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Just picked up a Cheap new violin, after nearly 25 years...
Forgotten most, remembered the cramps. Lol
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Hi Andy,
Which cheap violin did you indulge in? Gear4Music do some tempting cheapies.
Cramps. Where are you getting the cramps?
Anywayup, welcome to the friendliest fiddle forum. Lots of advice and assistance here from a wide selection of backgrounds, levels and genres.
Peter
"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less" - William of Ockham
"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great
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When I say cheap I mean real cheap there is a reason. £30, I needed to know if I could even hold a bow still...
Tendon damage in my bow hand...
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The human machine is highly adaptable; you will succeed by developing a bow grip that satisfies the technical needs and is comfortable for you.
There is no reason why you cannot also adapt the bow to suit you, in fact there is every reason why you should. There are people on this forum who are engineers by calling, and helpful by nature.
Peter
"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less" - William of Ockham
"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great
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@Andy Leaves and others. About the cramps. You may want to begin playing by adjusting your tuning to a=432 or so (the modern convention being a=440). Synthetic core strings (perlon) are more forgiving on the fingers than steel core (the e string remains the e string in this regard).
There are a variety of foam and rubber constructs that, when secured to the frog area of a bow, assist the beginner with their grip. Also a possibility is to create some sort of glove with velcro for securing the bow.
Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.
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Andy leaves
Welcome to the forum, and the return to the fiddle.
You'll figure out your bow hold it just takes time
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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If you have a tendon injury and cramps, you may need a teacher to show you a better bowhold. But this may help: -
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
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@Andy Leaves
Welcome to the forum and back to playing again.
I can't speak from experience about learning to play in advanced years though I have known hundreds, perhaps thousands through the site and shop that have done so successfully. It's probably very helpful that you played when you were younger though it could be bad as well if you feel that you should be able to contort your body the same way. LOL
I can however talk about my experiences with Yoga. I would be the person who is the least flexible of all people I know before I started doing Yoga. As a matter of a fact, I was dead against starting because my first attempts of doing Yoga when the opportunity presented itself unwillingly was a super joke. I laughed hysterically at how little I could do compared to everyone else. I literally could not stop laughing.
Today my wife and I use an app called "Down Dog" and do Yoga every day. I am many times more flexible, it's considerably less painful, and I haven't had a single backache since starting Yoga, whereas I had some severe ones prior to.
I believe that your body needs to sneak into this slowly and carefully and will adapt as long as you don't force yourself through the pain too much.
Check out our "Amazing Grace" project and consider submitting a part by Tuesday. The 5th violin part is quite simple for just about anyone.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Welcome to a great sight. I played when I was younger then took a 30 year break (am I really that old). I was playing Easter music over the weekend and got cramps in my left hand. Weird. I must've been too tense. Anyway, welcome and I am sure someone here will be able to assist you.
Also, love England. Took a vacation with the family there. Flew to Manchester, drove to Stratford, then on to London. Stayed in Ilford. Was amazing.
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Scrap said
Welcome to a great sight. I played when I was younger then took a 30 year break (am I really that old). I was playing Easter music over the weekend and got cramps in my left hand. Weird. I must've been too tense. Anyway, welcome and I am sure someone here will be able to assist you.
Also, love England. Took a vacation with the family there. Flew to Manchester, drove to Stratford, then on to London. Stayed in Ilford. Was amazing.
Lol. Ilford is actually a 10min cycle ride from my house...
Small world...
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It really is small. We stayed at the Best Western there. A few minute walk to the train. My family and I were in New York City a couple of years ago and was talking to a guy and his family from Ilford. His buddy ran the hotel. Crazy world too. Enjoy your journey.
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In 1978 I walked to Ilford from the Mile End Road to visit Jonathan Small the oboist. I still remember his postcode was IG1 3NA.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
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This is strange...
I am also an avid xbox gamer, one of the guys I game with lives in Socal, he a doctor, turns out after years of talking with him, he was born and lived in Ilford until he was 8...
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I love our world. It has plenty of problems for sure but when we get down to it we are so much the same regardless of where we live. Thank you for sharing and showing how close we can be in this crazy times.
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Welcome Andy,
There are plenty of people here to help including Fiddlerman.
Several others here from "across the pond". That's actually the name of a local Irish band here in the US where I live.
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Hi Andy. We used to live in Forest Gate and remember Ilford well. My wife Julia used to dance round her handbag at the Ilford Palais. Welcome back to the violin. Like you, I I had cramps when I returned to paying after many years. The body just forgets and complains! Take it slow and easy.
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