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Intro to Violin

intro-to-violin
29 November 2018

Violin is perceived as one of the hardest musical instruments to master. The main reason of such perception is that many newcomers start with the wrong violin.

If you are just about kick off your career in violin and not an expert on technical details about it, keep reading! These tips we are about to give are essential in learning to play violin.

Proper size

Player's physical attributes and proportions should be taken into consideration while picking a violin. If the player has a relatively long and strong arm, a violin with the size 4/4 will probably be a good start. Otherwise, one should consider picking a smaller one, like 3/4 or even 2/4. Picking a violin which is not suitable for one's anatomy may result in serious health problems.

The right material

The material of the violin directly affects the sound quality and ease of use. Handmade violins have much higher quality. However due to its production cost and technological advancement, most of the violins nowadays are products of machinery. The carving determines the true character of a violin. Symmetry also plays an important role in violin design. An asymmetrical violin will highly likely produce unpleasant notes.

Does brand matter?

Fundamentally, no. What matters essentially are the violin's wood type and who the maker is. Unless it is a machinery-built one. If you are just about to start learning violin, don't bother with this right now. An industry standard violin will do just fine for you to learn basics. And if you choose to play on a more professional level, then you may consider finding a good, handmade violin.

Consulting an expert

It is always good to ask an expert to help in such topic. The very starting phase of violin requires a delicate attention and you may get confused quicker than you think. We highly suggest those who consider buying a new violin asking a local expert, or musiconline! It is as easy as one click ?

Setting up the violin

Even if you have best violin out there, a bad setup will result in a bad sound. The bigger the distance between wires and the fingerboard, the harder it will be to hit notes. Similarly, the closer they are, the more likely you will get unwanted frequencies. Long story short, setting up your violin properly is crucial!

Finding the right bow

The stick which is used to play the violin, also known as the bow, is almost as equally as important as the violin itself. It requires a different process and similar to violin, its quality changes depending on its material. Budget-wise, 1/4 of the violin price is enough to begin with.

Accessories

A typical violin has different parts attached on it called accessories. While some of them are fixed, some of them are totally modifiable and mobile. To give an example, the pad and chin rest can vary from player to player. Such accessories are highly dependent on player's physique and proportions as mentioned before. One may take such topic lightly. You know, it's just "accessories" right? No. Any bad choice in violin can cause health problems and lower the player's quality of everyday life.

That's all to begin with! You are always free to pick your own violin and do your own research, but violin is a highly detail oriented musical instrument and requires delicacy. We highly suggest finding an expert on this area and getting the proper advice.

Luckily, you have musiconline! You can always join our trial classes online and start learning playing violin. It's simply one click away.

Knowledge increases as it is shared!