Fiddle getting started advice?

[TobyB]

Bowing is hard!
It needs a lot of practice... and as others have said, a teacher can be invaluable.
We can all play a guitar perfectly well with a piece of old bank card ... a cheap'n'nasty bow will be very difficult to get even moderately satisfactory sounds. As a quick route to giving up these are far worse than that cheap'n'cheerful plywood box guitar with rubbish intonation and an action you can drive a car under.
Working hard on your right hand when you start out seems to be really important... a decent tone that's not quite in tune (yet) is easier to develop than accurate fingering of a tune while the bow judders and scrapes...

[Bob Womack]

Maybe a soundproof room?

Bob

[MissoulaFlood]

Originally Posted by 815C

I've played fiddle for 50 years. I'd add this to the good advice already given.

1. Make sure your fiddle is perfectly in tune

2. Spend time focusing on intonation. You can do this by playing against drone notes (e.g playing the open D string while playing notes in the D major scale up the A string), or playing along with prerecorded drone notes (search for "drone notes" on YouTube), and/or play along with records.

3. If you can get your hands on a mandolin, that is a good way to learn/memorize tunes. Since mando and fiddles are tuned the same, you can learn a tune on mando and then transfer it to fiddle.

4. Spend time working on vibrato. Good vibrato adds a lot to the vibe of fiddle playing.

5. Perhaps the most important advice. Practice the fiddle and the gift of mercy simultaneously by ensuring the people you live with you/near you can't hear your practice as in the beginning stages it may sound like a dying cat. Maybe get a VIOLIN MUTE for practicing.

#5 above is very good advice.

[Mandobart]

But PLEASE don't leave the mute on at a jam! I have a friend who can play ANY stringed instrument very well, yet is self-conscious about their fiddle playing. No one can ever hear them at the jam because they insist on playing with a mute!

[MikeVB]

Originally Posted by jazzereh

I'd certainly echo all the great advice above but thought I'd add - consider an electronic violin. If that is in your price range, used likely, given that you will sound awful as a beginner - not a criticism, reality - playing quietly can be a big bonus. I know!!

I resumed playing the violin a while back and after a few tries on my acoustic, decided to try an electric [silent] violin. It was great. While called 'silent', you can hear yourself playing easily but the sound doesn't carry. Plugged in, they sound excellent.

Which electric violin did you get? Does it sound like an actual acoustic violin plugged in?