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Me again.
I've been playing my violin for some time. So out of tune it was more like a double bass with loose strings. Thankfully my sister's roommate knows how to play and tune. Imagine my surprise when twinkle, twinkle little star actually sounded like the tune.
Anyway, now the sound is all grainy and I have to check if I am playing with a bow or sandpaper. I have tried more rosin and nothing changes, I have tried less rosin and nothing changes. I have tries ignoring it and not using rosin for ages, but nothing much happens.
I have a Cecilio CEVN black stlye 1 and the strings and bow came with it. So el cheapo.
I want to get new strings and a new bow. But have no idea what to get.
The strings come in different grades and materials and what not.
So essentially I have no idea and need some advice. I don't want to spend too much, mostly because I am tight. But mostly because I am still learning and the best strings aren't going to sound much different to the cheapest, for one such as I.
Plus I have got used to the horrible sounds i make and am now tone deaf in the left ear.
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Often, for beginners, the D'Addario Prelude strings are recommended because they don't cost an arm and if you break one while tuning you won't shed tears! Pierre was recommending Zyex if you want to kick up a notch with pricier strings. For tuning you should buy a super cheap Matrix chromatic tuner, they are maybe 12-15$ only and super easy to use or any online violin tuner does the trick also for free.
About the bows, I'm ninja-ing your thread to ask a related question: what exactly makes a sound better on pricier bows? I mean they all are made with horse hair so what in the bow or frog would change the quality of the sound? Doesn't make any sense for my little beginner brain.
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
You are totaly wrong about the strings. Even a deaf person can hear the difference between cheap steel strings and composit strings. I have the same violin as you and put Pro-Arte on it. What a difference. Also to make it sound better, use at least a chorus or echo effect. You can get real cheap pedals http://www.ebay.com/itm/Danele.....46028f47c3 and these work pretty good. Just remember to unplug the input cable when not in use or the battery dies.
NV,
Vibrations are picked up in the bow but the difference is so subtle. The main difference is how you can use that bow. The weight of it, the balance, the bounce. It used to be that to get a good bow would cost you thousands of dollars. Today you can get carbon fiber bows, which I believe will take over as the best bows as time goes on and methods of making the bows advance.
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Thanks for the answer! I doubt I would make any difference for the bows, mine is a typical brazilian wood one, maybe a bit heavy but then I have small weak hands lol. Once it sits on the strings though it's all good I feel comfortable with it. I would be scared to buy a 100$ bow and not see any differences!
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
I have four bow's, one is about 130 yrs old, I have a bow I bought several years ago for $225.00, another is a student fiberglass bow $25.00 a reall cheapy came with the $89.00 violin. They all produce pretty much the same sound with the exception of the Pernambuco/130 y.o. which I just had rehaired, it's very soft and mellow.
Maybe you should concider a bow from the, Jean-Francois Peccatte collection, I just saw one for, $20,000.00. A bit too much? For me too.
Jean_Francois.... sounds French to me, that might fit right in to your forte. LOL But the type of bow and the hair do make a difference.
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I agree with Kevin... strings make a HUGE difference.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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Strings do make a big difference and believe it or not so do bows.
However, I am not sure how much difference a bow makes in the very beginning stages.
Two great string suggestions above by NoirVelours. I've used them both and like them both. I much prefer the Zyez to the Preludes but the truth is that every instrument has their own preferences. I've played on instruments that sound fantastic with Eva and mine doesn't like them at all..... Electric violins are not as sensitive as acoustical but they definitely sound better with synthetic core than steel core in my opinion. Also much easier to play on with good strings.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Great post Kevin on those FAB (danelcetro) effects they work great. I bought a box set of 4 of them for 40 bucks. Including chorus, delay, distortion and that very cool sounding vibrato that made the sound like the band The Ventures:
http://www.youtube.com/v/T8__EwAT8VM
why is the link not working? PIERRE = because you didn't take away the = sign
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Sounds cool.
I guess I will getting the D'Addario Prelude strings. And maybe I will be getting a new bow. Maybe also a shoulder rest, but I am not sure. It doesn't hurt my shoulder to rest it on it with a rest. But it is loose. hmmm options.
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