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Hi there !
I am so excited because i received my violin this morning !
I struggled a bit because one of the strings was broken. Moreover, on the violin reviews on the internet, people says that the bridge is very bad (it looks like it is bad shaped at least in my case :p), that the strings were very bad, and (the most difficult point for me) that the tuning pegs were bad.
Regarding to the violin price, it was not a big surprise, so i went to a music shop, i buyed a new string set, and i did my first life string change !
I did not replace the bridge for now, because the new one i buyed is a lot taller (1cm aprox.), so i wanted to wait here to ask if i had to cut it the right height, or if it was normal. The bridge looks much much better though. One other problem is that the "legs" of the bridge are not very flat. Is it a real problem ? (When i tried to put the new bridge, it jumped twice, and i dont know if it is because of its size, or because of the "legs".
I also received in the violin box a piece of cloth with a strange shape. I assume for now that this is a shoulder rest but i wanted to be sure, so here is a photo...
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-.....74416.jpg/
Finally, i wanted to share with you a little video of my twinkle twinkle performance. It is not perfect at all 
, but i would like (if it is possible) to hear the maximum number of advice for this first shot, in order to correct bad habbits quickly and/or change the way i do things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....f68KmJW9Eg
Ps : Sorry for the metallic sound but i dont have any device to record directly the sound of the electric violin on the computer, so i used my headset microphone 
For now, my problems are false notes, and unwanted double stop (:p). Working on this !
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In my experience the bridge on the Stagg is already too high. But you need to test it for yourself. As for the feet on the bridge, I really cannot help you.
It's great to see you play. While I cannot comment too much on your technique, you show great concentration. Which is an extremely good quality. What I would reccomend is of course practicing more. Preferrably without looking at where your fingers are. Get a feel for where they need to be. And it will come naturally.
Furthermore it is not bad in any way that you slowed the song down a few notches. However it is very important to keep the perspective straight. By this I mean that quarter notes should be equally long. And half notes. And so on 
I hope I don't give the impression of being cross or rude. I am just trying to help 
Regardless, you did great. And it is awesome of you to post a video of you playing here
Rock on!
"Art, as far as it is able, follows nature, as a pupil imitates his master; thus your art must be, as it were, God's grandchild."
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Al_th, thanks for sharing your video. That was nice. I notice that your left wrist is bent. I think it should be straighter. Check out fiddlerman's video on how to hold the violin. Also notice in other videos how he holds it. Good start!
I've learned so much from my mistakes that I've decided to make some more.
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al_th said:
I also received in the violin box a piece of cloth with a strange shape. I assume for now that this is a shoulder rest but i wanted to be sure, so here is a photo…
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-…..74416.jpg/
=) That's the blanket for your violin... =3 
About Twinkle:
Well done!
As said Aleive, try to hold notes length and tempo constant. It's could be hard.. (that's a trouble for me also). That's why it is extremely important to do right from the beginning!
Please, take the bow and listen to your right arm..does it feel comfortable? You could watch Fiddlerman's video "how to hold the bow" if You like - it will be helpful!
Electric violin is heavier than acoustic! Try some shoulder-rest, because as You can see from the video, You have to lift your shoulder and bend your left wrist to support the violin... at least 2 things that You can correct with one thing.. =)
Great start! I'm glad that You shared the video!
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That cloth with the strange shape is to cover your violin in the case 
You're on the right path. Looks like your left shoulder is too high and your left wrist is bent so you can support the violin. It's harder with an e-violin to just hold it without using your left hand because they are a little heavier. I think for sure you should find a shoulder rest and take the time to learn how to hold the violin properly without the support of your left hand. It took me a while... Good job.
Edit: Looks like Mad Wed and I posted at the same time...What she said
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I love it. How long have you been playing? Great advice from everyone. Thanks
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Piece of cloth : Oh... i feel completely dumb 
. as there is a part which grip a lot, i thought it was just thinking it was to feel more comfortable .
@Aleive : Actually, the bridge on the eviolin has a pretty "normal" size. I mean, if it was lower, maybe it would have touched the fingerboard . And the new one i bought is raising the strings up high. I will make a photo to compare the two different one.
All the other advice are in my mind, i will try to modify this for the next time. For the tempo, actually i wanted to do something a little bit fun in twinkle, but every time i tried, i lost the tune, and the rush you hear at the end is exactly the same :p
As you said, my shoulder seems to be raised, and my wrist is bended. It is because when i tried to to on the "hold the violin video" (not only fiddlerman, but other ones also), people were able to hold the violin. I was not if my shoulder was not raised. I will try to find a shoulder rest, but i need to bring my violin to the shop. As it is a eviolin, and the shape is strange, i don't know if every should-rest will works.
@Fiddlerman : When i did the video, i think i played for one hour. And the tuning of the violin took at least the same time...
Thank you every body !
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That's exactly what I was thinking. Unbelievable.
You beat Samuel's record for the fastest post after getting your first violin 
I look forward to seeing regular updates. When you go to the store don't leave out the possibility that you may want a different chinrest. That in combination with the right shoulder rest can make or break the comfort of holding. And if yesterday is any indication of how much you are going to be playing the violin, you will want to be very comfortable. Congratulations on a speedy start.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Ah okay^^ I was simply referring to my own personal experience^^
An issue I had with the strings that came with the Stagg: It is a violin designed for high tension. But the strings that follow are very thin. So basically what they did is put low-tension strings on a high-tension violin.
THE FOLLOWING IS JUST EDUCATED GUESSWORK AND IS IN NO WAY APPLICABLE TO ALL VIOLINS. IT IS ALSO A PERSONAL OPINION, AND IT IS NOT CONFIRMED THAT IT IS BASED ON TRUTH! YOU MIGHT WANT TO DISREGARD THIS WHOLE PARAGRAPH. But I put it in here because I suck at shutting up
This string ordeal bothered me because the higher the tension, the lower you can have the bridge. The lower the bridge are, the more accurate your tones will be. This is because you don't pull the strings as much, so they don't stretch. I could go on for hours explaining the physics behind it. But it all boils down to this:
The higher tension, the closer you can have the strings to your fingerboard (In other words the lower a bridge you can have) If say you had very low tension and the strings were around 1/8th of an inch away from the fingerboard. Though the tone might be correct. The weight of the bow alone would make the strings touch the fingerboard..
And quite honestly it is painful and hard with the strings far away from the fingerboard. So from this I can make my own VERY SUBJECTIVE list of pros and cons.
Pros with low bridge/high tension:
Easier to play:
- I don't have to fool around as much to find the tones
- I find that since there is not as much movement, I can play faster
Cons:
Harder to tune without fine tuners.
In general (DOES NOT ALWAYS APPLY) The tone is more squeaky
Lower response
I can just mention as a sidenote that it is however easier to adjust the tone while playing on a high bridge. Though you are more likely to need it because trust me.. You will miss a lot more.
I look forward to watching your future videos
"Art, as far as it is able, follows nature, as a pupil imitates his master; thus your art must be, as it were, God's grandchild."
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One more advantage of a small/low bridge is playing double stops is easy.
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it ..(William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night)
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al_th said
I will try to find a shoulder rest, but i need to bring my violin to the shop. As it is a eviolin, and the shape is strange, i don't know if every should-rest will works.
Don't worry about that! I have the EV the with the same shape. They are a little wider than acoustic violins but my shoulder-rest fits both of them without changes. And almost all of the shoulder-rests are width-adjustable anyway =)
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Hi there !
I did not practice too much this week-end because the music shop was not open so i couldn't get the shoulder rest. I did practice music theory instead.
Today i went to the music shop, i did found a proper shoulder rest (it's very much easier to hold the violin and my left hand isn't painful anymore). I also bought a jack 6.5 to 3.5 adapter so you can get the real sound of my violin now !
Here is a new sample of twinkle twinkle (the end is just here for fun ). I worked especially on the tempo this time. I still have some problem to hold my bow right, i'll work on this now. And i will also work on strings transition. I have some problem to do it properly.
Have fun, see you !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....DIy_YKzkwo
Alex
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At the end, did you change the lyrics in your head?
I think it was a good start.
I've learned so much from my mistakes that I've decided to make some more.
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Much better! =)
Imprivisation! Love it!
Keep working on left wrist and bow grip =)
Fast improvement, Alex! Congratulations!
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Gail said
At the end, did you change the lyrics in your head?
I think it was a good start.
No. I just changed the end because i wanted a little bit of fun in this twinkle twinkle song 
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Well done. Work on the bowing. great improvement
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Great improvement and advancing quickly. The thing I liked the most was how you for example adjusted your G up slightly around :30
Everyone plays out of tune but hearing it and fixing it is what helps you be better.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I'm so pissed right now ... The bouton of my violin just broke while i was doing my exercises...
I do not recommend the Stagg EVN-44-BK. This violin was already bad quality (changed already strings and bridge), and now the bouton just break . I am sorry to say this, but i will need to delay a little bit my videos until the company receive and fix it. I cannot even do it myself because the bouton just broke INSIDE the violin :xxxxxx
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Maybe you should ask for a refund before you come to that conclusion later and it is too late. The CEVN is a great instrument for the money. I've played on two of them so far and both have been great.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I will see if a refund is possible. Having great advices like this one should not be ignored.
Just in order to have a little bit more information. If this refund is possible, do you get any advantages to get a command on fiddlershop ? I mean, if i have to give someone some money, it would be better if it could be given to trusted people who gives a lot already to us.
A little other question. If i order a violin on fiddlershop, do you know approximatively how much will be the shipping cost to EU (Danemark - Aalborg to be more precise) ?
Thank you for your time fiddlerman, it is great to have you !
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