Introverts????

[Rudy Mueller]

I m beginning to think that zither players are a bunch of recluse hermits.

There are about a hundred people on this forum, but only a handful contribute. Surely each and every one of you have some learning experiences, techniques, comments, and information you can share!

Please submit them to the forum for the improvement of all of us!

Rudi

[Musicmaker]

Hi Rudi,
I had to giggle at your post!
Well as you know i am a starter and cannot wait for my zither to arrive.
I thank you for your feedback on zither tables.
Your particular table is lovely.
I have secured a nice hall table here on Australian ebay and will chop and change it to be a dedicated zither table.
I will post pictures when it is finished.
I will also post on how i am getting on with the zither.
I promise not to be a recluse and will feedback my findings!

[NutmegCT]

I remember reading Rudi's January 2018 post, and I almost replied to it same day.

But I held back, seeing that I'm new to the zither world, have basically zilch-zero-nichts experience, but was already posting more than many other members. I didn't want to appear as the "forum fixture". I kept asking questions about learning, but got discouraged as there were only one or two members who ever replied.

As Rudi points out, there are about a hundred forum members. But how many of those members actually check the forum regularly for new questions or posts? You can set up automatic email notification, but I wonder if most members have that turned off?

Anyway, I'm wondering if, instead of relating to introversion, forum participation is more a factor of (1) many experienced zitherists don't use forums, (2) inexperienced zitherists (beginners like me) get discouraged and stop posting when they get few replies or suggestions, and (3) unfortunately there just aren't many experienced zitherists who feel they can teach, or want to teach.

I could start a whole new topic on my three year search for some real-life help.

A second thought on low forum participation: I wonder if experienced zitherists (those who actually play solo in public) actually learned from an experienced teacher/zitherist back when they were very young - and didn't have to learn from method books with no person to person feedback. Surveying the forum posts here over the last couple of years shows several people joining the forum, asking some basic beginner questions, and never coming back.

Anyway, these are my two groschen on the "introvert" possibility. Introvert no - lonesome and discouraged, yes?

Tom M.

[Musicmaker]

Hi Tom,
There is a lot in what you write.
I sometimes also feel that i am simply writing too much already, am a newbie to Zither and other forum members may feel that my opinions and feedback is unquallified until i have served time!
I have found a similar approach from members of a model railway forum who did not give much feedback to my input.........UNTIL........i posted pictures on the brass locomotives i built and sent you tubes of how i constructed them.
Feedback from members started to flow like nobodies business.
It was a case of me proving myself to be accepted. Shame but there you go.
I am sure that experienced Zitherists could teach if they set their mind to it.
They would get a lot out of this.
As you say, the forum is only 100 strong.
That is tiny in comparison to other forums.
This clearly informs that there are not many Zitherests around?
I believe in teaching what i know on subjects and spreading the word so that others learn by it, get enthused by it and have a go themselves.
I would have thought that with a lesser known instrument like the Zither, forum members would bring it to the fore.
Was für ein Schade!
Aber... so geht es.
Who is this opinionated newbie who has not a clue about Zither.
Hi everyone...i am the extremely enthusiastic Pete in Australia.
I have to rely on you as there are no bus loads of Zitherists out here.
I dont know if i have missed it but it woul be lovely for forum members just to post some videos of them playing the Zither. They dont have to teach but just to give us inspiration. Doesnt matter what the piece is.....i am sure there will be feedback. Or even a starter on the Zither playing the scale of C major with a caption like " Hi guys and gals, this is how i am doing so far "
Pete

[NutmegCT]

Pete - good to "meet" you!

I like your suggestion on posting videos to show where we are.

I've started a new topic in Learning:

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=473

I actually posted several videos a year ago, but comments and suggestions were scarce as hen's teeth.

Maybe each of us beginners can start a similar topic, so comments and suggestions for one video don't get mixed with comments and suggestions for another.

Thanks for the suggestion!
Tom M.

[Musicmaker]

Rudi.
I have read the heading of your post again and again re " introverts".
I find this amusing as I think youhave something here.
But it matters not, what label we come under.
If introvert is meant in the negative sense then lets go positive.
We have found the fascination in a beautiful sounding instrument that others cannot appreciate as they are all intent on instant fame via "the voice " and get hurt when they realise there are a million people in their category.
In our category, there are not a million people and we dont get hurt when we dont make it.
What we do is persevere with determination to not be famous but to play simple or complex tunes on an instrument that does NOT give immediate satisfaction.
We are Gluttons for punishment.
We love pain because we need to earn Calluses.
We have ideals that may be beyond our horizon.
We are inquiring and listen to our brothers.
Above all, we have something very special that is vital........We keep the Zither ALIVE !!
Call it introvert or otherwise.
I call it LOVE.
Pete