I took a few weeks off lessons, a good thing as the lack of humidity up here is shredding my fingers. But I miss it. Not the pressure of practice, the sound of music. I just pick up the guitar and ask my husband to name a song and I try to play it. Without the pressure of having to learn a song or try a technique, my mind is free to imagine the music and play at least chords.
Yes, I am definitely a work in progress and need many more lessons. Today, I stopped by the shop for a couple of items for a holiday gift. I gave greetings to some of the Conservatory staff and as I headed out I heard my teacher’s voice. I went into the office, gave him a hug and he asked what I was doing there. I told him and he said “You’re giving the gift of music.”
As I thought about it I said to myself what I did not say to Korky. My teachers, over the past six months, have given me the gift of music that I’ve missed for decades. While I’ve a lot of work ahead of me before I even play for family, it is incumbent upon me to share that gift of music with our family so that’s our gift this year.
I gave Korky a holiday gift and he said he had nothing for me. That’s not true. Today I pass on a gift of music that was instilled by my grandfather, my father, my music teachers in grade school (one just sent me a cookbook about grapes) and is present in me. Throughout life, my music teachers have been my salvation – I just gave them up for thirty years! Giving the gift of music encourages a budding musician and encourages the giver when s/he sees the gift grow.
Do I have a food analogy? Of course I can find one. Most cooking schools teach amateurs a dish or meal to serve for Valentine’s Day or whatever. They don’t teach techniques. If you know how to braise and what to braise, you can braise any appropriate ingredient. Learn the basics (see my cookbooks list) then do your own thing. Same with music. Know the rules then when, and how, to break them.
Yeah, I’m a dangerous gal now. Politics, cooking, music. PDXknitterati, do you REALLY want me to take up knitting and have sharp objects in both hands? Think about it. Happy holidays, Dee
That has a derogatory ring to it. I just read that up to 93% of people are right-handed. I’m a leftie, a southpaw, and according to history you’re dexterous, I’m sinister. Wikipedia has an informative site on left-handedness. My father was left-handed but his knuckles were rapped enough to change him. He swore he would not change or allow anyone to change the two of his four children that followed suit.
At school I was issued safety scissors with a green plastic handle and blunt ends, even though I’ve never been able to use scissors with my left hand. Golf was interesting, in my short stint at lessons I was told by the Pro that I should use regular clubs because all the action is from the left hand, the swing and follow-through. As to guitar, which I just took up a few months ago, I never considered a left-handed guitar. It’s interesting reading as to well-known guitar heroes use their strong hand for the frets, not strumming (the awesome Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits). Perhaps as I take up guitar as a leftie on a rightie guitar, I spend more time learning chords and notes than getting through an entire song on the beat.
Knives are another issue. Kitchen peelers are rightie-based. I have to buy them for me. I’ve never bought a Japanese sushi knife but many of the Japanese knives are only made for right-handers and lefties used to have to special order. I can only use knives, or write, with my left hand. Many other motions are naturally done with the right hand (golf, guitar) and others are required of me, like starting the car with the key in my right hand.
Dad was caned. I was issued safety scissors. Let’s hope our teachers aren’t still penalizing children for being different. All my life, I’ve ended up in situations with groups of left-handed friends. All are smart and creative and my life would be less full without those experiences. Yes, I’ve been to a left-handed store and nothing stood out for me. The one thing I could use is a left-handed or dual-spout ladle. After all, I’ve turkey soup to serve! Cheers, Dee
I think I know why I took up guitar at age fifty. I remember Mrs. Smith (violin), Mrs. Pullano (voice) and Mrs. Rotunda (voice) from grade school and middle school. I remember Mrs. Hoffman (piano) from private lessons, then Mrs. K who my mother fired for cutting my and my little sister’s nails well below the quick because she thought she heard a click on the keys. I was twelve. I was eleven when I rebelled and told my father, a violinist, I no longer wanted to play violin.
Giving up piano and ballet were easier. We moved from a small village to the big city and there was a mall nearby that my girlfriends frequented. It was more fun to wear nail polish and hang out at the mall than no polish and no nails and practice.
Today, I hear no recriminations about practice except in my own head. No-one says “I’m paying good money for these lessons,” though my loving husband could do so. It was April 15, I’d filed our taxes and went out and bought a guitar, the wrong guitar for me because it was too big.
Dueling Guitars
Today, I have a new Seagull acoustic guitar made of Canadian hardwoods from my Mom’s province and it’s decidedly folk and I’m a beginner. My new teacher had me play Eleanor Rigby today, a song I learned in the fourth grade in poetry. I love this song. He taught me a bit about vocalization and asked if I could read music and tell him of the note that started the song. I told him and sang it. He then said he’d play and wanted me to sing the first verse. We stopped for a moment and he told me I have perfect pitch. I said, “I know.”
This makes it sad that my faux hippie girlfriends were more interesting to me than learning music. My life would have been quite different had I mastered an instrument at an early age, but I may never have met my soul mate. So, as of today, my mother’s heritage is being honored through the guitar, plus my father and grandfather for instilling a love of music in me that has been unrequited for some time. I may be doing penance for my ‘tween years but it’s fruitful and I know my husband loves to hear me progress in my studies. That, and my willingness to learn, may make me good enough to play for family and friends. Cheers, Dee
Posted in Editorial, Utah
Tagged guitar
Finally the Greater Sandhill cranes, prehistoric birds, sounded out a tribute at 6:27 this morning. I’d like to think it a welcome to our vocal, guitar playing, songwriting Western gal visitor, Ms. Juni Fisher. Also hail to her on the journeys to come. When Zoe and I hit the trail this morning about 6:40 we heard warning noises which means we were only a few feet from the cranes. The grasses are so tall that we can’t see them. Another sign. Jim’s folks will be here for a week, in two days and I hope the cranes come out and can be seen and heard.
I’d like to thank Juni for re-kindling my interest in playing music. It’s been a long time since I’ve held a violin or touched the keys on a piano. She asked why I didn’t call before I bought a guitar. It was an impulse purchase of a learning guitar and I had no idea there were different sizes, woods, tones et al! I just went with what I had for the first couple of months and did research on a better guitar that fit me. I believe I’ve found it and she agrees. But she’s right. I should have called as there were any number of mistakes that could have been made. As it is she just said the neck should be adjusted a bit.
Last year pdxknitterati, a fellow blogger from the west coast, when told that Jim sang El Paso in a restaurant in Scotland at our going-away dinner, told me of Red Velvet Slippers, written and sung by Juni Fisher, a cowgirl poet. I downloaded the song and immediately my husband and I started making preparations for a surprise for his grandmother’s birthday. Juni came and sang and wowed everyone. We’re sorry pdx wasn’t there to join us but I sent her an inscribed CD.
Visitor season has begun! Jim’s folks arrive in two days and I have to run everything through “Neat Receipts” and box them and clear my desk so we can have a dining table. I’m not a shopper but yesterday we all went to the market and it was fun! We didn’t HAVE to get anything so it was fun to browse and everyone ended up with a special treat and lunch was very good at Bandit’s. Jim’s showing signs of a cold so I need to go check on him and feed Zoe. Cheers, Dee
Three great things happened today. First you’ll all be happy to know that Pippi Longstocking is alive and well and living on my head.
Pippi's hat
This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t met pdxknitterati, who also led us to cowgirl poet Juni Fisher who played a surprise party for Jim’s grandmother’s birthday last fall. She heard I liked it so sent it off in the mail, God bless her. Pippi will come in handy later this week when the snow flies again. It is beautifully knitted and will be cherished forever.
Today, in the rain and dampness I kept the heat at 68 and turned on the fire for 15-20 minutes to take off the chill. I also got a chance to wear my Arran fishermans’ cardigan from Oban, Scotland and sent them a poem as well.
For years Jim’s been saying “anything you want to do, anything that makes you happy.” I called him today for reiteration of same. I bought a guitar, case, pitch pipe, and book and may take lessons. What I learned in high school I all but forgot. Other than a G chord I’m useless. My fingers don’t work as they used to when I was seventeen! I lent my 8th grade Christmas gift to a boyfriend after college and he kept it, perhaps as service rendered after two dates and I wouldn’t… you know.
Third is that we finally got Jim’s W-2 so I can finalize our taxes and not punt or send an unnecessary check. So, there’s more work to do.
All in all, with rain, it’s been a good day. Cook well tonight. Cheers, Dee.
