A Violin In A Violist's Hands

Every time I pick up my viola I am amazed at how easy my left hand slips into position. My intonation is spot on, my arm position feels comfortable and I find myself reassessing my choice to play the violin as my main instrument. It's a little frustrating, at times.

Here's the thing: I started on the violin so it is definitely my first love. I played from 4th-7th grade and then was switched to viola by my orchestra teacher who said that because I was the violinist with the longest arms I would be a better violist. At the time I didn't question her thinking. I got to learn a new instrument and I became one of the special few who were oh, so important for the 7th grade orchestra.

From that day on I was a violist. Clear through college.

What that means is that as I grew into adulthood I spent all those years building the muscle memory of a violist thereby, in a sense screwing my self as a violinist.

Every time I pick up the viola my hands go, "Ah! This is how it's supposed to be! Where have you been my dear viola??"

And then my ear hears the viola range and says, "Well, damn. Where are those lovely high notes??"

Inevitably, I go back to my violin. For multiple reasons, actually. One: most of the music I have written over the past 6 years has been for violin. Two: I am totally in love with my violin's tone. The higher notes have a tendency towards the shrill but the low notes are so throaty and glorious! I have managed to clear out most of the shrillness in the past several years as I figured out which strings were best for the higher notes. It's the instrument itself that I love so much. I've not felt this kind of connection with any other violin.

The bummer, though, is that my intonation kinda sucks when I go back to the violin. My 4th finger wants to go sharp because it naturally expects the viola scale length. It takes a few days of consistent exercises to get back into the proper intonation mindset.

At the moment, I'm having a grand time playing my viola. The violin is in the shop and will most likely be there for the next few weeks. I plan to play the hell out of my viola and enjoy it but I'm kind of dreading the transition back to the violin. If it weren't for the fact that I so love my violin's tone I might be convinced to be a violist for good.

The violin-repair fundraiser is still going on. I'm a little more than half-way there. Thank you again for your support. I am humbled and honored. Thank you.

Once I have my violin back, I am going to write a new piece for it and all of you who helped out with the fund-raiser.

Cheers!