Tone Deaf

Ok, I'm not completely tone deaf but neither do I have an innate gift of perfect pitch, or anything near it. I can tell the difference between two notes if they are played right after one another but that's about it. So what is a person like me doing trying to learn to play the fiddle and speak a tonal language?

Why did I pick an instrument which relies upon my recognizing the correct pitch? A fiddle has no keys or frets, so I need my ear to hear and my finger to learn the correct position of each note. I have found various aids available but have read that the best way is to learn by ear. Once I get it down, I will really know it. I listen to fiddle music, slow tunes and fast tunes, trying to get the sound in my mind.  With a tuner in front of me, I play scales and individual notes, getting the feel and sound of each into my finger and brain. Today I played a series of notes, closing my eyes, feeling and listening to analyze each note before double checking on the tuner. For the first time, I was right on for all of them. With enough time and perseverance, I will get it. I will continue to listen to fiddle music and try to play along.

After listening to Thai spoken around me for nearly a year and a half, I feel like I'm finally getting a feel for the tones. When Philip first tried to explain them to me the way he had learned them in his language class, I couldn't differentiate all five of them. Now when these tones are spoken with long vowels, I can usually correctly define them. I have been frustrated because when I ask a Thai people don't use the same terminology that English sources use when teaching Thai. Rising tone, falling tone, and such mean nothing to them. The other day, Oey went through the tones with me the way that Thais learn them. I still don't know all the names in Thai, but when I ask a person which tone a word is and they show me on their fingers, a typical demonstration, I will know what it means.

Thumb is a level tone; try to speak with as flat affect as possible. Forefinger is disappointment, pitch down. Middle finger is excitement, rising high then dropping down briefly. Ring finger is a question, gently rising. Pinky is a dip down then slightly up; I have not discovered a good English equivalent. With my hand held out in front of me, I went through a series of syllables with various tones, and most of the time my tone was correct. With enough time and perseverance, I will get it. I will continue to listen to the music of Thai and try to sing along.