Step by step guide to learn the Violin - free online violin lessons and tutorial

violin bowing lesson2 for begginers

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:25:00 -0800

violin bowing lesson1 for begginers

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:19:00 -0800

Lesson instruction will be posted soon,keep visiting

Mozart Violin Concerto 5 (2of 5) Janine Jansen- violin

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:55:00 -0800

violin lessons

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Hello readers
Soon i will be starting lessons for violin . I would be following Morzat Allan book of violin.
So keep checking this blog for updates

classical indian violin style -fused with modern music

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 04:02:00 -0700

I Was amazed after looking at this video
Fantastic adaptation of carnatic violin music blending with western music
check it out

violin track everybody hurts by corrs

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 03:01:00 -0700

Nice slow track called everybody hurts by corrs

Typical irish track - must watch toss the feathers

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 02:53:00 -0700

Vanessa Mae - Red Hot Music Video

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:07:00 -0700

black violin - hip hop violin

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:03:00 -0700

Violin related free ebook and music sheet download

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Sat, 2 Aug 2008 23:34:00 -0700

Lesson : How to avoid violin shaking when practising Vibrato

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:59:00 -0700

Arm Vibrato technique

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:56:00 -0700

violin Arm Vibrato technique

Édouard Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole with a string-breaking in the final movement

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:34:00 -0700

Hip hop violin

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:30:00 -0700

This one is one of my favorite hip hop violin track i enjoy a lot, check it out

violin jamming

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:27:00 -0700

Check out the dexterity of this violinist , simply amazing, hope you get inspired

Electric Violins

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:51:00 -0700

An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electric signal output of its sound, and is generally considered to be a specially constructed instrument which can either be:

* an electro-acoustic violin capable of producing both acoustic sound and electric signal
* an electric violin capable of producing only electric signal

To be effective as an acoustic violin, electro-acoustic violins retain much of the resonating body of the violin, often looking very much like, sometimes even identical to, an acoustic violin or fiddle. They are often varnished with bright colours and made from alternative materials to wood. The first specially built electric violins date back to the late 1930s and were made by Victor Pfeil, Oskar Vierling, George Eisenberg, Benjamin Miessner, George Beauchamp, Hugo Benioff and Fredray Kislingbury. The majority of the first electric violinists were musicians playing jazz and popular music.

Also check
Vanessa Mae -performance on electric violin

How electric violins are manufactured

Violin sizes

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:50:00 -0700

Sizes

Children typically use smaller string instruments than adults. Violins are made in so-called "fractional" sizes for young students: Apart from full-size (4/4) violins, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, and even 1/32-sized instruments exist. Extremely small sizes were developed, along with the Suzuki program for violin students as young as 3 years old. Finely-made fractional sized violins, especially smaller than 1/2 size, are extremely rare or nonexistent. Such small instruments are typically intended for beginners needing a rugged violin, and whose rudimentary technique does not justify the expense of a more carefully made one.

These fractional sizes have nothing to do with the actual dimensions of an instrument; in other words, a 3/4-sized instrument is not three-quarters the length of a full size instrument. The body length (not including the neck) of a "full-size" or 4/4 violin is about 14 inches (35 cm), smaller in some 17th century models. A 3/4 violin is about 13 inches (33 cm), and a 1/2 size is approximately 12 inches (30 cm). With the violin's closest family member, the viola, size is specified as body length in inches or centimeters rather than fractional sizes. A "full-size" viola averages 16 inches (40 cm).

Occasionally, an adult with a small frame may use a so-called "7/8" size violin instead of a full-size instrument. Sometimes called a "lady's violin", these instruments are slightly shorter than a full size violin, but tend to be high-quality instruments capable of producing a sound that is comparable to fine full size violins.

Violin sizes are not standardized and dimensions vary slightly between makers.

Viollin Pitch range

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:49:00 -0700

Pitch range

The compass of the violin is from G3 (G below middle C) to C8 (the highest note of the modern piano.) The top notes, however, are often produced by natural or artificial harmonics.

The arched shape, the thickness of the wood, and its physical qualities govern the sound of a violin. Patterns of the nodes made by sand or glitter sprinkled on the plates with the plate vibrated at certain frequencies, called "Chladni patterns," are occasionally used by luthiers to verify their work before assembling the instrument

Source :Wikepedia

Violin strings

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:48:00 -0700

Strings

Strings were first made of sheep gut (commonly known as catgut), stretched, dried and twisted. Modern strings may be gut, solid steel, stranded steel, or various synthetic materials, wound with various metals. Most E strings are unwound, either plain or gold-plated steel.

Violinists often carry replacement strings with their instruments to have one available in case a string breaks. Strings have a limited lifetime; apart from obvious things, such as the winding of a string coming undone from wear, a player will generally change a string when it no longer plays "true," with a negative effect on intonation, or when it loses the desired tone. The longevity of a string depends on how much and how intensely one plays. The E string, being the thinnest, tends to break or lose the desired tone more quickly than the others.

Construction and mechanics of Violin

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:44:00 -0700

Check out this amazing video tutorial which shows how electric violin is manufactured

A violin typically consists of a spruce top (the soundboard, also known as the top plate, table, or belly), maple ribs and back, two endblocks, a neck, a bridge, a soundpost, four strings, and various fittings, optionally including a chinrest, which may attach directly over, or to the left of, the tailpiece. A distinctive feature of a violin body is its "hourglass" shape and the arching of its top and back. The hourglass shape comprises two upper bouts, two lower bouts, and two concave C-bouts at the "waist," providing clearance for the bow.

The "voice" of a violin depends on its shape, the wood it is made from, the graduation (the thickness profile) of both the top and back, and the varnish which coats its outside surface. The varnish and especially the wood continue to improve with age, making the fixed supply of old violins much sought-after.

All parts of the instrument which are glued together are done so using animal hide glue, a traditional strong water-based adhesive that is reversible, as glued joints can be disassembled if needed. Weaker, diluted glue is usually used to fasten the top to the ribs, and the nut to the fingerboard, since common repairs involve removing these parts.

The purfling running around the edge of the spruce top provides some protection against cracks originating at the edge. It also allows the top to flex more independently of the rib structure. Painted-on faux purfling on the top is a sign of an inferior instrument. The back and ribs are typically made of maple, most often with a matching striped figure, referred to as "flame," "fiddleback" or "tiger stripe"

The neck is usually maple with a flamed figure compatible with that of the ribs and back. It carries the fingerboard, typically made of ebony, but often some other wood stained or painted black. Ebony is the preferred material because of its hardness, beauty, and superior resistance to wear.[9] Fingerboards are dressed to a particular transverse curve, and have a small lengthwise "scoop," or concavity, slightly more pronounced on the lower strings, especially when meant for gut or synthetic strings.

Some old violins (and some made to appear old) have a grafted scroll, evidenced by a glue joint between the pegbox and neck. Many authentic old instruments have had their necks reset to a slightly increased angle, and lengthened by about a centimeter. The neck graft allows the original scroll to be kept with a Baroque violin when bringing its neck into conformance with modern standards.

The bridge is a precisely cut piece of maple that forms the lower anchor point of the vibrating length of the strings and transmits the vibration of the strings to the body of the instrument. Its top curve holds the strings at the proper height from the fingerboard in an arc, allowing each to be sounded separately by the bow. The sound post, or "soul post," fits precisely inside the instrument between the back and top, below the treble foot of the bridge, which it helps support. It also transmits vibrations between the top and the back of the instrument.

The tailpiece anchors the strings to the lower bout of the violin by means of the tailgut, which loops around the endpin, which fits into a tapered hole in the bottom block. Very often the E string will have a fine tuning lever worked by a small screw turned by the fingers. Fine tuners may also be applied to the other strings, especially on a student instrument, and are sometimes built in to the tailpiece.

At the scroll end, the strings wind around the tuning pegs in the pegbox. Strings usually have a colored silk wrapping at both ends, for identification and to provide friction against the pegs. The tapered pegs allow friction to be increased or decreased by the player applying appropriate pressure along the axis of the peg while turning it.

History of Violin

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:42:00 -0700

The earliest stringed instruments were mostly plucked (e.g. the Greek lyre). Bowed instruments may have originated in the equestrian cultures of Central Asia, an example being the Mongolian instrument Morin huur:

Turkic and Mongolian horsemen from Inner Asia were probably the world’s earliest fiddlers. Their two-stringed upright fiddles were strung with horsehair strings, played with horsehair bows, and often feature a carved horse’s head at the end of the neck. ... The violins, violas, and cellos we play today, and whose bows are still strung with horsehair, are a legacy of the nomads.[2]

It is believed that these instruments eventually spread to China, India, and the Middle East, where they developed into instruments such as the erhu (China) and rebab (Middle East), and esraj (India). The violin in its present form emerged in early 16th century in Northern Italy, where the port towns of Venice and Genoa maintained extensive ties through the trade routes of the Mongol Empire.

The modern European violin evolved from various bowed stringed instruments which were brought from the Middle East.[3] Most likely the first makers of violins borrowed from three types of current instruments: the rebec, in use since the 10th century (itself derived from the Arabic rebab), the Renaissance fiddle, and the lira da braccio.[4] One of the earliest explicit descriptions of the instrument, including its tuning, was in the Epitome musical by Jambe de Fer, published in Lyon in 1556.[5] By this time, the violin had already begun to spread throughout Europe.

The oldest documented violin to have four strings, like the modern violin, is supposed to has been constructed in 1555 by Andrea Amati, but the date is doubtuful. (Other violins, documented significantly earlier, only had three strings.) The violin immediately became very popular, both among street musicians and the nobility, illustrated by the fact that the French king Charles IX ordered Amati to construct 24 violins for him in 1560.[6] The oldest surviving violin, dated inside, is from this set, and is known as the "Charles IX," made in Cremona c. 1560. "The Messiah" or "Le Messie" (also known as the "Salabue") made by Antonio Stradivari in 1716 remains pristine, never having been used. It is now located in the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford.

The most famous violin makers (luthiers) between the 16th century and the 18th century include:

* The school of Brescia, the oldest, reported by many contemporary documents; it was formed from 1530 to 1630 by almost 20 "magister" of string instruments like violas, violins, violones, viola da gamba and double basses. Among the oldest are Giovan Giacomo della Corna (1484c.-1560), Daniel de Laude, working from 1529 to 1550, Guglielmo Frigiadi and Francesco Inverardi, working around 1558, Battista Laffranchi working around 1565, Fiorini Inverardi (1514-1580) and the Micheli, the oldest dynasty of string making: Zanetto Micheli (1489c. -1560), Pellegrino, his son (1520-1606), Giovanni, son of Pellegrino (1562-1615), Battista, the second (1568-1615), Francesco, the third (1579-1615). All of them were involved in violin construction. After them the great figure of Gasparo da Salò (1540-1609) and Giovanni Paolo Maggini (1580-1630).
* The Amati family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Amati (1500-1577), Antonio Amati (1540-1607), Hieronymus Amati I (1561-1630), Nicolo Amati (1596-1684), Hieronymus Amati II (1649-1740)
* The Guarneri family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Guarneri (1626-1698), Pietro of Mantua (1655-1720), Giuseppe Guarneri (Joseph filius Andreae) (1666-1739), Pietro Guarneri (of Venice) (1695-1762), and Giuseppe (del Gesu) (1698-1744)
* The Stradivari family (1644-1737) of Cremona
* The Gagliano family of Italian violin makers, Alexander, Nicolo I and Ferdinand are outstanding of these
* Giovanni Battista Guadagnini of Piacenza (1711-1786)
* Jacob Stainer (1617-1683) of Absam in Tyrol

Significant changes occurred in the construction of the violin in the 18th century, particularly in the length and angle of the neck, as well as a heavier bass bar. The majority of old instruments have undergone these modifications, and hence are in a significantly different state than when they left the hands of their makers, doubtless with differences in sound and response.[8] But these instruments in their present condition set the standard for perfection in violin craftsmanship and sound, and violin makers all over the world try to come as close to this ideal as possible.

To this day, instruments from the "Golden Age" of violin making, especially those made by Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù, are the most sought-after instruments by both collectors and performers.

Source : Wikepedia

corrs JOY of life

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:24:00 -0700

A nice composition named Joy of life by CORRS (Irish music) check it out

Also check
corrs - Everybody hurts Irish music

corrs - Toss the feathers Irish music

Some great live violin performance

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:20:00 -0700

A scene from the movie red violin

violin string crossing lesson 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:22:00 -0700

violin string crossing lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Kenneth T. Moras) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:15:00 -0700