The Importance Of Violin String

By Riska Rahadhi

violin string

For the beginners in violin playing as well as the parents of a beginner violin student, knowing and recognizing as much as possible about the parts of the violin are really essential. One of the most essential parts of a violin is strings. This article will discuss about violin strings and how strings affect the instrument.

Somehow your playing sounds flat so quickly after tuning. New strings, somehow have to spend about one week stretching and going flat before they settle down. So you should expect and anticipate this if you have your violin restrung or if you are getting a rented violin, ask if the violin was restrung. Knowing this in advance will save you from a lot of frustration..

You may think that the time to change violin strings is when one breaks. Yeah, that can be correct since for sure that is definitely time to change it. However, you have to know that you should restring a violin when it gets impossible to keep the instrument in tune for any length of time. Your violin should be able to stay in tune with no problem through practice time. Also, unless you’re having huge changes in weather, the violin should not get too out of tune between practice times. Of course this also depends on if the violin gets bumped or some such action that would get it out of tune. For restringing a violin it commonly requires one week for the strings to stop going flat constantly. Moreover, the most important thing is that you hav eto be aware of when to change strings on a violin.

At last, you also have to recognize different brands of violin strings as they will affect the tone of the instrument. When we finally purchased a violin, the music shop had different types of strings on different violins, but we needed to realize that the type of string would make a difference in the sound as well. You really need to be aware of this because you may even want to have the shop restring a violin with different strings to hear the difference. At last, I would like to say that decent strings affect the tone of the instrument.
Also, check out my other guide on electric violin and violin bow

Violin Bows Reviews & Tips

By Riska Rahadhi

violin bows

The violin is a most unique string instrument. Like any other music instrument, there are many choices available. However when you select your violin, you are also selecting the violin bow. There are many different kinds of bows which vary across the board in terms of quality. Here, I will share with you some tips in selecting your first violin bow.

Bear in mind that when you learn how to play the violin, it is the combination of both the violin bow and the violin which produces the tone of the instrument. As such the quality of the bow is as important as that of the violin.

So what type of bows are suitable to beginners who want to learn the violin?

Firstly, determine your budget.

The price range of violin bows can range from between twenty dollars to six figures. The cheapest bows typically do now have the quality required to produce great tonal quality in any violin. Anyone, even those who do not play music instruments, will be able to detect poor music quality from a badly made bow. As such, if you have the budget, I suggest you start off with a decently made quality bow from a two hundred dollars onwards.

Secondly, weigh the bow.

The bow is actually an extension of your arm when you play the violin. The ideal weight of a violin bow should be between sixty to sixty four grammes. Any lighter than that or heavier than that, it will feel unnatural when you play the violin.

As such at your local violin shop, ask to weigh the bow you select on a weighing scale. A digital weighing scale is most ideal as this give the most accurate reading.

Any violin shop serious in selecting quality violin and violin bows will have a digital weighing scale on hand for this purpose.

Thirdly, wood or fibreglass?

Majority of violin bows are made from different types of wood, the other alternative will be fibreglass bows. Fibreglass is lightweight in nature and produces a different tone compared to a normal wooden bow. My personal preference will be to purchase a fibreglass bow compared to a cheap twenty dollar bow as the former will produce excellent sound quality. The price difference between the two types of bows is not great.

However, if you compare the fibreglass bow to a well made wooden bow, the latter may be a better investment. In either case, ensure that you try out the different types of bows and select the ideal one for your violin.

I wrote a guide you may be interested in reading: violin case and violin shoulder res

Top Choices Of Violin Shoulder Rest

By Riska Rahadhi

violin shoulder rest placement

Violin shoulder rest for sure is one of the essential violin accessories that a violin player should have. However, buying a violin shoulder rest is somehow difficult as there are huge varieties on different shapes and sizes. It moreover comes with unique benefits.

The first step on choosing a violin rest that is best for you is by recognizing its types. There are two types of violin rests; those are soft rest and rigid rest. Soft rests are quite new type of violin rests. As its name, it is created using soft materials such as foam or sponges. It is shaped into a bladder shape and can be used adjust by controlling the amount of air contained within it. Besides, it does not lock the players into a particular position so that they can be more flexible and comfortable in using it. However, there will be tendency to affect the tone of the violin being played if there is own drawback to using violin soft test. It happens as the tone is dampened by the soft material that is pressed up against the instrument.

In order to avoid that risk, you can just have a look at a rigid violin rests. These violin rests type are much sturdier than the aforementioned lines. They, moreover, ensure the correct posture is maintained at all times. These are also good in helping you to maximize your playing. Your playing will be much more impressive if you play in the optimum position. Unfortunately it is hard to find the right rigid rest for you because of its huge different brands. Therefore, it is advised to conduct a lot of research before purchasing one. In general, I would like to say that Kun shoulder rests tend to suit most players bodies quite well. The common price for a Kun rest is around £30. However, for those who are tall, it is advised for you to take a Wolf shoulder rest.

In short, you can now decide which one that may be on your needs. For those who value comfort above all else should definitely take a look at soft rests. On the other hand, for those who want to achieve the best sound and maximising their potential a rigid rests will be better for them.

Article You May Be Interested In Reading : violin case, violin bow and violins for sale