This thread is just for questions that don't necessarily involve Regina, but just involve questions that you feel others might be able to answer. (I did look and I did not succeed in finding a thread that resembles this one, and besides, it's good to have in the FAQ section, am I right?)

My Question:
Does anyone know anything about Violins? I've been really wanting to learn and I don't really know anything about them.
Are they hard to learn?
Should I get lessons, or is it something that I can teach myself?

Also, can anyone tell me if this would be a good violin to buy if I were to buy one? Like I said, I'm not really familiar with Violins so any info/help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know much either, but if you really want to learn to play you should definitely take lessons, it's not an easy instrument but it's beautiful.

It's great you're interested, I found this website, it's just basic knowledge, good for starters:

http://library.thinkquest.org/27178/en/index.html

Oh, and about buying one, I could ask my piano teacher (her boyfriend is a violinist) hehe and I'll let you know.

Thank you, Lilly! I really do appreciate it!

I looked at that website, it's very interesting. Violins seem so complicated! But I believe that I'd be able to learn

I played the violin for several years. It was quite hard and I hated it because I was forced to play etudes and learn musical scales by heart, blueh. I can't really recommend taking lessons to anyone. If you buy some books and stuff you won't need lessons. However, violin is one of the more difficult instruments to master.

The amazon link is for a 1/4 violin! That's kid's size! How tall are you? The rule is when you hold your violin (under your chin) you have to able to grasp the end of the violin and still be able to see your fingertips (if that makes sence). My advice is go to a musicshop and try different sizes, let the shop keeper assist you and then buy online if you want to.

Okay, thank you, I didn't know that was a kid size.

What about this one?

^wow, that one looks cool but bow is not included...I'm not sure you'd be able to find a metalic one to go with that violin. Honestly, I think it's fine, you can't expect miracles from a mass produced instrument but you are not playing concert halls just yet, so yeah, find a cheap one + add a bow, rosin, case and a shoulder rest (otherwise your neck & shoulders are gonna hurt pretty baaaad )

This is somewhat related to the violin topic, and since there are some stringed-instrument people here, I might as well ask.

On a whim, I decided that I want to learn how to play the cello. Unfortunately, however, cellos are entirely uncharted territory for me. I've heard they're very very difficult, but whenever I take lessons to learn an instrument it makes it boring for me. That's how I ended up quitting piano and then taking it up again years and years later and teaching myself buttloads of Regina songs.

So, I have lots of basic questions, and just really need basic information. I went to our local music store this morning to check cellos out maybe to possibly rent one, but I know nothing. So... help?

Also, I'm kind of an instant gratification kind of person. I want to be able to play the music I want to play, not the music that leads up to the music that I want to play. It's kind of unfortunate. It's how with piano, I went from playing Hot Cross Buns to Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu in one fell swoop. I'm just now starting to learn technique that I probably should've known before. But piano, you can kinda cheat. Cello, not so much.

So... again... help?

You just described the reason why I quit the violin (though I'm wishing for violin for my birthday and I will start again, yeay).

You can cheat with cello/violin - you already know notes and stuff so you just need to learn the note-finger placement relation, won't be that hard for you considering you were able to play an instrument with 88 keys (wow). Mark the correct placement with ducktape on the fingerboard (under the strings) - you'll instantly know where to put the "first finger" etc - that's a good start. After you get to the point where you see a note and you instantly know which string what placement without giving it any thought you're there - everything else is just a matter of technique and experience.

quote:

Also, I'm kind of an instant gratification kind of person. It's kind of unfortunate. It's how with piano, I went from playing Hot Cross Buns to Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu in one fell swoop.
So... again... help?

1) as a classical string student of 6 years who studies part time at a university.. i can tell you it wont be easy! there are so many nuances to any stringed instrument that make it much more difficult to learn alone, unlike the piano.

almost anyone can stick there finger down on a key.

2) as a pianist as well, i'd so love to hear your version of Fant-Impromptu :]

^^Sure, there is a lot to any instrument. I have a friend who studies violin at university and though she is the leading violin in an orchestra she admits she has still a lot to learn. But in an humble opinion of a five-year student and a dropout the basics of stringed instruments are easier and quicker to pick up than those of a piano.

Alrighty, thanks guys. I'll let you know how it goes. I will of course use any help I can get.

SOAS: If I get my new shiny piano with all the keys working/in tune (we're headed to a piano store next week!!) I will certainly record it for you. :] Until then, however, my playing of anything in a different octave than the first three lowest has come to a complete halt.

quote:

Originally posted by Stepped On A Syringe:
almost anyone can stick there finger down on a key.

\
But the talent is in doing it well.

quote:

Originally posted by Appt:
^wow, that one looks cool but bow is not included...

Are you sure it doesn't come with a bow?
It mentions one in the description...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RJLupin2,