/r/violinist

Photograph via snooOG

For All Things Violin

For All Things Violin

A subreddit for any violin-related discussion.


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If you are asking a question, or looking for help, please make sure to include as much relevant information as you can, including video if at all possible. Remember, the more information you can provide, the better answers you will receive.


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IMSLP is a good resource for public domain classical music.

Scores for anime/video game music/film/pop songs are not always available. You can look for modern music at your local music or violin shop or by searching online shops.

If you are looking for transcriptions, please visit r/transcribe.


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/r/violinist

70,841 Subscribers

1

Advice for first ever competition!!

no idea where to start or how to mentally prepare for it - thankfully it is in a few months time, and so ill be playing shostakovich violin sonata. it is an ameteur competition but alot of my friends who regularly take part in these competitions are much better than me lol - is there anything i should be aware of?

0 Comments
2023/09/23
23:18 UTC

1

Apple 9 watch and violin playing

Does anyone know if the double tap gets triggered while playing?

I am thinking that string players might trigger their watches

0 Comments
2023/09/23
22:35 UTC

3

What concerto should i prepare for my masters audition?

I’m a month into my first year in music school and i want to start preparing my masters audition repertoire by next year. Im working on saint saens b minor and bach preludio right now. What rep should i look at? I want to play some lesser played rep, i know theres gonna be a lot of mendelssohn and stuff like that, so what should i look into for hard and less common rep?

14 Comments
2023/09/23
19:39 UTC

7

New Rosin

I am trying to but some new rosin because the rosin I’m using kinda sucks. Right now I’m lookin at Jade Rosin, but if anyone has some suggestions for what rosin to get it would be much appreciated

11 Comments
2023/09/23
17:10 UTC

2

Gig Piece Recommendations?

First time posting on this subreddit.. so Hi r/violinist!

I am currently a high school senior, and have my first gig in about a month, but I am still conflicted on what piece to play after the choir I am playing for..

To get a sense of level, some of the pieces I’ve been learning lately are Mozart’s Concerto No. 3, Bach Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, and a few of the Bach Partita’s.

But since I need to direct my focus more on college auditions, I was thinking more on something on the easier side.. so I’ve looked at Seitz Concerto in G Minor, Liebeslied, and Sarabande in G Minor by Carl Bohm.

All are nice, but I have yet to find something that fully catches my eye, so does anyone have any recommendations? It’s nice to meet you all. :)

1 Comment
2023/09/23
16:04 UTC

23

Is the violin bow always supposed be moving straight or am I doing fine?

(Btw I have only been playing for less than a month, this is what my teacher wants me to play)

28 Comments
2023/09/23
15:50 UTC

2

Mozart

Hi guys, how should I behave in front of Mozart's dotted notes, which bow stroke should I use since the notes are staccato and fast?

5 Comments
2023/09/23
05:59 UTC

20

What is this piece?

Some of my teacher’s sheet music got wet and the pages separated and the beginning of this piece?/etude? is missing. There are over 20 variations in total

11 Comments
2023/09/23
05:51 UTC

4

A same bow but over $100 price different

Do you guys know why a same bow’s price can differ from $100 to $200??

I went to a local violin shop with my teacher to buy a bow. I tested few bows and searched online about brands of the bows to make a best choice for me. And I found that online stores are selling the same bow for $100 to $200 cheaper than the local violin shop❓(I used Google picture search and added the bow brand)

The both local violin shop and the online stores are reputable. I still don’t get it why the price is different.

7 Comments
2023/09/23
05:33 UTC

1

My bow eyelet is stripped, could i have prevented it?

Just the title. Just this Thursday I tried to tighten my bow, it didn’t work. Turn out my bow’s eyelet is stripped. When my parents called the rental, they said “Oh, he didn’t loosen it.” Is there any truth to what they said. Also, I know it’s bad but i’ve been using the bow for >3 years without checkups. Edit: To be clear, I do loosen my bow, but now I’m worried I’m not doing it enough.

4 Comments
2023/09/23
04:27 UTC

23

Thank you all for being you.

I don't know how to play the violin, but I'm a dedicated enthusiast of classical violin music. Not a day goes by without me immersing myself in Hilary Hahn's remarkable Bach interpretations. Occasionally, I browse this subreddit out of curiosity, and I'm consistently struck by the helpful, kind, and appreciative community here. It's a rare find in the world of online forums where negative comments abound. Learning to play the violin and mastering Bach's compositions is a dream of mine, one I hope to fulfill someday. Until then, I'll continue to frequent this subreddit for inspiration. I want to express my gratitude to everyone for being your wonderful selves. I love this subreddit.

10 Comments
2023/09/23
03:22 UTC

3

What is the most economical way of getting a entry-level period instrument (baroque violin)?

I have recently taken an interest into period performance, and I wish to find a Baroque violin. However most options (2000+) are out of my price range, and I have found no luck in my search. If you may take some time, please leave some recommendations for me. Many thanks in advance.

6 Comments
2023/09/23
02:56 UTC

2

Anyone know where I can find a scan of the manuscript of the 4th Mozart violin concerto?

Normally one can rely on IMSLP for this stuff but they don't seem to have it and most of the other sources I know of don't have it either. And advice?

3 Comments
2023/09/23
01:56 UTC

50

What a great start to my practice

11 Comments
2023/09/23
01:01 UTC

6

After 2 months starting practising violin ,my Godfather practice

Suggest me where to improve .

5 Comments
2023/09/22
22:14 UTC

18

Picking it up after 11 years

After 11 years of not playing I finally decided to get back into it. I’m learning to play fiddle, specifically old time and blue grass so I can go to jams around my area in a few months hopefully. This is day two of practicing Bonapart Crossing the Rhine in the key of D. I still have a long way to go but I’m going to get there eventually.

2 Comments
2023/09/22
21:16 UTC

0

High quality 5 string electric violin

I’ve been playing violin for almost two decades at this point. Played classical for a long time but I recently joined a rock band. Right now I’m using a David Gage Realist Copperhead pickup which I had installed in my acoustic violin. It sounds great, but bringing my very precious violin to all these rock gigs is really stressing me out lol (not to mention having to yank out my quarter inch).

I’d like something that sounds (and looks) as close to a “real” violin as possible. Maybe an acoustic-electric? I want a 5 string for that extra range, but also don’t want to sacrifice the high end (my current violin has a super bright upper register and I love it). I’m looking to spend around 3k maybe, but I’m flexible.

Any recommendations? Some models I’m considering are the AES London or Dahlia and the Realist RV5PeFA.

6 Comments
2023/09/22
16:40 UTC

2

Beginner’s Question :Transition Sounds in Violin Playing

Hello everyone! It's been about a year since I started, but unfortunately, I haven't made much progress. Currently, I'm still using the same book (although I have found a new teacher). One of my main challenges has been matching the tempo of the music. I've been playing at a slower tempo, but now it feels like I'm cheating. Additionally, I have been struggling with the transition between bow strokes, which often results in unwanted sounds and breaks in continuity. I believe this is a common issue for beginners.

Currently, I'm attempting to play at a faster tempo. I started at 60 beats per minute and have been increasing by 5 beats every day, so it's now at 120 for the past week. However, I've been given a new song (which is actually quite easy), but I'm struggling to play it well. It's filled with unwanted sounds and the notes feel disconnected. This week, I don't have a class, and I really want to make this song sound better. It's frustrating because I feel like my teacher assumes that I haven't been working on it, which is not true.

The main issue I'm facing is the sound of the bow transitioning. In my search for solutions, I've come across various videos that suggest using finger movements for changing bows and employing an "8" shaped motion while bowing. I'm curious if any of you have found these techniques to be effective. I did try incorporating finger movements a few months ago and followed an exercise from a YouTube video, but unfortunately, I didn't see any improvement. So, I'm wondering if it's simply a matter of practicing consistently and if the issue will eventually resolve itself, or if there's something specific I should be focusing on. I’m also curious about when did you get rid of that sound on your violin’s learning journey. I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to minimize these unwanted sounds.

Thank you in advance for your help!

4 Comments
2023/09/22
15:11 UTC

8

Practicing past the first hour

My first ~1 hour of practice each day is pretty standard. Stretches, scales, arpeggios, a few bowing exercises, the hard parts of my pieces, some songs, etc. But, any day that I practice more than an hour I lose structure in my practice. Some days I may net 3-4hrs and some days I may have time for only 30 minutes.

Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on this topic? I tend to just repeat songs over and over/focus on specific sections or adding in articulations like slurs etc. Should I simply restart and circle back to scales / set a time limit or put a play # limit on songs? Or is it fine to spend the first hour on more scale type things and then be free for songs the rest of the day?

6 Comments
2023/09/22
14:53 UTC

1

a piece to practice

I can currently play some easy piece like waltz no.2 and learned 2nd position. What piece would you recommend to me? I'm very bad at choosing and always select hard ones that i cannot play

3 Comments
2023/09/22
14:32 UTC

1

Bow shots

Hi guys, I wanted to ask you how to perform the articulations written with a hyphen and a hyphen with the staccato point above it. Thank you

7 Comments
2023/09/22
13:22 UTC

6

Tecnique

Hi everyone, can anyone recommend a technique exercise sheet to follow every day to warm up before starting the repertoire? A thousand thanks

10 Comments
2023/09/22
13:20 UTC

6

About reporting posts and comments and about contacting the mods

This reminder goes out monthly.

We are trying to ensure that common posts that violate the rules, particularly the ones that can be answered by reading the FAQ or the self-promoting posts, get removed as soon as possible, but we are not always able to react quickly. It would be helpful if sub members would report these posts for violating the rules, rather than commenting on them. As soon as they receive 2 reports, these posts will be removed automatically by Automod, and quarantined until a human mod can take a closer look. Certain reports are also routed to Reddit admins, if the reported items violate site-wide rules.

Also, please keep in mind that if you want to officially bring anything to the mods' attention, the best way to do that is to send a modmail. Modmails go to all the mods at once, allowing us to have a discussion about whatever issues are brought up. If you DM or chat a mod about a moderation-related issue, the mod may or may not be in a position to respond quickly. We will always bring the issue to the mod team as a whole, but if modmails are sent, we can usually react more quickly.

Here's some more information about reporting and what happens when you report things.

Thanks for all your help as we try to manage commonly, repeatedly posted questions and self-promotion by people who are not members of the sub.

As a reminder, Reddit Symphony and Unnamed Virtual Ensemble both have permission to post one performance post and one post requesting participation each month.

0 Comments
2023/09/22
11:00 UTC

31

Prokofiev Violin Sonata no.1 in F minor- Finale (Yay, Mission Complete!)

1 Comment
2023/09/22
09:12 UTC

1

How do I know in which pattern to play the arpeggios? I‘ve seen both of my „assumptions“ in other baroque pieces, but usually there is always one bar in which the pattern is written out followed by a „segue arpeggio“, so you know how you’re supposed to play them.

11 Comments
2023/09/22
09:00 UTC

4

is my string still fine?

I got a new set of eva pirazzi gold strings literally today, and I was putting them on my violin but I noticed the A string is losing its like top layer? Also when I tuned the A and D string, it makes a clicking sound everytime I move the pegs. I readjusted the bridge position, but I'm still concerned.

I put on all the strings one at a time so the pressure was maintained at the top, and I've re-did my strings before.

What did I do to do this? Do I need to see a luthier or something? If this isn't normal, would I be able to refund?

https://preview.redd.it/jdo3u5dbsqpb1.png?width=964&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfb8b8511de6776e1ea2d6a2ab36b9d8ba7d8ce7

9 Comments
2023/09/22
05:23 UTC

4

Uneasy when playing legato near frog

Soooo i can play perfectly fine at the tip and middle of the bow, however when i get near the frog it almost feels uncomfortable. I can feel my hand and wrist become slightly more tense when i get to that part of the bow, or start on a downbow. It only happens with legato and slow detache, not any other techniques. I've tried a whole bunch of exercises to help it, but none have seemed to help. This might be a technical issue since i have only been playing a few years, but could this be a bow issue? The bow im playing on now is a cheap worn out brazilwood one, so it might be the culprit. I recently ordered a Pernambuco bow from Fiddlershop, so I'll update when it arrives. But for now, any tips or tricks?

8 Comments
2023/09/22
04:42 UTC

14

Vivaldi & The Korean Zombie! Lots of work to be done but proud of how far I've come 🎻

5 Comments
2023/09/22
04:36 UTC

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