Learning violin?

Cow1000 · 02-12-2004, 04:39 AM

Hey all I'm sort of interested in learning the violin. I have a couple years of guitar and many years of piano under my belt, and I was just wondering - how difficult is this instrument (compared to guitar/piano)? How long would it take me until I could at least play a few scales pretty well? Any advice on cheap beginner violins? Thanks in advance!!

Puzzle · 02-12-2004, 03:29 PM

much, much, much harder than guitar. check musiciansfriend and musix123, if you look under strings theyll have em

Scarred4Life · 02-12-2004, 08:03 PM

Violin is an incredibly difficult instrument. I have played it for 11 years so I know. Dont even bother thinking that anything will sound good for AT LEAST a year. You could probably buy a "cheap" Korean violin for around 300 or so, but Id start off renting until you know your gonna stick with it. DEFINITLY take lessons, but be prepared for a while before it pays off. Good Luck!

Getao · 02-12-2004, 08:25 PM

if there's only a few things I can emphasize (viola / violin player for 5 years here):

1. Take LESSONS! With Violin you desperately need lessons

2. Don't expect to be any good for at least a few months. In fact, expect to sound like complete and utter **** for a year unless you practice at least a little (very minimum 15 min) every night.

3. Although you might pick up on the theory part of violin and guitar, everything else is completely different. For instance, your fingers have to be on their tips instead of on the pads like for guitar or bass (at least I don't play on my tips for bass). DON'T LET THE FACT THAT THEY BOTH HAVE STRINGS MAKE YOU THINK THEY'RE REALLY CLOSE TO BEING THE SAME!

4. I hope you have experience with fretless guitars or basses, cause that will give you somewhat of an idea of what to expect when it comes to intonation (which is so extremely fickney it's crazy sometimes :P)

Even if it sounds really hard (and it is) there is no reason to not take violin. I can practically gurantee you that taking violin for a long time (a few years at least) can completely revolutionize your views on music. The violin can be an extremely beautiful instrument after you practice it a while.

Scarred4Life · 02-13-2004, 02:45 PM

Plus after playing it, suddenly everything else seems easy.

ksh75002 · 02-14-2004, 01:22 AM

The violin is very difficult to play. It takes a long time to really get a nice sound. At the beginning its pretty much chicken scratch, intonation is a bit harder to get used to since a violin is very sensitive, its small and the intervals have very little space in between them and there are no frets. Importanly though to get somewhere on violin you really do need a teacher.

tgadrummer · 02-14-2004, 12:06 PM

I tried to learn violin a couple years back, took lessons for a little over a year, was in the school orchestra for two years ... it's a bitch to make anything sound halfway decent. It's a lot harder than guitar, trust me.

Cow1000 · 02-16-2004, 06:25 AM

First off, yeah I figured it would be harder than guitar - not only are there no frets, but the whole neck is smaller so the intervals between notes would seem smaller too.

And yeah if I go to learn it I very much intend to take lessons. I was mostly just wondering how long it would take until people stop covering their ears when I play LOL!!

Thanks for all the replies!!

PunkGo · 02-16-2004, 07:39 AM

in my grade. people have been playing for like 3 years, and i cant hear any classical music or and kind of music coming from them....i guess what it is like, u need the otherm strings there...cause we hear em seperatly in the band hall cause they go in early for sectionals, but without the viola/cello/bass its not too beautiful

guitargirl182 · 03-18-2004, 01:20 PM

i tried violin last year but i didnt like it cause the way i played it was WAY to squeky.so i played for 3 months then i quit and moved to bass. bass is awsome :Thumbs Up

radium · 03-19-2004, 02:23 AM

i wasnt sure if i should try violin either so i decided to do cello cuz cellos sure kick ***. it doesnt seem as hard as the violin because you have a bigger workspace on the neck and with the strings, and its easier to hold. so after a few months i was already making up my own stuff and it sounded pretty good. i recomend cello if youre interesting in the string family, but if your specific on violins, well then disregard this post.

-=Buzz-Lite-Beer=- · 08-14-2005, 03:58 PM

I've been on violin for over 10 years (only about 2 years on guitar). Big difference. You usually wont be able to play anything impressive until after 4-5 years of experience and regular practice (say, an hour everyday and weekly lessons). And get an instructor.

02-12-2004, 04:39 AM	#1
Cow1000 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 48	Learning violin? Hey all I'm sort of interested in learning the violin. I have a couple years of guitar and many years of piano under my belt, and I was just wondering - how difficult is this instrument (compared to guitar/piano)? How long would it take me until I could at least play a few scales pretty well? Any advice on cheap beginner violins? Thanks in advance!!

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02-12-2004, 03:29 PM	#2
Puzzle elzzup. Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Earth metro Posts: 6,547	much, much, much harder than guitar. check musiciansfriend and musix123, if you look under strings theyll have em

02-12-2004, 08:03 PM	#3
Scarred4Life Senior Guard Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Under a crimson sky Posts: 4,297	Violin is an incredibly difficult instrument. I have played it for 11 years so I know. Dont even bother thinking that anything will sound good for AT LEAST a year. You could probably buy a "cheap" Korean violin for around 300 or so, but Id start off renting until you know your gonna stick with it. DEFINITLY take lessons, but be prepared for a while before it pays off. Good Luck!

02-12-2004, 08:25 PM	#4
Getao Don't Ask about my Name Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 78	if there's only a few things I can emphasize (viola / violin player for 5 years here): 1. Take LESSONS! With Violin you desperately need lessons 2. Don't expect to be any good for at least a few months. In fact, expect to sound like complete and utter **** for a year unless you practice at least a little (very minimum 15 min) every night. 3. Although you might pick up on the theory part of violin and guitar, everything else is completely different. For instance, your fingers have to be on their tips instead of on the pads like for guitar or bass (at least I don't play on my tips for bass). DON'T LET THE FACT THAT THEY BOTH HAVE STRINGS MAKE YOU THINK THEY'RE REALLY CLOSE TO BEING THE SAME! 4. I hope you have experience with fretless guitars or basses, cause that will give you somewhat of an idea of what to expect when it comes to intonation (which is so extremely fickney it's crazy sometimes :P) Even if it sounds really hard (and it is) there is no reason to not take violin. I can practically gurantee you that taking violin for a long time (a few years at least) can completely revolutionize your views on music. The violin can be an extremely beautiful instrument after you practice it a while.

02-13-2004, 02:45 PM	#5
Scarred4Life Senior Guard Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Under a crimson sky Posts: 4,297	Plus after playing it, suddenly everything else seems easy.

02-14-2004, 01:22 AM	#6
ksh75002 Kor.Bassist Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Allen, Texas Posts: 159	The violin is very difficult to play. It takes a long time to really get a nice sound. At the beginning its pretty much chicken scratch, intonation is a bit harder to get used to since a violin is very sensitive, its small and the intervals have very little space in between them and there are no frets. Importanly though to get somewhere on violin you really do need a teacher.

02-14-2004, 12:06 PM	#7
tgadrummer Apathy is cool, I guess. Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 698	I tried to learn violin a couple years back, took lessons for a little over a year, was in the school orchestra for two years ... it's a bitch to make anything sound halfway decent. It's a lot harder than guitar, trust me.

02-16-2004, 06:25 AM	#8
Cow1000 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 48	First off, yeah I figured it would be harder than guitar - not only are there no frets, but the whole neck is smaller so the intervals between notes would seem smaller too. And yeah if I go to learn it I very much intend to take lessons. I was mostly just wondering how long it would take until people stop covering their ears when I play LOL!! Thanks for all the replies!!

02-16-2004, 07:39 AM	#9
PunkGo I Like Mark. Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 182	in my grade. people have been playing for like 3 years, and i cant hear any classical music or and kind of music coming from them....i guess what it is like, u need the otherm strings there...cause we hear em seperatly in the band hall cause they go in early for sectionals, but without the viola/cello/bass its not too beautiful

03-18-2004, 01:20 PM	#10
guitargirl182 i hate my name Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 135	i tried violin last year but i didnt like it cause the way i played it was WAY to squeky.so i played for 3 months then i quit and moved to bass. bass is awsome :Thumbs Up

03-19-2004, 02:23 AM	#11
radium Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: in-ertia Posts: 177	i wasnt sure if i should try violin either so i decided to do cello cuz cellos sure kick ***. it doesnt seem as hard as the violin because you have a bigger workspace on the neck and with the strings, and its easier to hold. so after a few months i was already making up my own stuff and it sounded pretty good. i recomend cello if youre interesting in the string family, but if your specific on violins, well then disregard this post.

08-14-2005, 03:58 PM	#12
-=Buzz-Lite-Beer=- The Slick Wild Beast Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New York Posts: 16	I've been on violin for over 10 years (only about 2 years on guitar). Big difference. You usually wont be able to play anything impressive until after 4-5 years of experience and regular practice (say, an hour everyday and weekly lessons). And get an instructor.