I played the violin when I was a kid, for seven years. I gave it up because I didn’t want to practice for hours every day. If you want to be a good violin player, you have to practice. A lot. I had other things to do, (what with puberty arriving etc.), so I put it away.

That was seventeen years ago. I haven’t touched a violin since, until a few months ago, when I bought a Yamaha SV-150 electric violin. It’s sold as a silent violin, which isn’t really true – even without a body, violin strings are quite audible. But it’s more silent than a normal violin, which makes it neighbour-friendly.

The SV-150 sounds good, is practical to use, and has many nice features. I like it.

Besides, electric violins are awesome.

But here’s the amazing part: After all those years, I actually remember how to play. I’ve forgotten a lot. I don’t hit the notes right. I’m nowhere near good enough to perform – like I said, playing the violin well is hard. But I remember enough to enjoy myself. The ability has been stored in muscle memory all these years. I can even almost hear my old violin teacher gently reproaching me.

I still don’t want to be a good violin player. It costs too much time. There are other things to do. But I love having the ability to pick up a violin and play something just for myself.