Any violin players here?

[WarofAges]

It's always been an instrument that has interested me and has always sounded sweet to my ears when listeining, or even a cello.

Any body here a violin player? I've seriously been considering picking it up and trying to learn. I'm pretty far into music theory and standard notation, but i have a better musical ear than anything else; pretty good at hearing something and playing it or finding the key.

Would you say it would it be difficult to learn? I've only played a fretless bass a couple of times and was kinda troubled by getting hte right pitch for the note.

thanks

are decent violins cheap? i can't even afford my addictive bass habit right now.

[Techmonkey]

I was decent when I was younger (started when I was 6 or 7) but I broke my wrist some years ago and never found it comfortable to play since then.

with fretted instruments you can always pick it up and make a tolerable sound, even if you know nothing about music. when you first pick up a violin it will sound *vile*. really. and unless you have a mute, they're loud too. but if you're really committed, then it is indeed a potentially beautiful instrument.

you're definitely going to want lessons too, it's very easy to pick up nasty habits. and a good violin is not cheap by any stretch buy a student violin to start with, and if in a few months you still find yourself really passionate about it then maybe splash out on something a little bit nicer. also note that the bow has a profound effect on the feel and sound of your tone; you need to have a decent bow if you're getting a decent violin.

and one more point. if you've got "bass fingers" like me (strong and chunky ) then you might consider the viola, or even the cello, as they're a little bit easier to intonate for a bass player. you're definitely going to want a full size either way.

anyway, just my 2 pennies, good luck, and let us know how it goes =]

[GeneralElectric]

I play violin. Buy used wherever possible. I recommend Stradivarius violins to start out with...

[Scarlet Fire]

Originally Posted by GeneralElectric

I play violin. Buy used wherever possible. I recommend Stradivarius violins to start out with...

I saw one of those at Guitar Center for about $2.5 mil. The setup kinda sucked, though.

[Ben Lesser]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fire

I saw one of those at Guitar Center for about $2.5 mil. The setup kinda sucked, though.

$2.5mil?

Those jerks. I sold that to them and they only gave me $1.0mil for it.

What a rip off.

[WarofAges]

whats i viola?

thanks for info

[Techmonkey]

Originally Posted by GeneralElectric

I play violin. Buy used wherever possible. I recommend Stradivarius violins to start out with...

shared a stage with joshua bell once... he was supposed to be conducting, but the lead violin fell ill on the night of the performance so he stepped in was an incredible performance by any stretch. he did not look happy when he snapped a hair on his bow though

the viola is very similar to a violin to the untrained ear, but when you start playing in an orchestra you notice the subtleties. the viola is slightly larger than the violin, and it's tuned a fifth lower... it's what you get in between a violin and a cello. It looks very much like a violin and it's pretty similar in all other aspects, the parts tend to be a bit less flashy and widdly, but IMO they sound much better on their own - the sound is said to be somewhat woodier than a violin, personally I think it's a bit more scooped with more low mids... IMHO it's what a warwick is to a stingray.

perhaps look up some performances on youtube

be warned though, the viola player is the butt of *every* string section joke.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Check out some Seth Lakeman while you're at it....some beautiful playing there.