I'm an adult with no musical experience. Isn't it nearly impossible for me to learn violin now?
One of the best things about learning to play an instrument is that virtually anyone of any age can learn to do it. It's no easier for a 5-year-old to learn to play than it is for a 50-year-old. Most adults will find themselves excelling very rapidly because of their strong motivation, concentration and focus.
Is the fiddle a difficult instrument to learn?
Like any instrument, learning to play the fiddle will take practice. The violin/fiddle follows a logical sequence of finger placement. It is also not as physically demanding as some other instruments which require a lot of lung strength and sometimes even physical strength. The main key to learning fiddle is to coordinate your movements and get used to having your hands do two separate things at once.
What is the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
There is no difference between a violin and a fiddle. They are the same instrument. Occasionally, an instrument used for fiddling will have a flatter bridge than one used for classical music. This is to make it easier for a fiddler who will be playing lots of double-stops (more than one note at once) which is common in fiddle styles. The term fiddle is generally used for players of traditional styles such as Bluegrass, Celtic, Old-time, Canadian, Scottish etc., while the term violin is generally used for classical musicians.
I have an old violin. Can my child learn on that one?
That depends on the size of your child and the size of the violin. Violins are great instruments for young children because they are one of the only instruments to come in child friendly sizes. It is best for a child to learn on an instrument that is the right size for them. A 3-year-old trying to play a full-sized violin will create a frustrating situation. However, if you child is 12 or 13 and just slightly small for the violin, it would be fine as they would learn to adjust and grow into the violin in a relatively short period of time.
How do I know what size violin my child needs?
To measure your child for a violin, have them stand up straight and hold their left arm out straight to the side palm up. While they are standing like this, you want to measure the distance from their neck to the palm of their left hand. If in doubt, it is better to use the next size up rather than use one that is too small.
14" needs a 1/16 violin 15" needs a 1/10 violin 16.5" needs a 1/8 violin 18.5" needs a 1/4 violin 20" needs a 1/2 violin 22" needs a 3/4 violin 23" needs a 4/4 violin
One of my strings broke. What do I do?
Once and a while a string may break on your violin while tuning or even while playing. Luckily, it is easy to replace them! The first thing you want to do is look to see which string broke and follow that string up to the tuning peg. Unwind the broken string and remove it from your violin.
Next you need to get a new string that is the correct size and tone. If the E string broke you will need to look for an E string that is the same size as your violin (3/4, 4/4, etc.).
Once you have your new string, insert the ball or loop end of the string into the fine tuner or if you don't have a fine tuner insert through the hole in the tail piece.
Next, if the string has a little plastic tube on it, you need to align that with your bridge. The tube sits where the string touches the bridge. This prevents the string from digging into your bridge.
Finally, bring the end of your string up to the tuning peg and insert it into the hole in the appropriate peg. Turn the peg away from you until the string is fairly tight. Then allow the string a few hours to stretch before winding it into tune. The stretching time helps to eliminate the risk of breaking the new string.
The strings should not be touching each other in the peg box. Generally, E and G are wound to be near the end of the peg box while D and A are somewhere in the middle. See the picture for reference.