Learning an Instrument

[Ayse]

This thread is basically just so people can ask for information before they take up an instrument so they know what they're getting into

Anyhoo, I've decided to take up the violin, but I have no idea what type of violin to get, and how difficult it would be to learn. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm sort of leaning towards a 4/4 violin? I dunno, I have no idea what it all means lol.

[pulse]

Ok I don't have any personal experience with violins so I can't help you there but I just wanted to say that the violin is my most favourite instrument and sounds absolutely beautiful to me, good choice.

[Walter Sobchak]

The violin is easy to start, but hard to master. I used to play one a long time ago.

If you are serious about it, get a full sized violin. Otherwise, you will grow to despise it and end up getting a full sized one anyway.

[Ayse]

The violin is easy to start, but hard to master. I used to play one a long time ago.

If you are serious about it, get a full sized violin. Otherwise, you will grow to despise it and end up getting a full sized one anyway.

Ah thank ye I was a little confused on the sizing, someone was telling me to get a 7/8 cause the 4/4 is too big for a woman? I dunno, they weren't making too much sense to be honest.

[Walter Sobchak]

Occasionally, an adult with a small frame may use a so-called "7/8" size violin instead of a full-size instrument. Sometimes called a "lady's violin", these instruments are slightly shorter than a full size violin, but tend to be high-quality instruments capable of producing a sound that is comparable to fine full size violins.

Take that for what its worth. You need to consider your own size. But, really, the best thing to do would be to go to a music store to try them out.

[Chez Daja]

Being left handed, it was tough for me to hold the violin at first. It was my sisters violin, and she was right handed. I barely played in the end, so I can't really offer you a lot of useful advise.

I do play the guitar, which I'm okay at, problems arise in the cold, when my joints are harder to control. Not only that, but I appear to be allergic to the strings. (I have chilblains in my fingertips and toes and this is a contributing factor to my difficulty.)

I also play the keyboard, which I find was the easiest of all to "master", although, as they say, playing a keyboard is fairly similar to playing a guitar.

I can't offer you many tips, but I'll wish you good luck on learning an instrument. It's long and tedious when you're done learning how to play something new, and you'll mess up a lot at first. Just keep trying. It'll get easier over time.

[Walter Sobchak]

I don't know much about sizing violins, but my house in Ayrshire is full of my dad and brother's guitars. One is smaller than the rest - they call it the 3/4 catgut (nylon-string). So I guess I proper big guitar is a 4/4. And a really really tiny one would be a 1/4. I think.

Instrument sizes are stupid. 3/4 doesn't mean 75%. It really only means an inch or two. This is why there is a 1/32 violin that people actually play.

Thats why 7/8 isn't really that big of a deal. Maybe an inch or so.

[MoonStone]

if i can just help by saying this: get a violin the u can carry, lol, get the one the you think is the best for you, dont let people tell you whats good for you, and have fun playing the violin.