OT: Violin anyone???

[Misha]

Someone here plays violin?

 

I'm interested in trying to play but I know nothing about violins.

 

I wonder if there are companies that build violins that are equivalent to the Yamaha/Seagull guitars: i.e. inexpensive but good violins???

 

Please chime in!

[Pine Apple Slim]

talk to these people:
giannaviolins.com

and get ready for a large learning curve, mucho practice.

[totamus]

there are plenty of good and inexpensive violins. The really cheap chinese violins have issues staying in tune. The bow is often not considered, but a good bow is very expensive as well. You can start with a synthetic horsehair bow. You might be best served to look up your local Suzuki school and talk to one of the teachers about purchasing a full size instrument. They will likely be a good resource and may even know of a decent instrument at a reasonable cost.

 

I am not a violin expert, but I play around with one occasionally and have had 2 kids in Suziki - so I know just enough to be dangerous. I would think you could get a decent instrument case and bow for $300ish used

[Samilyn]

I tried it once, being mucho impressed by good fiddlers. Sadly, all the practice didn't do much for me and I soon put it down. I gotta have frets.

[AriVolk]

I'd say rent one for a few months before making any kind of investment.

[Pine Apple Slim]

Bowing is the hard part.

[daklander]

I can make one squawk pretty bad.

Tune it like a standard mano, G D A E.

[flatcat]

I was pretty serious about it when I was younger. I was one of the early Suzuki kids in the US - I studied with one of the "Founders", Anastasia Jempelis, and met Sinichi Suzuki when I was like 6 or so.

 

When I was a teenager, my parents invested in a serious instrument for me. They spent a *lot* of money at the time...this would've been about 1974 or so....I think they spent $500 on my bow.

 

I still have that fiddle. Nice instrument, though it was a little banged up from being a teenager.

 

I don't play much any more. When I pick it up, I end up sounding not very good, so it's a disincentive to practicing, because it just sounds so bad and I used to be pretty good. I know it just takes more practice...but you know.

 

I've found that if I spend about two hours practicing, I can sort-of get my hands to remember stuff I did when I was in the fourth grade.

 

It's not an easy instrument to learn. Good luck.

 

BTW, here's a joke for you:

 

Q: How can you tell when a violin is out of tune?

A: The bow is moving.

 

[Crab_Cake]

don't do it. Trust me, it is one of the hardest instruments in the world IMO.

get yourself a decent keyboard or something, you will have about 1000 more fun.

[Misha]

Oooh!

 

It seems like a hard thing to domesticate!

 

I would really like to try it though! Maybe I will rent one for a mont or two and see how I'm doing!

 

If I buy one however and don't like it much I know that my niece is very interested in learning. She has been talking about learning violon for years now! It would make a nice gift for her!

[Crab_Cake]

Oooh! It seems like a hard thing to domesticate! I would really like to try it though! Maybe I will rent one for a mont or two and see how I'm doing! If I buy one however and don't like it much I know that my niece is very interested in learning. She has been talking about learning violon for years now! It would make a nice gift for her!

It will take you about 1 - 2 years for you to make it sound decent.

(no squeaking and good intonation)

Good luck if you take it up.

[Misha]

It will take you about 1 - 2 years for you to make it sound decent. (no squeaking and good intonation) Good luck if you take it up.

Maybe I'll use those two years for my guitar playing instead...

[garthman]

No but seriously wish I did.

[Gary Palmer]

Violin or cello isn't as difficult as people make out and I'd honestly rate guitar as being harder to learn, but you do need a pretty good ear (If not better) when playing un-fretted instruments.

Preferably take lessons, otherwise it can be one heck of a steep and slow learning curve.

[StringJunky]

http://stringworks.com/

 

StringWorks is one of the better rental places on the net to rent instruments. I have one of their violas, I'm very happy with it, and I pay next to nothing for the monthly rental. If you have a mom and pop store near you that you trust, that's also a good route.

 

Do yourself a favor, and learn one of the traditional stringed instruments. There is a huge wealth of music for them, and the charge you get from playing with other people is really something else. I play cello and viola, and it has really helped my guitar playing. Very very good for the ear.

 

Good luck, and if someone gives you grief about practicing at 2 in the morning, jab 'em in the eye with your bow.

[Gary Palmer]

http://stringworks.com/ StringWorks is one of the better rental places on the net to rent instruments. I have one of their violas, I'm very happy with it, and I pay next to nothing for the monthly rental. If you have a mom and pop store near you that you trust, that's also a good route. Do yourself a favor, and learn one of the traditional stringed instruments. There is a huge wealth of music for them, and the charge you get from playing with other people is really something else. I play cello and viola, and it has really helped my guitar playing. Very very good for the ear. Good luck, and if someone gives you grief about practicing at 2 in the morning, jab 'em in the eye with your bow.

I was originally a cellist, but when I began playing (Aged 7) the instrument was as big as I was and the racket I made during the first few months must've had my parents wishing I'd taken up the triangle.

Very good for both ear training, left hand muscle memory, sight reading and transcribing musical notation.

[Pine Apple Slim]

With dedication, a good ear, and a good teacher/guru, I think 1-2 yrs in on the long end of an estimate. You should be able to make some pleasing sounds within 3-6 mo. To start calling yourself a real string player, yea at least 1-2 yrs of consistant time on instrument.

[Jimmy Chaos]

Are the chords on a violin the same as a mandolin?

[Misha]

I know that I have a good ear. Now, is it good enough to play violin? I think so. I don't read musical notation though I would like to be able to do it.

 

My guitar teacher teaches me technical stuff. Lately I've been thinking about learning more theory. I'm trying to teach myself the theory of scales and chords. I don't want to play major or minor pentatonic scales all my life!

[Gary Palmer]

I know that I have a good ear. Now, is it good enough to play violin? I think so. I don't read musical notation though I would like to be able to do it. My guitar teacher teaches me technical stuff. Lately I've been thinking about learning more theory. I'm trying to teach myself the theory of scales and chords. I don't want to play major or minor pentatonic scales all my life!

 

 

On balance you'll find reading notation is a must unless you play by ear, but the major difference between guitar and the viola, violin, cello and bass is the lack of frets to guide you. You come to know the position of each note by both touch and (More importantly) hearing. Hitting the required notes on an open fingerboard comes with practise and the help of a good teacher (Either one or preferably both) and - in the strictest sense - it certainly helps if you have as close to perfect pitch hearing as possible. Otherwise you could find yourself un-intentionally switching between musical keys with sharps and flats all over the place.

[guywithaguitar]

I played violin for 4 years in middle school bofore i moved to a school that didn't have a music dept. I would say, depending on your commitment level, that you could be making decent music in less than a year. It's really not as hard as people are making it out to be. You definetly need a teacher though. When i moved to a different school, i tried to continue playing, but i didn't really know what to practice or even what to try to play.

One thing you can do when you first start is put thin strips of masking tape across the fretboard where your fingers should land for the major scale. it won't affect the sound at all and it really helps with finger placement. After a while you can take it off and your fingers will automatically fall into place.

Good luck if you decide to go for it!

[brahmz118]

I have several violins at work but I've never crossed over from 'fiddling around' to serious study.

The main reason is this: I have several advanced violin-playing friends who insist that, ultimately, holding the violin should not be dependent on left hand support. For fluid playing beyond first position, the left hand needs to be able to glide or jump up the neck without excessive drag. So a good violinist should be able to support the instrument entirely with the shoulder / jaw / collarbone area.

Watch Hilary Hahn in this clip. By this point it's second nature for her to clamp the violin under her chin, so she doesn't convey any strain in doing so. But don't be fooled into thinking that it doesn't take a reasonable amount of tension. You can tell her grip is completely solid, as her left hand floats effortlessly when necessary.

Lh3D_ujMjtM

I've asked my advanced friends if this has side effects down the road, and they all say yes -- mostly soreness / stiffness in the neck and shoulder when playing for a while. Also, after many years their faces are not as symmetrical as they used to be, due to physiological changes in the muscles and bones on their left side.

Again, these friends of mine are fairly advanced -- they've tackled many of the classical masterworks after decades of study. Certainly not every violinist needs to aspire to that level. But for me the inability to hold the violin independently was the deal breaker. It might be my own physiology, but I just couldn't do it without significant discomfort.

[Pine Apple Slim]

I know that I have a good ear. Now, is it good enough to play violin? I think so. I don't read musical notation though I would like to be able to do it. My guitar teacher teaches me technical stuff. Lately I've been thinking about learning more theory. I'm trying to teach myself the theory of scales and chords. I don't want to play major or minor pentatonic scales all my life!

 

 

Fiddle notation is pretty easy, as easy or easier than tab in my opinion. At least for traditional fiddle tunes with a a simple time signature. One clef, mostly one note at a time, w/ occasional doublestops.

[Pine Apple Slim]

Are the chords on a violin the same as a mandolin?

 

 

Same tuning. The Mando has pairs in double couse tho. Hard to play more than 2 strings at once on a fiddle.

[burkedajerk88]

Someone here plays violin? I'm interested in trying to play but I know nothing about violins. I wonder if there are companies that build violins that are equivalent to the Yamaha/Seagull guitars: i.e. inexpensive but good violins??? Please chime in!

 

 

I've been playing violin since i was 6.

 

There arn't really "companies" so to speak. Most violin players just get violins from local shops. Violins are often named after their makers.

 

Chinese violin makers often sell their violins very cheaply, and American retailers often make a huge profit. A "snow" violin costs maybe $100 with case and bow in China, but it'll cost about $800 in America.

 

Really, if you're just starting, go to a local violin shop. You may want to being renting first.

 

I recently bought a $2500 Pique violin from a Shop in Chicago. I'll have to find the flyer for you, b/c i forgot their name.

 

The important thing is going down to you're local violin shop and browsing around. If you've never played violin, you'll want to bring someone with you. As much as there are no 2 guitars that are the same, there are no 2 violins that are the same. In fact, 2 violins made by the same maker from the same block of wood seem to sound completely different.

 

I'm not sure I've been to clear with this response so if you've got any questions message me or something/