Last evening saw my first violin class. My teacher turned out to be a young woman, a few years older than me. She was a student herself. She taught me the basic stuff like the notes that the four basic strings represented, how to represent the other notes, the angle to hold the bow, the spot on the ankle to rest the stem and how to wield the bow. Enjoyed it immensely… I love the sound of the violin and only the saxophone comes close in my list of favourites. I love the violin more than the sarod or the sitar or the veena. Maybe I like the flute as much.
I have a feeling that playing the violin is going to demand a very different level of skill and dexterity from me; one that neither vocal singing nor Kathakali or Mohiniattam ever demanded. Have never learnt anything which needed me to dexterous with my hands. Should be an enjoyable experience… Except that this morning’s practice numbed my foot. The wrist hurt from clutching the stem and the elbow, from maintaining the angle of the bow.
Practiced for a while this morning before I saw that one of the bow-strings had come loose. Scared me out! I must call my teacher and ask her how to fix it… Hopefully the violin rental company isn’t gonna charge me for it…:-((
The Indian film festival is showing ‘Kandukondein Kandukondein’ this evening. I’ve watched the film in B’bay and loved it. Lets’ see how Pinch likes it… The music is lovely and Tabu is tres charmante…:-) Ash is pure heaven to watch and Ajit is very cute.
The weekend stretches… I hope that bowstring gets fixed…Grrr!
radhika74 says:
good that you found a rewarding hobby. may the pleasure endure.:)
May 14, 2004 — 9:13 am
Lakshmi says:
Inshaallah!
May 14, 2004 — 9:59 am
dannykk says:
Loved the scene in ” KanduKondein KanduKondein ” where Tabu breaks down in the end. Then she looks across the balcony to see Ajith standing pensively. The way Rajiv Menon choses to resolve that scene with the strains of ” Yenna Solla Pogira ” was magic.
A little trivia, a whole lot of scenes in Kandukondein Kandukondein was autobiograpical from the director’s point of view.
May 14, 2004 — 9:17 pm
Lakshmi says:
Really… I saw ‘Sense and Sensibility’ a few days back and ‘KK’ is almost scene-to-scene based on it…
May 15, 2004 — 2:10 pm
dannykk says:
I meant the scenes where Ajith’s character faces rejection when he aspires to become a director. All those trials and tribulations find their way in this movie.
May 15, 2004 — 8:15 pm
Lakshmi says:
Oh.. you mean Rajeev Menon went through such phases himself…?
May 16, 2004 — 7:54 am
dannykk says:
Sarcasm…..with a spotlight, huh!
May 16, 2004 — 8:32 am
Lakshmi says:
Didn’t mean to be sarci at all… I was under the impression that Rajeev Menon had always been in films and hence making the transition from a camera man to a director would have been relatively simpler…
I am sorry if my comment turned out as sounding sarcastic… Didn’t intend it.
May 17, 2004 — 4:56 am
dannykk says:
I feel silly, it’s just that I guess I am little sensitive to whatever I post.
May 17, 2004 — 6:20 am
Lakshmi says:
🙂
I understand…
May 17, 2004 — 7:20 am
Anonymous says:
Violin classes
Actually after playing the violin one should loosen the strings. every time you take it, you should tune the instrument. You should be able to adjust the strings if you have judgement on the Sruthi. Generally the south Indians follow the swaras S, P, S, P on the four strings. You should learn how to adjust the strings. It is very important. You should do that in the teacher’s presence so that you are doing it correctly. You should have a feeling on the swaras.
May 15, 2004 — 11:11 pm
Lakshmi says:
Re: Violin classes
Well, I do tighten and loosen the strings before and after playing it respectively. Tuning; not yet… I do have a sense of the Swaras since I’ve learnt Carnatic music in the past.
May 16, 2004 — 7:52 am
hariputtar says:
🙂
Hey. you know kathakali, mohiniattam and vocals ? maan. talk about having skills! i stand in wonder. nay. in awe. [ dude, pinch: u are a lucky guy. 🙂 ]
KK: I delightful movie. I didnt know it was based on sense and sensibility. wow.
The first time i saw it – i was in Virudanagar, near Madurai, attending a marriage of my wingy from undergrad days. i didnt understand a word of it 😀
2nd time: last year in san jose, dvd. with subtitles.(my roomy was a tam-guy with good taste in movies – i got an education. grateful for that.)
mammooty’s veteran is a poignant portrayal of a man who does not give up on life. so is Ajith’s character (he has a different kind of summit to scale though).
May 16, 2004 — 10:23 pm
Lakshmi says:
Re: 🙂
wingy??!!!
The film is quite a delight to watch with its lovely songs and camera work.
Sonal, I have been just another dilletante, buddy… Luckily, I developed a strong sense of appreciation for the classical arts… Frankly, I’m no performer in case of any of these arts..:-(
May 17, 2004 — 4:40 am
hariputtar says:
Re: 🙂
oops: wingy = wingmate [ a group of people that occupy rooms close to each other, across years, in a hostel – and hence are develop a brotherly bond. in the raucous undergrad days its a toned-down version of a frat-house scene. ]
May 17, 2004 — 11:42 am
Lakshmi says:
Re: 🙂
Ohh.. can imagine that..:-)
May 18, 2004 — 4:02 am
Lakshmi says:
Thanks, DD..:-)
May 17, 2004 — 5:09 am