident B****
Imprudens est draconem vivum de consiliis tuis omittere.
Steet team Leader for NYS, OH and Southern Ontario.

Bonnie, Congrats!

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Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
"Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." E. Wiesel
OKP's Resident B****
Imprudens est draconem vivum de consiliis tuis omittere.
Steet team Leader for NYS, OH and Southern Ontario.

Congrats on that BonnBon! I'm sure you'll do well. Anne is pretty good at explaining things so if you get stuck give her a shout.

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Sandy

quote:

My wife tried to take up fiddle a few years ago, but quit on it. I think it was more of a "I hate my teacher" thing than anything. The guy was a knob, as Bob would say.

I had a good teacher, and then I had one who was probably a better player, but was also a stroke. Needless to say, I went back to the good teacher. I'd follow this guy out of town to have him teach me. A good teacher makes all the difference in the world!!
And it helps if they are familiar with the style you want to learn to play so you don't waste three weeks learning twinkle-twinkle.

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The Poster Formerly known as Peaches

That was nice of your friend.

Wow Bonnie.. that is fantastic... You go girl... pretty soon your gonna be "OUR" Bob... Ladies and Gentelmen... Bonnie who can play any instrument you want her to play... Good on ya... Keep up the hard work in learning... I love to listen to my uncle.. who can fiddle I actually miss it.. when I was young I use to sit on his knee and play the "spoons"... *two spoons that are back to back..* and you hit them on your knee to your hand to the beat of the music... if was fun... one of my fave memories.. when I was a child... Christmas time use to be the best... I have a pic of me on my uncles lap playing spoons at Christmas... dang if I had a scanner I would post the pic.. Maybe one day... anyways... good luck on learning to play fiddle Bonnie... Good things come to wonderful people...

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~Is a downtown girl cuz I like waking up with my hair messed up!!!

I'm really happy for you that you're getting a fiddle! It was sort of the same when I got my fiddle. A neighbour of mine had gotten a fiddle at a garage sale and wanted to learn how to play it, but with her four kids, she just didn't have the time. so her eldest daughter tried it, but gave up after a year. It hung around in the back of her closet for the next couple years, before she saw that that I wanted to play the fiddle, and gave it to me, complete with the bow and case. she would'nt accept any money for it, I was lucky!

Bonnie

You can always ask Pat Moran to give you a few lessons...

I'd die of jealousy if you did.

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com