Music Lessons

About  a week ago, I (Ken) found out that the Museum of Greek Folk Instruments (a small museum near the Acropolis) offers music lessons.  So I ordered a very cheap baglama (a very small version of the 3-string bouzouki, pitched one octave higher--I like small, because it means cheaper and easy to carry)  from a local music store (Nakas) and I signed up for lessons at the museum). .  Today, I picked up the baglama (see pix below) and went to my first lesson, with a gent name Lefteris.  I had a great time.  He speaks about as much English as I speak Greek, so we stumbled around making ourselves understood, but that was part of the fun, as well as another aspect of the learning experience for both of us).  First lesson was limited to getting the darn thing tuned up and going through some rhythms, which in this case meant the pattern of up- vs. down-strokes and strumming all the strings vs. just picking (up or down) one of them.  I'm learning rhythms to two classics (Zeimpekiko and Xasapiko).  Here's a link to a great performance of the former:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytdtmxrF8lw

For a while, I thought I had been penny-wise and pound-foolish in my purchase, because we couldn't get it in tune.  Turns out Lefteris was just concerned that either the strings would break or that the instrument might warp (I never got clear which was his fear).  He took me to a music store about 3 blocks from the museum and asked the guy there about it.  The guy looked at it for a few seconds and asked "Where did you get this?"  I thought he was going to try to shame me for buying such a cheap instrument but when I told him, he said "This is my father's work."  :):):)  Turns out his father is an instrument-maker and sells many instruments to Nakas--small world.  Anyway, he said it was fine, tuned it up, and all ended well.

I'm excited about having made this connection.  I think I'll stay busy.