Power To The Pinkie

There’s a quote in the film The Thomas Crown Affair (Brosnan version, not McQueen) that proclaims “Regret is usually a waste of time, as is gloating.” I partially agree, I don’t really have many regrets but there are a few. Two of which are stopping playing the violin and the piano.

I was quite young when I started playing the violin but my heart wasn’t really in it at the time. The same goes for piano. My heart being in it was quite a large factor in me giving them up, another was the fact I can’t read music. I’ve tried, I mostly know what all the little lines and blobs are when they’re on their little lines on the paper…in the same way I know roughly what the letters of the Swedish alphabet are. But ask me to string them together in an eloquent and stylish sentence and it’d be utterly hopeless. Kanske om musiknoter såg ut som bokstäver skulle vara lättare? (Thanks, Andrea!)

I did okay with playing piano by ear and I still, periodically, play a little bit when I can – not having a piano at home makes things tricky, too. But I don’t necessarily think knowing how to read music is essential to being able to play well, time with the instrument, however, is.

I think the main problem with violin and piano, for me, was that I never learned to love and appreciate them until later in my life. I think, had I known about people like Linzi Stoppard and Ben Lee of FUSE when I was still at school, I probably would have continued or at least started up again. My music tastes changed a lot when I was growing up but they’ve found their settling place now, it seems. Thankfully, there are people like Linzi and Ben who break the stereotypes of violinists and the music they ‘should’ be playing. Of course they’re not the only ones doing it, but they are very good and, as it happens, they have their debut album out at the moment (links at the bottom). Apocalyptica, whilst not playing violins, are another favourite of mine.

A friend, whose band I was in when I was at school, got me into guitar and I didn’t do too badly with that. I still have my guitar and play it occasionally. Once I’d found tabs it became so much easier, it was a bit more straightforward for me, not being able to read music.

I’m always looking for a nice, cheap piano to pop up on the market and ever since Vanessa Mae exploded onto the popular scene I occasionally looked into getting an electric violin. I liked the look of them and the more ‘gadgety’ aspect to them – I already have an amp and jack leads from my guitar – but being unemployed I didn’t/don’t have the money, especially not for Linzi and Ben’s new £1m Swarovski violins (see vid below)! Having CFS for so many years, it’s not like I can say I don’t have the time.

It always gets me thinking though. Maybe I’m not a giver. I’m certainly an appreciator of music but whether I can give people the joy of it is quite another matter. I love playing the piano but I’m not going to be a Rachmaninov, and whilst I love violin I’m not going to be another Ben Lee or Nigel Kennedy.

I think the plan should be to save up, get myself a piano and a violin and just do my best. Who can ask for anything more than that? At least that way, when my tired, cramped and crippled hands have had enough of the violin I can relax a bit and play the piano.

As Linzi said in the image at the top of the page:

“No pain…power to the pinkie”

Linzi on Twitter - Ben Lee on Twitter - FUSE band on Twitter

Buy FUSE’s album for download at Amazon, Play.com or iTunes

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