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.
Private messaging is working again.
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(1 votes) 
Regulars
Offline
I’m trying to get used to playing without my mute and I’m finding my c# really REALLY loud compared to all the others! Does anyone know why is it just my beginner playing and with practice it will get less loud?
Thanks.
katie
Regulars
Offline
@Katie L -
I hate that it sounds like you are still saying you feel you have to torture yourself, just to play your violin without a mute.
1.) Take your mute off.
2.) Confidently play each open string using a big, long bow stroke - not too slowly.
Now, do you LOVE the way your violin sounds?
If not, then you need some warmer sounding strings!
If only 1 note is a problem and it barks at you, it could be a wolf tone and maybe at this point you should have a Luthier take a look.
Is there a Luthier within traveling distance, that you can have look at your violin if you suspect a problem?
You really should have an instrument you love to hear - that's why we play! 🤗
Regulars
Online
Many of us seem to have had problems with C#.
One possibility is that your afterlengths are tuned to C# on the G and A strings. I have two mutes, one on each of these strings, just in case it helps. But the main thing is just to be aware of the problem and exercise care when playing C#. Eventually this care will become completely unconscious.
I suspect many instruments have similar problems. For example C5 on the oboe is the most open note and hard to get good tone on, and beginners assume they need a better oboe or something, but really it just needs better breath control. Nicola Benedetti's Strad has two wolf notes and she compensates for them by playing them with more care. Instruments don't play themselves.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Regulars
Offline
@Katie L -
I've read more than one claim that a good Luthier can set up a violin to hide, if not get rid of, a wolf tone.
I'm just saying, to me, it would be well worth asking a Luthier to try - if a wolf tone is what's actually suspected.
If you aren't sure what a wolf tone sounds like, I would do a YouTube search for a video to hear one. 😊
Regulars
Offline
Thanks both for the replies. I definitely love playing my violin otherwise I wouldn’t still be playing everyday after a year. I have been playing without my mute and it’s the c# that’s a problem for me. I’ll have a look on you tube for a wolf tone and do some research re a luthier ! I was joking this morning that my boyfriend Dan is my luthier as he helps me change my strings etc! No that it’s hard but I need some supervision ha ha!!
I’m thinking I’ll look into a warmer A string too!!
Katie
Regulars
Online
Your ability to play each string will come in at different rates too.
The A string was the one I found came in last.
Then after you can finally get nice sounds on all 4 strings when they are stopped, you'll realise you need more practice on all the open strings to get them to sound just as nice.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Offline
My newest, oldest, violin has wolf tones and my luthier had to install a magnetic wolf tone eliminator when I purchased it. The other strings/notes were just fine, just that pesky wolf. I believe it is my C on the A string (can't remember if it is C natural of sharp) and, I think, it appeared with G on the D string, also, if I remember correctly.
My cello also has wolf tones, different notes than the violin. My cello has a wolf tone eliminator on a string, but I am going to have it changed out to a magnetic one when I bring it in for a checkup. I find the magnetic wolf tone on my violin much easier to adjust than the tube eliminator on my cello.
Learn Violin and Fiddle
on
Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum
1 Guest(s)
ELCBK
Mouse
Fiddlerman
Jols
