Violins are beautiful instruments. Not only do they look pretty propped across your shoulder but they can emanate some of the most heart-wrenchingly emotional sounds the world has ever heard. But then that’s only the case with pros. Some of us novice people need to stay consistent in our practice sessions to get the sound right—unless you’re okay with mimicking the sound of a cat wailing in the middle of the night.
If you’re a beginner violin player, here are things you need to know before you shoot your shot.
1. You’re not going to sound like a pro for some time
Let’s face it, nobody’s born knowing how to create musicor rock the violin. When you first start out, your sound won’t be as light and airy as it usually is when they play it in movie soundtracks. For starters, you’re going to have some trouble holding the bow in its proper position but with a little practice you’ll adjust to it. But just keep in mind that the awkward positioning might yield some screeching sounds so don’t freak out or get frustrated. It’s just a natural progression.
2. You’ll be hearing plenty of noise
The sound producing f-holes are always closer to one ear, based on the way that the violin is positioned between your hand and shoulder blade. This means that you’re likely to hear scratching and creaking sounds, more so than the audience will. So don’t get bogged down by the duality of intonation.
3. Violins need maintenance
Violins may look simple on the outset, but there are plenty of parts that need to be fine-tuned before you dabble in a playing session. For example, you’ll need to fasten the bow with a small item on top of the bow hair. You’ll also need to take care of maintaining the curved shape of the bow so remember to loosen up the knob at the bow’s end after you’re done using it. When you’re back to playing, you can turn back the knob. Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to keep the rosin and bow hair clean at all times. The rosin isn’t as slippery as it looks and the friction it creates leaves behind a residue on the hair.
4. Don’t get caught up in the competition
There are plenty of professional violin players in the world. Even if they’re younger than you but miles ahead, know that they probably started perfecting their craft a long time ago. We understand that playing the violin isn’t easy which is why it’s futile trying to compare your art with experts in the field.
Remember to keep the focus on yourself. Make music that speaks to you. Practice violin on Music Jotter! With a midi scrubbing tool, tuplet entry system, playback and sampler, our music composition software will make you feel like you’re playing violin in a professional studio! Get the music notation software here.
