- Oct 20, 2013
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How refreshing and humbling it is to listen to a fine violinist. IMO, I think the violin is the highest level of musical achievement that man has ever produced. Yes, I play the violin. Also play the mandolin (a cousin of the violin), the guitar, and the harmonica. I have played on stages, both rock music and folk. I also dabble at keyboards, bass guitar, banjo, and the Irish pennywhistle.
I play about 2 dozen fiddle tunes (violin, fiddle, same thing) - British, Irish & American and many Bluegrass songs and tunes. Each of these however, are relatively short in duration. And the fiddle tunes are repetitive, so they are only half the skill of their time frame. And a typical fiddle tune only takes about 40 seconds to play. In contrast, classical violinists play solo pieces that run many times longer than that. Although they may have originally learned them from a musical score, they play them afterwards, by memory without the printed page.
I am humbled by the immense ability of these people. Scanning through the internet, I see them of all ages, races, and nationalities. I love playing rock music on my guitars, and listening to fine guitarists like Eric Clapton, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, I am awed by their abilities. But even these great talents pale (IMO) next to the music of the fine violinists who BTW, are playing a much more difficult instrument to play than the guitar, or any of the other flat-bridge instruments (mandolin, banjo, bass guitar), played without a bow.
Here's a sample of an excellent violinist playing a solo piece, which changes its melody throughout the length of over 10 minutes, and entirely from memory. And she's only 26 years old. And just when you thought you were really a hot-shot musician. Get humble, folks.
This is Elicia Silverstein playing Biber Passacaglia - 10 minutes of musical magnificence, on the greatest musical instrument ever created >>>
I play about 2 dozen fiddle tunes (violin, fiddle, same thing) - British, Irish & American and many Bluegrass songs and tunes. Each of these however, are relatively short in duration. And the fiddle tunes are repetitive, so they are only half the skill of their time frame. And a typical fiddle tune only takes about 40 seconds to play. In contrast, classical violinists play solo pieces that run many times longer than that. Although they may have originally learned them from a musical score, they play them afterwards, by memory without the printed page.
I am humbled by the immense ability of these people. Scanning through the internet, I see them of all ages, races, and nationalities. I love playing rock music on my guitars, and listening to fine guitarists like Eric Clapton, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, I am awed by their abilities. But even these great talents pale (IMO) next to the music of the fine violinists who BTW, are playing a much more difficult instrument to play than the guitar, or any of the other flat-bridge instruments (mandolin, banjo, bass guitar), played without a bow.
Here's a sample of an excellent violinist playing a solo piece, which changes its melody throughout the length of over 10 minutes, and entirely from memory. And she's only 26 years old. And just when you thought you were really a hot-shot musician. Get humble, folks.
This is Elicia Silverstein playing Biber Passacaglia - 10 minutes of musical magnificence, on the greatest musical instrument ever created >>>
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