Winterlife, I find bar chords terribly difficult too. Not to mention everything else you listed.

About piano grades, I think it's weird how the US doesn't have them but like all the other countries do... lol.

That is AWESOME, Queen Susan! Well... I hope you can find a violin and a teacher!

About piano grades, I think it's weird how the US doesn't have them but like all the other countries do... lol.

That is AWESOME, Queen Susan! Well... I hope you can find a violin and a teacher!

About grades--yeah. Although in IMTA (ahem, I guess that's just in Iowa though. Not... the other states too.) they have some grades--A through F. I think I'm in D. So yeah. Not too amazing I'm afraid.

And thanks, Kat! I'm quite excited about it--if I actually convince myself it's happening. I didn't really think it ever would...
A few weeks ago I mentioned I was interested in learning it, and then Mom talked to Dad about it. Then suddenly this morning she says "So, have you thought about letting Becky take violin lessons?" and Dad says... "Yeah, I think that'd be fine."

Really? Seriously? Wow.

Yeah, I meant more like a general grading system (1-10) throughout the whole country. I wonder why we don't have that...
State competitions like the IMTA divide up levels differently... when I lived in Tennessee, they divided it by grade. So at the time I competed with all the other 4th graders. Then I came to Iowa and thought it was weird how they do it differently, because then you have to compete with people who might be way older than you. I did level E the year I moved here and won for the state, tried level F the next year but didn't win the local so I couldn't advance to the state... and then I tried level F the year after THAT and got runner-up at the state, and finally last year I won F at the state so now I'm not allowed to compete in the IMTA anymore. :'( lol... I don't really like how it's by level and not grade though, because every year I had to compete against my brother at the local level! And I feel bad if I beat him!

but yeah, that is super cool about the violin! I wish I could learn a string instrument, but maybe I'll just wait until I'm retired and have nothing else to do

Hehe, yeah.

I have a friend who played competed in level F at IMTA, but she did that... 3-4 years ago, so I doubt you would have seen her there. (And even if it was the same year, etc, I don't know if you would have seen her--do you just play your piece, or listen to everyone else's?) Or remembered if you had. But it'd be neat if you did. I'm not sure what year she did it though--Hm. '04 or '05 probably. Though possibly '06. *laugh*

Oooh... if it was 2006, I would have been there, but not in level F. Still, we might have been in the same building at the same time. That's cool to think about.

I'm afraid I have nothing with which to compare to your grading system. Which level includes Fur Elise? For that is a grade 7 piece by the RCM standards.

Queen Susan: I've been playing violin for about 5 years now, and I love it!!! I hope you find a teacher and an actual violin (and a bow might be nice ) so that you can start.

I am teaching myself piano, so I'm afraid I know nothing about levels!!!

And about guitar being harder than piano: that's totally opinion and depends on the person. Some people are naturals, some people look at learning it like having to climb Mt. Everest while walking backwards! Same with piano, and any other instrument. But more people find guitar more challenging. I don't find it too hard to learn new skills on the violin. 5 of my friends tried violin after they saw me play, but then 4 quit and 1 wants to quit but can't.

Watziznehm, since we don't really have levels at all... I can't tell you which includes Fur Elise. I mean, some people teach the Suzuki method here, and it's in book 5 (out of 7 books), but that's like a worldwide thing.

Oh, and thanks for the nice comments on my last video. Here's Your Love Is A Song by Switchfoot -

Oh, and thanks for the nice comments on my last video. Here's Your Love Is A Song by Switchfoot -

Very Nice song Miss Aravis! Its great!

Wow, that was pretty good. However, I don't want to sound like a critic but how about making the ending a little less abrupt. I was going along enjoying the song and all of a sudden it just ended. I could easily see you putting in a real sweet Ritardando in the end to give it a better conclusion. On a whole though, really awesome!

By the way, I envy the Grand Piano. All I have to work with a hundred-year-old upright.

Thank you for the comments!
Hmm, you're right about the ending. More of a ritard would have sounded better. The original song ends rather abruptly, and I pretty much always play exactly what I hear in the original songs when I cover them... but that time I think not doing exactly the same thing would have worked better.
I love my piano. I am very thankful for it.

By the way, I envy the Grand Piano. All I have to work with a hundred-year-old upright.

LOL! That's what my family has, too. It's so out of tune, my guitar can be in tune and sound awful when my mom and I play together. Although, playing together is rare, since she doesn't like electric guitar, and my acoustic needs the nut replaced.

Well, I do think we have my first violin lesson scheduled for next Tuesday.. So that's pretty exciting for me. Piano lessons were today, and they went well. They usually go okay though.

Kat, I promise to try to watch your new vid later, but right now I'm on a computer that has no sound working...

Today was my last violin lesson actually . I've been playing around 7 years but never really enjoyed it. I'm kinda gonna miss it but my teacher is gonna give me harp lessons instead- I'm so excited, I've always wanted to play!

Kat, I love your video!:) It's beautiful. I actually like your ending better than the real one.
Well, as for instruments I play, I am trying to play the guitar by teaching myself, but so far I only know the simple chords. My hands are pretty small, and so it makes it REALLY frustrating to try to play any chord with fingers 2 frets apart. 3, forget it! I love playing Switchfoot covers! lol! I find the tabs online and practice off of them.

I also play the flute, but right now my flute won't make a sound. It's in really bad condition and was terribly hard to play last year. But this year, I got braces on! And now it's so hard to play that I can't make a sound. Well, a clear sound, that is. But I hope to get a new one soon!

Well, I do think we have my first violin lesson scheduled for next Tuesday.. So that's pretty exciting for me.

Have fun!

I envy all of you wonderful piano players! I really wanna learn how to play it. But guitar comes in first!