Recent Articles
Have You Found A Stradivarius?
by Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer
more articles by the Violin Dealer
So, you've found or inherited an old violin. You look inside and the first thing that you see is the label, which is affixed to the back of the instrument and can be viewed through the "ff" holes. What does the label say? Odds are quite good that it says "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 17XX".
So, have you just won the lottery? Do you have an instrument worth millions of dollars? Unfortunately chances are good that what you have is a copy of a Stradivari, which was likely made in Germany or Czechoslovakia during the period of 1875 to 1940.
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by Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer
more articles by the Violin Dealer
So, you've found or inherited an old violin. You look inside and the first thing that you see is the label, which is affixed to the back of the instrument and can be viewed through the "ff" holes. What does the label say? Odds are quite good that it says "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 17XX".
So, have you just won the lottery? Do you have an instrument worth millions of dollars? Unfortunately chances are good that what you have is a copy of a Stradivari, which was likely made in Germany or Czechoslovakia during the period of 1875 to 1940.
Continue...
How to Choose Violin Strings
by Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer
more articles by the Violin Dealer
Now that you've practiced and practiced, you might be noticing that your strings are starting to sound false, or not in tune. Or, perhaps they are starting to unravel or sound "dull." If you have a fiddle contest or performance coming up, you should try to change your strings a week or two ahead of time to allow them to stretch and reach their full potential. How do you determine which strings to choose? There are numerous strings on the market at various price points.
Continue...
by Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer
more articles by the Violin Dealer
Now that you've practiced and practiced, you might be noticing that your strings are starting to sound false, or not in tune. Or, perhaps they are starting to unravel or sound "dull." If you have a fiddle contest or performance coming up, you should try to change your strings a week or two ahead of time to allow them to stretch and reach their full potential. How do you determine which strings to choose? There are numerous strings on the market at various price points.
Continue...
How Does Weather Affect Tuning?
by Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer
more articles by the Violin Dealer
Stringed instruments are very sensitive to extremes of heat and cold and variations in humidity. The biggest problem that violins experience in the winter is slipping pegs, which shrink in winter when the humidity drops. When they shrink, they release themselves from the box. Many people feel that applying "peg dope" will fix this problem. However, applying this material can actually make the problem worse because it is a lubricant and can therefore cause even more slippage.
One possible solution can be to make sure that the strings are wound in the box correctly. Start by inserting the string in the proper string holes and begin evenly winding them towards the wall of the box that is on the same side as the head of the peg. If your strings are wound to the edge of the box, this will help guard against slippage. Be careful not to wind the string so close to the wall that you can't turn the peg, or you damage the string.
Continue...
by Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer
more articles by the Violin Dealer
Stringed instruments are very sensitive to extremes of heat and cold and variations in humidity. The biggest problem that violins experience in the winter is slipping pegs, which shrink in winter when the humidity drops. When they shrink, they release themselves from the box. Many people feel that applying "peg dope" will fix this problem. However, applying this material can actually make the problem worse because it is a lubricant and can therefore cause even more slippage.
One possible solution can be to make sure that the strings are wound in the box correctly. Start by inserting the string in the proper string holes and begin evenly winding them towards the wall of the box that is on the same side as the head of the peg. If your strings are wound to the edge of the box, this will help guard against slippage. Be careful not to wind the string so close to the wall that you can't turn the peg, or you damage the string.
Continue...
Simply Violin: Embrace and Extend Suzuki
by Lisa Berman, M.M.
More articles by the Violin Teacher
Suzuki Violin School: Book One has been a bedrock of violin education since it was introduced in the 1970s. One of the first books to rely on arranging songs in order of increasing difficulty, it is a favorite of violin teachers, Suzuki and non-Suzuki alike.
But this book has certain limitations that can make supplementing its content a good idea. A principal issue is that there are only seventeen songs in the first Suzuki Book, and, by the end of the book, the student is expected to play works by both Bach and Schumann, in edited but still rather difficult arrangements -- quite a jump from folk tunes and the five etude-like works written by Shinichi Suzuki.
Continue...
by Lisa Berman, M.M.
More articles by the Violin Teacher
Suzuki Violin School: Book One has been a bedrock of violin education since it was introduced in the 1970s. One of the first books to rely on arranging songs in order of increasing difficulty, it is a favorite of violin teachers, Suzuki and non-Suzuki alike.
But this book has certain limitations that can make supplementing its content a good idea. A principal issue is that there are only seventeen songs in the first Suzuki Book, and, by the end of the book, the student is expected to play works by both Bach and Schumann, in edited but still rather difficult arrangements -- quite a jump from folk tunes and the five etude-like works written by Shinichi Suzuki.
Continue...
Circular Reasoning. A Key to Learning Music.
by Lisa Berman, M.M.
View more articles
What is a Circle of Fifths diagram? It is a visual representation of the major and minor key signatures arranged in order of ascending and descending perfect fifths.
On the Circle, the addition or subtraction of a sharp or flat to any key signature creates a new key that is either up a perfect fifth (in the case of addition of a sharp or flat), or down a perfect fifth (in the case of subtraction of a sharp or flat) from the original key. For example, the key of D Major has two sharps (an F and a C). Add an additional sharp (a G) to D major, and the key becomes A major -- which is up a perfect 5th from the original D Major. Take away a sharp from D Major, and the key becomes G Major, which is down a perfect fifth from the original key of D.
Logically, the Circle of Fifths diagram is circular in shape, much like an analog clock. When a sharp is added, the new key is placed clockwise on the diagram. When a sharp is removed or a flat is added, the new key is placed in a counterclockwise position relative to the previous key. Major and minor keys with the same number of sharps and flats are placed together.
The Circle of Fifths Diagram has many possible uses.
Continue...
by Lisa Berman, M.M.
View more articles
What is a Circle of Fifths diagram? It is a visual representation of the major and minor key signatures arranged in order of ascending and descending perfect fifths.
On the Circle, the addition or subtraction of a sharp or flat to any key signature creates a new key that is either up a perfect fifth (in the case of addition of a sharp or flat), or down a perfect fifth (in the case of subtraction of a sharp or flat) from the original key. For example, the key of D Major has two sharps (an F and a C). Add an additional sharp (a G) to D major, and the key becomes A major -- which is up a perfect 5th from the original D Major. Take away a sharp from D Major, and the key becomes G Major, which is down a perfect fifth from the original key of D.
Logically, the Circle of Fifths diagram is circular in shape, much like an analog clock. When a sharp is added, the new key is placed clockwise on the diagram. When a sharp is removed or a flat is added, the new key is placed in a counterclockwise position relative to the previous key. Major and minor keys with the same number of sharps and flats are placed together.
The Circle of Fifths Diagram has many possible uses.
Continue...
The Importance of Violin Scales and Arpeggios
by Lisa Berman, M.M.
View more articles
Scales are Arpeggios are important for learning violin. And yet, many students consider them the bane of their violin existence. After all, they sound best when executed with near-perfect technique and yet seem to lack interest, musical content, and melody.
What are the advantages to practicing scales? How better to learn to play even up-bows and down-bows, without rhythm or melody to distort rhythmical consistency and symmetrical bowing. In addition, key signatures must be mastered to play scales correctly and in tune. And, they force the student to play in many positions as well as to master the high reaches of the violin in a controlled manner. Intonation and good tone can also be developed through playing scales, along with a steady and consistent vibrato. Practiced at a rapid tempo, scales also develop fluency of the fingers and accurate shifting. Finally, from a practical point of view, many schools, colleges, conservatories, and youth symphonies require scales as part of auditions. Thus, failing to learn them can render the student unable to compete.
Continue...
by Lisa Berman, M.M.
View more articles
Scales are Arpeggios are important for learning violin. And yet, many students consider them the bane of their violin existence. After all, they sound best when executed with near-perfect technique and yet seem to lack interest, musical content, and melody.
What are the advantages to practicing scales? How better to learn to play even up-bows and down-bows, without rhythm or melody to distort rhythmical consistency and symmetrical bowing. In addition, key signatures must be mastered to play scales correctly and in tune. And, they force the student to play in many positions as well as to master the high reaches of the violin in a controlled manner. Intonation and good tone can also be developed through playing scales, along with a steady and consistent vibrato. Practiced at a rapid tempo, scales also develop fluency of the fingers and accurate shifting. Finally, from a practical point of view, many schools, colleges, conservatories, and youth symphonies require scales as part of auditions. Thus, failing to learn them can render the student unable to compete.
Continue...