All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.
23-12-00: Violin
The fitted stone of the door glides easily on its oiled hinges as you pass through the archway, falling shut...
The fitted stone of the door glides easily on its oiled hinges as you pass through the archway, falling shut behind you as you enter the raucous air of the enclosed workshop.
Jena enters from the courtyard, letting in a bit of fresh air.
Julen enters from the courtyard, letting in a bit of fresh air.
Jena comes in with a big parka-like coat over her shoulders, head just -bearly- peeking out of the hood, as she whispers retorically. "-Faranath-, it's too -cold-."
Hanneke bounces mildly, feet scarcely touching the ground at times, although she slows rather rapidly as the snow finishes shaking off her curl-covered head, and she takes a seat. "Oh, it's cold, but it's -lovely-!"
Jena 's middle name suddenly becomes 'Scrooge'. "Humbug." she says softly. She doesn't understand how someone can -bear- to be this -cheery-, in the cold. She was always a Boll girl, herself.
Fenella wanders in behind her classmates, shivering with her arms wrapped tightly around her. when she walks in she moves over to a bench and sits herself down, nodding to those she knows.
Julen is just cold, even faintly blue in the face despite being wrapped up in the best winter gear his family had to offer. But he doesn't complain, just sidles near to some heat source and huddles there, waiting for istructions. All he was told was to show up at the workshop.
Hanneke is always cheery, and she's a Lemos girl, thus giving her a slight advantage over former Bollians. Rubbing her hands together, the apprentice darts her head about, brilliant smiles passed both near and far, as she assembles with the others.
Fenella looks around at the table before her, seeking out tools. She crosses her legs, then slowly takes off the winter gear. She then nods to apprentices beside her, then her focus drifts to the front of the workshop. She waits for orders from Byre.
Byre is seated at his usual work table, looking up at the arriving apprentices with his face somewhat downturned, as if interrupted from inspecting the violin lying before him. "C'mon in," he says, nodding towards the stools opposite him, on the side of the table nearer the door. "Have a seat."
Hanneke does just that: she sits. Actually, she sort of bounces within the chair, keeping her hands within her lap, then moving them again almost right away. "Isn't this going to be fun? I just love these classes; Mother says it's sure to help me learn how to think properly."
Jena 's almond-eyes still peek out of the hood, as she slowly shows more of her face. Her eyes go to a little stool, and goes over to sit on it. Pouch on back, Jena also pulls out a piece of hide and a stylus.
Fully thawed, Julen considers his seating options. There's Jena -- but she's a senior -- so he opts for the equally junior, if more loquacious, Hanneke. "What are we learning today?" he whispers, a wary eye on the presiding master.
Byre's apparently annoyed demeanor cracks for just a second. "Jena," he says gently, "you won't need to take notes for this, I don't think. It's mostly review."
Hanneke doesn't know how to whisper, apparently, for Julen's comment is returned, as she draws up her knees, running fingers through her curls, rather a lot louder, "I don't know! But it's going to be very, very fun, don't you think?" She's not got stylus, nor hide; simply herself.
Byre adds, "For you. If you've never played or built one of these," he says, addressing the rest of the group and lifting the violin from the table, "pay attention."
Maybe Jena would have been the safer choice. But Julen's committed to his seat now, so he turns full attention on the master and tries to focus via squinting.
Hanneke fastens her eyes, firmly, upon Byre, head nodding up and down, up and down. Paying attention, definately. "I've never played one before, no."
Jena shrugs her shoulders easily, with a little smile. "Alright, thank you." she says softly, pilling the hides back in the pouch messily. She glances around the room slowly, then back to the teacher, dictator, and punish-maker-er.
Byre nods. "Okay then," he says. "Who can tell me what this is?" Always start with the easy stuff.
Fenella watches Byre with the violin, she looks at the other then back towards Byre. She sighs. And try to remember her studies on the violin.
Julen knows that one -- in fact, it's probably the only one he knows, so he waves his hand readily. "A violin, sir." He's a probationary; cut him some slack?
Hanneke bites at her lip, face clouded over with concentration. Julen's answer hits her ears, "A violin! Of course it is." She nudges her elbow towards Julen, commenting, in a mock-whisper that wasn't intended to be a mock-whisper, "Good one!"
Jena softly looks back at Julen, nodding her head as she shifts her leg over the other one, looking up at Byre.
Fenella nods in agreement with the others, she looks back and sees Hanneke, giving her friendly look, before turning back to byre.
Byre nods once at Julen. "Bully for you," he says. "Most violins are like this one. Note the curved top, four strings. The strings come down from the tuning pegs," he says slowly, tracing a finger down the length of the strings, "over the fingerboard, over the bridge, and down to the tailpiece." He looks back at the apprentices. "The tuning of a violin, from lowest to highest, goes G, D, A, E. Can anyone tell me what that interval is from theory class?"
That one easily stumps Julen. He's busy counting now -- or trying to remember the order of keys so that he can count.
Hanneke's brow furrows, her visage an obvious sign of intense concentration. "I'm not good at numbers--but is it fifths?" She's counting on her fingers, rapidly.
Fenella smiles and says, "ITS the perfect Fifths.." She remembers the books she read...ohh she does remember
Jena looks up at Byre, nodding her head. That's all the girl does, nod her head, and smile. Otherwise, she would ruin all the fun for the Juniors, right? Yeah...
Julen isn't even a junior yet; that must be why all this is still so hard. "Fifths," he mumbles to himself, nodding at Hanneke. Maybe he ought to take notes.
Byre acknowledges Fenella and Hanneke's answer with a nod. "Good. Fifths is right. So, if this violin had five strings instead of four - one more on the low end - can anyone tell me what note that would be?"
Hanneke has one excellent skill, and that's regurgitating information. Harper and Healer parents do not make for empty-headed children completely -- unless they're personally inclined that way. "Fifths. Oh--" she looks stumped at the latest question.
In the distance, the drums announce the arrival of Ista Weyrsecond S'era.
Fenella closes her eye in hard concentration, and thinks its an F note..but shes not sure, muttering "F...' she grits her teeth.
Jena considers honestly, her chin rubbed in that, 'Wow, I'm looking intelligent for once' picture. "B?" she questions, her eyebrows finding their way upwards.
Byre grins at Fenella. "Close. Remember, a "first" interval is a unison - two of the same note. So to get back down after going up a fifth, you actually go down a fourth."
Byre adds, "And you're starting from G."
Fenella nods.."An C" She smiles
"C." Hanneke repeats this carefully, nodding her head. "C. Of course."
In the distance, the drums announce the arrival of Journeyman Sass.
Byre nods once, decisively. "Very good. You may have a cookie, Fenella." And then Byre veers towards the surreal, producing a plate of cookies from underneath the table. "Julen, you take one too. For the fifths thing."
Sass enters from the courtyard, letting in a bit of fresh air.
Hanneke's nose makes a loud sniffing noise: cookies! "Craftsecond, -I- answered about the fifths. -He- answered about the violin." Must be perfectly straight about this, you see. She bounces a little, sniffing at the air, "Cookies!"
Sass' cold has gone to her lungs, which has the effect of making her feel much better but sound much worse. She comes in coughing loud, thick coughs into her fist, and looking terribly apologetic about it.
Fenella eyes widen...wow i wish all masters did that. She then gets ready for the next question. When he actually pulls out the cookies, she is stuned..he really meant it. She looks back at Hanneke, and holds in a chuckle.
Jena glances at Byre, nodding her head. It seems to make sense, she supposes. Perhaps it's a matter of counting, or such. What she shall never understand, is that darn 2/4 time. Although, that's another conclusion. Eyebrows raised, she changes her mind and takes out a few hides. She needs notes.
Julen takes a cookie before Hanneke sneaks any away. "Thank you, sir," he bobs, wondering why the other masters haven't picked up on this teaching tactic. It might actually get him to remember his lessons.
"Journeyman Sass," Byre says, frowning. "How are you feeling? I was just about to tell the apprentices that this is likely to be the only time that I'll ever tolerate seeing them eat in the workshop." He lifts the plate of cookies in her direction, an offering.
Hanneke, looking vaguely put out, simply crosses her arms in front of her, issuing Sass with a brilliant smile, as her temper turns, "Ooh! Journeywoman Sass, I do hope you're feeling a bit better, today. It's no fun at all having a cold."
"I was just about to tell you you *really* shouldn't have them eating in here, but, uh. I don't need to interrupt." She stretches across one of the tables, handing her husband a note, and doing nothing more to answer Hanneke but smile and nod and will her to be quiet again.
Julen spies the journeyman belatedly and, mouth full of cookie, tries to piece together the slivers of apprentice gossip he's heard about her. But the cookie is gone, sooner than he likes, and he still hasn't quite figured out where Sass stands in the harperly scheme of things yet. Back to violins, then.
Fenella has a cookie in her hand, she eats a the cookie quickly. She smiles then listens to the converstaion around her. Then she leans a her chin upon her hand.
Jena looks up, a quick nod to Byre. "May I please be excused?"
Byre nods. "Go ahead, Jena. Drop by my office later, though."
Sass looks askance at Jena's request, but this isn't, just now, her jurisdiction. Out she goes.
Sass exits into the courtyard, door gliding shut behind her.
Hanneke, thankfully, does go quiet, turning her attention back to the class at hand, pressing hands together within her lap, not visibly bouncing for the moment.
Jena nods, softly as she exits. "Thank you."
Jena exits into the courtyard, door gliding shut behind her.
Byre glances down at the note Sass handed to him and suddenly snorts, very quietly, a laugh. The note gets stuffed into his pocket. "Okay. Back to violins. See these holes on the front?" He indicates the two holes, shaped like two ornate letter F's. "Anyone know what they're called?"
Hanneke's face once again wrinkles in concentration, and, once again, the oddly silent -- perhaps classes that she's not good at (this would be most) give her some leave to be less bouncy -- she shakes her head. "I don't know. Holes?"
Julen nudges Hanneke quietly. Even he knows the answer can't be that simple and it doesn't do anyone good to profess ignorance quite that loudly. "Let a senior answer," he whispers urgently, "then we'll learn."
Byre mms quietly. "Mmm... no. Very close, though."
Hanneke flushes, settling deeper into her seat. That same mock-whisper (but not) returns, "Okay! I'll go silent, and that will be better."
Fenella places a hand on her forehead, "Key holes..." She shrugs...
Byre grins. "Getting closer. It's F-holes."
Hanneke ohs. "F-holes. That's not very interesting, is it? I would call them 'Curly-nifty holes'." And isn't it a very good thing that Hanneke's not in charge of naming these things, indeed.
Fenella takes a mental note of this answer, f-holes...hum..She listens now for more information about why they are named that way.
Julen gets confused between F and Hanneke's "curly-nifty" suggestion. He frowns, wondering if there's a way to link the two ideas, the better for him to regurgitate it when the test comes.
Byre nods. "Okay. So, today is memorize the parts of the violin day. You should take notes." And then, Byre holds the violin up and begins a litany: the scroll, ornamental, sometimes carved into figureheads; the peg box and tuning pegs; the neck and body; the bridge, fingerboard, and tailpiece, chin rest, and shoulder pad. All are mentioned, all are indicated with a finger, and the method of construction of each is briefly outlined.
Hanneke flushes for a moment. Be prepared is not quite her own motto. But--drawing into her pocket, out comes a stylys, which is used, rather inexpertly, upon her hand. And her arm. She repeats each word, writing it down, with atrociously bad spelling, in large print.
Does she spell as badly as Julen? He's got some writing material, but he takes notes even more slowly than Hanneke, albeit in a smaller hand. He attempts a sketch of the violin, though, which is far more successful than the rest of his note-taking.
Fenella looks down at her bag, and takes out some hides out. She takes notes, drawing the picture of the violin, the finger positions and writes the notes of the construction of the violin.
Byre moves on shortly thereafter to the bow. It's much easier to describe, but he's still methodical about it: head, stick, frog, screw, hair. He demonstrates the tightening and loosening of the bow briefly, and the proper technique for applying rosin. Afterwards, he sets the bow down. "Questions so far?"
Hanneke's arm sports rather ungainly formed words on both sides, and she's begun on the other. Obviously, she's rather well muscled, perhaps even double-jointed, to have achieved that. "No, Craftsecond. None from me."
Julen has a multitude of questions, but he's also not ready to air them before his peers and the seniors. So he keeps mum and scribbles furiously, trying to write things down before he forgets them, never mind how they're speeled.
Fenella finishes writting, then she askes a question, "Do we get a chance to try them out?"
Byre grins at Fenella, just a touch. "Good question. And the answer is, yes. Tomorrow. Once you can identify each part of the violin and bow that I've described to you. Take a cookie."
Fenella takes a cookie, "Thank you.." She then looks back at her notes, this is the head..then she looks back up, "How many notes can you create with the violin" She is curisous to learn.
More cookies? And Julen didn't even have to answer any questions. He snags one -- but a small one -- as the plate passes, then considers the state of his notes. Will they make any sense in the morning?
Hanneke's won't. They're already beginning to run slightly, as she sweats, near the fire. "What does it sound like, when you play it?"
"Pretty much as many as you want," Byre responds, taking a cookie for himself. He considers admonishing Julen for taking a cookie out of turn, but decides against it, and instead lifts the violin to demonstrate. "The bottommost note is the G here. In first position - without moving your hand from the other end of the neck - you get about two octaves." He fingers the scale quickly, without using a bow, the only sound the faint percussion of his fingertips against the strings, until his middle finger strikes the highest string. Two octaves. "You can get another octave and a half or so in higher positions." His hand slides upwards, towards his chin, on the neck, tracing the third octave of the scale. "And of course, there are no frets, so there are all the notes between. Microtones."
Hanneke mouths the words as mentioned, head nodding rapidly, as curls bounce about her face. She at least -looks- as though she's paying attention, gaining some knowledge.
Byre looks at Hanneke curiously. "You've never heard one played?"
Fenella notes down what ever said..."it has a nice tune." though she heard one before.
Hanneke shakes her head. "Mother taught me, and she didn't play instruments much. Mother says that it's best to concentrate on the important things, but I don't think she's completely right."
Julen attempts a question now; he doesn't think this one will open him to ridicule in the dorms tonight. "Isn't it like a fiddle, Master? I've heard fiddles lotsa times."
Byre grins at Julen. "It is like a fiddle. The difference between a fiddle and a violin is usually how much money you make for playing it." This joke may be lost on the apprentices, but he has to tell it anyway.
Fenella looks oddly at Byre...huh?
Hanneke just sort of blinks. Most definately lost on her, yes.
But Julen gets it. He's not that daft, see? Even if his smile is a small one. "Yes, sir."
Byre sighs, but it's good-natured. "Generally, people who train at the Harper Hall, people who receive formal training from Harpers, call them violins. But it's an ancient instrument, traditional, and plenty of people learn to play them from relatives and friends. In the informal sense, they're called fiddles." He looks thoughtful for a moment, then picks up the bow and sets the violin against his shoulder. "This is what a fiddle sounds like," he says.
Fenella listens, and nods...interesting...
[I ran, Hanneke stayed]