Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

"Wotcha," she said, as she walked in and she smiled at Cecily. Vega had paid for five lessons and this was the fifth and final one. She'd enjoyed it, had to be said and Vega knew that Arlo had been right when they talked about it. She'd found it - the thing which was hers and which she could do, had to do. "Before we start, I wanted to say thanks." Vega looked at Cecily and smiled slightly. "I know yer used to people who aren't like me," other than her family, Vega wondered briefly if anyone was used to people like her. Still, best not to get distracted. "But I've learned a lot from you, an' I appreciate it. I do. So, thanks. I was gonna buy you a gift, but then I remembered that I paid fifty gold nel. Then I thought wow. So I didn't." Vega smiled slightly as Cecily's eyebrow raised.

"How are you totrial, Vega?" Cecily asked with a smile and Vega grinned. "I'm good thanks. Really good. How're you doin'?" Once she had told her that she was very well, and gestured to the piano, the instrument that she had been teaching her, Cecily turned her attention to her student. Thick accent and a sharp tongue, quite obviously a brash young woman and yet, when she lifted a violin, the sound she made was exquisite. No, Cecily considered, she really hadn't ever had a student quite like this one. Vega pointed to her head. "I wore my hair tied up, so you don't get tempted to be pawin' at me." She smiled as she said it though and was obviously teasing. Sitting down at the piano, Vega attended once more to her position. Her posture was good and she was more than happy with how she sat. "So why's there a bloody big harp in here, then?" Vega asked and Cecily smiled.

"I wanted you to try it. A piano is fundamentally a harp in many, many ways, although it's different too. In a while, I wanted to show you some basics." Vega nodded. "A'right. Thanks, that'd be well interestin'." She smiled at Cecily in thanks, and then let her hands move over the keys. Cecily nodded. "It seems to me that, rather than me telling you about the remaining pedal, it would be better for you to experiment. Play this, and use the pedal intermittently throughout. See what you think?"

It was how she had needed to do it with the damper pedal, it was true. Cecily had explained it, Vega had not understood it and only when she had actually played did Vega know what Cecily had been talking about. So, she looked at the piece of paper with musical notation on it, and Vega asked her, "What's that mean?" Cecily nodded. "You are playing a piano, not a violin. That is your left hand, that your right."

"Well, knickers, that's complicated. You sure?" Vega really didn't think that she was likely to be able to do it but, after watching the young woman over the last four lessons, Cecily didn't doubt it. So Vega began to play.
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Musical Instrument: Piano: Musical notation for each hand
Musical Instrument: Piano: Will help you learn to play the harp

It was strange, at first, the musical notation showing what each hand did. It wasn't what she was used to and for a bit or two her playing was a little more stilted than she would have liked. However, she grew accustomed to it and began to see the patterns which were coming up in what she was doing. Soon, within two repeats of the melody, she was playing it quite competently. Cecily shook her head slightly but in a way was not at all surprised.

Then, Vega played through another time and this time she pressed the far left pedal sometimes, then not. Then two of the pedals together, and she fundamentally tried to make sure that she got each and every combination. It didn't even occur to her to think how strange and out of her norm such methodical ways of working were to her - she was usually much more slapdash than this. Yet, she was working on instinct and as much as she would never be a chef, had only once managed to chop things into even pieces ~ and that was when someone had died ~ she was relaxed and focused and had an attention to detail which was astonishing for her.

When she finished playing, she frowned slightly. "I don't know how, but that pedal has like a major impact on the sound. An' how much of an impact changes with how much I press my foot too." Looking at the piano,she asked quite seriously, "Is it supposed to do that?" Cecily chuckled and nodded. "Yes. It is. This is the soft pedal. Normally, when you strike a key, it causes a hammer to strike three strings inside the instrument." Vega nodded and gestured towards the harp. "An' inside it's like one of them layin' down" Cecily nodded affirmation. "When the pedal is pressed, the hammer strikes two, or when fully depressed, it strikes just one string. That causes the change in timbre you are hearing."

Vega nodded and played a few chords, listening to them as her foot moved on the soft pedal. "It's beautiful, it really is." Cecily smiled. "We are nearly done in terms of our time, Vega." It was a shame, truly it was. "Is there anything you want to ask? Anything you'd like to go through again?" Vega considered it and sat back to look at the instrument. "It's a much more complicated instrument than the fiddle, you know. Both hands, well that's the same for both of them. But pedals too, an' the hands are different. With the fiddle, you know, they're both playin' the same note. With this, it's just a much more complex instrument. It's..." Her hand moved over the keys, not pressing them but just feeling them. "I'm gonna miss it. But you've given me a right good foundation, Cecily, thanks."

Cecily waved a hand. "It's been a pleasure. Mostly." She smiled at the last word and Vega chuckled. "Gotta be honest with you. Mostly is the best I ever manage. really. But still." Gesturing over to the harp, Cecily urged Vega to move over there. "Before we finish, I'd like you to just try?" Vega nodded. In fairness, she'd never met a musical instrument she didn't like, so she figured she may as well give this one a go. 555 words
Musical Instrument: Piano: Musical notation has patterns which help playing.
Musical Instrument: Piano: Soft pedal changes timbre
Musical Instrument: Piano: When you press a key, a hammer strikes up to three strings

Vega looked at the instrument, so beautifully carved and she ran her hand over the wood. "It's so much craftsmanship," she said, almost reverently. Cecily nodded, remaining quiet and simply watching Vega's process for discovering a new instrument. The redhead allowed her hands to simply explore it, running over the smooth wooden frame and touching the small pegs which were used to tune it. She didn't touch the strings, not at first, seeming to have to get the feel of the instrument as a whole. But she looked and she raised an eyebrow, then turned to Cecily. "Why're the strings different colours?" Cecily smiled. "They are like the keys of the piano. The blue ones, they are the c strings. Red ones are g." Vega nodded and went back to exploring.

The sheer amount of work which must have gone into creating this was something which was very impressive to the redheaded mixed blood. It also made her appreciate the piano, the instrument Cecily had just taught her, even more. Because that was one of these, more or less, on it's side and encased. There were hammers and all sorts. Either way, they were both wonderful pieces of workmanship and Vega could not help but be impressed.

"How do you sit at it?" Vega asked and Cecily smiled and pulled up a chair. "Sit there, that's it. Now. move it so that it is between your feet, and let it rest back. Feel that, it shouldn't be too heavy on your shoulder. If it is, you're doing it wrong."

Vega nodded and felt the weight against her shoulder but also, she realised, the positioning of her feet was important. Lifting a hand, she very gently strummed along the strings and she smiled in delight. The sound it produced was exquisite and Vega's face lit in pleasure. But then, she turned to Cecily and chuckled. "I know what you're up to. I haven't got the money to throw at it, but it's a beautiful instrument, it really is." Cecily smiled and shook her head, moving to help Vega lift the harp from herself, but finding that the redhead had done just that before she got there.

"It is a shame," Cecily said. "I want you to promise me that you will keep playing." Vega nodded her head. "That's an easy promise to make. I feel like I can't do nothin' else now that I've found it, you know?" Cecily smiled and moved over to her desk. "I brought you a gift. It is old, something I've had for a while and I have no use for it. I'd like you to have it."

She handed Vega a violin case and Vega's eyes widened, even as her head started to shake. She opened her mouth to argue, but Cecily was there first and, for maybe the third time in her life, Vega was silenced. "I insist. I don't play it, and it's a beautiful instrument. It deserves to be played. I am giving you a gift, Vega. Accept it." Cecily put it into Vega's hands and the redhead looked down in surprise and pleasure. "Thanks, Cecily. Really. I'll play it, an' do it the very best I can, I promise." Cecily nodded her head. "It's been a pleasure." 546 words
Musical Instrument: Harp: Basic position for playing