Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(48 votes) 
Regulars
Offline
Confession:
I just bought a 15.5" viola. Primavera. Gold star setup. It comes with a case and a CF bow and odds and ends.
First I bought a 16" one, then they cancelled the order because the supplier had miscounted their stock and delivery wouldn't be until February.
So I reordered. A smaller one will probably suit me better anyway.
It was only 350 USD. Our string orchestra's second desk, second violin plays a Primavera violin and she makes it sound like a Strad.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Offline
Congrats!
Learn Violin and Fiddle
on
Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum
Regulars
Offline
ABOUT TIME!
The 15.5 size sounds like a good choice, CONGRATULATIONS!
I still LOVE my 16" Viola - but the larger they get, the farther apart the strings are spaced. It was the only issue bugging me, especially for string crossings... seriously been thinking about adjusting with new notches on the bridge. You may not notice much difference.
Did you get the sound you want, for that price?
Regulars
Offline
It hasn't arrived yet. I'm quite frustrated by my first teacher, the violist. In the past she has been self-contradictory. She once told me not to get smaller than 16" for best tonality and was sure I could manage 16" easily, but now she's saying she thinks I'd struggle with 16" and 15.5 is more sensible. Hers is 15", btw.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Offline
I have a 15, 15.5 and almost 16. The almost 16, I can no longer play. Hurts my wrist, too much of a stretch. The 15 inch is a cheap pawnshop save, $10.00, and very weak. I put violin strings on it for kicks a few months ago. I have the Fiddlershop 15.5, forgot which one. It is really nice. My time with the viola is not much anymore, though. Even the 15.5 has me with a sore wrist for a few days after one session. I do more violin, now and I have no problem with that. It is growing in me.
But, the 15.5 viola has a great sound. That extra stretch for the almost 16" really made a huge difference in being able to play and not being able to play. I should have known better. The chart said a 16 inch, so my first viola was a 16 inch, it was too much of a stretch. I should have known the one slightly smaller than the 16 would not work. Oh well, I have to find it a home.
I'd like to give the 15.5 another shot, love the sound. But, my wrist would get really bad. I think it is because I have added machine knitting and hand knitting and crocheting to my hobbies. It takes a toll on the joints, I think. I am doing something all day. My arm is not stretched out as much with the violin, and therefore, more relaxed.
I say all of that, just to get to, I think you will be happy with the 15.5 inch, 😁😂.
Learn Violin and Fiddle
on
Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum
Regulars
Offline
Gordon Shumway said
Warning about the Bon Musica (and a lot of other shoulder rests, probably)As I was putting it on the violin yesterday, some of the rubber from one of the feet tore off, so I'll have to repair that, or the unprotected metal foot might scratch the violin.
Someone on VCom said that Mach One (all rubber) feet fit the BM, so I bought a couple. But it's not entirely true - the screw thread is slightly different, but if you cut the Mach One screws down to size, you can screw them in far enough for them to be stable if you use a little force and care.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
@Gordon Shumway -
So, you got your new VIOLA... and not telling us about it? 🤨
Well?
How does it sound?
Are you using your violin bow, or some big heavy viola bow?
What's the 1st tune you tried to play on it?
Regulars
Offline
ELCBK said
@Gordon Shumway -So, you got your new VIOLA... and not telling us about it? 🤨
Well?
How does it sound?
Are you using your violin bow, or some big heavy viola bow?
What's the 1st tune you tried to play on it?
I'm too busy. It was an outfit, so it came with a cheap CF bow. I don't have a shoulder rest yet. I used my microgel rest, but when I took it off, some of the gel backing tore off and stuck to the viola. Easily removed and no harm to the viola, but I'm not going to waste money on another gel rest. So when I get round to it, I'll use a sponge, but I don't yet have any rubber bands the right size.
20 seconds of bowing demonstrated that the viola should be bowed slowly and thoughfully, as it's less responsive than the violin, and the strings haven't settled yet. I needed to learn to bow my violin more slowly, so the viola will be useful for that. I've downloaded some Hindemith from IMSLP and I bought a second hand copy of Whistler on the even numbered positions for viola, but that's probably going to be a confusing way of learning the alto clef.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
OfflineRegulars
Offline
ELCBK said
Kinda worried you don't sound very thrilled with this 'kit' from the start
I've gone from a 3,000 dollar antique French violin to a 300 dollar new Chinese viola. Don't read too much into it. It's just for the purpose of mental and physical flexibility at the moment.
Believe it or not, violas are over-subscribed in both my orchestras right now, whereas a year or two ago the forums were wondering if violists were becoming extinct!
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
Before I began lessons I was expecting to be playing pieces for 6 weeks each. That turned out to be 12 weeks each (6 fortnightly lessons), but now I've been playing the Bach D minor Allemanda for 6 months!!!!, and I've had enough of it for the time being because it has been the mother of all plateaux. With hindsight, teacher's comment that "we will spend some time on this because there are many technical matters we can develop using it" (string crossing, bow conservation, melodic line, playing in the string, playing with the lower half of the bow, fingerings) should have been a hint to devote more time to it than to anything else. But two orchestras distracted me, and there were no lessons in August, so no change of repertoire.
Massenet's Méditation - no big problems there, just legato string crossing, and a little bit of shifting.
It looks like we are going to move to Kreutzer next lesson and continue the same techniques there instead of in Bach. Orchestral gig on the 30th, after which there will be new repertoire to distract me. (Sibelius Pan and Echo, Holst Symphony Op. 8, Brahms Symphony no 2. Not to mention the string orchestra, which is going to have to be relegated to sight-reading practice)
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
Lesson #20.
Goodbye, Bach D minor Allemanda; hello, Bach G minor presto.
Hello again, Kreutzer #2. It's about time I memorised you.
The above concern string-crossing techniques. It's all about timing the right elbow and wrist. Also bowing with the middle of the bow, and without much of it, and in the string.
Not quite finished with the Massenet Méditation, though.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
@Gordon Shumway -
Hello again, Kreutzer #2. It's about time I memorised you.
A little self-punishment here? 🤣 ...you aren't memorizing ALL the variations, are you?
You probably already use these tactics (or similar) for pieces hard to remember - here's two I use that might help speed up your memorizing.
Break it down into sections, first.
Here's how I might start playing to memorize (choose your own way to divide it up).
- from beginning to the 1st half of measure 9
- continue measure 9 to the 1st third of measure 16
- continue measure 16 thru 21
- the last 4 measures
- combine the 3rd & 4th step
- combine all
The 2nd thing I'd do is just repeatedly listen to it played.
- take something like this audio score at musescore (Rodolphe Kreutzer - Étude No. 2)
- slow the tempo to what you feel is comfortable to mentally process
- use your phone to record a video of each section playing (or, only record audio)
- loop them to listen - or, include 1-2 repeats when recording each section
- listen until you can easily recall all of it in your mind
I usually feel like I've listened enough when - not only can I recall it the next 2 days, but also the following week.
Best of luck - you can do it, even though you are pretty busy!
Regulars
Offline
Just took delivery of a 15W Marshall practice amp for my electric violin. I didn't really need it, but the price suddenly went down to what it was 4 years ago, so I bought one. Now I discover that the violin's on/off switch is fritzed. I've only ever used it twice! I guess I'd better fix the switch. Can't afford a new violin that I'll never play!
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
@Gordon Shumway -
Can't remember what kind of electric violin you have - you might need a preamp.
Regulars
Offline
ELCBK said
@Gordon Shumway -Can't remember what kind of electric violin you have - you might need a preamp.
No, it's a Hidersine HEV1. It has a little red light which comes on when the on/off switch works, which is one attempt in 10, but then it doesn't stay on.
If I buy another, I'll get a batteryless one.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
On Saturday I survived my first proper concert (the string orchestra doesn't do concerts, it just allows friends and family to attend end-of-term rehearsal-performances).
Very interesting.
As the baton went up for the first note, we still had not yet performed any piece from start to finish, something I was expecting from the "dress rehearsal" on Monday. But on the day of the performance we had a 3-hour rehearsal beforehand, when we were accompanied for the first time ever by a pro baritone, a boy sop, timpani and a harp (she sat between me and the timpani, which made it much easier to count the beat when I couldn't see the conductor). (+piano+church organ+100-strong choir - I counted 16 sops in the first row, and there were at least 7 rows).
The church was Catholic (in Germany the musicians jokingly ask "will the church be Catholic or heated?"), but it had burnt down a few years ago and, thoughtfully, when they rebuilt it, they turned the crypt into a swish reception area with bar and toilets and also had under-floor heating installed. When I arrived at 2PM, I unknowingly placed my sandwiches on a heating hotspot. When I got to eat them at 6 O'Clock they were nice and warm (cheese and salami) but, thankfully, bacteria-free. I had a stainless steel thermos of coffee which I had made at 12. By 6PM it was still too hot to drink. I was well-prepared too with closed-cell foam to put my feet on in case the floor was cold. And spare thermal underwear. Music, and music to prepare for my teacher. I insisted my stand partner bring his music stand, since he was coming in a car.
The gig went without a hitch except that in the interval I had tidied up the used music and neatly set out the Fauré requiem on the music stand (I had brought my brand new Glocusent stand light and it worked like a dream). When I got back from the break, some other 2nd-violinist tealeaf had half-inched the music, so we had to revert to a photocopy.
It doesn't seem to have been recorded, which is bizarre, as it was the orchestra's biggest ever gig.
Afterwards I walked to the nearest train station and there were 4 minutes to go for the next train to my gf's (or I could also have gone home). Good news? Yes and no - to get to her house I had to walk a mile uphill in my new concert shoes. As I type this I have no skin on the backs of my heels. Next time I will take trainers, as if I wasn't burdened enough.
The pieces have been removed from the website. They were:-
Fanny Mendelssohn - Overture in C
Brahms - Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)
Beethoven - Choral Fantasy Op. 80
[interval]
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Offline
Loved this. Thanks for sharing your experience!
🐭
Learn Violin and Fiddle
on
Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum
Regulars
Offline
@Gordon Shumway -
Wow, never a dull moment!
I can't tell if you had a nice adventure, or went out on a military deployment!
Enjoyed you shared this. 😄
Regulars
Offline
ELCBK said
I can't tell if you had a nice adventure, or went out on a military deployment!
military deployment is pretty close. I had a checklist of more than a dozen things to take with me.
The March 29th gig is in the same venue, so I'll be better prepared.
I've lived in London since 1978 and never needed to drive a car, but sometimes it would serve a purpose.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
1 Guest(s)
Mouse
Fiddlerman
ELCBK
