Violin

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

Once you learn proper posture/form, you can start mastering the technical aspects (quicker/more accurate fingering, shifting/gliss, all the variations of bowing). After that, everything is art and comes from the soul. The only thing you really need to be taught is the first part (which is how I learned it). Then I just practiced for a few years.

This is correct. This is why I said learn how to teach yourself. Once you know and see how things work, you can drill away until you get it.

 

[puffff]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

very few people can teach themselves how to play violin well, even if they put in a lot of effort. maybe you're special, i dont know. but the OP is asking how he should learn. it's bad advice to tell him to teach himself.

if i asked for advice on how to make lots of money quickly, some lucky guy who won powerball could tell me to buy lotto tickets, it worked for him, so it's possible. but that doesnt make it good advice.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

Anyone can say "I taught myself", but are you any good? Not to be offensive, but I'm guessing no.

 

[Spikesoldier]

make a deal with the robot devil and take his golden fiddle

 

[cchen]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

haha.... right. I've played violin for 13 years and studied at a top conservatory during HS.... you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[TechBoyJK]

actually, its a matter of you being cocky and arrogant, rather than me not knowing what i am talking about. I didn't say I ruled at violin, but I can play one, probably not as good as you, but if you really want to be able to play the violin, you can do so by learning the basics of technique and what to practice, and taking it from there. Maybe you have just overcomplicated what it takes to master the instrument, where as to me I have simplified it. However, I devote my time to guitar, not violin.

I'm not a professional musician, but I practice several hours a day, with about an hour on my upright acoustic.

don't be such an azz hat. focker.

Thats the thing about arrogant musicians that go to the better schools, they usually become very self centered and think they know better than anybody else because they go to some "elite" conservatory.

julliard? (i'll give props if so, but just dont be so cocky)

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

Anyone can say "I taught myself", but are you any good? Not to be offensive, but I'm guessing no.

Am I any good? At guitar, I can play anything I want to. Violin, not really that good. Upright bass? I can walk the shlt out of it but I my technique with the bow is lacking the refinement I wish I had. I don't practice that much though. The point I was trying to make though, is that for me, at this point in my life, it is a matter of practice, not teaching myself anything.

 

[Goosemaster]

Me and my $200 Hungarian Violin will OWN YOU ALL....


That is all.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

haha.... right. I've played violin for 13 years and studied at a top conservatory during HS.... you have no idea what you're talking about.

Maybe you just suck and it took you forever to learn what I could have learned in half the time. What did you study at the conservatory that I couldn't find in a book or online? Yes, you have masters right there with you to help you, and that is a huge benefit, but we aren't talking about learning violin masterpieces and the complete encyclopedia of violin, we are just talking about learning how to play the violin.

If someone told Jimi Hendrix that he didn't know what he was talking about because he didn't go to some conservatory I would have laughed in there face. I'd rather listen to Jimi rough his way through a piece than here some heartless over technical pud hit every note perfectly.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

haha.... right. I've played violin for 13 years and studied at a top conservatory during HS.... you have no idea what you're talking about.

Music is about a mental cacpcity that is partly taught and or learned to utilize. Perhaps a conservatory will force it to develop through brute force tactics, but it has been proven time and time again that the otherwise is jsut as plausible.

I have met many a violin player that never or perhaps barely studied it as you have and they mopped the floor with me.

Many people say that this skill "come fro mthe heart" or other rhetorical bullsh#t. In actuallity, there are a variety of ways to "hotwire the vehicle" if you get myt drift.

Also remember that being pretentious makes you stick out like a floodlight to nearby snipers.

That is all.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

haha.... right. I've played violin for 13 years and studied at a top conservatory during HS.... you have no idea what you're talking about.

Music is about a mental cacpcity that is partly taught and or learned to utilize. Perhaps a conservatory will force it to develop through brute force tactics, but it has been proven time and time again that the otherwise is jsut as plausible.

I have met many a violin player that never or perhaps barely studied it as you have and they mopped the floor with me.

Many people say that this skill "come fro mthe heart" or other rhetorical bullsh#t. In actuallity, there are a variety of ways to "hotwire the vehicle" if you get myt drift.

Also remember that being pretentious makes you stick out like a floodlight to nearby snipers.

That is all.

good logic. amen.

 

[TuxDave]

I can play the violin... but I'm not very good at it. Let me tell you this, THAT COMBINATION SUCKS! It's a really horrible feeling when you like an instrument and the way it sounds, you like some music from an instrument but you can't play it. I disagree with the self-teaching advice. You need someone to correct you if you want to do very well. If you just want to play some basic tunes, then I guess you can learn it yourself but make sure you buy a cheap instrument because it's really not worth your money to spend the $$ only to play dinky tunes.

<---- Taught for 2 years, played by myself for the remaining 6 years... Violin skills = suck compared to evereyone else.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
I can play the violin... but I'm not very good at it. Let me tell you this, THAT COMBINATION SUCKS! It's a really horrible feeling when you like an instrument and the way it sounds, you like some music from an instrument but you can't play it. I disagree with the self-teaching advice. You need someone to correct you if you want to do very well. If you just want to play some basic tunes, then I guess you can learn it yourself but make sure you buy a cheap instrument because it's really not worth your money to spend the $$ only to play dinky tunes.

<---- Taught for 2 years, played by myself for the remaining 6 years... Violin skills = suck compared to evereyone else.

I disagree with disagreeing about the self teaching advice. In order to be a master, you have to be able to correct yourself. The best place to start that skill is from the beginning.

There is a certain skill involved, universal to all instruments, in teaching yourself. You have to seek out what needs to be taught, and you have to design the best approach for you to learn what needs to be taught. If you have to take lessons your whole life, im sorry, id rather listen to the guy that taught you.

 

[BluBelle]

Congrats on wanting to learn how to play the violin. It is a great instrument to know how to play. I learned to play it in 4th grade. It is easier to learn when you are younger, but if you put in the effort you will do fine. I havent played it in years and i have been thinking of taking it up again. Time to start practicing, hope my roommates dont kill me. Good luck to you.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: puffff

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

UMMMMMM. YES. Maybe you cant teach yourself, its a matter of desire and effort. Thats why i said take lessons on how to teach yourself. BTW, i can play violin, cello, and upright bass, all of which I tought myself.

very few people can teach themselves how to play violin well, even if they put in a lot of effort. maybe you're special, i dont know. but the OP is asking how he should learn. it's bad advice to tell him to teach himself.

if i asked for advice on how to make lots of money quickly, some lucky guy who won powerball could tell me to buy lotto tickets, it worked for him, so it's possible. but that doesnt make it good advice.

It would be bad advice if I said lock yourself in a closet and teach yourself. I'm leaning more towards taking lessons at first to get a handle on what it takes to play, and then picking up books, cd's, and videos to compliment a self teaching/practicing routine.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Want to learn violin? take the approach i did to guitar. I took lessons on how to teach myself. That way I only had to take limited lessons, and I also watched tons of videos and read books. After about a few months of studying the instrument and learning how to practice and teach myself things, I just started doing that. After about 10 solid years of it, I can almost play anything...... If you practice diligently, lke an hour a day, and you focus on working your fingers at all angles instead of just songs, you will be really good in less than a year.

Don't lie to yourself when you practice. Focus on drills to expand the uses of your hand. Don't worry so much about songs at first. Worry about getting your fingers to do what you tell them. If that means playing very repetative motions, very slow, then do it! its worth it imho. You can either spend your practice time playings songs, and when you play for your own enjoyment, what your hand can do will be limited to what you taught it to do while learning those songs, or you can learn how to walk the entire neck of the instrument, and when you play, play whatever you want, however you want.

JK

Ummmm..... no. Guitar you can learn yourself, violin you cannot.

lol, i thought of a funny play on your words. Violin "I" can teach myself, Violin "you" cannot. hahaha

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: Toastedlightly

Originally posted by: paulney
First you need a circumcision.

got that

I am just looking for an instrument that nobody plays but that could be fun, but hard. Also, i see different sizes 4/4 3/4 2/4 1/4. What one would i want if i were to get one?

Personally I would like to take up the Violin too....
This after being at a concert the other night that involved lots of them.

 

[Ladiesnhan]

I played the violin for about 6 years and was so dedicated that I practice around 6 hours a day. It is a very tough instrument to learn. First year or 2 when you suck you get so discouraged and don't really want to play because it doesn't sound anything like what you hear in concerts or on cds. You have to be advanced to be able to come close to that. I got to that level after around 3 years and made it to 22nd in my state when I was in HS. Anyways for a beginner you can either rent one and if after 6 months you still find that you want to persue it then go ahead and buy one. Keep in mind the violin does help a lot with sound but skills need to come before you go buying a good violin. Another thing is I would definately take private lessons. You progress and learn much more. They are fairly cheap and the one on one sessions will help you fix the mistakes that you can make if you try to learn by yourself or in a big classroom.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: TuxDave
I can play the violin... but I'm not very good at it. Let me tell you this, THAT COMBINATION SUCKS! It's a really horrible feeling when you like an instrument and the way it sounds, you like some music from an instrument but you can't play it. I disagree with the self-teaching advice. You need someone to correct you if you want to do very well. If you just want to play some basic tunes, then I guess you can learn it yourself but make sure you buy a cheap instrument because it's really not worth your money to spend the $$ only to play dinky tunes.

<---- Taught for 2 years, played by myself for the remaining 6 years... Violin skills = suck compared to evereyone else.

I disagree with disagreeing about the self teaching advice. In order to be a master, you have to be able to correct yourself. The best place to start that skill is from the beginning.

There is a certain skill involved, universal to all instruments, in teaching yourself. You have to seek out what needs to be taught, and you have to design the best approach for you to learn what needs to be taught. If you have to take lessons your whole life, im sorry, id rather listen to the guy that taught you.

I agree. That in an of itself was my saving grace. I couldn't afford the private lessons or the expensive instruments, so I learned to realize perfection and attempt to mirror it. For example, I can point out a RIDICULOUS amount of detail in a piece. Out of 100 or more version's of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue," there is still only one version that I can stand to listen to ebcause of the brilliant temo. Hell, I can't even stand Gerswhin's own performances of it due to the shoppy rythym. I have also developed quite an "interesting " ear. I may not be as apt in identifying the key of a piece immediately but you better believe the first note I will play will be in that key. The same goes with secondary melodies. I have such vast experience in accompanyment that 2nd violin parts and such immediate "make sense" as do secodnary rythyms and keys.

I am by no means perfect. What I do play however (because i do actually practice) comes out beautifully because of whatever it is that I developed to compensate for a lack of private instruction. For example, you can give me one piece, and I will not rehearse it like one would normally such as in repeating sections that were played eith error. I instead choose to repeat sections of the song based on flow, temp, key, etc which just comes to me naturally. This results in longer practice times, but it produces great results and even incorporates a large number of anticipatory landmarks for me.


I would never make the mistake of underestimating that which is different t

 

[Goosemaster]

BTW, my favorite Violinist is Jascha Heifetz.

Inntonation. Rythym. Emotion. Perfection.

 

[cchen]

Not trying to be cocky, sorry if I came off that way.

Anway, my main point is this : When you start out is the most difficult... if you don't get a solid foundation you're gonna pick up bad habits that you won't be able to get away from. Even iwith a teacher, you're prone to picking up bad habits. And I pretty much feel that you need an instructor up until you reach the conservatory level. Its gonna take many years before you even get close to any level of proficiency where you can "teach" yourself.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: cchen
Not trying to be cocky, sorry if I came off that way.

Anway, my main point is this : When you start out is the most difficult... if you don't get a solid foundation you're gonna pick up bad habits that you won't be able to get away from. Even iwith a teacher, you're prone to picking up bad habits. And I pretty much feel that you need an instructor up until you reach the conservatory level. Its gonna take many years before you even get close to any level of proficiency where you can "teach" yourself.

Thanks for the apology. As you have, I have spent quite alot of time trying to master my instrument. I get somewhat defensive if someone says I don't know what I am talking about.

You do make a good point, and that is about starting with bad habits. This is why I initially suggested a few lessons at first to get posture correct, etc. And when I say "teach yourself" this doesn't mean, to me at least, secluding yourself from all outside influence, but more or less, maybe buy some videos and read a few books that will disclose potential bad habits and such. If you really want to be good, from the bottom your heart, you will seek out what those bad habits are and avoid them. It's all a matter of discipline. I can't say myself that I wouldn't have enjoyed being able to spend more time studying, and even go as far as to something like Julliard (if I could even get in without bribing them with money). But I didn't have the option, so I explored other options. I did what I could with my instrument, rather than not doing anything at all because I couldn't find someone to hold my hand all the way until I got my black belt. And in doing so, I have learned so much about myself and the mind/hand connection I have to my instrument.

btw, I will say guitar is easier in that it has frets, You can be off but still make a solid, intoned note because the fret is always right. A difficult approach to learning a non fretted instrument is too sit next to a piano, and play "find the note" punch an "a" on the keyboard, and find all the matches on the stringed instrument. Some people make the mistake of learning the mathmatical location of the note on the violin and depend on hitting that exact spot, instead of learning what the note is really supposed to sound like.

 

[ed21x]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
BTW, my favorite Violinist is Jascha Heifetz.

Inntonation. Rythym. Emotion. Perfection.

My violin teacher was taught by Heifitz, which makes me second generation =) As for the violin part, yes it is true that violin is NOT an instrument you cannot teach yourself-- the same goes with any other classical instrument. Seeing as how you're a beginner, I would personnaly recommend an entry level 4/4 violin by Suzuki, K Becker, Bellafina, or anything at around the $400 price range http://www.wwbw.com/Stringed-Instruments-d18.music . Try not to settle for anything less because that is sort of the price/performance point at that level. Other than that, get a private tutor and start practicing your scales! To reach an intermediate level on the violin takes at least 4 years if you're awesome, and quite a few years more than that to really get the tone quality you associate with a developed musician.

~Ed

 

[ed21x]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
actually, its a matter of you being cocky and arrogant, rather than me not knowing what i am talking about. I didn't say I ruled at violin, but I can play one, probably not as good as you, but if you really want to be able to play the violin, you can do so by learning the basics of technique and what to practice, and taking it from there. Maybe you have just overcomplicated what it takes to master the instrument, where as to me I have simplified it. However, I devote my time to guitar, not violin.

I'm not a professional musician, but I practice several hours a day, with about an hour on my upright acoustic.

don't be such an azz hat. focker.

Thats the thing about arrogant musicians that go to the better schools, they usually become very self centered and think they know better than anybody else because they go to some "elite" conservatory.

julliard? (i'll give props if so, but just dont be so cocky)

it is impossible to learn how to play the violin well without a private instructor. The violin takes waay more skill, nuances, strict scrutiny at every level than something easy like the guitar. And no, I may not have gotten into Julliard, but my teacher teaches at Berklee (not berkeley) school of music, which ranks right up there with Curtis, SF Conservatory, and Julliard.

I would say the violin differ because it is an instrument where there is much to learn at every level in addition to perfecting what you already know. It's not a matter of mastering the instrument (which is impossible to do) but having access to the new knowledge you need to adquire at different stages of playing isn't something you can read or pick up from a CD, but can only be passed down from people to people.

 

[0roo0roo]

you need lessons to learn proper technique. no point dicking around wasting time unless your a genius.