Project 2012 - Learn the Violin

My challenge for January will be to learn the violin (start to anyway). In June, I will begin taking my ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) tests for music theory, piano, violin and possibly clarinet. I am pretty comfortable on the piano and clarinet, but I have only held a violin a handful of times in my life.

So, according to the ABRSM violin syllabus, I will need to know the following:

Scales

D major

A major

E natural minor

G major

Arpeggios

D major

A major

E minor

G major

3 Songs

The piano and clarinet songs for grade 1 are very simple and were each learned in a day. Assuming I spend the first chunk of time getting comfortable with the scales and arpeggios, I am not at all worried about learning the songs.

My plan as of now:

Today (1 January) - Restring the violin and break in new rosin

1-4 January - G major scale and arpeggio

5-7 January - D major scale and arpeggio

8-11 January - A major scale and arpeggio

12-14 January - E natural minor scale and E minor arpeggio

15-16 January - Song 1

17-18 January - Song 2

19-20 January - Song 3 (and Life in the UK test!)

21-26 January - Business trip - no practice :(

27-29 January - Practice, practice, practice!

30-31 January - Business trip - no practice :(

30 Books in 30 Days - The End (for now!)

Due to circumstances in my life this month (work, travels, Life in the UK test), I will be postponing the 30 Books in 30 Days bit of Project 2012. I will start all over again in a couple of months.

In January, I'll be learning the violin instead!

30 Books in 30 Days - Book 6

Yesterday I read Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith.

I have already read the first two The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. I like them because I can very easily read them in a couple of hours. I think that things are getting a bit dull at this point in the series, but I have read them all quite recently. I really dislike two things about the book. Firstly, one of the main characters states that all pretty women (she calls them 'girls') are vacuous, and it is put in such a way that assumes all readers will agree. Secondly, I don't like the portrayal of depression. As someone with loads of experience with chronic depression, I hate that so many authors seem to get their knowledge of the disorder from books rather than people who actually have it.

Would I reread it? No. I wouldn't get anything out of reading it again.

Would I recommend it? I would recommend the series for anyone looking for very quick, simple reading.

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This book: 246

Project total: 1203