Violin Lessons for Carlos
By Delbert Blickenstaff 

One day my friend Carlos was visiting when Mom told me that it was time for my piano lesson.  Carlos asked if he could stay and watch and Mom said of course.  He watched my lesson and at the end he said that he would like to take lessons too.  Mom asked him if his family had a piano and he said no.  Then she asked him what kind of music he was used to listening to.  Carlos said that his Dad played and sang in a Mariachi band so he was used to hearing guitar music.  That gave Mom an idea 

Mom went up in our attic and found the old violin that she had started on when she was 9 years old.  It was smaller than a regular sized violin but was in good shape.  She asked Carlos if he would like violin lessons and he said yes.  So Mom put new strings on the old violin and started teaching him how to play.  She got her violin out so she could show him how to hold the bow and how to finger the strings. 

Her first lesson was just about holding the violin and the bow correctly.  Carlos had to learn how to move the bow so it would touch just one string at a time.  Then he had to learn where to place the fingers of his left hand on the strings to get a certain note.  In his second lesson Mom showed him how to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”  That seems to be a favorite tune of music teachers.  Carlos tried it but it didn’t sound very good. 

After Mom finished with his second lesson she told us that she wanted to hear us sing.  So she sat at the piano and played “Silent Night.”  Then she asked us to sing it while she played all four parts and sang the alto part.  We were surprised that she could do that and that it sounded really good.  Mom told us that when we got good enough Carlos and I could play a duet.  I can’t wait until we get that good.