any violinists here?

axisus

I used to have a pal who's husband played violin. She was of the opinion that you had to start when you are young, and that you can't really play if you start as an adult? Anyone know if that's true?

My kids like this violinist on YouTube, and hearing her a lot has reminded me what an epic instrument the violin is.

viz

I'm sure you can start now, particularly as you're a guitarist. It's not a question of either being able to play or not, it's a continuum.

Nomad

Maybe the virtuoso players all start young, but that doesn't mean that one can't get to a good standard otherwise.

The only way to find out is to try.

Sporky

axisus said:

I used to have a pal who's husband played violin. She was of the opinion that you had to start when you are young, and that you can't really play if you start as an adult? Anyone know if that's true?

What did the husband think? He was the one who played, after all.

viz

Instruments like violin, tuba, bagpipes and drums are more about what others think.

axisus

as it happens, youngest daughter has a violin from school at the moment. All I can get out of it are horrendous screeches! It seems impossible to get a decent note out of it, let alone get your fingers in the right place.

On the husband opinion - I think it basically came from him (but I never met him). I think that the idea was that you need to start with small hands or something due to the tiny nature of the fretboard.

rsvmark

On the other hand my daughter coaxes the most amazing melodies out of it. Stick with it - imho the only downside is that its not really a solo instrument. If you want to,,,, do it!

axisus said:

as it happens, youngest daughter has a violin from school at the moment. All I can get out of it are horrendous screeches! It seems impossible to get a decent note out of it, let alone get your fingers in the right place.

On the husband opinion - I think it basically came from him (but I never met him). I think that the idea was that you need to start with small hands or something due to the tiny nature of the fretboard.

Sporky

axisus said:

as it happens, youngest daughter has a violin from school at the moment. All I can get out of it are horrendous screeches!

From my thus-far-limited experience of playing cello, bowing is the trickiest bit by far. Screeching could be not enough rosin, or not enough tension in the bow, or not being smooth enough, or the wrong angle, or bowing in the wrong place on the string, or just that the violin is grumpy with you.

Sambostar

Learn the Gael.  Set for motivation then.  I found violin very easy and accessible to play the few goes I had as a kid, to the point of impressing grade 6 players and stuff, both from getting a consistent noise with the bow as well as finding the notes by ear and trills to memorising note positions from ear, way easier than guitar, but then I played guitar already.  Very easy in fact.  Playing a decent tune, that's a whole new ballgame though.

I wouldn't mind getting a fiddle, it's like the bagpipes, I love the noise it makes.

Sambostar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiLFvLKufpk

I could stand naked in the front doorway playing that tune for a century without getting bored of it, refining it each time I played it.  I worked it out on guitar with simultaneous bass parts but it's not the same as a bowed instrument.

Marktigere1

Yep.  I reached grade 7 Violin and then switched to teaching myself guitar around 30 years ago.

Sambostar

Marktigere1 said:

Yep.  I reached grade 7 Violin and then switched to teaching myself guitar around 30 years ago.

How did you find that?  Obviously you had your ear in already is the main thing, but how about the physicality of playing guitar?

Marktigere1

Sambostar said:

How did you find that?  Obviously you had your ear in already is the main thing, but how about the physicality of playing guitar?

It provided me with a great ear for music yes.

I must admit I play the guitar a little different to the norm and find not using a plektrum much more natural.  Whether this is a violin thing or not I don't know.

I do find lead easier than complex rhythm playing though which again may be down to the single note violin playing.

Cheers

Mark

bob21

axisus said:

I think that the idea was that you need to start with small hands or something due to the tiny nature of the fretboard.

Politely, this is bullshit.. I have large, larger than average, hands, and i have no trouble playing violin...

I was a classically trained violinist for a decade or so, then I gave up seriously studying it and just play for fun..

As @Sporky says, squeaking is more about the bow.. Key thing is to ensure the bow hair is flatly in contact with the string, then ensure a firm, constant pressure on the string, with a nice, constant motion through the whole length of the bow..

axisus

bob21 said:

axisus said:

I think that the idea was that you need to start with small hands or something due to the tiny nature of the fretboard.

Politely, this is bullshit.. I have large, larger than average, hands, and i have no trouble playing violin...

But what age did you start?

Sambostar

bob21 said:

As @Sporky says, squeaking is more about the bow.. Key thing is to ensure the bow hair is flatly in contact with the string, then ensure a firm, constant pressure on the string, with a nice, constant motion through the whole length of the bow..

Not too firm though, just enough?  That's what I found.  It's the same with axe and knife throwing, you feel the balance, but if you try and chuck it, the momentum works against you.  I got decent notes out of it all day long from the first time I tried it.  Mind you with arms down to my legs, I don't know if it made it easier to change angles and strings easily or not.

Buy a fiddle @axisus. ; You know you want to.

viz

Sambostar;1019514" said:

It's the same with axe and knife throwing, you feel the balance, but if you try and chuck it, the momentum works against you.  I got decent notes out of it all day long from the first time I tried it. 

Wow, what were you throwing it at?

Sambostar

Random people in Morrisons.

bob21

axisus said:

bob21 said:

axisus said:

I think that the idea was that you need to start with small hands or something due to the tiny nature of the fretboard.

Politely, this is bullshit.. I have large, larger than average, hands, and i have no trouble playing violin...

But what age did you start?

7yo - but I don't see how it makes any difference - the fingerboard space available is the same when you're seven or a grown up..

Sporky

And - while I couldn't claim to be enormously familiar with the violin - I don't think they get bigger as you do.

bob21

well, there are sizes 1/8th (might as well be a toy) 1/4 1/2 3/4 Full and so on.. but I have played a full since the start of high school, if not earlier - and there's no way i am the same size now as I was then!