Just a great testimonial. Really made me smile. I can imagine Sherlock doing all those things too!

I'll probably need to purchase a new viola soon, because Mycroft/Martin isn't, strictly speaking, mine. My school will want it back someday. So sad.

I'm probably going to attempt to do this when I go to the strings shop in town. I wonder what you can deduce from a violin. "This person is a great music lover."? If (WHEN!) I visit the UK I want to stop by this shop. If I'm in a good place bank account-wise, I might even wind up making an impulse purchase, especially if I haven't gotten around to finding Mycroft's substitute yet.

Last edited by Smoggy_London_Air (August 9, 2012 3:37 pm)

Morton wrote:

Smoggy_London_Air wrote:

I'll probably need to purchase a new viola soon, because Mycroft/Martin isn't, strictly speaking, mine. My school will want it back someday. So sad.

I'm probably going to attempt to do this when I go to the strings shop in town. I wonder what you can deduce from a violin. "This person is a great music lover."? If (WHEN!) I visit the UK I want to stop by this shop. If I'm in a good place bank account-wise, I might even wind up making an impulse purchase, especially if I haven't gotten around to finding Mycroft's substitute yet.

I hope you can get a nice new Mycroft/Martin locally. I was thinking of buying my violin from the above mentioned shop but found better value elsewhere. I'm in Uk. My violin is called John.

I found my lovely replacement, which although still not mine (it's on rental!) will suffice until I am a quote-unquote "intermediate player". I do need to jettison this nasty Glasser bow, though. I can't stand it.

Morton wrote:

Smoggy_London_Air wrote:

Morton wrote:

I hope you can get a nice new Mycroft/Martin locally. I was thinking of buying my violin from the above mentioned shop but found better value elsewhere. I'm in Uk. My violin is called John.

I found my lovely replacement, which although still not mine (it's on rental!) will suffice until I am a quote-unquote "intermediate player". I do need to jettison this nasty Glasser bow, though. I can't stand it.

I'm pleased to hear about Watson. I noticed you had changed your signature. I have played instruments before so I was reasonably confident about investing in a violin but I hadn't had a chance to try one at all  to see if I got on with one. I bought the best I could in case we got on fine but didn't spend too much in case I couldn't get a decent note out of it. We got on fine and I'm happy as a lark. Good luck with a bow, I'm fairly happy with mine, for now at least, I heard good strings makes a big difference as well. I shall try when I buy a new set.

My strings are this very fancy Danish brand that the shop is only allowed to sell at a flat rate lest they get "cut off". It's very annoying, because when I broke my C string this autumn it cost me about $30 to get it replaced although the store admitted wanting to sell them for less. They're good strings, though.

SH182 wrote:

I'm going to be buying a violin soon... probably just a cheap one for my costume collection.... but I was thinking about actually learning to play it rather than just having it as a prop. I currently play the guitar and the harmonica so I like the idea of branching out. If you have any advice on how best to go about learning to play that'd be really great! Thanks! SH

Branching out is good.

If you learned to play both your guitar and harmonica without tuition and are happy with what you can do then you should be able to play a violin without the expense of lessons as well. Especially if you can read music. There is plenty on you tube if you want some help in getting started and lots to play along to. I can recommend Pyrophiliac on youtube for pop tunes.

Lessons are obviously structured to teach the basics and to get you into good habits to prepare you for progressing. If you can't read music that would go hand in hand with learning to play the violin.

I played trad jazz clarinet self-taught, by ear and played in front of audiences a couple of times a week,prior to that recorder at school and piano as a child by ear. I still play entirely for fun, and as it isn't possible for me to go for violin lessons anyway I haven't taken any.

If you go the self-taught route I would play long notes on the open strings - no fingers on the strings- and find a comfortable position, focus on getting a nice rich tone and then on adjusting the pressure of your bow across it's length on the strings to get a consistent volume, play scales and simple tunes at first. Try to hold the bow properly so that you can use the entire length when you want to (I don't but I can change my hand position from my favourite grip  which is 'wrong' when I need to) then learn tunes to play along to on your computer and play every day if possible to develop muscle memory for your finger positions.

If you are serious about learning to play well and will want to play challenging pieces later then taking lessons from day one is the better route I think.

Above all enjoy yourself. Let us know how you get on.

Well, we spend a lot of time together.. I also have two violins, and how better to tell them apart for non-aficionados than dealing with distinctive names?

And some more lovely discussion at http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?id=9648

Jacco111 wrote:

just wondering, why are you giving your violin names?

 
Probably the same reason people who love and/or personify their cars and computers also give them names? 

Realy? Remarkable habit.