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Another new member from England.
Raw novice.
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (41 votes) 
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Fashionandfiddle
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October 10, 2021 - 4:08 am
Member Since: August 12, 2021
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@Retired   I wouldn't say I get frustrated as such, just more wanting to keep going and try harder. I got an Everest shoulder rest and that was game changing for me. I love it and it's also pink cool

I try to practice everyday for half an hour or more if I have the time, and then longer at the weekends. I upgraded my strings which helped, but I bought a fairly basic violin with the intention that if I could prove to myself I could do it and stuck with it then I would upgrade it after a year....so Santa knows what I'm asking for this year! 

 

I got a little stuck with the fourth finger because I should have started using it from the beginning, I have really small hands and I kept thinking I wouldn't be able to but now I am determined to do it so it's slowly improving.  

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Retired
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October 11, 2021 - 4:44 am
Member Since: September 27, 2021
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Hi,

Thanks Andrew; having learned a new skill and looking back I often wonder why I struggled so much at first when having learnt the skill it then feels so natural; violin's though are totally strange to me after a lifetime in industry never having touched a stringed instrument; however I'm quickly settling with my violins even picking them up with the bow is becoming a lot easier but I've got a ballistic learning curve ahead of me.

Why have things easy Mark when for a little effort they can be made much more complicated as in altering the clocks here in the UK twice yearly; I well remember a night security guy at work trying to explain to his manager that he wanted an hours overtime because his night shift was extended from 12 hours to 13 hours due to altering the clocks; he had a lot of trouble getting this through to his manager but then they do say wearing a tie restricts blood flow to the brain.

Many thanks Fashionandfiddle  I fully agree but how many new to violins or anything at all new when faced with a difficulty decide to take the easy route and walk away; our friends are visiting on Wednesday and the lady many years ago had a violin but I'm unsure if she still has it or what her story is so I'm keen to ask her lots of questions and if she can play a violin I've got an instant free teacher; they live 100 miles distant from us so we only see them a few times each year. Very posh having a pink shoulder rest; I've got a metallic green violin. thumbs-up

Like you I also make a point of practicing for half an hour each day but yesterday between exterior painting I managed three half hour practices. I've quite a way to go yet before I upgrade my violins but it's tempting to let Bron spoil me again at Christmas as she always does; my usual presents are tools or machines so violins are out of the ordinary; I do wonder though if when I do eventually upgrade my violin and bow whether it would make sense to buy secondhand rather than new this way I could secure a more expensive violin and bow for the money of a new one? Bron generously bought me the brand new Hidersine which I'll never part with it costing around £160 making it a decent starter violin but then I bought the secondhand "Rainbow" violin which had been on Guntree at £30 but the following morning when I checked the price had been dropped to a mere £10; I bought it together with books and was happy to pay £25 but the Rainbow violin also cost around £160 new and apart from needing a set of strings it's in excellent condition and to my untrained ear both my violins sound very much the same but I did add a new set of Hidersine strings to the Rainbow so both my voilins have the same string sets.

You must really struggle to reach the D & G strings with small hands; I find it difficult to reach both these with larger hands but at the moment I'm still practicing using the bow on the E & A strings; my main difficulty is in supporting the violin but I'll keep trying different things and like you I'm determined to succeed so good luck with your endeavours; I've got a good excuse to practice with my violin this morning because the paintwork I'm working on is still soaking wet with dew which will burn off later once the sun comes round. If you do ask Santa for a violin have you got one in mind?

Kind regards, Colin.

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ELCBK
USA
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October 11, 2021 - 11:51 am
Member Since: June 10, 2020
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@Retired -

I have 5 strings - and yes, it was hard to reach my 5th, at 1st. 

I found it MUCH easier by moving my elbow even farther under - will seem unnatural, but DON'T tense up.  I am certainly not as thin as you are (darn) - it will be easier for you to swing your elbow under.

I tilt the violin more like 45°, and move the thumb a little more under the neck to allow the fingers to come up over the fingerboard. 😊 

Keep some of this in mind as you are trying shoulder rests.

You'll see all this in the Fiddlerman tutorials, but it's hard to pay attention to everything.   

 

Btw, this going in the 'Guiness World Book of Records' as the longest introduction, EVER! 🤣   Maybe ask Mouse or BillyG to help you move all this over to start yourself a blog here?

 

 

 

...don't get a sore neck.

- Emily

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Retired
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October 11, 2021 - 2:46 pm
Member Since: September 27, 2021
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Hi,

Many thanks Emily; WOW five strings; you're light years ahead of me; well done and I've a lot of catching up to do.

Yes being a stick insect helps to get my elbow well under and today I made a bit of unexpected progress whilst still playing the E & A strings; I removed my jumper then found my shirt collar was acting as a wonderful violin slide so I turned my collar inwards and now felt a bit easier supporting the violin without a death grip; every little helps. I've watched Fiddlerman's excellent video demonstrating how to get the elbow well under which I can do but still with the problem of balancing the violin. I'm currently practicing without shoulder rest. This morning I bought a pair of chamois windscreen pads; I used double sided self adhesive tape to secure one of these to the chin rest but it didn't work then I tried using both as a shoulder rest all it meant was I then had to remove residue adhesive from the violin but I'll keep trying.

I spent quite a while browsing the web for music stores in Yorkshire but it appears Yorkshire stretches over 200 miles and I'd need an helicopter to reach the big stores; Bron and I watched a YouTube tutorial video regarding choosing a suitable chin/shoulder rest from a professional violinist; good advice but why did he have his left shoulder 2" higher than his right shoulder whilst standing upright without violin; he sure looked strange; I don't want to end up like him.

Yes it is hard to take it all in at once but I feel like I'm making positive progress and I'll stick with it in fact I've enjoyed three practice sessions today having just knocked off from the third; I've been busy working outdoors so my arms were already aching by the time I picked up the violin but when I feel like this I just shorten the sessions.

Please excuse me Emily because I'm a dinosaur and haven't a clue as to "blogs" but I do agree this is a fair old introduction; I do plan though to add a new thread when I start to make a violin so if this is just an introduction guess what making a violin is going to be like.

Could you please enlighten me as to how you add members names to posts such as @Retired; I've been a member of forums for many years but still can't do this so I simply copy & paste; just giving my ignorance away but I'm not scared of asking the silly questions; it's often how I learn. I can design and build things like power supplies with electronics but things like a TV remote I can never get to grips with perhaps it's because I've got zero interest in them. 

Thanks for the Blog suggestion though and I'll do as you kindly suggested but not tonight I'm tired having been on the go again since 6 o'clock this morning; this is possibly why I'm so thin because I burn energy.

Kind regards, Colin.

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ELCBK
USA
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October 11, 2021 - 3:52 pm
Member Since: June 10, 2020
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@Retired -

We have a spot much farther down the page for members personal blogs - it's for exactly what you've been doing. 

A 'blog' is a thread you can talk about what you've been doing every day and members can respond - instead of just going around the forum and replying to other people's posts like I do. 

AND, you can do TWO blogs if you want! (lol)

For member's names:

  1. start with '@' 
  2. there should be a window that appears with names 
  3. start typing the name you want 
  4. the name you want should come up near the top of the list in the window 
  5. if it does, click on it 
  6. if it doesn't, just start over (sometimes I have to do it several times, like it's stuck 😄) 

 

Hope this helps - not sure if I'm being very clear. 

- Emily

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Retired
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October 12, 2021 - 5:46 am
Member Since: September 27, 2021
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Hi,

@ELCBK You're a gem Emily; thanks so much for helping me out; your instructions worked a treat as seen and also thanks for the information regarding blogs which I'll look into. thumbs-up

Kind regards, Colin.

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Mouse
October 12, 2021 - 8:43 am
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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@retired, I emailed you. 

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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Mouse
October 12, 2021 - 9:08 am
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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@Retired 

Here is a link to a section in the Forum Assistance that tells how to add a YouTube link to a post

Linking Videos to a Post

You will find other information in the Forum Assistance, also. 😁

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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Retired
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October 12, 2021 - 10:48 am
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Hi,

Many thanks Mouse for both your constructive and most helpful email also for the Linking Videos information; I've now hopefully created my blog and I've emailed you the details; there's so much of interest on this forum I'm at the moment rather overwhelmed but I'm a fast learner.

Kind regards, Colin.

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Mouse
October 12, 2021 - 11:23 am
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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This intro topic has been continued in @Retired's blog. Please do not post more replies here, so Retired can have them in his blog. Thank you very much for your assistance in keeping Retired's blog in one place.

Retired in Retirement

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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