Perfect Fifths

Have you ever wondered if you were playing a fiddle or a violin? The truth of the matter is that they are two words that refer to the same instrument. Fiddle might be used in more colloquial language, while violin is used for more formal settings. The origin of the word fiddle is actually one that dates back to the 1300s.

In the 1300s, there was a stringed instrument known as a fedele, which evolved from the word fithele. There are also a number of contemporary words (more…)

Vibrato is a technique that gives violins a sweet, warm sound. Mastering vibrato takes much practice, but these tips can get you started achieving the lovely sound.

- When trying vibrato for the first time, focus on relaxing your arm, fingers and wrist. – Shake your hands and fingers out before you even play a note.
- Practice making a waving motion back and forth with your fingers. Practice it on your fingerboard, on pencils, on your hand or on anything around you as (more…)

Whether your shopping for a bow for your Violin, or looking to get one re-haired, you are met with a complicated decision to make. Should you get natural hair or synthetic? The arguments for both are strong. In the end, you should focus on choosing what’s best for you.

Synthetic haired bows perform much better in response to longevity, durability, and strength. They do not generally present the strongest sounds in regards to Violin playing, but as far economy they are a viable option.

Natural hair bows require more maintenance than synthetic. They have to be re-haired more (more…)

Keep your violin out following you finish on stage and give it a fast visual check up. You will almost certainly notice a few rosin stick to the strings. This has to be spotless off. If missing sitting on the strings, rosin may perhaps source them to depreciate quicker than they be supposed to.

Also, if you let a thick cover of old rosin to make up, it may really reduce the sound by obstructing vibration.

Wipe the strings along with a spotless tease. Clean the (more…)

Top Musical Selections Featuring Violin Solos

There are countless top musical selections featuring violin solos, and today we will discuss a few of the most popular and easily recognizable.

One of the best known solos for the violin is Pachelbel’s Canon, which is also called Canon in D major by composer Johann Pachelbel. It has become a favorite of brides everywhere, as they walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

Another top solo selection is Ode to Joy, composed by Ludwig van (more…)

Tuning a Violin can seem to be difficult at first, but with practice it will come easy to you. Some like to use electronic tuners that will indicate when the string is on the correct pitch. Others like to use a piano or their own ears to tune their violin.

There are two areas on the violin in which one can tune a string, the pegs and the fine tuners. The pegs are located on the top of the violin while the fine tuners are located at the bottom of the strings. By turning these (more…)

There are violin shops located all over the United States, some of which are in places you’d never expect. Here’s a listing of some of the more obscure violin producers in the US:
Terry Borman Violins: Terry’s been building violins in Arkansas for over 30 years and his reputation’s built on quality. Working hard to keep his violins safe, Terry works in tandem with his alarm system company to make sure his shop is as tight as a drum.< (more…)

Violins are made in a variety of ways. The least expensive are factory-machine made. These are fine for beginning students.

Great, beautiful sounding violins, called “bench-made,” are created by hand by a master violin maker or his/her group of artists.

The first step is choosing a wood like spruce, maple, rosewood or willow. Ebony wood is most often used for the neck but, maple is also used. Woods are chosen for their sound quality (more…)

Of all the musical instruments of the world, strings are the most popular. Included in this category are guitars, cellos, banjos, lutes and violins. Violins, and violas, are distinct among the string family because they must be played high against the shoulder, with the player’s head locking them into place. This makes performance very difficult as the neck of the instrument is obscured while playing. Like cellos and double basses, violins are usually played with a (more…)

Violin-playing is a refreshing artistic pursuit that’s worthwhile at any age. We realize that the prospect of learning the instrument without lessons can be daunting. Luckily, the modern world offers access to resources that would not have been imaginable even twenty years ago. One of those sites, and the beginning violinist’s best friend, is Violin Online (www.violinonline.com).If you’re learning the viola or cello instead, don’t stop reading. Dr. Robin K. Deverich, developer of the Violin Online program, also offers Viola Online and Cello Online. For brevity’s sake, we’ll refer to Violin Online in this article. (more…)