How much would you say is my violin worth?

I know. Part of me just wanted to go along and try to sell it to you. But the coin toss in my head ended up picking this boring answer.

 

Is that what it sounds like? lol
That sounds like its would be a whole lot of drama and action, something worth telling the later generation about...but sadly(?) that's not the case and I completely own this...this.......what should I name my violin?

I wanna name it something both stupid and cool at the same time.
Like, I could name it '8 hours' so that I can tell people I practise 8 hours everyday, but that's too stupid. And something cool like the 'Violent' is just too edgy. I also don't want a really bland name like 'Linda' or something either.

Something that has a significance, is kinda stupid and funny, but not full on stupid that its basically a joke. Like 'Practicia', but that name is already taken by Brett Yang.

 

Titania because you practices 8 hours a day
8>∞>infinity>infinity stone>thanos>sounds like titania

Could be your grandfather's name or catchphrase. Or family's inside joke

 

1. I don't practice 8 hours a day.
2. Thanos sounds nothing like titania!
3. ...well, actually the last one was a good idea, but I still have nothing.

 

LOL, I thought that was for my comment? He was quoting me...

Yeah, @Walter vi Britannia it was truly a waste not to take it up when I was young. Sadly I was not able to learn from young because lessons are too expensive and my family prioritize on academic performance instead. I do have plans to learn from youtube by buying a cheap violin online but is unsure what constitutes for a beginner set.

 

Well, learning from youtube is fine I think...but are you sure? I can see many ways you can start a bad habit in holding or playing the violin if there is no instructor to guide you. As I said...somewhere...there are a lot of maneuvers that seem completely nonsensical physically, and there are easier ways to do those bringing the same results. You might end up learning those easier ways...those are the wrong ways.

And you'll reach a bottleneck much more frequently if you have no one to coach you. I think learning piano or guitar would be much easier by yourself...though I don't really have much experience with the piano myself...wait no, the harmonuim (pump organ) was the first instrument I learned, that's quite similar. Anyway, what I'm saying is that there are more ways you can go wrong on the violin than any other instrument. Even cellos have very little path of straying, the maneuvers in that position, the vibrato, it makes sense...unlike violin.

It'll take a lot more time for you to learn by yourself. Also, be sure to get a shoulder rest. No matter what anyone says, get a shoulder rest. Some people might even say it's much better without, the naked violin is the pure baroque way...but I say fuck them! Even Hillary Hahn, one of the greatest violinists of our time, the lady who played for the Pope, is still on a journey to find the perfect shoulder rest. You can even see her using some pads and Styrofoam taped to her shoulder rest sometimes. She doesn't care what it looks like or how expensive it is, shoulder rests are not something to scoff at. Anything that improves your playing in every way without losing anything is definitely worth investing in.

Anyway, when you're learning, pay the most attention to your form and your hold, try your utmost to keep your every single joint relaxed (even the ones that you think shouldn't be relaxed or else you won't be able to play...violin playing is weird that way). Till you master holding your violin don't care much about the sound, that's your second priority. All the weight should be on your shoulder, even the weight from your fingers...this will hurt a lot at first. Play in front of a mirror, if you look cool, you're doing it right. If you look awkward, you're doing it wrong. Playing violin accurately is the coolest look you can have while holding a violin, so that helps understanding it a lot.

Play by the sound. Don't play by memorizing where your fingers should be placed like on a piano or guitar, those have frets for the right notes, violin does not, so if you end up being just a little off it'll throw your whole playing off for the rest of your life. Have the tones memorized to the point where you can more or less tell them apart when you hear it before you start practicing the vibrato. Your memorization doesn't need to be prefect, just being able to distinguish between notes is enough...meaning, knowing when you're playing a little off. And just practice, practice, and practice...a LOT.

....oh my god, I should really stop talking. Every time I read what I just wrote I end up adding another paragraph. I think I can go on forever at this point. I still feel like I haven't said enough. lol

 

I did think of getting a violin frets sticker, the one that shows where the notes are since I don't have perfect pitch and my relative pitch is only mediocre. I do know a little piano and I always use score from piano and modify it for violin since they have the same set of scales, just without the harmonics. I didn't think about getting a shoulder rest, and I'll definitely add it to my shopping cart later. Just wondering, is it a fix standard size for an adult like violin is 4/4, I presume?

Spoiler: PS

Don't worry about the word count. The more you write, the nuffies you'll get

 

Yea, you can adjust it a little, but the sizes are a fixed standard more or less for a full sized violin.
I never used stickers either but I made an effort to memorize the notes. What really helped was music that I really liked.
Like, Canon in D. Starts with an F#, I heard and played this so much that I can just imagine it playing in my head and know which key is F#. So it's easier to memorize the tone from existing pieces.

Anyway, during the vibrato you're going up and down constantly with the same tone so your judgement might be divided between two tones so be sure you can at least identify the notes before starting to learn advanced moves.

 

Thanks for the advice. Glad to know the sizes are fixed to violin size. I'll know what to get for now.