Beginning Viola Lesson

** July 17, 1996
** The Players:

Shinnai (#1357)
A woman of medium height and skin the color of tanned cherry wood, Shinnai
would likely be slender if her job allowed her more respite from her desk. Her
features, while not really pretty, are distinct - high cheekbones, a straight
nose between deepset almond-shaped eyes of an aqua so deep as to appear nearly
black. Her hair is a silky, indeterminate length of dark brown which is
consistently tied up out of her way.
An ornate knot of Istan colors and harper blue marks her rank as a master,
Ista's Hold Harper.
Shinnai is 30 Turns, 1 month, and 14 days old.

Seamus (#5551)
At first glance, Seamus seems to be a living inconsistancy. The Harper's lean,
willowy build accentuated by cords of thin muscle, Holdless years etched into
his physical being. He stands six feet in height, not so tall but assured in
bearing. Fine, coppery-brown hair, a forelock streaked with white, hangs down
slightly past his shoulders, as hazel-amber eyes shine with mischief and
secrets. Sharp features, long limbs, and slightly pointed ears add an
other-worldly aspect to Seamus, a remembrance of the long forgotten Fey. His
ever present smile and expressive eyes show a warm, caring person, always eager
to lend a hand or give advice. Imperceptibly, his barely handsome appearance is
marred by a faint scar upon his brow.
After that cursory glance, you feel Seamus directing his attentions toward
you. With a side-long glance and a roguish half-smile, he meets your gaze.
Within that look is a wisdom far more than his years should allow, as he seems
barely over 17 Turns. His eyes pierce through you, to the heart, as he delves
beyond your shell and into your soul, searching. After finding an unknown
answer, the boyish facade is re-woven, only barely covering the previous
moment. The time spent confined seems to have answered questions of his own, as
an aura of acceptance and serenity settles around the Harper. Finally, he has
merged his Holdless past to his Harper present, ready to throw his entirety
into the future.
Seamus is 23 Turns, 2 months, and 18 days old.

Aleta (#6290)
Lithe, slim, reed-thin... however you choose to describe a dancer's body, Aleta
certainly posesses one. Her hair, rich golden blonde, falls to just below her
shoulder in its soft waves, her blue eyes sparkle in the narrow, pale face.
She seems almost elongated, with long legs, arms, and fingers. Each step is
taken with graceful precision forewards, and a smile seems permanently stuck to
her lips.
Aleta wears her Harper Apprentice knot on her shoulder with pride.
Aleta is 17 Turns, 9 months, and 18 days old.

Cimorene (#4958)
Cimorene meets your gaze squarely and raises her chin defiantly. Her eyes are
very dark brown, almost black, with flashes of fire in their depths. She is
rather tall, and more skinny than slender, though the effect is not
unattractive. Cimorene usually has her waist-length jet black hair plaited into
two braids down her back. She is very strong-willed, though a less
complementary way of putting it (and the term that most people use) is that she
is exceedingly stubborn. She does her own thing, the way she wants to do it,
and woe to the person who thinks they can stand in her way. She has a flair for
the ironic, and a very dry wit. She hates busy-work, and will do nearly
anything to avoid it. She is, altogether, a very intense person.
Cimorene is 17 Turns, 11 months, and 9 days old.

Keven (#5901)
You see a young man with long dark hair in a ponny tail. He is tall and a bit
thin, but well trained. His eyes are a mix of green and brown, which seams to
change after the weather: when it's sunny outside they tend to be green, but
when rain falls they become deep brown. His hands are thin but quick, exellent
for playing gitar or similar instruments. He is a bit quiet and often waits
untill everybody else has spoken before talking. Because of this people often
don't notice or forget about his presence. He often smiles and in the presence
of friends and people he trusts he likes to joke. When he breaks out of his
silence he is a good leader and a man who likes to organize. People often trust
him and he has an easy time getting friends, despite his somewhat quiet
appearance. He learns easily and an exellent memory which has made studies alot
easier.
Keven wears his Harper apprentice knot with great pride.
Keven is 18 Turns, 1 month, and 10 days old.

***

Main Hall and Ballroom (#4517)
The ballroom is an impressive sight, testament to the dedication of artists
both long ago and today. The floor's mosaics gleam with color, whole sections
of which have been completely replaced in the past turn, and the walls are
covered with lovely frescoes. The air is fresh, and although the upper window
is missing its colorful panes, the sunlit breeze passes through the cloth
covering its wrought-iron framework.
A pair of curving staircases shaped from sturdy granite and worn smooth with
age and use rises up toward an overlooking balcony on the second floor.
The window looks out over Ista Hold Main Courtyard.
Through the open window, you notice that It is a spring midmorning.
In the rehearsal hall, you see one firelizard.
Watching from a bit of artistically carved lintel is Rhymert.
Cimorene is here.
Obvious exits:
Out Harper Office Shainman Rehearsal Hall Great Hall Curving
Stairways
Shinnai smiles to Cimorene. "Ready for a lesson?"
Cimorene beams and nods, uncharacteristically enthusiastic. (Oooh, that was
hard to type...:P )
Shinnai says, "Great. We'll be in the Rehearsal Hall. I'll be there in just a
moment."
Cimorene minces on in :)
Cimorene strides with confidence into the rehearsal hall.
Shinnai walks into the harper office.

Shainman Rehearsal Hall (#4130)
The largest room in the Istan Harper Hall, save the Ballroom, this room has
wonderful acoustics that make sound bounce off the walls just so. From lessons
to rehearsal to just listening to the marvelous sounds always filling the
room, there's always a surplus of people about, harpers of every rank, and
even a few holders. Tiers fill almost every wall in the room, the choir levels
on the right, the orchestra one directly in and other smaller areas for more
specific group rehearsal on the left. The room is spotlessly clean and only
completely empty in the early hours of the morning when most harpers have to
tear themselves away from their work for a few winks of sleep.
In the harper office, you see one firelizard.
Outside in the ballroom, you see one firelizard and two people.
Watching from a high ledge is Tartan.
Cimorene is here.
Obvious exits:
Harper Office Archive Vault Main Hall
You hear some thumping and rustling from the Harper Office.
Cimorene wanders around the hall, whistling to herself and listening to the
echoes.
Shinnai carries a number of instrument cases in from the office, carefully
keeping them from falling to the floor.
Keven walks in from the ballroom.
Cimorene reaches Shinnai in her circling and halts. "Hey, I'll carry a couple
of those for you..."
Keven smiles to both harpers as he enters.
Shinnai unloads a couple of cases onto Cimorene. "Thanks, Cim. Just set them
down over here," she nods in the appropriate direction.
Aleta sweeps with an air of elegance and grace in from the ballroom.
Shinnai disgorges the instrument cases from her arms, placing them side by side
on the long table.
Cimorene cheerfully wrestles the cases to the area indicated, then bends over
in odd directions trying to set them down carefully.
Keven raises an eyebrow "What's going on?"
From Aleta's shoulder, Persephone peers out at the world. Where're we going?
Aleta smiles at everyone and waves and tries to console the pretty little
thing who just got picked up and hauled down here without getting told what
was going on.
Shinnai turns to face the arriving apprentices. "We're going to learn to play a
bowed instrument today. Specifically, the viola."
Cimorene looks up and smiles brightly. "Really? Oh...fantastic!"
Keven smiles "The viola? Nice!"
Shinnai scans the room. "Who else is missing, still?" she wonders. "I guess
we'll just wait another few moments before starting." She smiles. "Have any of
you ever played a bowed instrument before?"
Aleta pales slightly. She hasn't even mastered basic chords on the gitar yet,
and now she's going to be learing viola? Eek. But Percy and Shadow do their
best to console her, also managing to get royally in the way. She shakes her
head. "No..."
Cimorene shakes her head, gazing at the instruments lined up on the table,
fingers twitching.
Keven shakes his head "No never"
Shinnai smiles encouragingly. "Great, then you're all at the same level. Makes
it easier for the class as a whole."
Shakar walks in from the ballroom.

Shakar (#6351)
A man who seems to glow with life.....
He is awake and looks alert.
Shakar is 17 Turns, 2 months, and 3 days old.
Shinnai smiles to Shakar. "Can I help you? We're just about to start here."
Shakar says, "um...sorry, got lost somewhere"
Shakar looks very confused
Shinnai walks over to greet Shakar. "Can I help you?" she asks again, as the
various apprentices assemble for the upcoming lesson.
Seamus glides, like a shadow, in from the ballroom.
Shakar says, "hmm....i'm sorry"
Shakar says, "disturbing you and all"
Keven puts his gitar away since they're doing viola lesson.
Aleta pries golden tail away from her neck. "You're a beautiful little
darling, but i can't play with you strangling me." Persephone chirrs
unhappily and complies. "That's better, sweet." Then, she looks at Shinnai.
"Are we about to start, then?"
Shakar walks into the harper office.
Shinnai smiles to Seamus as he enters, briefly, then was about to reply to
Shakar.
Cimorene smiles, tearing her gaze from those tempting new instruments for a
moment.
Keven looks up as he hears someone enter "Hi there Seamus!"
Seamus smiles, waving to everyone here, too. "Morning, all," he grins.
"What've I walked in on today?"
Shinnai peers out the door, making sure the curious fellow doesn't bug the
scribes in the office. "Well, he's gone. Strange man," she observes. "Yes,
we're about to start," she answers Aleta, finally.
Shinnai goes back to the laid-out instrument cases again. "Alright, is everyone
present? Then we'll get started. We're going to learn a new instrument today,
to give you all a wider concept of music and a musician's skills."
Aleta releases Persephone, who launches into the air.
Aleta releases Shadowdancer, who launches into the air.

Shainman Rehearsal Hall (#4130)
The largest room in the Istan Harper Hall, save the Ballroom, this room has
wonderful acoustics that make sound bounce off the walls just so. From lessons
to rehearsal to just listening to the marvelous sounds always filling the
room, there's always a surplus of people about, harpers of every rank, and
even a few holders. Tiers fill almost every wall in the room, the choir levels
on the right, the orchestra one directly in and other smaller areas for more
specific group rehearsal on the left. The room is spotlessly clean and only
completely empty in the early hours of the morning when most harpers have to
tear themselves away from their work for a few winks of sleep.
In the harper office, you see one firelizard.
Outside in the ballroom, you see one firelizard.
Watching from a high ledge are Tartan, Persephone, and Shadowdancer.
Cimorene, Keven, Aleta, and Seamus are here.
Obvious exits:
Harper Office Archive Vault Main Hall

Shinnai unlatches the first of the cases. "It looks like we've enough violas
for each of you to use one. Do be careful with them, though," she admonishes
automatically. "That's all we've got!"
Keven smiles as he looks over at the strange instruments.
Persephone settles onto a perch where she can watch herpet. Shadowdancer
settles next to her, a protective eye on his littleshouldermate. Aleta, below,
looks a little dubious. "I'm not sure about this..."
Shinnai picks up the first viola. "Now, I'm sure you've all seen this played at
one time or other. In construction, it's the same as a violin, only slightly
larger. Does anyone know what the difference in tuning is between a violin
and a viola?"
Cimorene reaches out with one hand to touch the wood of the instrument
reverently. She smiles.
Shinnai plucks each string at a time, starting with the lowest, each a fifth
apart.
Shinnai says, "Does anyone know what the tuning of a violin is, for that matter?"
Keven looks uncertain "Ehh... nope"
Keven says, "Can I guess?"
Shinnai smiles. "Sure, Keven. Go ahead."
Aleta just looks a little blank. She can read music, but just barely...
playing anything is really beyond her.
Keven says, "Starting from above, E,A,D,G?"
Shinnai grins. "That's correct! Now, do you know what the tuning of the viola
is, or would you like to guess?"
Keven looks over at the the thing to check that it realy got 4 straings.
Shinnai grins as he finds out that yes, it has 4 strings. :)
Keven smiles "I'll try another guess... D,G,H(B),E?
Shinnai smiles. "No, you're taking that from the guitar, aren't you? Actually,
a viola's tuning is only a fifth lower than the violin. That means the
strings, from the top, are A," she plucks each again as she speaks, "D, G, and
C."
Keven nods "Yeah! I only play the gitar so I guessed it was some sort of 4
stringed gotar."
Shinnai grins. "Good thinking."
Shinnai says, "So, given the range of pitch - a middle range, approximately
equivalent to a low alto or high tenor voice - what would you expect the
viola's main purpose in ensemble to be?"
Shinnai directs the question to anyone.
Cimorene hmms. "Melody sometimes and alto harmonies?"
Shinnai smiles to Cimorene. "Sometimes that, and sometimes tenor harmonies. For
instance, do you know what instruments are in a typical string quartet?"
Aleta blinks and is just completely clueless. *sigh*
Keven is too.
Shinnai glances around, then answers the question herself. "Two violins, one
viola," she holds up the instrument, "and one cello. The violins split the
melody and alto harmonies, generally, while the viola and cello play tenor and
bass, respectively. Of course, it's up to the composer, but that's the way it
usually works."
Shinnai says, "Any questions so far?"
Keven says, "The cello? Do we have one here?"
Shinnai nods. "Yes, we have one here."
Keven smiles "I'd love to learn to play that, but this was a viola lesson
right?"
Aleta nods emphatically. "I didn't understand much of what you just said... I
know music in relation to /dance/. Not in relation to instruments. This
hasn't made a bit of sense to me so far..."
Shinnai grins at Keven. "Yes, today is viola. Cello is another lesson."
Seamus watches the lesson from a seat upon the lowest tier, glancing
suspiciously toward the instruments.
Keven smiles and shrugs "Ok"
Shinnai nods to Aleta, then leans against a handy desk to speak to her. "In
that case, let me see..." she thinks, then starts an explanation. Or so she
hopes.
Shinnai says, "Aleta, have you ever heard this instrument played? Usually, you'll
hear it in ensembles - and very often, at dances."
Shinnai takes the bow from the case, places the viola between shoulder and
chin, and draws the bow across the strings to let Aleta hear the tone.
Aleta nods at Shinnai. "Of course."
Shinnai says, "Then we're starting from a common ground." She smiles, holding the
instrument out. "You'll see that it has four strings. You remember what we
said it was tuned to?"
Shinnai says, "Alright. So, you hear the mellow, low tone of the instrument. Because
of this, it usually plays the same sort of part that a tenor might sing, in a
group. Does that make sense, Aleta? Don't be afraid to say no."
Aleta nods slowly. "I think so."
Shinnai says, "Ok. I'm just attempting to give you a little background on the
instrument before we start torturing any felines..." she grins at her own,
rather lame, joke."
Aleta blinks, it completely passing her by, but smiles. "Okay..."
Keven nods.
Shinnai looks around. "Has everyone got a viola and bow?" she wonders. "Now, we
can leave the construction of these things for shop class, I think, and get
started on the mechanics."
Aleta nods, although she has absolutely no clue how to hold the thing.
Keven nods as he's looking down on the instrument.
Seamus grins, still watching the violas suspiciously. "Uh oh," he says, mostly
to himself, while eyeing the others critically. Why does this sound like
it'll hurt...?
Shinnai says, "Good. We'll start with the bow." She holds her own up, the block at
one end held lightly in her right hand, fingers splayed slightly to support
the length. "This end," she points to the end she grasps, "is called the
'frog'."
Keven looks over at the end "Frog?"
Shinnai spares an amused glance for Seamus, then continues. "Don't ask me why
it's called that," she grins, "it just is. The end you grasp is the frog, and
the other end, the pointy one" she touches the point at the other end of the
bow, "is called the 'tip'."
Aleta makes hasty mental notes. Frog. Tip. Okay. She's got it.
Keven smiles and looks over the.. 'stick'.
Shinnai says, "Indeed, the rest of it is the 'stick', Keven."
Keven looks genuinely supprised "Whoaa! my guesses realy turn out well today"
Shinnai grins. "So they do. Now, everyone hold your bows in your right hands,
just like I am. Your hand should be relaxed, not stiff -- your thumb must be
bent, to keep you from stiffening up."
Aleta takes bow in right hand--of course it's relaxed, that's something she's
good at--and bends her thumb like shown. "Okay..."
Keven hods his 'bow' in his right hand while watching Shinnai. The bow moves a
little from right to left not quite steady.
Shinnai says, "It takes some practice to keep the bow steady. Hold it vertically,
and move it toward you, and away from you - careful, keep it straight up and
down. Don't let it wobble."
Shinnai demonstrates.
Keven looks at Shinnai before trying.
Seamus is now glad he's chosen not to take up the viola. He'd poke someone's
eye out. He knows it...
Shinnai says, "And then, side to side, and up and down. Don't be discouraged if you
can't keep it perfectly still."
Keven moves the bow quite slowly steadying it with his thumb as he takes long
strokes.
Keven reads Seamus' mind and chuckles.:)
Aleta tries it, just like indicated... she isn't afraid she'll poke someone's
eye out, but this is still new to her.
Shinnai says, "You'll use your first finger, your thumb, and your little finger to
balance the bow in your hand. If it starts to wobble, use your little finger
for leverage."
Shinnai watches the wobbling bows around the room slowly get a little
straighter. "Good!"
Keven feels some strain to the right hand, as a gitarist he isn't used to do
fine work with his right hand.
Shinnai smiles. "Alright, put the bow down and shake out your hand for moment.
Now, we'll go to the viola."
Shinnai puts down the bow, and takes the instrument. She holds it from the
fingerboard, the scroll up and the body of the viola down, in her left hand.
Keven sighs a little of relief as he lowers the right hand, he shakes it in
various directions to remove the stiffness.
Aleta tries this method, and smiles as it doesn't wobble quite so much. Then
she sets the bow down, and takes the viola.
Keven lifts the viola and holds it like Shinnai, by the fingerboard.
Keven looks at the viola with a worried expression "Hey there are no frets on
this thing!"
Shinnai says, "First, stand up. Set your feet a little apart - about shoulder
distance - and then turn your left foot about sixty degrees out, and slightly
forward."
Shinnai grins at Keven. "Of course there aren't. That's one of the benefits."
Keven raises an eyebrow "Benefits?"
Keven stands up as he's talking.
Aleta stands, and positions herself easily. That's the easy part. She still
looks dubsious. "What's a fret?"
Shinnai stands in the position, balanced relaxedly on her feet. "Yes, benefits,
Keven," she smiles. "You can do things with a viola that you can't with frets
- a slide, for instance. You don't need anything special. Also, you can get
half-tones - those notes in between the frets."
Keven nods "Yes I see, but it would help to see where to put your fingers."
Shinnai says, "A fret," she explains to Aleta, "is one of thes small bars you see on
most guitars' fingerboards. They allow a guitarist to get a consistent pitch
when fingering complex chords.""
Aleta ohs, and still looks confused, just not as much as before.
Shinnai grins. "You'll learn where your fingers go soon enough. It doesn't
take all that much with a good ear."
Keven says, "Why don't they just paint frets on the viola, then you would see
where to put your finger without destroying the sliding effect."
Keven says, "It would help in the begining."
Shinnai, standing with her feet in position, extends her left arm, still
dangling the viola, away from her body. "Hold your arm out," she instructs.
To Keven, she replies, "That's often done, in the beginning. But since these
are the Hall's instruments, and not only for beginners, we can't do that."
Shinnai says, "Now, turn your wrist so that the viola is standing straight up in the
air. You can steady it with your other hand if you need to."
Keven smiles "Oh ok" He stands like Sinnai holding his arm out.
Shinnai does just that, then pulls the upright viola down in an arc to land
gently on her shoulder. "Then, bring it in to your shoulder, and put your chin
down on the chinrest," she demonstrates, her chin landing on a small black
piece of wood clamped to the viola's body to give her better purchase.
Keven nods to Shinnai and moves the viola up over his arm and to the shoulder,
then carefully he lays his head down.
Shinnai says, "Now, you'll often see players get lazy and cover the chinrest with
their whole cheek," she cautions. "That can cause stiffness in the neck,
however, and should be avoided as a general rule."
Aleta follows along all this, trying to do just what she's supposed to do.
Shinnai grins. "Now, the trick is to hold it entirely with your chin and
shoulder, leaving your hand to do other things independently." she removes her
hand from the viola's neck and waves it about unconcernedly. "Careful the
first time, though, it can be heavy if you're not used to it."
Keven looks from his position on the viola out over the fingerboard, "Hmm now
this lokks strange, you see the finger board like a road going from you. This
will make it hard to judge distances."
Keven strikes a tone on his viola but all tat comes out of the thing is a half
muted, half strangeled.. something, certainly not a tone. "Hmm..."
Shinnai says, "Well, Keven, you're not supposed to judge distances with your eye.
You'll learn the feel of it, and you'll judge your position by that and by
pitch."
Keven smiles "Ahh just listen top that.. beutifull"
Shinnai winces. "Now you know what I meant by torturing felines," she mumbles.
"Hold off a moment, Keven, before you kill it," she teases.
Keven chukles and throws a longing look on his beloved gitar.
Cimorene stands there like a nerd with a viola on her shoulder ;) She frowns
in deep concentration, waiting for the signal to play. Or try. Or torture
kitties.
Seamus hides his cringe, and grimace, behind a slight smile.
Shinnai says, "Now, before we add the bow in, rest the thumb of your left hand near
the end of the fingerboard, where the scroll begins. Not *on* the scroll, just
in front of it."
Shinnai places her thumb in the appropriate spot, turning her body to show all
and sundry.
Cimorene looks at Shinnai's demo and copies her stance to the best of her
ability.
Keven moves out his hand on the fingerboard once again "Hmm like a gitar but
smaller"
Shinnai says, "Then, you curl the rest of your hand gently around, without grabbing
the neck, but leaving a nice space between your hand and the wood. Place your
first finger down on the string, pressing it down to the fingerboard."
Keven curls his hand while looking out from the viola "How hard shoud I press?"
Shinnai demonstrates, then deshoulders her own viola to come around and inspect
the students' posture. "I should be able to fit my finger between the bottom
of the neck of the viola and your hand.
Cimorene winces slightly as she pushes the string down to the 'board, trying to
resist the urge to strangle the viola-neck.
Shinnai inspects Cimorene's hand, pulling the girl's wrist back and down
slightly to allow the hand freer movement.
Cimorene wills her hand to stay in its new postion. Stay! Stay! Good hand.
Shinnai encourages Cimorene. "Good! Keep it relaxed. Don't strangle it, it
hasn't done anything to you," she grins. "How are you doing, Keven?"
Keven looks over the fingerboard "Hmm good question, I bet you know that better
then me"
Keven tries to relax at the same time as he press the finger at the string.
Shinnai pushes the scroll of Keven's viola up slightly, causing him to stand up
straighter. "It gets heavy, but don't get in the habit of slouching," she
warns. "Good, just use the leverage between your thumb and forefinger to press
the string down. It doesn't require that much force."
Cimorene giggles slightly and tries to loosen up her hands a bit.
Keven nods and sighs a little of relief as Shinnai straighens his back "Ahh...
that was nice"
Shinnai picks up Keven's bow, tightens the hair slightly, and takes his right
hand. "Now, let's add the bow." she allows Keven to place his fingers on the
bow, holding it gently but steadily.
Shinnai says, "When you put the bow on the string, it should be halfway between the
bridge," she points to the thing that holds the strings up, "and the end of
the fingerboard. That's where you'll get the most even tone."
Keven nods and discovers that that was a mistake since he makes the whole viola
nod "opps sorry"
Shinnai guides Keven's bow to the string, putting it down relatively close on
the bow to the frog, and halfway between the bridge and fingerboard.
Shinnai grins. "No slouching," she warns, going to aid Cimorene and Aleta with
the bow.
Aleta wasn't slouching! Honest! She doesn't slouch. She just isn't very good
at the /rest/ of it.
Shinnai says, "Now, feel where that is, then, to pull the bow across the string,
simply straighten your arm away from you."
Shinnai says, "Allow your wrist to move freely."
Shinnai puts her own viola in position again, and takes her bow, places it on
the string, and draws a note.
Keven takes a deep breath "ok here goes" He lets the bow move across the
strings between the board and where the strings begin, and to his supprice out
comes a clean quite nice tone.
Cimorene moves the bow carefully across the strings...
*SQUAWK*
Cimorene winces. "Sorry!"
Shinnai grins. "Good, Keven! Now, take an 'up-bow' - pull your wrist back
toward your nose, keeping the bow moving straight across."
Seamus glances quickly around for the wherry...
Shinnai grins at Cimorene. "It's only to be expected, don't worry. Here, try
that again." She guides Cim's bow onto the string, then touches her arm to
tell it where it ought to be as she pulls.
Cimorene pulls back dubiously in the right direction. Oh, poor kitty! No wait,
that's just Cim playing again.
Keven carefully strokes the bow back again, the tone that comes out is clean at
first but then strangles into one of those wherry squacks.
Keven smiles "Ops!"
Shinnai grins. "That's right, now the other direction." she guides Cimorene's
wrist back directly toward her nose.
Cimorene pushes as indicated and smiles as something akin to a tone emerges.
Shinnai says, "There! Now, Keven," she turns, "Don't tense up. Gently.""
[Harper] Keven: I got a half broken violine thing hanging on the wall, let me
see if I've learned anything:)
[Harper] Shinnai laughs!
[Harper] Keven: Hmm I couldn't make a tone, it just sounded that if I were
sawing a log or something.
[Harper] Shinnai: Well, Keven, I'd say you've learned something if you even got
as far as a saw-blade-type tone. :)
[Harper] Keven cheers!
[Harper] Shinnai: My guess is that the string isn't tuned.
[Harper] Keven: Yeah and there is only three of them:)
[Harper] Shinnai: When you pluck it, is in in a normal pitch range, or does it
just go 'bwang'? :)
[Harper] Kythias: bwang? violas always do that. ;)
[Harper] Keven: BWANG!
[Harper] Seamus happens to like the sound of bwang.
[Harper] Shinnai grins. "The string isn't in tune. Does the thing even have a
bridge?"
[Harper] Kythias blinks. No bridge?
[Harper] Keven: Yes, but if you try and tune it it just falls back to where it
was.
[Harper] Shinnai doesn't know, it's on Keven's wall in Sweden. :)
[Harper] Kythias: oooh, slippy pegs.
[Harper] Shinnai nods. "You need to push the pegs in as you tune. But don't
break anything. :)"
[Harper] Leanna: BANG
[Harper] Seamus astrally hears a snap-snap-snap...
[Harper] Shinnai ducks.
[Harper] Keven: Opps! something just broke.
[Harper] Shinnai: Keven, I told you not to break anything. :P
[Harper] Seamus: See? snap-snap-snap... :P
[Harper] Keven: the thing that holds the strings up where they start.
[Harper] Kythias: top or bottom?
[Harper] Shinnai: Oh. The tailpiece.
[Harper] Seamus guesses top.
[Harper] Keven: Ehh bottom
[Harper] Kythias: You BROKE the TAILPIECE?
[Harper] Seamus guesses wrong. :)
[Harper] Shinnai: Is it really broken, or did the string just slip out?
[Harper] Keven: it flyed away.
[Harper] Kythias: Better than the time my friend knocked out her soundpost.
[Harper] Keven: But I got it back:)
[Harper] Shinnai: The string, or the tailpiece? :) Is it across the room, or
still hanging onto the end peg of the violin?
[Harper] Keven: Now it is where it started.
[Harper] Seamus suggests wood glue...
[Harper] Kythias: OUch.
[Harper] Shinnai: No wood glue. Badbad.
[Harper] Shinnai: Will it stay, Keven? :) Can you put the string back into the
hole where it's supposed to go?
[Harper] Seamus: Badbad? Keven? Don't take my suggestions seriously. :P
[Harper] Kythias is a little wimpy violin player who only uses mechanical pegs
'cause she's afraid of real ones. :)
[Harper] Keven: Yeah and if I pull the string now like on a gitar it actualy
gives a tone.
Eli walks in from the ballroom.
Seamus waves to Eli from his perch atop the low tier, knees pulled up to his
chest. No, they're not there to cover his ears. Really. "Morning, Eli."
Keven smiles from his viola "Hi Eli!"
Eli says, "Morning. What's up?"
Shinnai smiles to Eli, then turns back to the class. "Ok, now, we try for the
next finger. Put your second finger on the string, and pull the bow across.

[Harper] Shinnai: Ooh, you're a wimp. Definitely a wimp. :P :)
[Harper] Shinnai: Excellent! Try it with the bow again. :)
[Harper] Shinnai: Oh, btw, you need to tighten the bow. Make the hair taught.
[Harper] Keven: Should I press the bow hard?
[Harper] Shinnai: taut? Taut. No, don't press it hard.
[Harper] Kythias: Not too taut...leave a little curve in the bow or you'll lose
it.
[Harper] Shinnai: Bow hair need not be learned, just have some tension. :)
[Harper] Kythias: Unless you have a cheepy fiberglass one like me. :)
[Harper] Kythias 's violin stinnks. It does.
[Harper] Shinnai grins. "That's ok, as long as the people who listen to you
play don't mind. :)"
[Harper] Kythias: It only cost 200 dollars. Student violin.
[Harper] Keven: I just played Twinkle little star, but just pulling the strings
with my finger
[Harper] Keven: I can't get any sound with the bow.
[Harper] Kythias: Rosin?
[Harper] Aleta doesn't go for stringed instruments. She plays clarinet and
piano. :)
[Harper] Shinnai: Exactly. Rosin. You probably don't have any, do you?
[Harper] Keven: Rosin?
[Harper] Keven: I GOT ROSIN
[Harper] Kythias: good. use it.
[Harper] Keven: I found it where the violin was.
[Harper] Shinnai: Yay, rosin!! pull the bow across it, to get it on the
bowhair. :) Then try the bow again.
[Harper] Keven: Is it supposed to be hard, like stone?
[Harper] Shinnai: You may need to work at it a little. Yeah, it's supposed to
be hard. It'll powder when you rub the hair across it.
[Harper] Kythias: usually.
[Harper] Keven: My sister actually can get tones from the violin.
[Harper] Keven: I just played Smoke on the water!

Shinnai says, "Good progress, folks. Any final questions?"
Keven shakes his head "Nope"
Aleta shakes her head. She still isn't very good, but... "Er... no."
Shinnai says, "Alright, then. You're welcome to come down and practice, or ask for
help, at any time now that you've had an introduction to the viola. That goes
for the violin, too."
Keven smiles "Thanks for the lesson Master Shinnai"'
Shinnai smiles. "Good work. Make sure that you loosen the bow before you put
it away," she cautions, putting her own viola back in its case."
Keven nods "Ohh.. ok"
Shinnai smiles and waves. "Have a good time. Don't forget to put them away in
the office."

Harper Office (#2732)
The office is cheerful, the light reflecting off of whitewashed walls and
ceiling. A pattern mimicking musical notation in colors runs along the tops
of the walls, shelf upon shelf rising from the floor to meet it. Desks,
cabinets and filing drawers are arranged about the room, workplaces for those
whose job it is to keep the harpers and hall in order.
The air is fresh, tangy with sea and hides and well-seasoned woods.
The window looks out over Main Beach.
Through the open window, you notice that It is a spring afternoon.
In the rehearsal hall, you see three firelizards and four people.
Watching from a high shelf is Milo.
You see Sign-up Sheet for B'var's Orchestra and Staff Tackboard here.
Obvious exits:
Shainman Rehearsal Hall Ballroom
Keven walks in from the ballroom.
Keven puts the viola away.
Keven waves one more time
Keven walks out into the ballroom.
Shinnai smiles to Keven.

** End of Lesson **