Musicians' Café

[Watziznehm]

I'm afraid I have nothing with which to compare to your grading system. Which level includes Fur Elise? For that is a grade 7 piece by the RCM standards.

[NaiadWaker]

Queen Susan: I've been playing violin for about 5 years now, and I love it!!! I hope you find a teacher and an actual violin (and a bow might be nice ) so that you can start.

I am teaching myself piano, so I'm afraid I know nothing about levels!!!

And about guitar being harder than piano: that's totally opinion and depends on the person. Some people are naturals, some people look at learning it like having to climb Mt. Everest while walking backwards! Same with piano, and any other instrument. But more people find guitar more challenging. I don't find it too hard to learn new skills on the violin. 5 of my friends tried violin after they saw me play, but then 4 quit and 1 wants to quit but can't.

[MissAravis]

Watziznehm, since we don't really have levels at all... I can't tell you which includes Fur Elise. I mean, some people teach the Suzuki method here, and it's in book 5 (out of 7 books), but that's like a worldwide thing.

Oh, and thanks for the nice comments on my last video. Here's Your Love Is A Song by Switchfoot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZh8gi5Aq6s

[Benjamin]

Oh, and thanks for the nice comments on my last video. Here's Your Love Is A Song by Switchfoot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZh8gi5Aq6s

Very Nice song Miss Aravis! Its great!

[Watziznehm]

Wow, that was pretty good. However, I don't want to sound like a critic but how about making the ending a little less abrupt. I was going along enjoying the song and all of a sudden it just ended. I could easily see you putting in a real sweet Ritardando in the end to give it a better conclusion. On a whole though, really awesome!

By the way, I envy the Grand Piano. All I have to work with a hundred-year-old upright.

[MissAravis]

Thank you for the comments!
Hmm, you're right about the ending. More of a ritard would have sounded better. The original song ends rather abruptly, and I pretty much always play exactly what I hear in the original songs when I cover them... but that time I think not doing exactly the same thing would have worked better.
I love my piano. I am very thankful for it.

[winterlife]

By the way, I envy the Grand Piano. All I have to work with a hundred-year-old upright.

LOL! That's what my family has, too. It's so out of tune, my guitar can be in tune and sound awful when my mom and I play together. Although, playing together is rare, since she doesn't like electric guitar, and my acoustic needs the nut replaced.

[Queen Susan]

Well, I do think we have my first violin lesson scheduled for next Tuesday.. So that's pretty exciting for me. Piano lessons were today, and they went well. They usually go okay though.

Kat, I promise to try to watch your new vid later, but right now I'm on a computer that has no sound working...

[Glenstorm the Great]

Today was my last violin lesson actually . I've been playing around 7 years but never really enjoyed it. I'm kinda gonna miss it but my teacher is gonna give me harp lessons instead- I'm so excited, I've always wanted to play!

[The Pendragon]

Kat, I love your video!:) It's beautiful. I actually like your ending better than the real one.
Well, as for instruments I play, I am trying to play the guitar by teaching myself, but so far I only know the simple chords. My hands are pretty small, and so it makes it REALLY frustrating to try to play any chord with fingers 2 frets apart. 3, forget it! I love playing Switchfoot covers! lol! I find the tabs online and practice off of them.

I also play the flute, but right now my flute won't make a sound. It's in really bad condition and was terribly hard to play last year. But this year, I got braces on! And now it's so hard to play that I can't make a sound. Well, a clear sound, that is. But I hope to get a new one soon!

Well, I do think we have my first violin lesson scheduled for next Tuesday.. So that's pretty exciting for me.

Have fun!

I envy all of you wonderful piano players! I really wanna learn how to play it. But guitar comes in first!

[Silvertongue]

By the way, I envy the Grand Piano. All I have to work with a hundred-year-old upright.

Same here...at least sorta. For years, all my family had was our great-grandmother's upright to practice on...she used it to play the "background" music at silent films! There's a cool thought right there, but it also doesn't sound the greatest anymore. Then about a year ago, someone gave us their like-brand-new upright, and we've switched over to that one. Still, there's something special about having a 100 year old+ piano that one's great-grandmother played on during the silent films!

[winterlife]

My parents are arranging for me to take piano lessons...next year. Oh, well, I guess I can wait.

[Glenstorm the Great]

I hope to take guitar soon. I've been trying to teach myself a little but it's kinda hard.

I have an upright piano but I've wanted a baby white grand for years! That's my dream Christmas/birthday present

[winterlife]

That would be a great present! Right now, though, I am asking for instructional DVDs for guitar (you can only go so far with chords, after all) and a hard shell electric guitar case.

[MissAravis]

The Pendragon, you could probably teach the piano to yourself, I think it would be easier to do that than to teach guitar to myself... I know what you mean about small hands! I can't play bar chords, ugh!
Ooooh, GtG, you're going to start the harp? Awesome! You'll have to tell me all about it
Let us know how your first violin lesson is, Queen Susan!

and speaking of guitar, listening to Jon Foreman a lot recently has really discouraged me because he's so amazing

[winterlife]

and speaking of guitar, listening to Jon Foreman a lot recently has really discouraged me because he's so amazing

Aww, don't get discouraged, Kat. I picked up the little bit of piano I learned much faster than guitar. It took me more than two years before I could play a bar chord. Nothing happens overnight. I would recommend trying Mike D.'s tutorial for By Your Side. It is the easiest tab I've ever come across, with simple chords, and once you've got it down, that's two forms of guitar playing in that one song! Although I would recommend looking at the actual chord names on the little chord charts in the corner; they're a little more specific than Mike is.