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August 8, 2012 12:35 pm  #1


Sherlock's Violin

Sherlock's violin was from Cardiff Violins...and check out this on their Testimonial page:

http://www.cardiffviolins.co.uk/testimonials/

Dr. John H. Watson
on behalf of Sherlock Holmes

221B Baker Street
LONDON
NW1 6XE
July 28th, 2011

Cécile and Chris at Cardiff Violins,

I just wanted to say thanks on behalf of my friend Sherlock Holmes for the violin he recently purchased from you. He would thank you himself; only, well Sherlock doesn’t really do that sort of thing.

You were extremely patient with him, much more than he deserved which I should also thank you for, as a lot of people find him ‘difficult’. Thought you handled the situation very well, especially when he insisted on deducing the history of each instrument he picked up, in addition to identifying the rosin dust from each bow that had previously been used! Anyway sorry about that, he’s always like it and yes it does get annoying, but at least you don’t have to live with him.

I don’t know much about violins myself, but it looks a lovely violin to me. The sound it makes when Sherlock plays it is beautiful and the other evening he treated me to a rendition of Bach’s Partita No.1, which sounded particularly marvelous on it. He seems very pleased anyway, that is to say he hasn’t complained at all and tells me playing it helps him think, which believe me is high praise indeed.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. John H. Watson


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Eventually everyone will support Johnlock.

Independent OSAJ Affiliate

 

August 8, 2012 6:20 pm  #2


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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


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Don't make people into heroes John. Heroes don't exist and if they did I wouldn't be one of them.
 

August 9, 2012 12:31 am  #3


Re: Sherlock's Violin

That's a bloody good find, and I will happily wonder over the next hours how you came across the site ;)

 

August 9, 2012 3:34 pm  #4


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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)


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Initials SH and proud owner of a viola named Watson.

Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other.

It's a three patch problem.

I didn't know; I saw.
 

November 16, 2012 2:04 pm  #5


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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.


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We solve crimes, I blog about it and he forgets his pants, so I wouldn’t hold out too much hope. (Scandal in Belgravia)

I asked you for one more miracle. I asked you to stop being dead..........I heard you.(The Empty Hearse)
 

November 19, 2012 12:07 am  #6


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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.


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Initials SH and proud owner of a viola named Watson.

Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other.

It's a three patch problem.

I didn't know; I saw.
 

November 26, 2012 7:11 pm  #7


Re: Sherlock's Violin

Smoggy_London_Air wrote:

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.

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.


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We solve crimes, I blog about it and he forgets his pants, so I wouldn’t hold out too much hope. (Scandal in Belgravia)

I asked you for one more miracle. I asked you to stop being dead..........I heard you.(The Empty Hearse)
 

December 2, 2012 10:57 pm  #8


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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.


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Initials SH and proud owner of a viola named Watson.

Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other.

It's a three patch problem.

I didn't know; I saw.
 

December 7, 2012 7:54 pm  #9


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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


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What it must be like in your funny little brains, it must be so boring!
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December 19, 2012 10:35 am  #10


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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.


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We solve crimes, I blog about it and he forgets his pants, so I wouldn’t hold out too much hope. (Scandal in Belgravia)

I asked you for one more miracle. I asked you to stop being dead..........I heard you.(The Empty Hearse)
 

March 18, 2013 3:36 pm  #11


Re: Sherlock's Violin

just wondering, why are you giving your violin names?


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"The world is big enough for us, no ghosts need apply"

 
 

March 18, 2013 10:51 pm  #12


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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

 

March 18, 2013 10:53 pm  #13


Re: Sherlock's Violin

Would a member of Sherlockology mind sharing why the prop master switched violins between season 1 and 2?

 

March 19, 2013 4:05 am  #14


Re: Sherlock's Violin

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? 


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We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants.  I wouldn't hold out too much hope!

Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay!

I'm working my way up the greasy pole.  It's… very greasy.  And…  pole-shaped.
 

March 19, 2013 2:09 pm  #15


Re: Sherlock's Violin

Jacco111 wrote:

just wondering, why are you giving your violin names?

Many people name their instruments ;)


ส้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้ᴥส้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้้

 
 

March 19, 2013 4:27 pm  #16


Re: Sherlock's Violin

Realy? Remarkable habit.


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"The world is big enough for us, no ghosts need apply"

 
 

March 24, 2013 12:51 pm  #17


Re: Sherlock's Violin

Cardiff violins is my local violin shop! I play violin/viola. Although my violin is called, er, "the violin". They are not cheap but they are very nice-and their instruments are good quality. If you are in the area its certainly worth going and trying out some of their instruments, they have amazing try-out rooms. 

They are also good at getting a violin to sound better. Yes if you've been playing a while you know of people who can do it cheaper and as well but if you are a beginner/intermediate or visiting the area they are a good place to go. And very nice to kids (my kids play the violin also)

Last edited by beekeeper (March 24, 2013 12:52 pm)


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Sherlock Holmes "The question is, has she been working on something deadlier than a rabbit?"
John Watson : "To be fair, that is quite a wide field"

The Hounds of Baskerville
 

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