Blog archives for October, 2009

I have been used to tuning my violin with a tuning fork. I just got an automatic tuner that came with an electronic metronome. I noticed that both of my tuning forks (they are different sizes but have the same pitch) register consistently as "442 Hz" on the tuner.

Are tuning forks more accurate? If so, I could reset the tuner in a different mode so that "442" becomes the new "440." It’s not a big deal, but if you can tell the difference between the two if you play them one after another alternately.

Yes, it isn’t a big deal. 2Hz isn’t huge, but it can be irritating to someone with perfect pitch.
Naturally, the electric tuner should be more accurate, however there are different countries which tune to different frequencies. Most European countries tune to 441Hz, so i wouldn’t worry too much

I have been used to tuning my violin with a tuning fork. I just got an automatic tuner that came with an electronic metronome. I noticed that both of my tuning forks (they are different sizes but have the same pitch) register consistently as "442 Hz" on the tuner.

Are tuning forks more accurate? If so, I could reset the tuner in a different mode so that "442" becomes the new "440." It’s not a big deal, but if you can tell the difference between the two if you play them one after another alternately.

Yes, it isn’t a big deal. 2Hz isn’t huge, but it can be irritating to someone with perfect pitch.
Naturally, the electric tuner should be more accurate, however there are different countries which tune to different frequencies. Most European countries tune to 441Hz, so i wouldn’t worry too much

i need a violin but i don’t seem to know where to get one online ^_^ i visit some web like kkmusicstore.com but i don’t really trust that place so can anyone out there tell me where there is a web that is trustful if you know where please tell me the web page thank you very much .

I got mine off amazon. It is nice because you can sort by price, search for the brand name, and amazon has an obviously good reputation to deliver what they say. Here’s a link to their violin section:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fb%3Fie%3DUTF8%26node%3D11971521%26ref%255F%3Dsr%255Ftc%255Fimg%255F2%255F0%26qid%3D1248677753&tag=ventriloquist007-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957

Matt

i need a violin but i don’t seem to know where to get one online ^_^ i visit some web like kkmusicstore.com but i don’t really trust that place so can anyone out there tell me where there is a web that is trustful if you know where please tell me the web page thank you very much .

I got mine off amazon. It is nice because you can sort by price, search for the brand name, and amazon has an obviously good reputation to deliver what they say. Here’s a link to their violin section:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fb%3Fie%3DUTF8%26node%3D11971521%26ref%255F%3Dsr%255Ftc%255Fimg%255F2%255F0%26qid%3D1248677753&tag=ventriloquist007-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957

Matt

My aunt and cousing brother also suffers from some form of depression. My cousing sister suffers from Down’s Syndrome. These have been a major issue and bottleneck for our family planning. Knowing the kind of long term medication that my brother is into, we are scared to even take on the risk of having our second child.

Having said that we strive to have an active life style at home and practice good all round development. My daughter (6 yrs) is thankfuly healthy and intelligent. She sings and plays the violin too.

Your thoughts/advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

A genetic counselor can give you factual information. That person would get lots of info. about you/your wife and both of your family backgrounds. Then you would be given the statistics about how likely different problems would be to occur.

I did that when I was thinking of having my 2nd child at age 40, and of having "amnio."

I can tell you, as a mom with a son who is bipolar (my first child), that it’s rather complicated and if you REALLY want facts you need to do a genetic screening.

It might give you some peace of mind…or at least you can make an educated decision.

Congrats on your healthy, intelligent, AND apparently musically talented daughter.

i’m 22 and want to start learning…. i used to know how to read music (played piano when i was little) and i think i can refresh my memory but i’m guessing its not the same with the violin….. i always wanted to play but i couldn;t afford the classes and didn’t have time until now…….. but at my age is it worth it??? some people tell me that it is nearly impossible and it isn’t worth it because it will take me years to learn what a child can do in two,,,,,,,,,,, what do you all think??

im 49 and started the violin about two years ago – i played guitar for about ten years and (in my opinion) never really got the hang of it – but after two years with the violin im pretty good – some people are meant for some instruments – if you always had an interest then you might pick it up much easier than you think –

when i started i rented one from a place that usually rents to students – i paid 28 dollars for three months – and then i bought one – i also rented a sax for 3 months and didnt really care for the playing of it – love the instrument but i didnt like playing it (ya know?)

i now own 4 of them – and i have learned that the chinese made violins are some of the best deals on the market now – if you spend 300 to 400 one you wont be sorry – and a quality violin will really make a big difference to your learning curve

i dont know why i have a nack with the violin when the guitar (another very similar stringed instrument) always eluded me – i have a feeling that its got something to do with the different angle from which you view the fingerboard (looking down along it instead of down across it)

anyway ….. its not too late – if you want a good source for a chinese violin let me know

My mom’s violin has been in it’s case, under her bead for the past 20 years. I got it out a little while ago to rescue it, and possibly fix it up for her. It’s kinda pointless to fix it because I am not planning on learning the violin, and my mom is not really caring about it, but I know she will be interested in playing with it if it is fixed. Anyway I just feel bad for the violin. It’s like an abused puppy..lol. But the bridge is no longer attached to the violin and 3 of the strings are broken. The bridge stays up fine under the tension of the remaining string, but not if I remove the remaining string. Is it supposed to be like that? (Forgive my ignorance, I know nothing about violins.) And how to I replace all of the strings? How much do new strings cost? If I have to take the violin in to a repair shop, how much will fixing the bridge cost (if it’s even broken..)? For all of you violin players this is probably a dumb question to ask but the violin is not my specialty, lol) I will appreciate any answers given!

The bridge is NOT supposed to be attached via glue, it simply stays in place via the tension of the strings. You may wan’t to take it to a shop just to check for no cracks, sound post still straight etc. Also after 20years you may want to replace all the strings. If you take it to a violin shop they will replace the strings for you. Im not sure of cost because i live in NZ and it will be compleatley different. And no this is not a dumb question to ask! Hope this has helped a little

like "A Little Distraction" from "Bach Minuet in G Minor"
"life is so cool" from "Pachelbel cannon in D major"

Those musics I search are not ONLY different in the form of performing, like techno, vocalise, a cappella or something else. The difference in the form of playing is not the point. u can have violin version, piano version or some inst. mix version, u can add electronic part BUT this is NOT i want, you konw only cannon in D has more than 1,000 versions, so i dont want this, that is only crossover in instruments.

So the music you recommend maybe have a little recomposed and have lyrics maybe, better is a variation just like what Maksim does or maybe just like "A Little Distraction", the song i mentioned earlier.

Thanks very much for ur attention and the nice answers u may give to me!!
sincerely thanks to you all answerers, you do help me a lot. Classical music is always my first choice, looking for this kind of music is just for a fun of collecting.
btw, I made mistakes in spelling "canon", and for twice!! but seems you all have forgiven me.lol

Although my personal opinion of this kind of music is not very high, I will do my best to help:

A 5th of Beethoven – based off of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxnoVn_Bvow&feature=related
Night on Disco Mountain – based off of Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooGSEGg-o6I&feature=related
"I Can" by Nas – with themes of Fur Elise (this one’s especially bad)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQMfGm8H9Lc&feature=related
"Could This Be Majic" by Barry Manilow – based off of the Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 in C minor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PShUNokSySM&feature=related
"Gimme Some More" by Busta Rhymes – sampled Bernard Hermann’s theme from the movie "Psycho"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2asIbbS9aQ
Bouree by Jethro Tull – based off of Bouree in e minor by J.S. Bach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W37×7lNP4DY
William Orbit did a version of Barber’s Adagio for Strings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMtmomHeXvA
He also did versions of Ravel’s Pavane Pour Une Infante Defune, Beethoven Op. 132, Handel’s Xerxes (all of them are bad)
There are MANY techno versions of Fur Elise (all of them are terribly cheesy)

There’s also 1 or more techno version of the Flower Duet from the opera Lakme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOAZMwMOsfs

There are many more I’m sure…but this is what I could come up with. I hope you will try listening to real classical versions of these….they are much much better and true works of art vs. a cheap rip-off (no offense).

I Would Like To Know what is the greatest violin type that i can buy? or what type of violin sounds great?

Well the best stringed instruments you can get are definitly Stradivarius Instruments. Tha’ts if ur REALLY REALLY rich. they cheapest ones are like are like a few million dollar ($US). its cause they don’t make them anymore and there are like only 200 left. They sound good cauz they’re realllly old – made in around 1600-1700.

Old violins are generally more expensive and have an overall mellower and nicer sound.

WE KNEW IT AS THE GERMAN MARCH BUT I DONT THINK THAT WAS THE NAME REALLY I THINK THERE WAS A PART WHERE YOU STRUMMED THE STRINGS WITH YOUR FINGERS ANY ONE ASK THEIR PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY POPULAR TUNE AT THE TIME.THANKS
sorry mura i didnt mean to shout as you say but i so anxious to get the tune that my late father played to us [he was killed young in a crash]

This question seem like a stab in the dark to ask on YA. I would suggest listening to lots of fiddle music of the genre you think the tune is from. This may take forever to find the piece but it also could only take a CD or two. Hope you find it!