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Hye, i'm a new member in here and would like to ask about the effect of playing guitar towards violin. I'm playing guitar for almost 10 years and still not good at it : (
Recently, i bought a violin and looking forward to master the technique. The question is, weather playing guitar will affect my progress in learning the violin? If it is effect my progress, i am thinking to leave my guitar. : ( And damn! the scale on violin is really different!
Hope you guys can give opinions! thank you!
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There are at least three new fiddler members that have played guitar intensively but I am pretty sure there are more. MGN, cdennyb and Barry. You might get some advice from them.
In any case, welcome to the forum. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I think any previous musical experience is good. I learned to read sheet music playing the piano, and later the saxophone. I never really used sheet music for guitar, but if you've picked it up along the way, that's great -- it will really help if you already know some music theory as opposed to learning it while trying to learn violin too.
I have found that moving from guitar to violin has been a pretty smooth transition. Since they are both stringed instruments, making the switch is easier than say, from a woodwind to a stringed instrument, so you have that going for you. The obvious difference is that violin has no frets, but if you're not comfortable with a "blank" fingerboard, you can add some tape or a decal to help you build the muscle memory for the violin finger positions. The real doozie, though, is learning to bow, but I think that's probably tough for anyone who hasn't done it before.
So, in brief, I don't think your guitar experience will hurt you at all, and most likely will make it easier on you than someone who has never played a stringed instrument. Welcome to the forum, and good luck!
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thank you for your comment mr.sdlslayer. Yeah, previous experience really help me. Day 1 I broke my G and E string when adjusting the tune after feel very awkward doing duet twinkle-twinkle little star with fiddleman. Day 2, i figure out the tune and become very confident to adjust the string. (with the help of auto tuner)
FYI, i dont know how to read the sheet music, when i'm playing guitar all i did is listen to the song and figure out what the note is. Right now, i just want to understand the violin scale. Yeah starting from zero again. I believe it will be hard challenges, but i know everyone else in this forum having a hard time before standing on their level aight... so, I hope i will learn a lot from you guys.
About the blank fingerboard, yeah it is very difficult to hit the right notes. However, my guitar experience really help me listen something wrong.
I am considering putting the decal right now because my pinkie is not moving very well.
Today is Day 4! Now i'm learning Ode.
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I'm in the same boat here! I've played bass guitar for well over 10 years now and just started playing violin myself!
I'm finding out quickly that Violin is quite different! I think my biggest challenge so far is learning the notes on the finger board. Going from BEADG to GDAE is giving me a bunch of grief when looking at music! LOL I've been working on that a lot as well as bow technique and finger positions. Fret-less finger boards are much "touchier" then what I'm used to! Hopefully, my muscle memory stops being so forgetful!
Despite my "duh" moments, playing guitar and bass seem to be helping! I was already accustomed to the feel of the strings and had developed an ear for the tones. Despite the challenges, I'm still having fun with it!
I can't wait to see how you make your transition! 
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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I'm also a guitar player (not a great one but have played for nearly 40 years) who has just taken up the violin (a couple of months ago). The hardest things for me were the much smaller size of the violin and the lack of frets. I've pretty much gotten used the tiny neck and an applique and some tape are helping me with finger placement.
I agree with sdsalyer that transitioning from one stringed instrument to another is probably easier than taking one up for the first time.
Learning to read music is another matter. For me, I'm fortunate that I learned to read a long time ago so I don't have to worry about that now and can focus on technique. I don't have any advice for you there as it was too long ago for me.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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Thank you guys for the opinions!! Yeah, we have the same problem. Tiny fret, remembering the notes and right know i try to improve my bowing. It is hard to bowing straight and get a beautiful tone.
Guitar really help me. I really have problem with reading notes. So, what I did is, find the notes on guitar and then applied it on violin. Other than that, I think playing violin really strengthen my pinky. After a while, when I play guitar i can feel the smooth playing long scale
It is nearly a month since i bought my violin. Hurm.. it is not a good progress. I try to play somewhere over the rainbow. I believe I hit the right notes, but the sound/tone yucks!
Whatever happens, it is a lovely journey. It also a best experience, to share and listen to you guys. A best one month in my life! Good luck for you guys. Again, thank you for sharing your opinion. Hope all of you can teach me more
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Just don't give up and you may be surprised how things can change.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
@ zickler88... Here is a practice aid to help improve your bowing technique.
It is called Bow Right.... not bow rite.
It attache's to your violin and forces you to learn straight consistent bowing. I'm not sure if Fiddlershop handles it or not, I checked his store and couldn't find it. Perhaps you can Google it and find it at a shop in or near your country.
Good luck with your learning process.
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Thanks for checking my shop. I don't sell it. Looks like braces for the violin, LOL. We have a thread on here somewhere where someone suggested something else but I don't remember what. It was a home made thing.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
http://www.wwbw.com/ Here is the link where I found the Bow Right.
FM, I always check your shop first before I look elsewhere, for anything.
You are the 
I look.
Honorary tenured advisor
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Yep, we do the homemade thing here. My daughter used to practice bowing through an empty toilet paper tube placed on her shoulder as part of her warm up.
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What happens if you touch the edges of that device? It kind of reminds me of the game "Operation!" Except if the bow hits the edge, a loud buzzer sounds! That'll wake you up!
......wait, that actually might help me! LOL Although I might want to include a shock bracelet or something!
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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Fiddlestix said
http://www.wwbw.com/ Here is the link where I found the Bow Right.FM, I always check your shop first before I look elsewhere, for anything.
You are the
I appreciate that.
SaraO said
Yep, we do the homemade thing here. My daughter used to practice bowing through an empty toilet paper tube placed on her shoulder as part of her warm up.
That is it.... Thanks Sara.... I'm all for the FREE first if possible. As long as we don't just take, take, and never give, that is.....
EJKiszenia said
What happens if you touch the edges of that device? It kind of reminds me of the game "Operation!" Except if the bow hits the edge, a loud buzzer sounds! That'll wake you up!
Believe it or not, I thought of the exact same thing..... "Operation"....
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
EJKiszenia said
......wait, that actually might help me! LOL Although I might want to include a shock bracelet or something!
Gyus! I saw A LOT of new things here! I've met "fingerboard tapes/dots", the little thing shaped like a fish to put it on a bow and help yor pinky to be in the right position... now this thing! So funny! If i had to prepare all this stuff before playing, i'd end up with: put it all on, look at the clock, put it all off and go to work without any playing. I'm already tired to put on my shoulderrest everytime and rosining the bow LOL! 
Regular advisor
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ok, honestly, i have a couple things to say.
I've played guitar forever. mostly metal. if you know your scales, you can transpose the shapes to violin or just use the notes in the scale.
i personally don't use a shoulder rest just because it is a pain. yea i know there is something to say for the comfort as well as the sound, but it is a bit combersome.
when learning to solo on the guitar, most people just listen to music and solo along with it. do the same. it does get easier.
i'm still not real good, but this does make it easier.
bowing technique is still my main problem.
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eoj02 said
I've played guitar forever. mostly metal. if you know your scales, you can transpose the shapes to violin or just use the notes in the scale.
How are you coping with the size/fret difference? I play bass/metal and I often find myself over-shooting notes because of the reach difference! LOL I've only been playing violin for about 2 months now and I still have plenty of "doh" moments when hitting notes with my middle finger or pinky.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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That was one of my main problems...over-reaching, especially on third finger positions. After two months, I'm finally, finally placing my third finger in the right place most of the time. There's one particular note, however, that I, for some reason, can't shake the guitar fingering: that's the G on the E string. I persistently want to play that with my third finger on what would be the third fret.
Plus, I've been practicing violin so much and, admittedly neglecting my guitar somewhat, that when I picked up my guitar the other day, some of the fingerings felt funny. So, I made myself practice picking some of the same songs that I've been playing on the violin, just so I don't forget the guitar fingerings. I wouldn't have thought that would be possible given how long I've played the guitar, but not taking any chances...
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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Fiddlestix said
@ zickler88... Here is a practice aid to help improve your bowing technique.
It is called Bow Right.... not bow rite.
Thank you all of you for suggestions... ahahha. It is interesting device aight... will try to get one soon!!!
eoj02 said
ok, honestly, i have a couple things to say.I've played guitar forever. mostly metal. if you know your scales, you can transpose the shapes to violin or just use the notes in the scale.
i personally don't use a shoulder rest just because it is a pain. yea i know there is something to say for the comfort as well as the sound, but it is a bit combersome.
when learning to solo on the guitar, most people just listen to music and solo along with it. do the same. it does get easier.
i'm still not real good, but this does make it easier.
bowing technique is still my main problem
I also playing metal/hardcore music.. yeah, the picture of the scale can be illustrate but the main problem is landing the right notes in my violin. Even there is tiny mistake the sound produce yuckkkkssssssssss......
It's okay, it need lot of practice right. Btw, I just started one month ago. Maybe in six month I can play one long piece perfectly, Thank you for sharing..
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EJKiszenia said
What happens if you touch the edges of that device? It kind of reminds me of the game "Operation!" Except if the bow hits the edge, a loud buzzer sounds! That'll wake you up!
......wait, that actually might help me! LOL Although I might want to include a shock bracelet or something!
This is epic... AHAHAHAHAHHA
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