Violin?

[fred smalls]

     Hmmmmm......  Kreisler's Praeludium and Allegro has inspired me to start violin and attempt to work my way up to its level in approximately four years.  How hard is it for a fairly advanced pianist to start playing another instrument.  I've always heard that "If you play piano, it will be very easy to pick up other instruments", but is that really true?
How hard would it be to play violin well, and how long would it take with a piano background?

Thanks alot
Fred Smalls

[Daevren]

Why would it be easier for a pianist to learn another instrument, compares to players of other instrument?

[UncleBEn210]

I started violin not so long ago and I must say I found it a thousand times harder
then I've ever found learning piano. But I progressed quite speedily all the same.
So if your willing to endure being a beginner (listening to yourself create the most out of tune god-awful noises you've ever heard in your life) then you'll learn violin quite quickly. Especially since you've already studied piano.

UncleBen.

[chopin_girl]

Hm, well, I've only recently started playing the violin, and I don't think it's easier for me because I'm a pianist, it's rather because of the fact that I'm a good musician with a "good ear". So that makes it very much easier and faster to learn.

[fred smalls]

Hm, well, I've only recently started playing the violin, and I don't think it's easier for me because I'm a pianist, it's rather because of the fact that I'm a good musician with a "good ear". So that makes it very much easier and faster to learn.

Sweet. My best musical feature is my "ear". Time to go start violin.

[tds]

go for it, freddy! tds

[squinchy]

Yay! Wait..no! Start viola. Many violinists eventually pick up viola so they can get a job anyways.

I started viola 2 years ago--I think the main way piano helps is by implanting all the theory into one's thought process. It really helps to have the concept of.."The D string with no fingers on is plays a D. If I put three fingers on it, it will play a G. A G is a perfect fourth up from a D. I should listen for that with my piano-trained ear."

The disadvantage is that string teachers tend to belittle piano, thinking it's a typewriter where you punch buttons and a perfect sound comes out. (My teacher also thinks that pianists spend way too much time in the practice rooms, causing social twitches and other mental problems  ) Also, shifting (moving the hand to a different position up/down the neck) is still a bit foreign--it was weird to me how you can play the same note on all four strings.

[Dazzer]

its not only just that.

from my experience with lower-grade non-piano players, i have come to a conclusion that a huge proportion of them cannot count properly because they don't practise with a sense of rhythm. its just themselves, and it gets to their head. with a piano there're many voices to think about ( at least 2 usually, bass and melody) so there has to be some sort of coherency. Non-piano players also usually disregard rests ALOT, from my experience with accompanying them. Again, because when practising themselves, they think its just them.

[mikeyg]

Violin, in the beginning, is much much much harder to play than piano.  You will wany to quit it because it will sound like crap for weeks.  But once you learn the bowing teqnique, and how to get a good sound out of it, the majority of pieces are fairly easy (in comparison to piano)

[Jenn Martinello]

Ok im 22 and I've never played violin. Im a (EDM) DJ But I want to learn now that I have a violin. Can I get some tips? Please?

[minimozart007]

Even though I'm a cellist, the same basic principles apply to the violin.  I would have to agree with chopin_girl that learning another instrument such as the piano can really help, because you already have a good foundation of musicality and music theory.

[thalbergmad]

Daft quaestion, but i have always wanted to learn the violin but i am so left handed i naturally want to play it the wrong way. Has anyone ever done this?. I have got a left handed guitar and 5 string banjo but have never heard of a left handed violin.

[abell88]

There are left-handed violins -- I *think* it's just a matter of turning the bridge around and switching the strings -- anyhow, I know I saw Charlie Chaplin playing one in a film.

I played violin in high school and observed that all the best players in our strings class already played piano. I think one reason is that pianists already realize that E and F are next to each other, but F and G have a space (on violin) in between -- knowing the keyboard pattern of tones/semitones is really useful.  Also, as a pianist you're used to doing things with your left hand, which a lot of right-handed non-musicians aren't.

One thing I used to find confusing is the fingering -- index finger is 1, because thumb is not used. It used to drive me nuts when I'd try to play my violin music on the piano, because I'd instinctively try to follow the printed fingering.

[galonia]

One thing I used to find confusing is the fingering -- index finger is 1, because thumb is not used. It used to drive me nuts when I'd try to play my violin music on the piano, because I'd instinctively try to follow the printed fingering.

Oh, yes, string fingering is a nightmare - I used to play double bass, and that really got me.  And all the positions!  In the end, my teacher said, let's not bother with all that, and just worry about the playing.  It was heaps easier.

A close friend of mine is both a violinist and pianist, and went to China for a few months, and decided to learn to play the erhu, which is a Chinese bowed string instrument.  At the end of her first lesson, the instructor praised the other pupil (they had lessons in pairs), then turned to my friend and said, "Don't worry, we all learn to walk in the end.  Some people take longer than others, but we will all get there."

Apparently my friend's flatmates were not thrilled about her practising either.  So I don't think learning one instrument necessarily gives you an advantage when learning another, except that you already know what the notes on the page mean.  That doesn't always help you make the right sounds.

[possom46]

I took grade 7 violin years ago (barely passed), found it much more difficult than piano but love the sound, only not when I play  . Was saying earlier today that I would love to give it another shot and try for my grade 8 after a while. The hand positions I found easy enough, the bowing technique is the trickiest for me, I could never seem to get any energy into my playing and found it difficult to get a good tone (which put me off at the time), hope to be able to try again soon though.

[lagin]

Oh good!  I was hoping someone would mention grades because I know most people on here stear away from them and play what they want to regardless of the extra effort, but I personally am just one of those people that likes to "do the levels," and make sure I'm not missing anything.  (Mind you, that doesn't mean that I think one shoud do every level).  Anyways, I was wondering, and I realize that this will very from person to person, but could anyone who has done the grades, give me an estimated time of how long it would take for me to go from never holding a violin before to grade six with 1 hour of focused practice every day?  I am just finishing grade nine piano, so I do have some clue about music.  THanks.

[yoda_muppet]

The piano will help you with the violin and the violin will help you with the piano.  I am a professional violinist with a major symphony orchestra, and play jazz piano also.  Piano helps you to think of things like chord structures, polyrhythms, and so forth.  On the other hand, violin helps you to think more melodically and tonally at the piano.  Either way, it doesn't ultimately have to be a competition as to which you are better at.  Play.  Enjoy.  Let it happen, and see where each instrument takes you.

cheers

YM