I literally was talking to my first ever teacher yesterday. I'm gonna start playing violin at 13! I'm gonna buy a violin in 6 days. Perfect timing, that was very helpful. Thank you Olaf!
Great to hear!! It's such a beautiful instrument. Also watch my video on buying a violin to help you with choosing a good instrument ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jOn4xWXROoU.html
I'm 43 y.o. and I decided to start learning violin 3 months ago, a child dream that now can come true. I use a 110 y.o. violin inherited from my great-great-grandfather who used to play in an orchestra, I'm the 1st one to use it since he stopped to. A bit tricky to tune tbh, some little scratched on it too, but still a nice sound. So if you can afford it, buy a good instrument, it could last for generations.
Just stop trying to become Lawrence of Arabia....even if it always was your „dream“...... One hast to become a adult realizing that „dreams“ are much nicer if they keep being „dreams“....
@@leonardoiglesias2394, well, if I am able to do so, I actually prefer trying and sometimes being disappointed than being scared to fail or face reality; I did not loose all self esteem aging, I still think I can learn new things... About violin, I actually enjoy it a lot, so that's quite nice, don't worry. Obviously, I will never be a pro player, it never has been my goal, even as a child...
Good on you and how lovely that the violin is still in the family. One is never too old to learn an instrument and I have many years on you. I started 3 months ago. It's super challenging but I'm prepared for the long haul of 10-15yrs before I'm half decent. Passion is key along with practice... Good luck mastering one of the most difficult instruments.
Olaf, my name is Wade Hampton, I live in Glendale Arizona USA. I stumbled on your RU-vid channel a couple of weeks ago, and I'm really enjoying it. I especially like the restoration videos of the Hill violin, what an amazing instrument, with an interesting history. I can see the passion that you have for violin making, and I'm happy that you are doing what you are doing. I'm 59 years old, and I began my journey into playing the violin when I was 45 years old. I've been a musician since I was a child, and I play several instruments, but the guitar has been my main focus. I had always been fascinated by the violin, and when I turned 45, it was time to give it a go. I had been having dreams of playing the violin for several years, and I felt the universe was speaking to me. It said "Wade, you're running out of time to learn a difficult instrument, it's time to get with it"! I didn't know where to start, so I bought a $100 VSO, just to see if I could get a feel for it. I was amazed at how easy it was to play diatonic major scales, in the first position. I took to the fingerings very naturally, but it was the bow that was very foreign to me. I decided to go for it, and I found a fellow named, Angelo Eftimeo, owner of Valley of the Sun Violins in Phoenix Arizona. Angelo is a fine violin Luthier, and he had a lovely German Guarnerius (copy) antique violin that I fell in love with. It was fairly expensive, but I knew that it would see me through my entire journey with the violin. It was at the beginning price point for a professional instrument ($4,500 US). It was more than I expected to spend, but I didn't want to have to upgrade later, so I bought it. It's got a lovely warm tone, and can get quit loud. In the right hands, it sounds absolutely beautiful. I love letting accomplished violinist play it, it's got the potential for far more than I can get out of it. My violin came with a case with a humidification system, and a Pernambuco bow that was a bit light for a beginner, but that I would fairly quickly grow into. I bought a heavier carbon fiber bow to begin with. I found a brilliant young violin teacher, who I got on with very well. Since I could already read music, and I had already been a musician for many years, we hit the ground running. After some very preliminary beginners pieces, to get me familiar with reading on the violin, I asked to begin with some of the easier Bach Two Part Inventions and grew from there. Once again, the fingering came very naturally to me, but I struggled with the bow. My first recital was interesting, I got to play with little Timmy and Cathy (figuratively), and I was the only adult in the lineup. I played the old Patsy Kline tune "Faded Love" (written by Bob Wills), arranged as a duet, for my recital piece. It's an old country swing tune, that has really cool violin parts. I played the first violin part, and my teacher played the second violin part. I had only been a violin student for four and a half months at that point, but the lady scoring my performance said that I did as well as a third year student. I had to remind her that I had already been a musician for 35 years at that point, so my apparent level was somewhat skewed. I still play my violin. I bought a second bridge, that I had flattened for American county fiddling, and I still play my beloved Bach. I inherited an antique F style mandolin from my grandfather a couple of years after I began the violin, and I took to it like a duck on water. Since I had been a guitarist for so long, picking is so much more natural for me than the bow. I'm 14 years into my journey with the violin, I finally got used to using the bow (practice, practice, practice). I'm very grateful that I stuck it out, my only regret is that I didn't start playing the violin as a child. It takes many years to master the violin, and I started rather late, but I am so happy that I did. While realistically I'll never be able to play the violin at a master level, I do play it well enough to satisfy myself. I'm a good example that it's never too late to start anything you are passionate about.
Aw, this is lovely. I'm starting the violin now - I'm 30. I already play the piano and the flute, so my reading is fine, but it's my first string instrument. I'm scared that I my fingers can't do that! Luckily I work at a music shop (we teach on site), so I'll just ask one of my colleagues to teach me.
@@alias201 Alais, good for you! You're fifteen years ahead (in age) of where I began to play the violin, and that's a really good thing. The violin takes longer to learn than a piano (and almost every other instrument), so those extra fifteen years are going to be very beneficial. With your musical background, you are already ahead of most beginners, and I'm excited for you! Since you've never played a string instrument before, take care to not get blisters on your fingertips. Good calluses are built slowly. As new players, it's easy for us to get very ambitious, and want to play our new instrument for as long as we want to. But we need to build up to that over the first couple of months. When your fingertips start to hurt, stop for the day, and let them heal overnight. You'll begin to notice that it will take longer for them to start hurting, as you progress. If you press until you get blisters, you have much longer down time as the blisters heal, peel, and start all over again with fresh skin. So be kind to your fingertips, and listen to them :) I was fortunate, being a guitarist, I already had calluses on my fingertips when I began the violin. But I've taught many young people the guitar, and building good calluses was always a concern. A little patience and restraint against pressing too hard in the beginning, is all that it takes, and the reward is the ability to play as long as you like. Good luck, and God bless, I hope you have a fantastic experience with your new instrument.
@@wadehampton1534 aw you're right about the fingertips. Other piepie have told me that too. It's so difficult to follow that advice, because all I want to do is play!
What a motivating story. You still have a long time to practice and build up your musical skills!! I'm also an enthusiast violinist, and recently upgraded my violin to develop many aspects in music. Looking forward to your future
I love my violin. Olaf was awesome and got me all set up. :D My teacher was funny as she thought I'd bought an 'internet' instrument and was surprised at what I came to class with. ;)
I don’t have a music stand, just been using my laptop and a table. I actually got my violin from my local cash converters, and it works pretty well so I have no complaints.
8:48 - the relaxation of the shoulder rest is a very real thing! There are so many world-class violinists who claim that a shoulder-rest hinder your playing. I've learned from the likes of Janine Jansen, Leonidas Kavakos, Julian Rachlin, Maxim Vengerov etc that that just isn't true! The violin doesn't "sound better" from a lack of shoulder-rest because scientifically your shoulder is pressing against much more of the back of the violin (a decent 2 or 3 inches squared is being forced against your shoulder)....so [not] allowing it to vibrate in a particular way. The shoulder-rest is a great invention. I don't think anyone has ever been to a concert and said "Hmm. Sorry. I couldn't hear much because the soloist wasn't using a should-rest"!!
4:43 I’m glad you brought up the secondhand market. I currently play on a $3150 instrument that I bought secondhand and paid nowhere near the MSRP. It also came with a Codabow Diamond GX bow. You can get lucky shopping secondhand but you have to know what you’re looking for when doing so as you have no sales staff to help you. You also have no trade in system should you ever want to upgrade. Pros and cons.
Such an informative and entertaining vid, Olaf. Extras to your list: 7. An tuner* (plus spare batteries) *mentioned at end of vid! I don't know an E from an F so having an electronic tuner clamped across the pegs is invaluable. At least now I can hear that it's not a B or an F#. 8. Spare set of strings. Bust my E on the first lesson attempting to tune! I also couldn't afford a half decent violin so went down the rental route and am able to play on a £700 instrument for £17.50/month. Another factor would be, as an outright beginner, that I couldn't possibly know how to choose a violin. Couldn't even have held a bow. By the time I'm ready to buy a better model, I'll have saved up, be able to play some pieces and will know what sort of sound I'm after. A lot also depends on the violinist. Ray can make any instrument sound aMaZiNg as did mine recently in the hands of a violinist (without 'L' plates). My tutoring sadly is remote which is not the best...
I started 4 months ago on a borrowed violin from a cousin. I decided to buy my own violin about a month ago. It was an 800 Scott Cao and was probably the second best decision I made this year. Best decision was picking up violin :)
Having fun and putting in the time is the key to learning anything, I agree completely. Whether it is to learn a musical instrument, some new craft, learn a new language or whatever it may be..
I bought a beautiful beginner's instrument from a local luthier thanks to your advice! Thank you for making your expert knowledge available to those of us just starting out.
I stopped playing with a shoulder rest. Just recently learned that I have a shorter neck that don't require the use of a shoulder rest. When I stopped using one my neck also stopped hurting. Short necked gang hahaha
Watched all your videos and it inspired me to buy a new violin. I took your advice and went to a violin dealer as I know nothing about violins. I'm in UK so went to a shop called Beares in London. I got one called a Strad as I've heard of the magazine which is good so their violins must be good. I got one of them wooden sticks with the thin cotton on and they gave me a night candle without a wick in a cotton cloth. Already I can play ba ba black sheep. I'm happy with instrument as case came with free dust, but I need a ball of dust to go inside to make violin seem old. Joking aside I have purchased a nice new violin because your videos have inspired me but not a strad. Keep up the great work Olaf.
Hey Olaf. Piano player here... I just bought a cheap, student Viola as my apocalypse toy! Already started sanding down and highlighting the edges! Lol. :D I guess it's 50% an art project. We'll see if I end up playing it much. (So far I play it like a mandolin.) But I absolutely LOVE having it. So there's that... Cheers!
Yes, a properly fitted adjustable Shoulder rest and Chin rest looks the most important in the beginning, im 180 cm and have a long Neck. After the first try i feel a lot of pain in my Jaw and Neck. Personally i'm very happy with the (German) Wittman fine tune Pegs, it was mounted in the Hidershine Student Violin. (Tuning is very light and holding in Tune.) I use a Peterson Hd Clip-On Strobo Tuner it has 0.1 cent Accuracy. (This was 70+ USD but it is very helpful in the beginning and worth it. I can always check the Sound what i try to play.)
Good video and looking forward to your next one about the kind of instruments one can buy. But I have noticed on some of your videos and also on some of two-set's videos some comments from people who are very budget constrained. Perhaps you could spell out, for each type of playing goal, what the first year's cost would be (instrument, accessories, maintenance (strings?), and lessons). I think playing goals might include parents who want their young children to learn to play, children old enough to know that they want to be in the school orchestra but have no intention to become music majors, college students who take a violin class as a fine arts elective, adults who just want to play simple songs (hymns maybe) for their own enjoyment, and of course many other goals. I just feel that there ought to be some budget-aware options to getting started even if it means that the pursuit of more advanced goals will eventually require additional time, money, effort, and patience. Sorry this is so long but to make it longer here's a story that relates. When my father and uncle were teenagers they each bought violins for about $5 each (in the 30's). Too poor to take lessons but they did learn to play and played most Sunday's in their small church. That ended when their family moved but it had been a meaningful activity for them.
You're definitely gonna want a rock stop with a strap that connects to the leg of your chair. In terms of rosin, get a nice hard case block of dark rosin for ~$15 on Amazon. Also, if you intend to make a good sound, avoid the brand Cecilio like the plague (fine for stands and cases and stuff though)
There is a point of wisdom that a guitar salesman once told me - "Never get the beginner instrument to start out. Everyone gets the beginner instrument. If you choose not to play anymore, no one will buy it off you second hand" - Pay a little more and be able to recover some of that money later if you give up the instrument (or... OR! Joy or joys upgrade!). Bottom of the line instruments have zero second hand market. That also means there are really good mid-level instruments on the used market for really reasonable prices. This isn't restricted to violin, its every instrument.
Hey Olaf, if you could, can you make a video over the differences of rosins? Like the difference between a dark rosin, light rosin, and amber rosins, and also could you reccomend some rosins? Thank you! 😁
Very interesting Olaf. I learned fairly quick that I preferred a Guarneri style ebony chin rest, but the shoulder rest was tougher to nail down. I prefer maple with decent padding over the abs or other padded plastics, but an adequate one is still affordable. The shoulder rests seems to affect the sound quality I hear too somehow, but the wood rests are good enough. I was never totally comfortable with the shoulder rest placement until I cloth wrapped the lower side of the rest against my body, tilting the instrument a little more parallel to the floor into a better angle for my fretting and bowing facility, and giving the violin a bit more stability. I wonder if the feet of the rest have more to do the sound changing? I hope that someday I’ll have enough playing control that I won’t have to be so rigid about placement, but there is definitely a range of violin position in 3D space relative to the body that is optimal with any player for best fretting facility of each string across positions and any bowing actions required for the right hand.
I have a sizure disorder n it caused me to have a bad learning disability. I cannot read music! Can NOT! 😵💫so I’ve learned to play by tablature n also by ear. I love playing. It’s been 2 yrs. I just learned George Gershwin’s summertime. I loved playing it on an online concert. Oh btw I’m 65 yrs young and fulfilling a childhood dream of learning to play! God is good!🤩🙏❤️👌🤗🎻
Olaf, what is that thin instrument hanging on your window? I once saw in an encyclopedia a similar violin, several centuries old, that was used to practice at night without making noise. Is that? Could you show it?
I have the opposite of everything you mentioned at the beginning of the video :D I bought cheap strings the violin is pretty bad, should not expect high quality from a violin that I borrowed from the music school. Can you also make a video about the violins that are used on the schools, that would also be interesting to watch. I would like to know why it is different than the other violins... I love your videos !!!
Hi Olaf. Love your videos. Question: I recently noticed that the f-hole on the side of the sound post is slightly higher than the other side. Is that normal? Also, there was slight movement of my bridge, following replacing my strings. The bridge was shifted back, but am noticing that it’s not quite straight, but tilted slightly towards the fine tuners...is that ok? Thank you!
Hi Yessenia, The soundpost could be a little too tight... or it is just the way the top-plate has settled in over the years. Watch my video on keeping the bridge straight to help with the bridge... it shouldn't have a lean
I'm 51 with some musical background but haven't played drums, piano or trumpet in nearly 30 yrs. I've recently become fasinated with classical music. All of the sudden it's nearly the only music I can stand to listen to. My wife thinks I've lost my mind.... Lol Maybe I have. I've spent the past two days learning all I can about violins. I want to learn, I hope I can learn a new trick. Archie
That intro is hilarious! That's exactly what I did... must be an illness. Violin $35, bow $24, strings $19, case $59. I have yet to garner a smile from my wife...
Hey Olaf, have you heard anything about Roderich Paesold violins? I had an 802 given to me a while back but I can’t see the luthier around here because there isn’t one. Love your videos a lot, makes me smile everytime. 💕
Looking forward to that next video Olaf... I really think that’s going to be a home run ( not many people are talking about those different price ranges, it’s just usually either $20k+ or cheap amazon 30 buck violins to get a good laugh ). Sorry for the roast Eddy and Brett, but you are above us mere mortals who struggle with the budget.
Nice video ! I have already started couple of month ago but it was interesting. I have a question : the strings on the bridge have a particular distance between them too (like on the finger tap) ? PS : sorry for bad English :/
I have heard and sell some wonderful carbon fibre bows, but there are also some pretty average ones. It is all about trying them out and finding a bow that works. I would try both carbon fibre and wood
I second what Olaf said, that price does not always mean better sound/playing,but it is likely that the very cheapest violins won't have great sound or be easy to play. These days you can get some great student level violins for 300 or 400 bucks USD, some of the Chinese and eastern European models are not bad. As a beginner it is hard because you won't really know what works, you won't have a feel for it. To be honest it is likely your first instrument will end up being limited and will need to be replaced quickly if you stay w it. Good instrument stores often have a policy where if you buy an instrument and decide you want something different they will give you credit for the purchase price to another one of higher price,so you can pay the differential. In terms of a store I recommend one that deals mostly w string instruments,general purpose music stores that sell all.kinds of instruments don't have the greatest selection and the sales people likely don't know it well. My kid did find a decent full size at a place like this ,but by then he knew how it should feel, had played a while. I would recommend not buying one of those all in one combos places promote,w bow,case,violin,etc for a cheap price. You will do better setting a budget, and concentrate on the violin and bow that seems to feel okay. If you know someone who plays violin, like a friend,have them help,at least they can tell you what to try and ask how it feels, guide you. One thing to know is like anything else there are hustles in this space. If you walk in a violin shop, and the owner tells you that you need a violin that costs at least 1000,1500 bucks,etc,walk out.While that 70 buck violin is likely gonna be horrible, especially for a beginner there is no reason to spend that kind of money,especially if you aren't sure it will be something that lasts. The idea price is better quality is also part of a scam, luthier will say 'I have this custom made violin I did, amazing sound,cost you 2500, find another luthier who will do this'. Meanwhile,that 'custom made' means the luthier bought a white (unvarnished) factory violin, varnished it,put on pegs, cheap bridge,tailpiece and strings, prob cost him a couple of hundred at most,sells it for several thousand. Don't let people tell you that,a good shop will have you try violins at various prices in your range without telling you the price and let sound and feel determine what you get. Lot of students work with their teacher on getting a violin,but that has problems. As sad as it is to say there are teachers who have 'arrangements,' w local shops, where they steer students there, the shop overcharges (see custom violins above), and teacher gets kickbacks. If your teacher says 'go to this shop' emphatically, if they tell you don't try any others,find another teacher! If they recommend a number of shops,that likely is on the level. If they tell you 'spend at least 2000' , get a new teacher,likely next will be one or two shops ie scam.....they did a poll of music teachers by Strings magazine and like 20% of respondents said these arrangements were ok. On the other hand my kid had a teacher who refused to recommend shops bc of this crap. It wouldn't be bad maybe to rent a violin to start,and then involve the teacher in the search to buy one. Visit shops, find violins you like, and either check them out and play them for the teacher,or take the teacher with you to the shops....and offer to pay them for their time at their rate, that is fair,it is above board. Bows are important but I would prioritize the fiddle. You can get a decent starter bow ,wood or carbon fiber,for a hundred bucks or so these days,if you find a decent fiddle,play a variety of bows in your budget and see what feels best. Olaf is dead spot on w teachers, it is a very personal relationship,a teacher who you don't feel comfortable with is not gonna work right. At the high end of violin teachers,among the 'great teachers' there are still tyrants and psychos ( take a look at the sexual harassment scandals at CIM and Curtis,among others), but that is a different world. If the teacher doesn't work for you or at some point stops working,change teachers, it is the norm.
Honestly; I've been playing the Guitar for 16 years but never dared to pick up the violin. Not because I think I wouldn't be able to play the violin moderately after some time, but because of the immense gatekeeping within the classical community.
What about finding a less expensive used violin? I suppose one would need to know what they are looking for though. I occasionally see older violins for sale locally, like a German strad copy with a bridge labeled "dresden". for 300 dollars.
which one is the video about the good setup? I just ordered a violin online and want to take measures when it gets here. Is it the "improving a $100 violin" one?
I don't believe a shoulder rest / chin rest should be considered "a must". I've been playing for 3 months now and it felt like the most clunky uncomfortable thing in the world for me to a point it kinda turned me off a little bit (it was hurting my neck and skin) and I was always struggling to put it back in place and such. Until one day I randomly figured out those gadgets can easily be removed and so I did, suddenly the violin just felt natural and it was not painful anymore, I took about 1h to get used to it, now I can shift as easily as before I think and it's more comfortable PLUS, I really love the feeling of the vibration on my cheek lol. Off course 3 months is nothing compared to your teacher with 90 years experience BUT for me at least, it made all the difference in the world, going from "I'm not sure this is for me" to "wow no more neck torture". I suggest at least give it a 30 minutes trial if like me the violin felt more like a torture device than a music instrument.
I think there are quite a few... I don't really use one, so I'm not the best person to ask, but make sure it had plenty of downloads and gets good reviews.
Insurance if your school offers it. Usually or at least when I was in schools local shops partnered with the schools in the area to offer free repairs if you paid for annual insurance. High School is the hardest period in an instruments life.
Sadly my teacher doesn't do online lessons, but she gave me pieces to learn. I send her recordings and she tells what I should look out for. Other than that we just whine to each other how we miss the lessons. XD
Olaf. Thank you for this. I picked up the violin a couple years ago as an adult. I was rather disheartened by other channels such as twosetviolin because of their violin elitism that I found very off-putting to new violin olayers. And was encouraged again when I found your channel. So again, thank you.
I'm 18 and really want to learn to play the violin, but i have no music education so I just started to learn some solfege by myself. The fact to actually go in a music school for strings beginner stress me out, I don't want to be judge by the kids 😥 I also feel like I won't have time to pratice with studies/homeworks 😭
The teacher part i agreed i didn't get along in first day but after a eight month i started to get along with the teacher not like the teacher that for sure.
You know guys you are so smart you clicked this video I actually believe that you should do research when your gonna start playing the violin here are the best channels to do that #askolaftheviolinmaker #twosetviolin #raychen #theonlinepianoandviolintutor #Hilaryhahn
Teacher should be #1 instead of #7. A good teacher can help you find a good instrument and may even know if another student has a used one available for sale. A good teacher will help you figure out the correct balance of shoulder rest + chinrest for your specific anatomy. A good teacher will tell you (gently) that while it might be cool to play "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", it may not be a realistic goal for awhile. And a good teacher will teach you all the other little things, like instrument care, how to tune, which rosin/strings to buy, etc. :)
No NO NOOO. Don't buy one when you are starting out ! Rent one ! First of all you don't know if you are going to want to stick with violin. Second of all don't buy a violin until you sort of know what sound you are going for. Maybe after 2-4 years playing nearly daily with a good teacher... you will be able to actually have a preference related to your unique ear and physiology. Until you know how you like the neck to feel etc...
The problem is that here where I am a lot of rentals are totally dodgy, which can lead to a player giving up... but yes, that can work for some beginners.
I like this channel, but why does it take 15 minutes to say something that can be said in five or ten? And, if the advice is on mark, nobody that has access to a proper violin and bow has no business trying to learn the thing because any old violin and bow that does not meet the "standards" is not a violin worth learning. In other words, if you learned to play the fiddle on a cracked violin and using an almost hairless bow is not learning the violin. The number one thing that a person needs to learn the violin is desire to do so. And that's it.
