learning curve of the fiddle / violin ??

[a e i o u]

I am getting burnt out on bass and guitar. After listening to a few songs I think I'd really like to give the fiddle or violin a try, but I have never actually even seen one for sale at any store i've been to around here. how hard are they to play / learn? it seems like it would be fun and refreshing to start something new that is pretty different sounding than bass and guitar. do they make electric violins like how they make acoustic/electric guitars? any input would be coolio

[Hoover]

When I was an undergraduate I took a one-semester class in violin. Suffice to say at the end of that course, I could play violin just slightly better than your typical American elementary school violin student, and not nearly as well as your typical Suzuki student, assuming both have a year or two of study under their belt.

Obviously being an experienced bass player with intimate knowledge of how stringed instruments work is a tremendous asset, but the real obstacles that prevent violin from being one of those "pick it up in your spare time" instruments are intonation, bow control, and (especially) tone production. Until you get good at those, practicing the violin is extremely unrewarding, if not downright annoying.

...especially to your neighbors.

[Jumbotron]

Violin is tremendously difficult--to my mind, the hardest stringed instrument to learn (and I know how to play a lot of them). Ultimately, it's very rewarding, but it's not an instrument you can pick up and produce a decent sound with--unlike bass or guitar, it takes years and years to be able to do that.

There are electric violins--I have one--but it's a lot of money for a decent one. Of course, that applies to acoustic violins as well.

An instrument with an easier learning curve is mandolin. Cheaper, too, and some guitar and bass skills cross over. Maybe an option?

[Pilgrim]

I started on violin in Jr. High. The basics of playing it - holding the instrument, bow angle and such - aren't hard, but the subtleties are pretty incredible. There are details to everything - fingering, bow use and friction, dynamics, it just goes on and on. These observations are based on playing orchestral music, which I later played on bass - and the learning curve is a lengthy one on either instrument.

Now, my guess is that if you're playing fiddle style rather than orchestral music, things are somewhat simplified just because there is less variation in the subtleties of the music.

I'd still expect a long learning curve and a real ongoing challenge that lasts for many years. But if you want that kind of challenge, it's the real deal.

[LongHairFreak]

Now, my guess is that if you're playing fiddle style rather than orchestral music, things are somewhat simplified just because there is less variation in the subtleties of the music.

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Careful! I think you might want to listen to a bit more bluegrass before sticking your neck out too far. Simple stuff is simple sure, but there's a lot of fiddle play out there ranging from soft and delicate to incredibly intense; a lot of subtle variations all in one tune.

And yes, also IMO the violin is quite challenging to learn.