I know that it's a "how long is a piece of string" question, but on average how long does it take before you stop making "strangled cat" sounds???? Bearing in mind that I can maybe put in half hour's practice every day, can read music to a reasonable standard and have a half decent sense of pitch (from already learning piano)...it's just putting me off thinking it will take such a long time before I start making a reasonable sound (my teacher is VERY patient though!). I'd say I've had about 5/6 lessons now, I know it's very early days!

Ok, the length of a piece of string? From the centre it is precisely twice the distance to both ends, so you've got an answer there, but the violin one is more difficult.

Lets make some assumptions:

1. You practice in a conscientious manner for 30 minutes every day. No waffling through things - you practice scales, a study and perhaps one or two melodic pieces. You concentrate on tone production and intonation - the former of these being developed by correct technique of both the left and right hand.

2. You have a reasonable sense of pitch.

3. You make average, but steady progress over the next two to three years.

From this it's possible to assume that since you already play one instrument and can read music, you might have reached Grade 3 standard or perhaps a little higher. At Grade 3 I would hope your playing doesn't sound too much like a strangled cat, but in order to achieve this goal in the shortest possible time, concentrating on technique (both right and left arm) will help eliminate torturous sounds a lot earlier.

In order to improve your tone, try to think about what sort of sound you would like from the violin. Hear it in your head, then try to draw the bow across the strings and produce that sound. (Obviously quality of the instrument will have some bearing on the limit of its tonal quality).

At the moment (after so few lessons) you will rapidly switch back and forth from heavy handedness with the bow arm - producing a scratchy scraping noise - or not using enough evenly placed pressure - bow skids and the strings often squeak - neither of which are particularly pleasant tones. In addition, for optimum resonance of the strings always aim to keep the bow parallel to, and midway between, the bridge and the fingerboard.

Ask your teacher about studies suitable for tone and intonation. Sevcik studies are just one example for developing tone and intonation. In the meantime, playing open strings, aiming for a free and resonant tone, will greatly increase your bow arm control without having to worry about placement of the left hand fingers.

Good luck!

I've been playing for 2 1/2 years and have just passed my Grade 6, but I wouldn't say that I'm half decent at all! Sometimes I sound awful!

Same here! About sounding awful, I mean
It's only on certain days, which makes it so annoying!

I got grade 8 21 years ago, have progressed since then, and I still sound awful. I think probably we all sound awful to ourselves, it's just a matter of HOW awful ...

Liz

I thought a few others could have been a bit more constructive in their replies.

Does everyone take their own playing as a joke??

If you still consider your playing sounds awful, then you've obviously not been trying to improve your tone production. There are lots of ways to do this, plus numerous studies and pieces that can help you achieve a better tone.

Listen to a recording of something that you can play yourself, and try to emmulate the sound.

Or does everyone here expect to play like the CDs does? Up to my level, I still consider my playing terrible at times, depending on my mood and how much practice I've done Still, it doesn't sound like CDs

I'm with Amanda on this one. If you still sound awful at grade 6 etc then there must be something wrong with your tone production.

Playing the violin is about good intonation but is also about good tone and the two have to be developed together. Good left hand and good right hand.

It is easy to consider that intonation is the main thing, but in my experience a good bow arm is more important. Tone can be improved dramatically by bowing exercises and LISTENING. If you sound awful then analyse what you are doing that is making it sound awful, and try to correct it (preferably with the help of your teacher).

Also (and Amanda said this in her first reply), have the sound in your head you want to make and listen when you draw the bow.

I'm not saying I have cracked this yet, but playing an instrument is about making a good sound, and that is what I am always aspiring to do.

I like this advice! Will be useful for me as a beginning cellist too.

I've learned so much about the ins and outs of making music just from reading the forums here! Keep it up!

Elisabeth

Can't speak for the others, but for me it's not the tone that is the problem - it's the intonation. Or more accurately, it's the intonation, when i'm actually playing anything at the level I'm supposed to be at, at the speed it's meant to go at. Put it up to speed and the intonation goes out the window, and the cleanness of the bow control on the rapid passages goes with it. And I've got about 170 hours of practice left before the exam (assuming I actually enter)

Liz

So the intonation is OK when you play it slowly....so you can do it . The problem is probably more the right hand than the left hand then, getting a clean fast bow and synchronisation with the left hand.

I'm sure you know more about this than me Liz....but playing slowly and accurately and only speeding up to what you CAN play accurately, and not getting any faster until it is secure is the way to do it.

Good Luck

So I keep telling myself, Jane. i have yet to convince myself though!!

Liz

....the hardest barriers we have to crush are those we build in our mind!!!!! Believe in yourself. If you're really wanting to take that exam Liz, and you know deep down that you 'can do it' (and I believe that is what you really think), then be positive with your mental outlook first.

As for those who say their playing doesn't sound like the CD's. No of course you won't sound exactly like the CD, the recordings were done in proper acoustical surroundings and will have been "tweaked" by a sound engineer, but the basic tone can be listened to carefully and emmulated to a certain extent.

You're sounding like my old teacher

Seriously though, there was an amusing moment a few days ago. I practice in the back bedroom, and the window is open of course. Historically there have been rows with the neighbours about my cats (now resolved) and i recall a couple of years ago the neighbours saying to one another "i don't know what's worse, the violin or the cats". Well, this time I was doing slow practice on a discordant series of double stops from the Vaughan Williams Christmas Dance from the viola suite, not exactly the pleasantest of practice routines to listen to, and I heard the neighbour say "it sounds like she's trying to tune the cats"

Liz

Hmmm, so how many more of us have to say you can do it before you finally believe it.

Just one will do - as long as it's the examiner

Liz

Jane,

Where did you find that violin player GIF image. It's hilarious

Sob sob! i know exactly what that one's supposed to do, I've seen it before, but since I had a new hard drive installed i can't see anything except the one stationary face. Sob! What haven't i got that I need to have? anyone?

Liz

What mark did you get? i'm sure you said somewhere but if so I missed it!

Liz

I'm no computer expert so not 100% certain on this, but I think if you've got Quicktime, then you can see animated gif images.

I'll email a boffin friend of mine in the meantime, and see what he says.....

Realplayer or macromedia flash is all I can think of. They are both free off the net.