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Maestronet Forums

Soundboot

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Posts posted by Soundboot

  6. Can Youtube movies learn you something about violin sound?

    in The Pegbox

    Posted

    I'm not a physicist but I do a lot of recording. As I understand it you record the frequency that is there and any frequency that is absent cannot be added by way of equalization. However, the actual volume of the individual frequencies in a recording depends on other factors. This may be equalization or lack of at the engineering stage, compression, digital conversion, microphones, equipment and so forth. If a frequency exists in a recording it can be boosted, lowered or cut.

    So to look at a spectrograph and say 'this violin has a low reading at 200hz' may be telling you more about the recording. I'm not surprised a Luis and Clarke violin sounds weaker at the low end than all of the professionally recorded examples you give seeing as it was recorded on a video camera probably with severe compression.

  7. Cornerless finished

    in The Pegbox

    Posted

    Good for you making a cornerless. As an owner of three cornerless instruments I can vouch for their great tone and robustness.

    One myth about cornerless violins is that without the corners they are not so strong somehow. This really isn't the case and just handling one you get a feel of just how sturdy they are.

    When you've lived with cornerless for years the regular shape actually starts to look odd!

  9. Did I start too late?

    in The Fingerboard

    Posted

    I started at 13 (and a half) and am making a career as a player and partly as a teacher. I actually think it's a kind of optimal age for learning in some respects and for me it was a wonderful thing to enter my life having lived some time without playing. Maybe if you take it up really early you just take it for granted.

    My biggest problem was that I was slow to learn to quickly sight-read music and I think early starters have a big advantage in this. I can read fine now but still feel slightly dyslexic at times and probably don't have the reading level needed to be a high level orchestral player. However, I think if I had practiced sight reading a lot from early on it would have helped. As I had a good ear I tended to rely on that more and developed that as a strength gravitating more towards music that included improvisation and playing by ear. So my career has been playing all kinds of 'other' styles such as jazz, latin, world music of all kinds and recording session work. Work-wise I tend to fill the gaps left by classical violinists and only occasionally play classically for a wedding or for recording. I'm probably working more than most classical violinists from what I can see of the gig scene in my area.

    I think it's important to realize that there is a whole world of music out there. The classical world tends to see the life of a string player as having only three playing opportunities: soloist, orchestra or chamber but there is a whole world outside of the classical scene.

    Promote your strengths, tackle your weaknesses.

    Good luck and remember that even though it's important to work to get good technique it's your maturity as a person that ultimately matters in what you say as a musician.

  11. Ergonomic violin

    in The Pegbox

    Posted

    My father-in-law who is an inventor had a go at designing an innovative way to support the violin and he came up with a hat with a string going to the scroll!! Probaby would have to be pizz only and I'm not sure it would catch on amongst Maestronet folks!!!

    Seriously though, keep coming up with the ideas...

  12. Ergonomic violin

    in The Pegbox

    Posted

    As somebody with neck problems I would love a round the neck thingy like this. I've been trying to figure out how it could be attached to a conventional violin. It would need to be something that attaches and detaches so that the instrument could be put in a conventional case but it would need to securely attach to the violin. Anybody got any ideas??

  14. The real reason old instruments sound better.

    in The Fingerboard

    Posted

    If I understand the question correctly the questioner/commenter is saying that they sound better because they are played better or are we saying that an instrument will physically alter to sound better in the hands of a good player? After all, if you play with a big full tone it's going to have a physical affect on the instrument is it not? A lesser player could then pick up the instrument and the tone would still be very open. So maybe any instrument can reach its full potential in the hands of a good player?

  15. Carbon Fiber Cello - a do-it-yourself video

    in The Pegbox

    Posted

    It's unfortunate that the video starts with that plastic model violin with the announcer saying "this cello..."

    Anyway, as has been mentioned in other threads about these instruments is that they would be great to have as a spare for playing outdoors. I play with a latin band that quite often get surprise birthday gigs where we have to come in from outside playing. I've done this in the rain and in the winter when it is very cold. I really feel for the instrument as I hear the tuning changing under my ear as I go into a centrally heated house and I wonder what sort of harm it is doing the wood. We also do garden parties and have to play in the hot sun on occasion. Do they replace wood? Under certain conditions, yes without a doubt. Will they become the standard for concert violinists? Probably not but one day they may replace cheap wooden school violins. I imagine the scenario will be much the same as with CF bows today which were surrounded by the same kind of controversy when they first came out.

    So these instruments may not be a replacement for Itzhack Perlman's concerts but I could sure use one!

  17. Using Viola bow in violi playing

    in The Fingerboard

    Posted

    A viola bow is going to give you more power but be less agile.

    Let's face it, the standard bow is a bit like a golfer having one club which has to serve all functions - hard drives and soft putts. It's a compromise most of the time. There is no reason why we can't have a few bows and use different bows for different things. Guitarists have different picks - light to heavy and may prefer one over the other or use a heavy pick for soloing and a light one for strumming.

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