Buying a Violin
"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"
That question has risen to the top of the fiddle FAQ list, even above "What's the difference between a violin and a fiddle?"
This is an account of how Richard Blackwell, my student, actually purchased a violin.
He had been using a good quality student violin on loan from his sister. He was ready to upgrade to a better quality violin when his sister asked for her violin to be returned.
A violin was already on its way to him from a shop in Philadelphia, when he scheduled an appointment with a violin dealer in Plant City, Florida. Royce Burt, the part-time dealer had a good inventory of instruments ranging in price from about $500 to $8000.
He has a regular job as an accountant and does this other business part-time from his home. Aubrey Haney, a prominent Nashville session fiddler, buys violins from him when he is in Tampa visiting his folks.
Richard brought me along to hear the violins with him and also to play them. Many players recommend having an other violinist (or fiddler) with you when trying out instruments. Violins often sound quite different right under the ear, as compared to a few feet away.
He also had his current instrument with him to keep the base line of comparison.
This turned out to be a very good move.
When we got there we went right into the violin room. Royce began to hand Richard violins, making just a few comments about them. I kept Richard moving from violin to violin, not getting hung up on any one instrument. Then he would circle back and retry ones he had played earlier.
In between I played them and made comments about their sound and appearance. There was one that I found really intriguing, with a certain mystery quality to its sound. I wanted to keep playing it until I solved the mystery.
At one point Richard seemed to hit an indecisive stall in the process. It was at this point that he pulled out the fiddle he's been playing. The comparison made Royce's violins stand out. He could hear the superior quality of tone immediately.
That gave him fresh encouragement as to his inclination. And he was drawn to one violin in particular. It was a truly fine instrument suitable for a professional player.
By this time it had come down to choice of two fiddles. Going back and forth settled the matter. Even though the one he chose was much more expensive, he made his decision. He knows he has a violin that won't let him down as his ability improves.
There is one thing about Florida that you should know. Land may be pricey, but moveable goods are not. Almost everything costs less here than it does up north or out west. Royce's prices are on the low end of the spectrum.
When Richard was clearly gravitating towards the one he chose, Royce reminded him of his complete satisfaction guarantee. I don't believe I would buy a violin without such a guarantee.
Richard left with a violin he really liked. He also knew that he would be receiving on trial one more instrument to compare to it. That trial violin did not displace his choice.
This is not the only way to find a better violin to play. You might know a fiddler who has more than one violin and would be ready to let one go.
In some cases you might even be able to take the violin home for a week or so.
You could find a sleeper in an estate sale. Or, even a yard sale.
When it comes to trying out violins, there are three factors from Richard's experience that are key in making a wise choice.
1. Take someone with you who can also play, as well as listen. If you can find someone knowledgeable, that's ideal.
2. Take your current instrument with you. At some point, take it out and compare it to the violin or violins you have been playing.
3. Make your evaluation in a stress free, no pressure setting.
If the dealer brings out a violin exclaiming, "I have just the violin for you!" and he proceeds to rip off a few cadenzas, then hands it to you, make a quick exit. I was with one of my students when a "respected" dealer pulled this stunt.
Noticing how echoey the room was, I asked him if he practiced in this room. He said he didn't.
You should also play the candidate violins in a room with normal acoustics. That's another aspect of stress free environment.
One last point may be: know what your budget is. Don't sell the cow to get a violin. There are more violins down the road.
Elan Chalford, MM.
Learn How to Play Fiddle without Reading Music
 Google News Updated : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:08:13 GMT Hunger for victory defines Obama - Financial Times
Financial Times - By Edward Luce in Washington When Democrats criticise John McCain, they first praise his honourable military record. When Republicans do the same to Barack Obama, many begin by conceding that he is an “attractive and talented candidate”. Video: AP Campaign Minute McCain, Obama Trade Early Fire in TV Ads Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:54:07 GMT Iran test fires long and medium range missiles - Reuters
Reuters - By Fredrik Dahl TEHRAN, July 9 (Reuters) - Iran has test fired nine long- and medium-range missiles, including one which it has previously said could reach Israel and US bases in the region, state media reported on Wednesday. Iran Test-Fires Missile Capable of Reaching Israel (Update1) Iran test-fires Shahab-3 long-range missile Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:02:53 GMT VMware Ousts CEO Diane Greene - BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek - by Aaron Ricadela VMware ended a long-running battle over its strategic direction on July 8, ousting co-founder and CEO Diane Greene and installing Microsoft veteran Paul Maritz in her place. EMC Replaces the Chief and Co-Founder of VMware, Silencing Talk of ... VMware CEO abruptly replaced Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:13:27 GMT Cheesesteaks, troops withdrawals and cigarettes that kill Iranians… - FOXNews FOXNews - by Mosheh Oinounou PITTSBURGH, PA - Sen. McCain, joined by his wife Cindy, made a previously unannounced visit to the Primanti Brothers Restaurant and Bar, a famous Pittsburgh-area sandwich shop, Tuesday evening for a retail stop-turned media ... Caution: Can Iran cigarette jokes be dangerous to McCain's ... McCain jokes about killing Iranians with cigarettes Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:11:13 GMT McCain, Obama court Latino group - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - Sen. John McCain addresses the League of United Latino American Citizens in Washington, DC. today. McCain plans to tell the Latino advocacy group that the nation must secure its borders "while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal ... Candidates talk up Latino connections Candidates woo Hispanic group Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:56:13 GMT Reiser deal ultimately hinges on judge's OK - San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle - (07-08) 17:14 PDT OAKLAND -- The defense can ask for a deal in a murder case like Hans Reiser's, and the prosecution can sign off on it, but it's the judge who has the final say. Reiser takes plea deal for lesser sentence My interview with murderer Hans Reiser Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:23:31 GMT Cheney's staff censored EPA, ex-official alleges - Boston Globe
Boston Globe - WASHINGTON - Members of Vice President Dick Cheney's staff censored congressional testimony by a top federal official on the health threats posed by global warming, a former official of the Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday. Cheney’s Office Said to Edit Draft Testimony on Warming White House in climate change "cover up" Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:36:02 GMT More Web Site Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Throughout the past few years downloading music on the internet... Read More It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does... Read More Celebrities now such as Outkast, a fashion wear can be... Read More Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in... Read More The DJ industry is very competitive. There are many DJ's... Read More The idea originated with singer Jon Bon Jovi. Jon kept... Read More One of the things that makes New Age piano so... Read More In the last article, the creation of a theme, its... Read More There is a lot more to the story that meets... Read More Mistake #1 - Thinking about what you're going to playA... Read More As you probably know, there are thousands and thousands of... Read More Are you well past puberty and have always had a... Read More One of the biggest stumbling blocks for music students is... Read More They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look... Read More In an interview given to Musik Magazine in 2000, Eminem... Read More When I first began playing the piano and improvising, there... Read More I was 17 at the time (the Beatles era), and... Read More I have always had a big problem with my addiction... Read More Why do you care about stringing your guitar you may... Read More In many years of arranging jazz bands for all sorts... Read More Once you know what your Unique Selling Proposition is as... Read More The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's... Read More Celebrating an endorsement between G-Man Music and the fiery axe-makers... Read More When a painter is getting ready to paint, a color... Read More U2s lead singer Bono isn't content with being part of... Read More
Adsense
websites
Is it Possible to Download Music Legally Anymore?
If Seals Can Sing, Why Cant You?
Hip Hop Clothing
How to Create Hip, Mature and Lush Harmonies
How Any DJ Can Increase Their Gigs and Profits By This Simple Strategy
An Interview with Jon Bon Jovi ? 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong
New Age Piano Tricks
How to Create a Multi-artistic Piece - Part II
The First The American Idol Kelly Clarkson
Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes - When Improvising
Musicians: What Chords Do You Absolutely, Positively Have To Know?
Adults Can Learn to Play the Piano Too
Inspiration Wanted - Apply Within!
Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music
Eminem: A Social Commentator
How to Get Past Creative Blocks
How I Learned How To Play The Guitar After Giving Up In Disgust
Dont Go Tubthumping
The Secrets of Correctly Stringing Your Guitar
Choosing a Jazz Band for Your Party
Discover The Perfect Place To Perform
Say Something
Flaming Guitars! Minarik Fuels The Excitement Of A New Generation Of Musicians
How to Improvise Using a Few Chords
Bono: From Music To Fashion To Helping The Poor
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Shopping For Your First Drum Set
Your first drum set purchase is very exciting! You have... Read More
Chords or Melody First... Which is Best?
There are basically two ways you can compose a piece... Read More
Hip Hop Clothing
Celebrities now such as Outkast, a fashion wear can be... Read More
The Joy of Spontaneous Expression
Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it... Read More
Copyright Basics for Songwriters
Should you copyright your song? If you're a songwriter, sooner... Read More
Thomas Jefferson and the Chinese Gong
While Richard Nixon's diplomatic visit to China may have created... Read More
Formation of a Song (Recording)
As industry insiders, we sometimes forget that when discussing the... Read More
Flaming Guitars! Minarik Fuels The Excitement of a New Generation of Musicians
From the Telecaster to the Flying V to the Iceman... Read More
Five Great Practice Ideas I Learned From My Piano Students!
Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the... Read More
George Winston and New Age Piano Playing
The first time I heard George Winston play back in... Read More
Creating Caverns - an Improvisation Exercise
In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned... Read More
The Ostinato - What It is and How to Use It
Ostinato means "repeating pattern" and is used frequently in all... Read More
Piano Lessons - Group or Private?
Piano lessons are a great activity for children. They encourage... Read More
Effective Band Rehearsal
If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging,... Read More
Jazz: What In The Heck Is It?
All of us know what jazz is when we hear... Read More
Quick and Easy Violin Mute
One of the reasons I picked up the violin was... Read More
Legal Music Downloads
On July 28, 2004, French Internet access providers and music... Read More
Just 3 Chords? No Way!
A student wrote me an email about the lesson "Ocean... Read More
Launch Pad Introduces Subliminal
Who would have ever thought that a call out for... Read More
Surf Waves With Jack Johnson
Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by... Read More
Common Thoughts That Kill Inspiration
Do you sit down at the piano and feel anxiety... Read More
Where To Download Music On The Internet
Virtually all of you have probably heard of the RIAA's... Read More
Anglican Arrogance: Small-Minded Choirmembers
What is "Episcopal" music?We often hear people express concern about... Read More
Review: Coheed and Cambria - Second Stage Turbine Blade
Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the progressive... Read More
Arranging for New Age Piano
A while back, I wrote an article that compared flower... Read More
Music & MP3 |