Indeed!

I hired a violin just before christmas. I always intended to get a teacher but just haven't finalised arrangements yet. I had the beginner book that was recommended and I thought there was no har in try out the first couple of pages. I was mindful not to spend anymore than about 15 minutes at a time and found it fun trying out the easy exercies on open strings.

BUT a few days later when i went to play, the strigns were so obviously in need of tuning. I could hear they were out of tune but did i know how to tune it properly? Nooooooooooooooo! I tried and failed several times. It's lying in the case out of tune and I can't do anyhting with it until I sort a teacher out.

Here endeth the lesson: you need a teacher. Becasue with some thickies like me, you'll find you get NOWHERE as you can't even tune the thing

How is the chromatic tuner going Jo? I definitely need/want a tuner but not sure where to start. My metronome gives me the A but I can only get the other notes from that vaguely, and I can't even begin to tune the G string.

If you have a piano, you can use it to tune your violin. Your piano has to be in tune of course. The notes are the G below the middle C, D next to middle C, A on the same octave and E on the octave above. If you've a good ear, violin strings are tuned to perfect fifths. You'll learn how to tune by ear after awhile. I've been learning since Feb last year. My teacher has been making me tune by ear since December last year. I will only turn on the tuner to A and I tune the rest. It kinda comes after awhile though rather daunting at first.

If you want the 4 tones, they can be found quite readily over the internet. You can also PM me. I have MIDI files of all 4 tones but for some reason, I find the notes aren't totally pure. They seem to have vibrato in them. How come??

I have a piano but it's out of tune!

LOL

If you have those little electronic tuner cum metronome, you could use it. I find that it isn't that reliable now that I've learnt how to tune by ear. The little light NEVER stays in the centre even though I'm drawing the bow across parallel to the bridge with an even tone. Lol.

Just a quick question, how long will it be before I can start grade pieces? does it just depend on bowing techniques? Sorry I am very eager to learn lol

Haha, I know that feeling! If you already have a teacher, do tell him/her about what your goals are. To start playing grade pieces, you will need to know where exactly to press your fingers on the fingerboard otherwise you'll end up being frustrated because the piece will not sound like what you hear in your mind. I see that you play the piano as well so you will have a reasonable idea of how a particular note would sound like. Grade 1/2 pieces generally use detache and legato bowing. These are the 2 basic bowings you will start with. Start off by playing simple songs! You'll soon gain satisfaction from a piece sounding right!

I only use it at present to confirm I have tuned well, but I am sure that once I get the hang of things I won't be using it anymore! Anyway, only costed me £15. I think I cannot attach it well to my scroll and if I did it would work better for sure.
When I tried to play 'E' on the D string (by pressing with finger 1) with my ear I was sure I was bang on on E but the tuner said I was either a little flat or a little sharp, now, I think I was right and the tuner was just too 'fussy' as I cannot get to grip it too well on my scroll. But what does this tell me? that it might not be that accurate on my tuning either! So I don't know, I will see my teacher next friday and ask him, if he thinks I should bin it then I will hehehe
so...maybe a great tool but I am not using it correctly?
maybe I am wrong?
will see, I will keep you posted




thank you for all your tips andromeda,
I did notice that my elbow changes position according to string but I never paid any attention to where it goes hehe so I shall watch and memorise these positions over the next few days practice.
Jo

*grin* Not a problem! Am very glad to help. Am quite a beginner too. Have been playing for almost a year only. Those electric tuners aren't very reliable. I don't use them anymore. The best tuner is still your ear. Remember the elbow positions jojo, it will be immensely useful when you encounter fast string crossings in the future.

Same here I was tuning my violin to my piano and than I found out that it was out of tune!
But then I got a digital metronome so all was well.

The other problem with tuning with the piano is that the sound may be abit soft that when we draw the bow across the string, we can't hear the note. You also hear the note for a very short time compared to the electronic tuners which can play the note the entire day if you leave it on lol.

If you press the damper pedal the note from the piano goes on long enough

I used to press the pedal to lengthen the note but it was still soft. Hehe.

Well I've tuned my A string so often now that all I can hear is a constant 'AAAA' in my head.I’m still having problems with getting the D and G strings to tune properly though. At the moment, my only reference is my ear, which is not particularly trustworthy. I’m getting my piano tuned this week though, so I can perhaps use that.

I’ve been learning for a couple of months now, and it’s amazing how much more flexible my fingers have got. I used to have trouble with my bow arm in moving my fingers without moving the rest of my arm, and now I can do it easily! I don’t mix the strings any more either, although they do squeak occasionally. I also have resin everywhere downstairs.

I feel as though I’m getting there slowly, but I would love to be able to play some pieces… Air on a G String… Blue Danube Waltz… Sigh…

Remember to wipe the rosin off your strings when you finish playing or else you'll find that you'll need to change strings more often than needed.

I have to admit, I hadn't been doing that...

And wipe rosin off the varnish under the strings too as, once a few layers have built up there, it becomes very difficult to clean. Also if you wipe it off the fingerboard, then if you see it return there again, it is a good tell tale sign that your bow is sliding too far up the string and your bowing action is not straight.

Yea and that too. Recently, I read somewhere, you should also wipe the rosin off your bow stick cuz rosin does get there sometimes. A white ended fingerboard can mean you practice alot but it also spoils your violin so don't ever leave rosin there, or on any part of your violin. How's the playing coming along?

The rosin does get everywhere- which I didn't realise until I went to wipe it off yesterday.

I really love the violin; I itch to play it every day and when I get the sound right, it gives me a big shiver It's completely different to learning the piano, but, so far, I think I prefer it. It feels like 'my' instrument, if that makes sense. I still haven't got very far though; I'm doing bow exercises still, to make my fingers more flexible. I'm also doing left hand exercises on the strings...

Still thinking of Blue Danube Waltz...

In another fifty years perhaps!

Well, I must be doing 'ok' with my bowing technique as now I am getting a 'little bored' with it and am itching to start putting down a finger or two...but my second lesson is coming along in 2 days (on friday) so I will see what my teacher thinks of my progress and what he suggests about starting to use a finger here and there
My son (who has also started learning with me, he's 11) seems to think I am much better than 12 days ago when I first started, I just practice and tend to forget what I was like last week and so on...I do want to record myself like some have suggested but have no means of doing it!
I am still being a good girl and practice 20 minutes a day violin and 30 to 60 minutes a day piano (piano for longer as you don't have to be in any 'unusual' position for that, you just 'sit' hehe, violin, I am getting used to holding it and bowing, I pay a lot of attention to my posture and I think I got it right, but I still have to get used to it and get a little tired after 20 minutes).
ps: I have been paying attention to where my elbow is according to which string I play and it has made a difference, I now rarely hit another string by mistake, thanks to andromeda's advice
Jo

*grin* Whee!! Maestro jojo! Way to go! Haha. I normally do an hour a day on the violin but I didn't today cuz I was out the entire day haa. I think I'll have my practice tomorrow afternoon before my lesson in the evening. Don't worry, you'll start playing with fingers soon!

Hey are there any bowing exercises I can practise? I still havent found a private teacher yet although I am practicing every day and loving it might I just add!! well done Jojo and Littlelady!

Make sure your bowing is straight (ie. parallel to the bridge as much as possible), your elbow positions for the different strings, make sure you achieve a clear and even tone with no scratchy sound. You can even try using your index finger to place slightly more bow pressure and draw the bow across faster for dynamics. That produces f. If you want p, lessen bow pressure and draw the bow slower whilst achieving an even and non-scratchy, non-airy tone.

Follow AAs suggestions in front of a mirror to check the bow is always parallel to the bridge. Using a mirror takes a bit of practise as (like all things in a mirror) you tend to go the wrong way when you try to adjust but it's the best way to check if you are parallel.

My teacher also taught me another way (without mirror) but it's abit dangerous. It's to just look through the gap between the stick and the hair on the bow. If the view's constant, your bowing is straight. If not, then it isn't.

About bowing...
I had my second violin lesson yesterday. My teacher corrected very slightly my hand holding the bow (VERY slightly moved my index finger so that the knuckle was more in line with stick) then showed me to bow holding the bow not flat on the strings but tilted (do you know what I mean?) so that when I play instead of all hairs being flat on strings I tilt it so that the side of the hair further away from me puts more pressure then the other side. He said all violinists play holding bow like this (?). It felt a little weird as I have been bowing differently for past two weeks.
He is pleased with my progress but keeps telling me to 'go for it' play as if I'm showing off, put some 'soul and spirit' into it (I know what he means and I'm trying to 'go for it' but maybe this will also come with time as I get more confident with what I am doing?). He is happy for me to go ahead and start with my fingers, I did a few pieces with fingering and 'apparently' my wrist tends to 'poke out' too much.
Ok, report finished for today

Yep, most violinists tilt their bow so the bow stick faces the scroll. Is that what you're talking about? Am very happy for you jo! That's great progress! Just be confident in what you're playing. Some famous violinist (I think it's Heifetz) once said that if you feel that your performance was lousy, it will sound lousy but if you feel you did well, it wouldn't sound as bad as you think! So go on, just play like you're playing like a famous concert violinist! Give a little bow in your room after your song if you feel like it hehe. I do it sometimes.

that's EXACTLY what I meant! he says it gives a 'better' tone too and helps with 'shaking bow syndrome' if you have some of that!
but at the same time he adjusted my index finger so that my knuckle is not resting directly on stick but is slightly higher, and ever since I try hold bow this way I find that my thumb pushes in and it is ever so uncomfortable, I don't know if it's because I have to get used to it or because it just won't work for my hand shape, I'll stick to it until next lesson and see what happens.

i tend to tilt it the opposite way, and I am very heavy with my bow so it doesn't really make a difference when tilted.

Oh, you two are just getting me TOOOOOO excited! I'm just going to have to contact my future viola teacher and ask her if she has room for me in Feb! Better double check with Sir first though......

Yes, start viola!

I did consider the viola over the violin, but I had a hard enough time finding a violin teacher- finding one that taught viola would have been even worse. When I thought about it, I realised that I prefer the sound of the violin anyway.

I am starting on fingers now too! I've done A, B, C on the A string and E, F, and G on the E string. I also have some really simple pieces to play. YES! Now I won't get people complaining 'can't you play any tunes yet' every time I practise! Not that they'll be any more tuneful It's tricky getting the intonation right but I have a tuner now and so am getting there slowly. I can tune the A and E pretty much by ear, with a little bit of piano afterwards to check, so that's good.

My teacher said I'll have a very good sound.

Oh, that's encouraging for you, LL! Glad you're doing so well. I have a good ear for languages, so I think I should be OK with music as well, but you can't guarantee it - I might be rubbish!

The lady who offered to teach me is a violinist, but she plays viola as well - well enough to be in quartets, so I'm pleased with that. She only lives across the road too, which is even better.

Thats great elizabeth and also nice to hear that littlelady is getting on well
Littlelady, it sounds like we are roughly at the same place you and me with our learning, I am also doing the same finger positions than you, on all strings. I find I am lucky to have a good ear and can do it without the tuner clipped onto my violin. But boy, having to check on my wrist, my fingers, my bow hold and bow position all at the same time it makes it hard work to practice! but enjoable

Yes, it's hard doing it all at once. I'm still having trouble with the G string, I just can't hear low enough. (Hence I'm now glad I didn't choose the cello!) I suppose it will come with practice.

I don't have a lesson for two weeks now, so lots of practising and let's see if I can improve the little pieces!

Hey, well done everyone who has started violin . Everybody seems to be learning at the same pace lol. I have started with the fingering to, like A, B, C, E, F# and G. Im a bit paranoid about my bowing as the D string still sounds like im playing double stopping but only when I am using my fingers for that string. My school teacher says this will get better with practice. Still trying to find a private tutor but for now my school teacher has offered to help me after school for a few weeks so im very grateful and happy about that! Does it help when you tilt your bow sideways Jojo? Is the tone different?

I think I am still too much of a beginner to appreciate how much difference it makes, but 'i think' it does

Tilting the bow produces a gentler/softer tone. I was thought to use it to control the dynamics, eg. less/more bow hair in contact with strings=softer/louder sound.

Yep and when you want like ff, you play with full hair!

OK, that's it, that's the last straw! I'm going to contact that violin/viola teacher and see when she can start me

Have we rubbed it in enough then elizabeth
you go for it as we need your input in here as well, we want to hear all about your learning
Jo

How do you stop the squeaks when you have more fingers down on the strings? The more fingers I put down on one string, the more it squeaks- not all the time, but when it does, it really DOES.

Apart from that, I can play my first tune! It's called Totem Pole. It rules!

I don't think I understand that one. The main thing a left hand finger has to do (to play a single note) is fully stop the string right down to the fingerboard in the right place. More fingers should not make it squeak. Later on when in hgh positions you change the position the bow moves on the string but that is way in the future for you before it becomes a consideration.

I think the most likely thing is that the more complicated the things that you are doing with the left hand are, the more distracted you are from doing the correct things with the bow. I think you are doing something wrong with the bow (almost certainly not bowing straight and parallel to the bridge) as your attention is focussed on complexities of fingering.

Keep at it! Totem Pole ROCKS!

I don't understand it either. However, it might seem your finger pressure may be abit too little. You should not press down on the fingerboard too hard, or too soft. Check out this site to see what I mean - Finger Dropping & Lifting. I'm still trying to perfect that myself haha. The open E string however, tends to squeak alot especially on beginner violins.

That makes sense. It is a lot of things to remember all at once; I'll check again when I get home tonight to see if I'm doing it ok...

It can take awhile to get used to pressing down firmly on the strings, especially with the fourth finger. Pressing too lightly can cause a whistly sound, and that seems to be what you meant.

It does whistle, yes. At least, it did yesterday. I'll remember to check bowing and finger pressure when I practise tonight.

A funny thing: I did so many exercises with my little fingers that they're now stronger than my fourth fingers...

Yes Hun, quite sufficiently! AND:

I have my first lesson booked for 2pm next Thurs. HUZZAH! Just need to change my sig line now.....

I'll be having 30 min lessons once a week and the teacher lives only 5 mins walk from me. Could it be better?




Is that why only a beginning violinist can make that squeak? I was wondering why I'd herd that it wasn't possible to do that when starting viola or cello.

Great news Elizabeth, AT LAST! viola times are here



HEY, I also play totem pole, it's in the stepping stones book! I just started today to do a few things from waggon wheels and from the book number 1 of abracadabra.
But totem pole is the one where you go from E to B (first finger on D string to first finger on A string), that I found tricky at first but I think I got it under control now
Yes, like others have said it is definetely because you are concentrating on your left hand that your right hand is not perfect with the bowing anymore, that is what is happening to me, especially after 20 minutes practice (the first 10 minutes being my best) so I tend to practice no more than 20 mins and then perhaps do another session later on in day.
Keep at it, you're doing great
Jo

Aw! I'm not going to be playing the same pieces as you guys. WAAAHH!!



Gimme about 3 weeks and I should be ready to learn fingered notes as well! I spent some time with a grade 1 theory book and so on this afternoon, so I'm at least making some preparation.

Littlelady87, in violin, our little finger aka pinky, is also known as the fourth finger. I'm assuming what you mean is that your pinky is stronger than your ring finger? What exercise did you do? I need some pinky strengthening myself.


Many beginning violinists possess violins that squeak on the E string. As they progress and get better violins, the squeaks lessen because of better techniques and better violins. With better violins, they still do squeak but it's very rare. Mine doesn't squeak as much but saying that, I was just playing just now and had a horrible squeak when I went onto open E. Gosh...that sounded so wrong.