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Hey all ! As the topic says I am new to the group . At 49 decided to pick up a fiddle and see if I could learn to play . Started around July 25 2020 . Picked the Apprentice for my first instrument . With my job hands have gotten stiff and thought this would be great to help give them a work out . Hope to learn a few things on here and maybe even travel down to the shop in the next year or two !
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Welcome to the site, @PWL! Great to meet you and have you as a member of the forum.
Learn Violin and Fiddle
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Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum
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PWL - Welcome to this Forum!
You'll find many Adult Beginners here, some learning with teachers and some self-taught.
There is so much help and information here - hope you can enjoy it all.
Have a wonderful adventure with your new Fiddle!
- Emily
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PWL
Welcome to the forum, and the fiddle
Slow stretches and lots of time will help the stiffness.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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PWL,
Welcome! I started at age 43 eight years ago—49 is a great time to start; good for body & mind. You will find lots of good information here.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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Thanks all for the welcome ! I am still learning this type of group chat and the lay out . Not sure if you can reply to each response or not !?! Working through all the learning curve , so bare with me . If I don't reply hit me up and all advice on how to navigate on the forum is greatly appreciated !!! I would also love to get a you guys input if there is 4/4 violin/fiddles with larger bodies ? Thanks again !!
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@PWL -
I've only been a member since June (participated in the GOT GP before that) and this is the only social media platform I have ever been on, but I will try to be of help.
For future questions, you might get quicker/better results if you "Personal Message" (PM) cid from your "inbox" (up near where you sign in), because she is one of the Administrators (listed at the bottom of the page).
- You can reply to ANY post, but no matter who you reply to within a thread - your reply will show up as the most recent post in the thread (so maybe give a little reference to an earlier post content).
- Just try to keep posts relevant to fiddle/violin, viola, cello - music, but threads do meander a bit. Post/discuss non-music topics in "the Breakroom". Also, keep content/words rated PG!
- You can "follow" members and "subscribe" to threads up at the top of the forum near your "inbox" - you'll receive notice of new posts.
- You can see what tools your post/reply has to use at the top of it, as well as below the post - Attachments for photos or larger files, Smileys, etc... then you hit "Submit Reply" when you finish, of course.
- If you ever want to copy/paste or post a link, MAKE SURE IT COMES FROM A SECURE SOURCE (https)! If you need to copy/paste an image, keep the pixels VERY LOW.
- If you mention a member's user name, they should get a notice - if you want to be sure, add "@" in front of the user name.
- When you are logged in, you'll be able to see you can edit or delete, etc... any of YOUR own posts (toolbar above your post).
- If you enjoy a post or find it helpful/interesting, HIT THAT 5th STAR for the best rating! Not too many members ever think of it.
That's all I can think of, at this moment - hope it helps!
(actually wish I'd had these tips when I started)
- Emily
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@ ELCB Thanks a million ! I will keep your post as a reference and be sure to hit that 5 star rating !! No worries on keeping it PG : ) . Keeping the subject on violin and the music is why I joined . Would be great if they had put this on the beginner forum . Thanks again
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PWL
I believe it was the Golgen age strads that were a touch longer in length and the Maggini models are a touch larger in size
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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@PWL -
Oooh, I almost forgot!
If you are looking for a reasonable alternative to a larger sized violin, you might want to consider a "5-String" Viola!
I have a 5-string Violin (I love) - it has a C string (similar to a small viola), but if you want larger - a 5-string Viola would also have the E string (so you could play it as a violin OR a viola).
You could always buy a large, reg 4-string Viola and just string it with the corresponding G, D, A, E Viola strings, specific for the viola string length (not violin strings on a viola). You might miss the C, later on... And you can NOT easily convert a 4 to a 5-string, without changing to a wider fingerboard (among other alterations).
Have fun!
- Emily
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@ELCBK @Mark
Appreciate the input !! I may go with a viola later and put strings on it . Hadn't considered that option . I have about 1/4 of space under my violin when I hold it and try to move form sting to sting . Lots of times when I am doing scales I have to move the back finger off the string or I am sharp on the next note . Still enjoying the journey though : )
Phillip 
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Note that there is no standard viola sizing and no such thing as a "full size" viola. 16" and 16.5" (measured by body length) are the most common, but sizes down to 15" and up to 17.5" are frequently seen.
A slightly longer violin or a 14.5" or 15" viola might be enough to give you the extra string length you need.
Or come over to the dark side and switch completely to viola like me! 
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