I've finally bought my violin yesterday!! I got a cheap one (£70) because I'd never played one before and so thought it wouldn't be wise to invest in a really expensive one just yet!!

Just a couple of things that I've found that hoped you pro's could help me with!

In the book I've bought, it says to tighten the bow before and then losen it after playing...but how do I do this? I'm guessing I turn the screw at the end of the bow, but I don't know which way!! I've tried it both ways but can't see any difference - and I'm scared of breaking it!!

Also, I've managed to (very slowly) play something which resembles Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but I can't get the sound to be very loud at all - or at least a normal volume!! I can only make a really quiet sound - I don't think I'm holding the bow wrong, because I have a book with very detailed pictures and descriptions, and I've watched other people playing and holding the bow in the same way...I know I can't obviously expect myself to produce a decent sound this soon, but I just thought I'd be able to have a little more volume control!!!

Thanks!

Laura

If it's a new instrument I would guess that you will have to apply a LOT of rosin to the bow hair (may have come in a little box in a compartment of the case) before it will make anything like a proper degree of sound.
Without a bow in my hands, I would say that you have to turn the screw clockwise in order to tighten the hair a little...

W

Oh! I did wonder what that little box thing was!! I'll try that, thanks!!

You may have to turn the screw quite a lot before the hair tightens. Don't try and get it as tight as a drum, though - just enough to get a good grip on the string.

Hi Laura,

The quiet sound first... It sounds as though the bow hasn't got any rosin on it. Rosin / resin you might hear it called either of those is a sticky substance which you rub on the bow hair - without it - no noise. If yours is a brand new violin, it may have been sold without someone doing that for you first. You might have a block of rosin in a pocket at the end of the violin case - if you do, it probably won't be great quality. If you don't (or if you fancy something a bit better than what you've got, phone a music shop or find a website and order a block of Szgeti (pronounced sigetti) or AB rosin - those are both cheap but decent brands. When you find it, rub the black (or possibly amber - it comes in various colours) block up and down your bow hair about 10 times to coat it in the white powder it produces. Then try playing. You will need to reapply the rosin every so often - depending on how much playing you're doing - you'll get to know as the bow 'grips' the string less.

To tighten & loosen your bow hair - yes it's the screw at the end. Clockwise to tighten it - not too tight - the stick should still be curving in towards the hair, with about enough room to fit your little finger between the stick and the hair at their closest point. You only run the risk of breaking it if you tighten it so much that the stick curves outwards from the hair and you leave it like that.

Loosen - anticlockwise, to the point where the stick and hair touch in the middle or you can easily see the separate strands of hair, but before the whole thing falls apart!

Oh - and going back to the beginning - the bow will need to be tightened before you put the rosin on, otherwise you'll be coating the stick in sticky white powder - which isn't quite the idea!

K.

PS - OK I crossposted with about a million other people saying the same thing!

Congrats on your first violin!!!! To tighten the bow hairs, you turn the screw to the right and then to loosen the bow hairs after you've played, you turn the screw to the left. As a very rough guide, you will know when it's tensioned enough when you can fit your little finger between the bow and the hair (but I'm useless at explaining this so I will leave that to a pro to explain). Have you also rosined your bow before playing?

The low volume could be a number of things, it may be that your bow has not been tensioned enough or it could be that as a beginner, you don't have sufficient weight on the bow from your arm. You can make adjustments to your bow hold but you really need someone to show you that. Hope this was of some help.

Thanks so much everyone for your replies!! I've now tightened the bow (think I've done it right!) and applied the rosin that came in the case (I didn't know what this was for until you all told me haha!), and the sound is much better!! I was so much louder than I'd been used to for the past hour - it scared me So yes, it sounds more like it now!!

Thanks again,

Laura

Ps - One more thing - the sound is perfect now when I play a downbow, but still a bit whispery on an upbow - do I need to put on more rosin?

Re: the down bow and up bow thing - no you don't need more rosin if it sounds ok on a down bow, you just need to work on your bowing technique.

Bowing a consistent sound is tricky at first, it requires subtle alterations in pressure (for example, on a down bow, the amount of arm weight you apply will get stronger as you approach the tip - to even out the fact that this is the lightest part of the bow) - the best way to get used to this is to bow long, very slow open strings aim for twenty seconds per bow to begin with and try to produce the most even tone you can, keeping the bow always parallel to the bridge and, for practise purposes, about half way between the bridge and the fingerboard.

Good luck !

Okay thanks a lot for the advice! I'll try what you said

Laura

Good luck with it! It sounds great, if you're already managing to get a good sound out of it!


I know someone who always tightens up the bow so it's parallel to the hair (instead of curving slightly) it snapped in a rehearsal... some players do play like that - just don't over tighten it!

whoaa.. nice for you laura!

good luck with your violin

Hi Laura,

I worry a bit when I hear about people teaching themselves. It's so easy to acquire bad habits that have to be unlearnt. Can I refer you to this post of mine earlier? It might help.

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopi...mp;#entry704407

This issue has been discussed at great length several times before on this forum, with heaps of advice given out as a result. There will always be people who insist they know better, or can do just as well on their own without any lessons whatsoever. I appreciate much of it comes down to cost, but if you can't afford the maintenance involved with learning a musical instrument, would it not be wiser to wait until you can afford it, or at least save up a little bit of money to take a few lessons.

While teaching yourself to play a musical instrument is unlikely to kill or injure anyone else, it is still a skill in itself with no less complexity to that of developing the co-ordination to drive a car. The only difference is that it is illegal to get behind the wheel of a guided missile having only read a few pages of a book.

I might've managed to get a teacher - kind of!! You see, I wasn't allowed violin lessons, but I have been trying for ages to find a teacher for grade 6 theory...I've finally found one, and am going to have lessons once a fortnight. It turns out that she plays the violin too - I haven't asked her yet, but I'm hoping that she might be able to help me with the violin too in the same lesson. I know 15mins of lesson or something everything 2 weeks isn't really ideal for a beginner, but it's a lot better than nothing!!