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Hello!
My name is Eric and I am a classically trained Trumpet/Bb Cornet player with over 20 years of experience! I love learning new instruments and have always wanted to learn to play violin.
Recently, I was involved in a bad accident that left me with a spine and shoulder injury which prevented me from playing a variety of instruments. During my down time, I (with the blessing of my wife of course) purchased a violin to help keep me motivated to maintain good posture and shoulder movement. I've always wanted to play violin and I actually have a picture of me, age 5, at my first concert playing an "air" violin made out of straws confiscated from unattended adult beverages!
Violin was a challenge indeed! I've played both guitar and bass guitar in the past and thought the transition would be easy. Man, was I wrong! I have so many habits to break as well as learning a new string configuration!
I am always looking out for advice or just plain music talk! I'm glad I found this site and the upbeat tutorials! Most online tutorials that I've found are designed for children and seem to drag on a bit. I'm glad the videos here have a sense of passion and excitement in them as music is a huge part of my life!
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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Welcome to the site Eric. Good to have you on board.
Like you say, the violin is a completely different kettle of fish.
I used to play b flat trumpet and French horn and at least with brass the right combination of lips and valves was easier than fat fingers on a fretless fingerboard lol.
Hope you enjoy it here as much as the rest of us
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
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Thanks!
Learning violin is definitely different then simply adjusting your embouchure and learning different valve positions! LOL
I'm finding so many bad habits I had to break from my bass playing days! From note positions to finger placement and even right down to vibrato, guitar playing seems to be haunting me!
Despite those challenges, I'm still having a blast learning!
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
Welcome, Eric..... it's nice to have you here. I'm sure you will enjoy this site as much as the rest of us.
We are mostly beginners here, so you should feel at home. There are no rude critisism's amongst us. Any critisism you receive here is to be helpfull. We also post video's of our progress, maybe you've seen some of them already.
I'm not sure if Fiddlerman is available today / tonight or not, he has a very busy schedule. But he is a very personable guy, he joins in on the conversation's in the chat box also. He will help in anyway he can. I don't think you can find another site like this one and i've visited plenty.
Anyway's welcome aboard (fiddler)
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That's great!
The one thing that I have been missing over the past few months is having other fiddle players around to talk to. When I was learning guitar or even trumpet, there was always someone around to talk to about it. It seems like fiddlers are somewhat rare where I live!
I'm so thankful for online communities like this! Talking with other beginners as well as experienced players helps tremendously!
Constructive criticism is always welcome! I enjoy playing and love learning new things!
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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Hey, a belated welcome from me as well... Old people seem to have a thing for learning the violin when we should be out playing golf or knitting (ooops)... but what the hell... I'm old (according to the kids, LOL) so being retired and all, I'm supposed to slow down... the kids apparently can't keep up anymore, so welcome to the crazy world of violin, where even the type of rosin you use has an effect on the sound! And the bow, and the strings, and of course the wood and the dang instrument itself... Crazy stuff.
It would seem you get back what you put into it and I'm sorry for all your musical background,...it will no doubt be an issue as you've already suggested above. LOL
After you post a video, you can bet you'll get LOTS of replies and helpfull remarks... it's a very close knit family around here and almost always someone on the shoutbox chat thing to lend a quick comment or helpfull suggestion... One I'm proud to be a part of. For the most part this is a world wide group and no matter the time of day, it seems someone somewhere is awake. LOL
enjoy the forum, lots to look and read...
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
Welcome to the forum, EJKiszenia! 
EJKiszenia said:
It seems like fiddlers are somewhat rare where I live!
LOL! Familiar situation!
This site and forum with all people are very helpful even if You have a violin teacher (especially if You haven't =))..
Glad to have You here =)
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Welcome Eric, you positively found the right site!!! Tons of helpful people of all levels of experience and wit and FM is extremely accessible and helpful.
From what part of the world are you? I was mentioning on a couple of threads just last week how uncommon fiddlers are here in San Diego.
Good luck and have fun!
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Welcome Eric: I understand the problems, I used to play sax. The Violin is nowhere as easy. Have fun 
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Wow! This has to be the warmest reception I've ever received from any forum! I'm glad I found this site!
I'll have to update my profile as well. I'm actually from the US, about an hour south of Chicago. Funny thing is, to find a luthier, I need to go either 60 miles east or 68 miles west! And yet, I'll pass about 20 guitar shops in either direction! LOL
I'm also looking forward to using the chat room! It seems that I become more inspired to play a night and will be on prowl for tips and music! Believe me, after the first night of having my violin, my wife made me buy a mute! 
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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I think my wife can ignore anything!!!
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Welcome EJKiszenia.
You'll fit in here like a hand in a glove. Your already plenty inspired to learn and we are here to help. If you are still around in 6 months you will be handing out advice like happy pills 
Look forward to your posts and progress reports.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
And speaking of critisism's,,, Naska, you really helped me by pointing out those couple things, what a difference it made.
I was so simple to correct, first song I played. No bouncy, bounce, "Maria Elena".
I'll do a video this week sometime. But I have to figure out how to get better sound from my recording tools.
Isn't it funny how someone else can spot something like that and you can't see it yourself. That was me.
Thanks soooooo much, young lady.
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Thanks again! I don't plan on going anywhere else! I've already checked out several posts in the forum and I'm already hooked!
Plus, my fiddle is usually by my side throughout the day so I'll be here at random times each day!
Actually, the advice I found here about having your fiddle in eyesight and accessible has REALLY helped! It's like having an itch that needs to be scratched! Except, my playing is starting to sound a lot less like scratching now! 
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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Welcome EJKiszenia,
Sounds like you belong here. Happy to have you.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Welcome!
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Welcome to our little group!
cdennyb said
Old people seem to have a thing for learning the violin when we should be out playing golf or knitting (ooops)...
Denny, not only old people! I have not hit the 40's yet but I did play golf back in college (wanted a father/daughter activity) and I knitted fanatically when I was pregnant! Now we play violin it's the cool thing to do even though it kinda marks us a bit as marginals with our friends and family?
I mean go say "I'm learning guitar", every think it's ok and normal 
but violin always cause quite a reaction hehee! 
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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LOL, play guitar and be "normal?" When does "normal" become redundant? We love going camping and it seems that every other campsite always has a guitar player playing the same tunes......over and over and over and over! Sure it's fun in the beginning, but sometimes I feel like pulling a John Belushi in Animal House!
I really want to play violin by campfire! I'm also a Civil War reenactor and love the old folk tunes! They seem fun and everybody plays them differently! Hopefully I can learn a few more because we're going camping in mid May! I'm sure hilarious videos of me attempting (and butchering) songs will follow! 
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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you will nno doubt be parked near that same guy with the repeating tue guitar! Getting together out there like that brings visions of Bert Reynolds in Deliverence!
Good luck with the forest concert! LOL
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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