How to Play Violin

The Learn to Play Violin Video Library

Learn how to play Violin from beginning to professional right on your computer from the comfort of your own home. You will be able to play violin by the end of the day as the ViolinMasterPro system comes with 11 Video lessons, Exclusive Jam tracks, exercises, scales, chords, and step by step instructions for all stages. In addition to the exclusive system, you will be given 1000+ scales and arpeggios, exclusive resources and a library jam tracks to play along with. Everything you need to learn to play violin from start to finish is here. You will be given the tools to develop an incredible skill with a violin.

Prof. Lewis is the world renowned first violinist of the Prometheus Piano Quintet. He has toured the world since the 1970′s across North and South America, Europe, Russia and the far east playing concerts and teaching.

You can apply the Eric Lewis method to Classical, Jazz, Rock, Country, Bluegrass and more. This system is powerful and is a terrific foundation for any player at any age. Learn how to play violin in a logical sequence that prepares you for any musical situation.

It is never too early, nor too late to play violin. It is an awesome instrument, and Eric Lewis will show you exactly why. For the first time ever, Eric Lewis on video is available only through ViolinMasterPro.com.

Learn to play violin the easy way

Learn how to play music from memory, using the ViolinMasterPro ear training method, which is more than easy to develop. You either have this talent or you don’t. Most people were not born with this talent, which the greats like Ray Charles had. Only at ViolinMasterPro we make it possible to develop this talent without being born with it. Learn how to”almost magically” be able to play whole pieces of music after hearing them only a couple times.

To order the system and learn to play violin the easy way, just simply click on the”Get Yours Now!” link below, and then enter your zip code. After that, you will be prompted to enter your billing information. All orders are taken by Clickbank, the #1 online retailer with a money back guarantee.

Violin Value And Purchasing A Violin

Instrument Quality Affects Violin Value

The violin novice can rent or purchase their instrument. Even though renting a violin may be a budget conscience choice, the violin value is usually inferior and can become more of a hindrance if anything. When acquiring an instrument from a music shop, it is advised to check with an experienced violinist or luthier. If your instrument is bought from a luthier, the violin, bow, and case will probably be sold separately.

If you indeed decide to purchase the violin, it is fitting to test the violin and bows before purchasing them. Mentioning the violin price you are willing to pay is a bad idea. Dealers sometimes intentionally increase violin prices if the price tag is not already exposed. It is also advised to negotiate the cost of the violin if a price tag is already present. Proficient haggling skills can get you quite far, however; regardless of your purchasing intentions, try to stay within your price range and only test instruments you know you can afford.

Contemporary instruments, completed by a living luthier, are prone to be less costly than older violins. An elder violin is more valuable because of its sound and exquisiteness. In addition, due to its antique denomination it may be a ìlimited editionî if that particular type of violin is no longer constructed or the creator is deceased.

An older violin can be a superb asset. However, there are current violin creators with instruments of sound quality. If your budget is tight, this may be the better option. Essentially, your greatest ally when purchasing a violin could be your teacher. Show them the violin and bows, or bring them along on your violin-shopping venture. In addition, friends who are musicians can also be of great assistance in determining the violin value.

Then again, in the long run friends and mentors are probably not experts on the actual make of the violin and you may need to consult with a luthier. An experienced luthier will certainly be able to corroborate the maker and the estimated age of the violin. Furthermore, they will confirm whether the violin value is in question. In spite of anyone elseís opinion, never procure a violin that you are not comfortable with.

A widespread misconception is that a violin is an investment, and that the violin price or value will increase. This could be for violin prices in the $100,000.00 range, but not less. The financial side of trading in violins is iffy at best, and violin values in the private sector are not efficiently established. Most violin value will accrue if you upgrade to a more costly model from the dealer where you purchased the original one.

Now and again, dealers may propose to trade at a comparable value for the violin you acquired elsewhere. On the other hand, if you no longer play the violin and decide to sell it, you may witness a momentous regression in the violin value. If this is the case, it may be best to put it away for someone, like a child or grandchild, or perhaps take a tax reduction and make it a contribution.

The Violin Luthier

The Skill Of The Violin Luthier

A luthier is a person who makes, restores and repairs string instruments. The handicraft of violin luthiers is divided into 2 categories: makers of stringed instruments that are plucked or strummed and makers of instruments that are bowed. Because bowed instruments require a bow, there is a subtype for the second category known as a “bow maker” or “archetier”. This division owes to a great variety of existing string instruments, old and modern. Famous violin luthiers are Nicolo Amati, Antonio Stradivarius, Guarnerius del Gesu, and Roberto Ragazzi.

Those who pretend to be violin luthiers must prove their knowledge related to making this musical instrument as well as a natural handicraft. An extremely significant element is the musical gift of the maker. His ear is vital to his job and in perfecting the pure sound of the musical instrument. The violin luthier must also be aware of the fact that he is not the creator who gives sound to wood from which the violin is made of, but the wood decides and imposes from the start what is violin’s keynote.

Violins are made out of several wood varieties, but the same procedure is being used in order to make a viola, cello and a contrabass. The wood for the back of the violin is the most difficult to find. Luthiers are searching for a certain sycamore or curly maple, considered “ill” by sylviculturists. It regards a genetic abnormality from which results the curly sycamore maple, a tree with a remarkable musical resonance.

A Good Violin Luthier Searches For The Best Wood

Violin luthiers look themselves for wood in the forests. The trees must be cut in November or December; if they would be cut during spring, for example, the wood would be too “sappy”, and drying the sap out of the wood is not practical or efficient. The violin luthier uses only a certain part of the tree block. After it is being transported to the master’s tool house, the wood must be cut into small pieces. The luthiers say that, in this stage, you must feel what the contour of the future instrument is. To create a truly good violin, the wood must be dried for at least 15 years. For a good violin, it takes at least 15 years. If the wood is dried for only 2-3 years, the sound may be muddied.

The pieces of wood must be a bit bigger than the dimensions of the future instrument. The back of the violin is made out of two pieces and the whole instrument is glued together with “animal” glue made from animal bones. The front of the musical instrument is made of a single piece of straight grained wood such as spruce. The violin luthier usually makes the sides of the violin out of maple as well and bent to shape with steam.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Violin Practice Time

Effective Violin Practice

The old adage “practice makes perfect” may not be entirely true when it comes to violin practice, but practice certainly does make you a better player. If you want to improve, you need to practice.

Violin practice should be fun and not a chore, but it must be productive too. Simply playing a bunch of tunes you know by heart is not really practice, though it may be fun. In order to get the most out of your practice time you should try to keep a few points in mind.

Try to find an area to practice where you will not be distracted. Finding a room without a television, internet access, etc. is probably a good start, and letting the answering machine pick up any phone calls will help. Be sure you have what you need readily at hand. Obviously, things such as your violin and bow, a music stand and sheet music for any tunes you wish to work on, but less obviously, a metronome and a recorder of some sort (audio only or auvio/video). A bottle of water or other drink is optional.

Violin practice is best done with quality rather than quantity. You don’t need to practice for hours each and every day, but you should try to practice at least three or four times per week. Spending hours on violin practice in each session can actually be counter productive. You don’t learn well if you are too tired or frustrated. You will learn better by spacing out sessions. Repetition is a good thing. The more you work on the same thing the better you will get at it – but not all at once. Violin practice works best over time. Rather than working on one section of a piece for hours at a time, you will find you have better results if you work on the section for a few minutes, and then switch to something else. Perhaps revisiting it again later in your practice session, but better still, let it sink in and try it again in your next practice session. I’ve found that I can be working on a piece and just get frustrated in an attempt to get it right and then the next day it all falls into place almost effortlessly.

If you are learning a new piece, break it down into sections. Break it into logical sections four or eight bars at a time and then move on rather than attempting the whole thing at once. Listed to a recording of someone else playing the same tune. Listen for the accents and flavour the other player adds to the tune. Don’t just try to play music as it is written, add your own interpretation. You can play all the same note, but play them differently – it is a subtle distinction, but you can really hear the difference.

Warm Ups For Violin Practice

A good way to approach violin practice is to start with a warm up of some sort. Some quick scales, arpeggios or exercises are good to start with. I find I have a couple of arpeggio exercises that I tend to run through very quickly at the start of any practice session. I then run through a tune or two that I know by heart before buckling down to learn something new. I usually practice only for twenty or thirty minutes at a time, but I do tend to pick up an instrument more than one throughout the day.

To encourage yourself to practice violin, keep your instrument near you and out of the case. Keep it near your desk or couch. You can pick up an inexpensive stand for your violin that will allow you to keep it close at hand and safe from damage. You may not pick it up for a full practice session, but you may find it handy for a quick mini practice when time permits.

Remember when you do practice violin, make it fun. If you are tired or just don’t feel like it – put it off. Don’t force yourself to practice violin if you don’t enjoy it. You will not learn well if it seems like work. Work on your violin practice, don’t work at it.

Violin Value – How much is my violin worth?

Why It Is Difficult To Set Violin Value

Every violin dealer has heard the question “How much is my violin worth?” Even with the Internet and instant information at our finger tips from experts everywhere determining the exact violin value remains an elusive goal.

One of the problems in determining violin value is that value is subjective and violin price can be a moving target. Much as a financial statement for a company represents the value of that business at that particular point in time, a violin value certificate represents the value of that particular instrument at a particular point in time as appraised by an individual expert. Economic factors can change the company value or the violin value, time can change the company value or the violin value, disasters can change the company value or the violin value. Essentially what I am saying is that if someone sets a violin value then it is only really valid for a very short period of time and is almost out of date the moment it is issued.

Current economic conditions lack the stability of former times and the violin market is an active and volatile one. Violin value has steadily advanced over the years and may well continue to do so for some time into the future, but just as speculation of the stock market can lead to disappointment, so can speculation on violin value.

A violin value is obviously affected by the economy and the value of a dollar (or local currency), but the fluctuations in violin value are also affected by more ethereal factors. Most products have a value that is easily determined by the cost to manufacture. A violin value on the other hand is determined more by the instruments age, rarity, craftsmanship and artistry, and of course, its tone; a violin value bears little relationship to what it cost to make.

A violin value is dependent on condition. Condition is everything. A $5000.00 violin can be reduced to virtually no value if it is badly damaged. If the from or the back of the instrument are damaged in an acoustically important area such as where the sound post fits or the base bar is glued the tone of the instrument can be irreparably impaired. The corners of the instrument may have been damaged by dropping, the neck may have been replaced, the fingerboard my not be original. All of these factors can adversely affect the violin value. Having said all that, it does not mean there is no value in buying a damaged instrument. By nature, the number of older fine violins in perfect order must always decrease while the demand will always grow. There needs to be a compromise between the condition of the instrument and the desirability. The relationship of condition to violin value is always changing. There may be some allowance made for substitute parts, refinishing of surfaces and well made repairs.

A future article in this series will delve deeper into the factors that can affect violin value.

How to Replace Your Violin Strings

Replacing Violin Strings Is Easy

It is very important not to remove the violin strings on your instrument all at the same time. This will cause drastic changes in the tension and pressure on the violin and this can cause the sound post to fall.

Remove and replace the violin strings one at a time. After removing the old violin string, you will want to lubricate the groove where the string passes over the bridge by rubbing a soft pencil in the groove. This decreases friction and helps prevent bridge movement. You will also want to rub the pencil through the slot in the nut. It also allows the string to slide more easily, making tuning easier and helps stop buzzing.

Place the violin string onto the instrument’s tailpiece and into the peg and wind it in a manner that the string is neatly distributed on the peg. If you have tailpiece adjusters fitted, it is important to be careful how you fit the string through the adjuster as it can easily damage the string. A violin string that is not wound neatly will make the instrument much harder to tune and remain in tune. There is also less tension placed on a properly wound string so that there is less chance of friction damaging the string in the peg box itself and causing it to break.

Make sure that when you have finished replacing each violin string that its fine tuner (if it has one) is not too tight and not too loose. You need to be able to adjust the fine tuner.

Only when the new violin string is in place should you start working on removing the next string.

Always check to make sure that the bridge is remaining in the upright position as you go through the process of changing each string. You need to ensure that not only are the bridge’s feet are in the proper position between the f-holes and that the bridge itself is properly perpendicular to the instrument. The bridge is considered the most important fitting on the outside of a violin. The position of the bridge is crucial to the sound of your violin. It is only held in place by the tension of the violin strings passing over the top edge of the bridge. The bridge acts to transmit the vibration energy from the violin strings to the sound post and to the body of the violin. The body of the violin acts as an amplifier in the sense that it increases the sound of the volume of the violin strings’ vibrations.

Once you have the strings replaced, you can then move on to tuning your violin.

What To Look For In Your Violin Bridge, Strings and Tuning Pegs

How to Examine Your Violin Bridge, Strings, Tuning Peg and General Condition

It is also good practice to examine your violin each time you pick it up to play it. You want to look at its condition in general and a quick overall check goes a long way to stop expensive repairs in the future.

Firstly, examine the body of the violin for fine cracks, which can occur from sudden changes in temperature and humidity, being improperly handled or from the tension of the strings.

The Violin Bridge

The violin bridge should be in the right place and not leaning too far. Each time you tune the violin using the pegs, the top of the violin bridge moves a small amount towards the pegs. It is a small amount and usually not noticed. However, over time, this can cause the violin bridge to lean towards the fingerboard as the strings are tightened. The correct angle of the violin bridge can be determined by looking from the side of the bridge facing the tailpiece. It should be perpendicular to an imaginary straight line or tangent beginning at the point where the bridge rests on the curve of the violin. If the violin bridge leans too much off perpendicular, then the bridge may warp and possibly break. The correct position for the violin bridge is to align the feet of the violin bridge between the two small nicks on the inside of the two f-holes. To correct the violin bridge angle, you should lay the violin down on its back on a cloth or in its case. Rest your hands just above the widest part of the violin and grip the violin bridge between thumb and index finger or thumb and middle finger. There is a lot of pressure required to move the bridge. This must be done gradually without moving the placement of the feet.

Look at fine tuners should not be touching the wood of the instrument. You should look to make sure that there is a space between each tuner and the top of the instrument. Fine tuners have been known to have caused damage by digging into the wood in this manner.

Examine the pegs. They should move easily, but not slip too much. Either way, they may need attention. If a peg sticks too much, you can loosen it with commercial peg drops such as Hill Peg Compound. Be careful to do this one peg at a time. If you loosen too many strings at a time, you can also potentially damage the sound post because you are causing unequal pressure on the instrument. If you do not have peg drops, a small, dry scrap of soap can be used to rub a very small amount on the places where the peg passes through the peg box. Use sparingly! Conversely, if a peg is too loose, you can use blackboard chalk or pastels that artists use on the peg, as the chalk dust can help to hold the peg by causing friction. If the chalk does not seem to do the trick, this is a case where it would be advisable to take it to a luthier to refit the pegs.

Examine the strings on your instrument.

Is there a build-up of rosin and dirt? Strings need to be changed periodically. As already discussed, the rosin is slightly acidic and so is the sweat and oils from your hands. This actually degrades the strings. An instrument that is played consistently will definitely need a new set of strings at least once every six months to a year.

How To Care For Your Violin Bow

A Violin Bow Is Fragile

Be sure to care for your violin bow as much as you care for your violin. Violin bows are also extremely fragile! If you break your bow, it is more difficult to repair than a crack in your violin. A broken violin bow that is repaired is far more likely to break again and it has lost its value. A good rule is to treat it as if it were made of glass or fine china.

To care for your violin bow, always store it in your violin case in the bow holder. Do not leave it lying around where it can potentially be broken. When the bow is not being used, loosen the hair on it before you put it away in the case. The bow hair will shrink and stretch depending on changes in humidity. If your bow hair shrinks while the hair is not loosened, the head could break. If you store your bow with the bow hair still tightened, it may damage the bow by warping the camber. In extreme temperature/humidity cases, it can potentially crack or break the bow under the tension.

Depending on how much time you spend practicing, for proper care of your violin bow, some recommend having the bow re-haired at least once each year. Bow hair tends to wear out from playing. When you lose too many hairs, this causes uneven tension and the bow to warp. Due to temperature and humidity changes, bow hair stretches in the summer and shrinks in the winter. You might consider re-hairing a bow in the spring or fall.
Be cautious not to bang your bow against anything if you are moving around with it in your hand. Be aware of your surroundings. Bows can and do break if you snap them against furniture or a low ceiling, for example. If a tightened bow falls on its tip, there is a good chance the head will break. The bow can also break if it falls on its end-screw.

To care for your violin bow means that you also care for your violin.

Rosin is applied to the bow hair only when needed. Rosin improves the sound by aiding the bow in gripping the strings. However, the result of too much rosin is a cloud of rosin dust which settles back upon the instrument. Rosin is slightly acidic. It actually attacks the varnish on the violin. Therefore, applying less rosin on the instrument is better. Rosin build-up on the string definitely affects the strings ability to vibrate. While you are trying to improve the sound, you are actually defeating the purpose with excessively rosined strings. A good rule is to apply rosin thoroughly to a bow every fifth to tenth time you play. This, of course, is a matter of opinion and dependent on how much you play as well. There are two types of rosin which are adapted for the climate conditions where you live: light rosin is best suited for warm climates. It is harder and not as sticky as the dark rosin. Dark rosin is most suited for colder climates and is softer than the light rosin. When heat and/or humidity is high you may want to use a lighter rosin; when it is cold or dry, use a darker rosin.

Care for your violin bow after each use.

If you treat your bow with care and clean after every use. Use a soft, non-abrasive, clean, lint-free cloth. There are special cloths that are untreated with chemicals of any kind that can be purchased. If the violin bow is wiped properly after each and every use, you should not have to use any cleanser and/or polish. If you feel you must use a cleaner or polisher, do a spot test on the bow stick first. You do not want to discolour or damage your bow in any way. DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF COMMERCIAL CLEANER AND KEEP ALL CLEANERS AND CHEMICALS AWAY FROM VIOLIN BOW HAIR. Remember, there is no safe cleaning of bow hair.

Check the finger end of your violin bow to see if the grip is in good shape and not worn. Also, the ivory, bone or plastic tip on the bow’s head should be replaced if it is broken.

Often, I have seen musicians applauding by tapping their violin bows on a music stand or furniture. If you care for your bow, you won’t do this. Bows have been broken in this manner!

How to Care for Your Violin: Proper Violin Care

Why Proper Violin Care is Important

A violin can be a very expensive purchase, thus it makes perfect sense that you should also learn how to properly care for your violin.
Regardless of the price, you will want to make sure your provide the best violin care you can to ensure that it will bring you years of enjoyment. A violin is a fragile instrument that is made of materials that are always in a state of change. There is much pressure exerted by the strings themselves. The instrument by its very nature provides sound through vibration. It is inevitable that over the time, there will be changes in the instrument that will require care and repair. It is important that you know how to provide the best violin in order to keep it a beautiful instrument.

The first step to care for your violin is to invest in a good quality violin case. Often damage caused to a violin is because of accidents when the violin has not been stored in a case.
Buying a quality set of strings for your violin is important because cheap strings can cause undue tension on the violin that may result in cracks, warping or other damage to your instrument. Violin strings should be changed once a year. Carry a spare set with you.
If you really do care for your violin you will never leave it where it can accidentally be knocked over, sat on or stepped on. Be careful where you leave your violin and if you lay it flat on a table, be careful not to scratch it.

Proper Violin Care Requires Awareness of Temperature and Humidity

Avoid extreme changes in temperature and/or Humidity. Violins are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. Use common sense and do not store your violin near a direct heat source or in direct sunlight. Likewise, do not store it in an area that may be subjected to great fluctuations in temperatures, such as in a basement or an attic. A violin can break or fall apart in such conditions. A room with a humidifier in cold, dry climates when the room is heated can be very helpful.
If you are transporting your violin when there are extreme changes in temperature, it is advisable to always transport it in a case and to wait at least a half an hour when the case is cold before opening it. Whatever can be done to reduce the risk of playing it in extremes of hot or cold should be considered. Do not leave your violin in the trunk of any vehicle in cold or hot weather. The temperatures found in the trunk of a car during the summer can actually bubble the varnish on the instrument and the melting of the glue can actually cause the instrument to fall apart. For proper violin care, it makes sense to warm up or cool down your car before putting your violin case in the car.
You need to pay attention to the humidity that your instrument experiences in your home. If you live in a dry climate, you may consider purchasing a violin humidifier, such as a Dampit. They are inexpensive when compared with the cost of the damage that can be prevented.
If you notice damage to your violin, take it to a violin maker/repair person or luthier. An experienced luthier can help to care for your violin by repairing minor damage before it becomes major and in the long run, the expense will be far less. If you need advice on finding a luthier in your area, you might ask your violin teacher or check online for one in your area.
Care for your violin: Appearance
If you need to clean it, use a quality cleaner and polish for fine instruments, such as W.E. Hill & Sons Violin Varnish Cleaner. Some polishes or cleaners can damage the varnish on your instrument. Use the polish sparingly, but clean and polish the instrument at least once a month. For proper violin care, do not allow rosin to build up on top or underneath the strings. Contrary to popular belief, the buildup of rosin is not a sign of a seasoned player. When you are finished playing, it is advisable to thoroughly wipe the instrument with a lint-free cloth to remove rosin from the instrument, as well as sweat and oils from your skin. Your sweat is even more acidic than the rosin, and it can do similar damage to the varnish on the instrument. Do not polish the bridge. If a thorough cleaning and polishing is required, it would be advisable to take it to a professional luthier.
ALWAYS REMEMBER, IF YOU USE A SHOULDER PAD, make sure you remove it before putting it in your violin case and trying to force the lid shut. As unlikely as this may seem, yes, this has happened.
If your instrument is to be stored for a long period of time, loosen the strings just slightly, making sure to leave the bridge in place. Place non-acidic paper under the tailpiece just in case the bridge collapses. This will prevent any damage to the varnish. Ensuring there is proper humidity inside the violin case is also important to proper violin care. It is a good idea to put a few mothballs in a perforated Ziploc bag in the case away from the sides of the instrument. This will prevent bugs from damaging the bow hair and the lining of the case and show that you really know how to care for your violin! With proper violin care, your instrument will sound and look beautiful for years to come.

Violin Price – What Should I look for When Buying a Violin?

Whether you are purchasing an instrument for yourself or for your child, violin price is often an concern. As a parent, it is understandable to not want to spend a lot of money on a musical instrument until you are certain your child will enjoy his or her lessons and continue to play the instrument. That is where violin price enters into your criteria for the violin purchase.

Is a violin price under $300 a good deal?

However, you should be aware of what to look for when purchasing a new or a used violin. Buying an inexpensive Chinese-made instrument with a violin price under $300 does not come without its issues. There are many things to look for in the way the violin is made that can assist you in making that purchase decision. In the long run, the materials used and the construction of the instrument play key roles in not only how the instrument sounds, but also in the ease of playing the instrument. This is very important for the new student as well as the experienced one. It is very discouraging if the mechanics of the instrument adds to the difficulty in learning to play it. Also, the sound of inexpensive strings in themselves will not add to the tone of the violin and may bring you to an early decision to end the student’s lessons.

It does not pay in the long run to spend less on an instrument when you might end up having to replace the strings, the bridge, or the pegs. The inexpensive violin may end up increasing the violin price by $100 to $200 or more in upgrades.

Things to look for that affect violin price and quality

When purchasing a violin, one should examine the fingerboard, which should be made of ebony, a hard wood which is naturally black in colour. In instruments with a lower violin price, this is often made from a softer, lighter wood that has been painted or stained to resemble ebony. If you examine the underside of the fingerboard carefully where it joins to the body of the violin, you may be able to detect where it has not been painted. If this is the case and the wood is lighter in colour, then it is not made of ebony.

Violin Price can be affected by the bridge — Nicely vertical bridge

The bridge is also a very key part to examine. The bridge is integral to the sound of the instrument and can clearly affect violin price. The bridge should be footed and sit in an upright position to the body of the violin. It should not be leaning. If you examine the bridge from a level view from the bottom of the violin along the strings, the strings should not line up in a straight line. The “E” string should be lower, for example, allowing for the ease of playing the individual string with the bow. If the bridge is properly made and mounted, the instrument will be easier to learn to play and make it more enjoyable to learn.

The sound post, which can be seen inside the body of the violin through the f-hole and under the treble side of the bridge, should be vertical and not leaning. The sound post is a small dowel usually made of spruce that is held inside by the friction between the top and back plates of a violin and is situated under the treble side of the bridge. It is important for structural support, as well as the tone because it transfers vibrations from the top plate to the back plate of the violin. Its position, as well as its size and type of wood, make a difference in the tone of the violin. In a later article, we will discuss how to adjust the sound post. Note that adjusting the sound post is not for the feint of heart and if you do have difficulty it is advisable to seek the assistance of a qualified luthier.

Violin price can be affected by quality purfling — Purfling

It is also important to look at the purfling on the violin, quality purfling can also affect violin price. These are the “lines” that run parallel to the outline of the violin along the front and back of the violin. Usually these are made by carving and are inlaid with another thin strip of wood. This adds strength to the instrument. On an inexpensive instrument, the purfling may be faked by simply being painted to appear like inlay.

In most cases of a higher quality violin, but there is always an exception to the rule, the violin company or maker will have a label inside the violin that can be viewed through the f-hole on the body of the violin. The label can have a big influence on the violin price and for this reason there are a lot of false labels. Be careful that the label is real.

Most importantly, there is no substitution for playing the instrument and listening to its tone, its richness and its depth, the way it feels in your hand and the mechanics of how it plays. You cannot do this when ordering online!

Violin prices vary. There are many reasons to consider paying more for your purchase. However, if the student decides the violin is not for them, you are going to get a better resale price for the quality violin you purchased that was well cared for.

How to tune a violin

You can tune a violin with a stand alone tuner like the one below

But there are also other ways to tune a violin…

Knowing how to tune a violin should be important to all violin players. Violins are tuned in perfect fifths (a musical interval spanning seven semitones or five staff positions in written notation). Each string on a violin is a perfect fifth apart. From the left hand side of the fingerboard (assuming you are looking toward the neck from the chin rest on a normally set up violin), the strings are arranged in the following order: G, D, A, E. Beginners may find it easier to use an electronic tuner to help tune up but it is strongly advisable to be able to tune by ear as well. Learning to tune a violin by ear helps familiarize you with the sound of the instrument and the way an instrument tuned in fifths sounds. You become used to the sound and will be able to tell when a string is out of tune quickly if you learn by ear – if you rely solely on electronic tuners it will likely take you longer to notice when you are not in tune. Learning to tune a violin by ear will help your pitch. Nonetheless, you still should have an electronic tuner as a reference for use when there is no other musician or instrument to provide a reference note.

It is generally easier to tune a violin if it has fine tuners (tuners on the tailpiece). You can use the pegs to get coarsely in tune and then use the fine tuners to narrow in on the correct pitch. Use the pegs to tune up just below the note and then use the fine tuners to bring the note into pitch. Always tune up to a note rather than tuning down to the note. If you tune too high you may run the risk of breaking a string, so it is always better to start with the string a bit slack. Some violins only have fine tuners on the “E” string (the one that is most easily broken), and while some classical purists may not like the idea, I recommend you have fine tuners on all strings.

If you are tuning up a new instrument or using new strings, you will likely find that the strings stretch over time and initially it may be a bit more difficult to keep the instrument in tune and you will need to retune frequently. Don’t worry, as the strings settle your instrument will stay in tune longer.

Generally, people use an “A” note as a reference (440Hz). You can use an “A” from another musician (piano, guitar, another violin, or any other instrument). To tune by ear from a reference “A” tone, while playing the “D” and “A” strings together, tune the “D” string up until you hear the sound of perfect fifth (you will get used to this over time). It sometimes helps to use your fourth finger on the lower string (“D” in this case) as it will correspond to the note on the adjacent string (“A” in this case). Once you have your “A” and “D” strings in tune, use “D” as your reference to bring the “G” string into tune, finally, use your “A” once again to bring the “E” string into tune.

I do recommend that you purchase an electronic tuner for those times when you need to tune a violin and you are not tuning to another player. They are quite inexpensive and come in either stand alone type models or clip on models. I personally prefer the clip on models as they are not influenced as strongly by noise around you.The stand alone tuners use a small microphone to pick up the sound and if you are in a room where there is a lot of noise or a lot of other people tuning, a stand alone tuner may have difficulty picking up your note. A clip on tuner uses the resonance in the instrument itself by picking up the vibrations through the instrument directly and can be used in a noisy environment.