Some questions from a beginner
Hello all! Hope all your violin/fiddle endeavours are going well. As some of you here know, I started playing fiddle a little over three months ago. I'm a long-time musician (played clarinet for 20 years, various other woodwinds for less time), but this is my first experience with any sort of string instrument (besides a failed attempt at guitar some years ago). So, I have a few more questions to ask all our knowledgeable people in this community...
1) Rosin...I read the memory post on rosin and didn't realize there were different types and that they can affect your playing. I've been just using the cheap stuff that came with my very cheap student violin. Do you suggest getting a particular kind that could help me out? If I do get something else, should I wipe off the current rosin (and how do I do that if I need to)?
2) Strings...I've been playing about every other day or so for the past few months (during the first month and a half, when I lived alone and didn't work, I practiced everyday). But I'm still having the same problem. After about a half hour to 45 minutes my finger tips HURT from digging into the strings. Is this normal to be a problem for this long? Or could it be the cheap strings (again, they came with the fiddle)? I've had suggestions on getting new strings (what types and whatnot) so I know what types I might try. But maybe getting new strings will help make it feel more comfortable to play (I recall my ex, a fiddle/viola player, saying "X" strings felt more comfortable...never was sure what he meant by that)? I'm probably going to try helicore strings (his suggestion as well) first...they come in light, medium, and heavy...maybe light would be better for me at this point? Any thoughts?
3) My tone is ok for a beginner...but I'd really like to see it improve. Are there any specific exercises to practice that help with tone quality? I'm used to it being a matter of getting the muscles worked up to their proper strength and set right. But obviously this isn't the same here...so how does one go about getting a better tone quality (without buying a new instrument...which I can't afford just yet!).
Ok that's it...for now...any help would be greatly appreciated!
x-posted in violinstudents
1) Rosin...I read the memory post on rosin and didn't realize there were different types and that they can affect your playing. I've been just using the cheap stuff that came with my very cheap student violin. Do you suggest getting a particular kind that could help me out? If I do get something else, should I wipe off the current rosin (and how do I do that if I need to)?
2) Strings...I've been playing about every other day or so for the past few months (during the first month and a half, when I lived alone and didn't work, I practiced everyday). But I'm still having the same problem. After about a half hour to 45 minutes my finger tips HURT from digging into the strings. Is this normal to be a problem for this long? Or could it be the cheap strings (again, they came with the fiddle)? I've had suggestions on getting new strings (what types and whatnot) so I know what types I might try. But maybe getting new strings will help make it feel more comfortable to play (I recall my ex, a fiddle/viola player, saying "X" strings felt more comfortable...never was sure what he meant by that)? I'm probably going to try helicore strings (his suggestion as well) first...they come in light, medium, and heavy...maybe light would be better for me at this point? Any thoughts?
3) My tone is ok for a beginner...but I'd really like to see it improve. Are there any specific exercises to practice that help with tone quality? I'm used to it being a matter of getting the muscles worked up to their proper strength and set right. But obviously this isn't the same here...so how does one go about getting a better tone quality (without buying a new instrument...which I can't afford just yet!).
Ok that's it...for now...any help would be greatly appreciated!
x-posted in violinstudents