Violin > Reviews > The violin -by a viola player!

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	Potentially beautiful sound
Disadvantages:	The squealy noises to start off with

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have been a musician for many years, you could say it is embedded as part of me as I can't go more than a day or two without trying a tune out on some instrument or another. In my time of musicianship I have dabbled on many instruments and the violin is still one of my favourite sounds.
I have to confess that the piano is my first instrument, and I have never actually taken lessons for the violin, but have on the viola. So my violin playing is self taught from a combination of all these things. The viola is similar to the violin, a few inches bigger, and it's range is a fifth lower.

Introduction
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So, to recommend violin to a beginner? A common misconception is the idea that only classical music is played on the violin. In my years of playing I have come across a wide range of music available for the violin, indeed including classical, but also covering a lot of different folk music (Irish, Hungarian, Chinese etc), many jazzy styles of pieces, and even pop music. I recently saw a music video on MTV of a guy playing violin to a pop song in the rain, although I can't remember the title. So the violin is to suit anyone with taste in a wide range of music.

What size do I need?
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As with any instrument, no musical knowledge is required to start playing, just a good teacher is the best thing to have. Violins are available in lots of different sizes, for adults, 4/4 (full size, then 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, and even 1/32 are available. Sizes down to 1/8 should be available from most music shops, the two smaller sizes normally rewuire, specialist violin shops are required. It is important that the correct size is used, if not playability is affected. A general rule is to place the violin under then chin, upon the left shoulder, and stretch your left arm out to the side, but slightly forwards. The fingers should be able to just curl around the scroll, the ornate spiral of wood at the top of the violin. As I say this is a general rule, it's a good idea to get one fitted properly, which and good music shop should be able to help with.

To help anyone who is buying online, this sizing should give you a good idea:

4/4 - 12 years and up (23 inches)
3/4 - 10 to 11 years (22 inches)
1/2 - 8 to 9 years (20 inches)
1/4 - 6 to 7 years (18 1/2 inches)
1/8 - 5 to 6 years (16 1/2 inches)
1/10 - 4 to 5 years (15 inches)
1/16 - 3 and under (14 inches)

The measurements correspond to ones taken from the left side of the neck to the middle of the left hand palm for the correct size. I have not included the smallest 1/32 size as these are very difficult to come across.

A child can start learning from quite a young age, as you can see from the chart, although my personal recommendation would be to wait until they are past their first year of school, as a good teacher for this age can be very hard to find, and a bad teacher can deter a child from wanting to play.

Buying a first violin
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Violins themselves can range greatly in price, from little more than £1 on places like ebay or flea markets, to thousands of pounds. If buying second hand, it is important to look for cracks in the bodywork (not so much the finish) as these will drastically affect the sound. Buying a cheap violin with a 'few bits missing' can be more expensive than buying a complete one at a higher price. New notepegs cost about £2-3 each, strings, from £4, fine tuning adjusters should be less than £1. Tailpieces, fingerboards, bridges and chin rests cost a bit more, but these should not be more than £10 , quite often less. A new bow can cost £15 to £20 and it is often cheaper to buy a new one than get one rehaired. These are all starting prices for anyone wanting to buy cheap, obviously these prices can spiral with increased quality. The main thing to think about with these repairs is the cost of service. Most pieces are not too tricky and can be done, with a steady hand, at home with only a little difficulty. One thing that is near impossible to do is to fit a soundpost. This is a small piece of doweling about an inch and a half long (depending on the violin) which should sit upright under the bridge, between the top and bottom sides of the violin. If this is missing or loose, it is not expensive to replace/refit, but it really should be done by a proffessional.

To buy a new violin and save all the hastle(!) they cost around £50 to £150 for a starter student model. I would be wary of the ones that retail for £50, I used to work in a music shop and came across a lot of trade-ins and repair jobs that were bought from certain bookshops(!), high street money 'converters', and other non specialist shops. There is a good range of choice around the £80/£90 mark, including outfits from Stentor and Antoni, I have tried both of these makes and find them good all round quality. Brightly coloured models are also available around this price, but again, be wary, as they are the cheaper ones in disguise! £120 should get you a good quality couloured violin, and good electric models are also available for about £150. These look a bit different from a conventional violin, there are lots of funky shapes, and they have a pickup to plug through headphones, or an amplifier. All the prices for violin outfits are based on retail prices, but look out for special offers. Don't worry if you don't like these though, pickups are readily available for normal violins from about £10.

Violin or viola
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The violin is the most popular instrument of the two, although for me, that was the reason I started the viola! For anyone who starts playing later on, like myself (I was 14 when I started), or anyone who does not tend to take to playing quite so well, the viola gives a better opportunity of getting into an orchestra, as there are less players, they are more in demand! Having said this, there is a much wider range of music publish for the violin, and teachers are easier to find. Violin music is written in the treble clef, whereas viola is written in the alto clef. For all those of you with raised eyebrows at the moment, it's the equivalent of speaking French and English; similar but different languages! There are more virtuoso pieces written for violin, so if your dream is to be a master player, I would definately recommend the violin.

Where to start
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To start playing, the best thing to have is a teacher. They will give you the best advice and can point out when you're going wrong. Schoolchildren may be able to take lessons at school, which tend to come a bit cheaper than privately. Some counties provide instruments for students in their first year, which is an excellent scheme if it is available. School lessons can be quite limiting in one way as you may hve to share with other students, miss normal lessons, or have quite a limited time. I f these prove to be a problem, or for adult learners, then a private teacher is the next option. These can be listed in the yellow pages, listed online, or most often detailed in a music shop. If you have no recommendations, there is no surefire way to tell a good teacher. The most important thing is to get on with a teacher; you won't enjoy learning from someone you hate! Lessons can vary in price, private lessons can be from £7 to £15 for half an hour.

If you choose not to have a teacher a good book is the next best thing to have. A good book for just about any age is
'Essential Elements for Strings 2000', book 1 (£6.95 - excellent value) is available with a cd and dvd so is ideal for home use. It starts very basic, describing which string is which, how to hold the violin and bow, and progresses from some basic tunes to start with through lots of well known tunes, so by the end of book one, you should have quite a good, basic repertoire. For young children, the 'Fiddle Time Joggers' (£4.50) series is very colourful and easy to use, and the 'Eta Cohen Violin Method' (£5.50 each book) is a useful and widely used collection. All these books, and many other violin books can be found at,

www.keykavern.com

under music books - viollin tutors.

Finding an Orchestra/Group
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My advice to any musician is to play in a group at some time, as it can be a great fun and social experience, as well as teaching a different way of learning and keeping time with a group. Every region has a county music service, although they vary between regions. Most places have youth orchestras, although you need to reach a certain standard for these. For younger players a school orchestra is the best bet. Adult players may have to look a little harder for a group, but it is well worth it if you find one. Try local music shops for details of local orchestras/folk groups, or some county music services run an orchestra (again these are higher standards), which may audition you, or recommend a more suitable one.

Suggested Listening
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For anyone who wants to find a bit more about the styles of music capable on the violin, there are loads of cds available, here are a few good ones to try;
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto
Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto
These are both good examples of virtuoso classical violin playing.

Haydn String Quartets
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
These are still classical but not quite so complicated on the whole

Bond - Born (or any other albums)
This group is a brilliant example for anyone who finds clasical music uninteresting, they play some classical, some modern themes, some film themes, but all to an up to date beat. More info and audio clips on,

www.bondmusic.net

The Masters of the Folk Violin
This album showcases some of the capabilities of the violin in folk music.

All of these should be available on Amazon, audio clips included, happy listening!