I play a mandolin. It’s neat that it is tuned the same as a violin, because that makes the very expansive repertoire music arranged for that instrument available to me as well. I’ve been learning mainly folk music, but I may dabble in classical more as I continue.

I don’t really mean dotted notes. I am referring to the entire score of music as “dots on a page” reductively by the noteheads. The dots don’t do anything until I make them do something. I make the note longer when I hold it longer. The music doesn’t come from the page nor the instrument, but from me.