How Do Different Playing Styles Change the Sound of Your Violin? "Playing in" your violin
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- How does the sound change when you play in your violin, viola or cello? Can you change the sound with the way you play?
Master Violin Maker and Restorer Olaf Grawert talks about how instruments respond to a player and how the tone changes as it is getting play. Also the different ways to play the violin to make it sound better and more open.
Be fully informed when you buy your next instrument. Get Olaf's free 7 essentials when buying an instrument report here: olafgrawertviolinstudio.com/7...
00:00 Introduction
00:51 The effects of playing on violins, violas and cellos
12:57 Conclusion
#myviolinmaker, #olafgrawertviolin #violin
Website: www.olafgrawertviolinstudio.com
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That's a sad story that a child was told they were too old to learn... I was told many times as a child that we couldn't afford things. I wanted to play trumpet but we had an extra violin so that became my instrument.
50 years later I'm now proud to be playing a 100 year old German instrument.
When I was a kid I was envious of the kids with shiny new instruments. Mine had a crack that could be seen from space...
Now it's restored and I love it...
The great thing is that she's playing now 🥰
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Thanks for your response! I love your videos they teach the importance of finding the right person for your instruments.
My brother is a musical instrument tech so I know. He's certified and has 45 years experience. Primarily brass and woodwinds but because he owns a store he does all repairs.
I found a great shop in Orange County California Weisshaar they have really treated me well as I got back into violin a year and a half ago.
They have trained some amazing violin family makers in addition to doing high level restorations. Sigrun and Seifert up in Oetaluma specialize now in cellos with the occasional viola, but very capable of violins too. Julliard geaduates are not uncommon clients, so, even though Hans Weissar has left us, the shop has a huge reputation to maintain. Hans also wrote a respected violin repair guide.
No one should not be discouraged for playing the regardless of age range. I'm glad Marie got to play and is learning along the way for the violin to be a partner.
You made great points how the violin sound projections differs every player as there is no violin crafted with a same sound like others. It is telling how the personality of the violin can make or damp performance when the player is right for the violin or not. Try not to make the violin deaf in tension; breathe that instrument can soar in beauty.
Thank you for the analysis!!! ^_^
As a beginner in my 40s (who is in the process of upgrading from a Chinese factory instrument to a German workshop instrument) I really appreciate this.
Well. I have the same issue when I was 13 back then. The teacher also said that I was too old to learn a violin, especially when I didn't have any music background at all. I was forced to give up learning this instrument until recently, and I reached 25. I have made up my mind and bought a decent violin myself. Researching the better violin outlets and also the suitable violin teacher.
And now I have learnt this instrument with 2 nearly 2 months journey. Although I am still suffering a lot of hardships such as posture fixing issues and bowing straight issue, but I am still very happy for myself. At least I achieved my childhood dream by myself.
Great! I have no doubt in my mind that you'll excel at it if you keep at it. Nothing's stopping you🌟
I bought Evah Pirazzi strings several years ago for the first time and found the bow speed is much slower for them, they are so sensitive; it took a long time to get the best tone from them
This is really great! Thanks for the answer, totally agree with you. I am also adult learner. As I was child I wanted to play violin, but we did not have enough money etc. So I played guitar, I studied high school conservatory jazz rock guitar, playing now over 27 years on guitar, also teaching etc. (please find the teacher at least at beginning for guitar too). And at my 30years I started to play violin, now I am playing violin for 10 years. My progress was eased so much because knowledge of music theory and also string instrument. I had a great teacher for almost 2 years at beginning, he helped me a LOT. But also there are moments that we both were surprised that for example vibrato was so easy to learn for me, also I have stretched fingers, so I almost skyrocketed few years, and then it became harder but joyful way :). Now I do not have so much time to have a regular teacher, hope it will be better soon, but my basics were supervised so I try to build up on this :). Keep going music you love.
Oh that hurts my heart! I have just left my violin with you Olaf and I understand not feeling worthy of an instrument. I loved playing as a child on an instrument that was a family heirloom. It has taken years and years for me to feel worthy of learning again. But I look forward to playing my heirloom instrument optimised so that I can do justice to its heritage. It will never be a concert violin but it will bring me joy.
I call the f-holes "fear holes" because the violin senses and amplifies any lack of confidence more than any other instrument.
I remember many many years ago my teacher said to me hold your violin like your holding your lovers hand and let it sing
Interesting explanation and a beautiful violin in your demonstration.
A great library of insightful and informative videos Olaf. Your "I found a Stradivarius" video was amusing. I'm an Irish and Bluegrass player of many years.
I have a 1956 Franktizek Zivic and a couple of nice bows that I'm pleased with. Cheers. 😉
I notice a lot of players seek out and find a good violin, but never upgrade their bow. A really good bow can make a tremendous difference in the quality of tone produced. A very high quality job putting hair on the bow is an art, and can also make a big difference. I’m lucky to have a luthier that is also a real bow maker, and when I get my bow rehaired, its always a pleasure to use afterward.
Thank you very much for the informative and wonderfully instructive videos. I have worked on various musical instruments as a hobby for most of my life, but with my father's recent passing I have been very inclined to lean into violin work. I have rebuilt a few now and I'm working up to building , thus hopefully becoming a third-generation violin-maker. Never too late? 😊 Your videos have been very helpful to fill in the gaps as most of my instruction from my father was mainly guitar work, and somewhat limited in violin work . Thanks again, keep putting out the great videos,I truly enjoy them.
Wow, Olaf. This was a great vid. Our violins/violas etc are indeed living instruments and our emotional state when playing them is crucial along with our attitude towards them. Eddy (TwoSet Violin) once said he whispers 'saranghae' into the F hole of his violin. I do likewise. It's a beautiful word and means 'I love you' in Korean.
So when a relative beginner...with just a couple of years experience say....buys a 2nd hand violin that was previously played by a good musician, would this instrument be 'reluctant' to adapt to his/her inferior playing style?
Edit: Marie, if you're reading this, I'm so glad you've found the joy you were deprived of as a young child. I'm an adult learner and wish I'd picked up the violin sooner but things often happen when they're meant to happen...
I finally found a violin maker, and old and wise fellow, J. Brown. Took my Kennedy G! Bonnel in and he immediately whipped out a metric rule and did many of the things I've seen you do. The pegs were loose, but the openings were slightly deformed. He whittled to two points of the the bridge that connects to the top plate,which lowered the strings slightly. He also brought the tailpiece 2 mm closer to the bridge. All very minor changes, but the the instrument is much easier to play now and sounds remarkably good for an Amazon sourced instrument.
One thing I have seen you do again and again is carve the bottom or feet of the bridge. Is there a big difference in sound between "thin" or properly carved feet, vs. feet left thick?
Does string quality affect string height above the fingerboard? I noticed that now, the string height is about 2mm the full length of the fingerboard, perhaps half a mm higher toward the end nearest the bridge.
I am 80 and have wanted to play this, most beautiful sounding of all instruments. So I'm just a complete beginner, and I'm curious about just about everything about the violin as well as playing it.
Thanks for such enlighteni g content, Olaf. All the best!
I play Irish violin and Baroque style pieces on my
Modern Violin. However in between the Irish and Baroque…. I have to play Beethoven as a transitional piece to open the sound for baroque music….weird but it works
thanks Olaf.
Olaf, it was the summer of 2020 in pandemic doldrums that I happened upon one of your videos. It changed my life forever. I was bitten by the violin bug, and I began repairing broken violins and teaching myself how to play. I'm approaching 3 years of learning, and I have a very long way to go, but I'm on the way! I just want to thank you and I don't know how or why it was the right time and the right video, but it was. Here's one of my videos. I think I have thanked you before, but I want to do it again, I'm so grateful to you and your enthusiastic attitude which inspired me. PS - I'm in my 50s and it's never too late! th-cam.com/video/5Wm6mRzdogE/w-d-xo.html
One more: th-cam.com/video/lJ40UZjpE3k/w-d-xo.html
I've heard a few times about vintage violins being "modernized" and wondered what that actually meant. I found an interesting article online called "3 Instrument Setups from Ancient to Modern" the goes into some detail. Are there other differences in the setups?
Good morning from Celeste, Texas
If I'm using a practice mute more often than not when I play my new viola will that affect how the instrument matures? I don't need a super loud viola but I want a beautiful sound.
I was once told that an instrument really likes to 'sing' and that playing with a mute a lot of the time, stifles it. As my neighbours in the flat below said they were not really disturbed by my practice sessions, I decided to play 'senza sordino'. I'm sure my violin is much happier now. I have gone to practice in my local park the odd time, finding a quiet corner. That could solve a mute problem.
Hi Olaf. I really love watching your videos! I have a question about playing harmonics on a stringed instrument. Does the setup of the instrument have any effect on ease and accuracy when someone plays harmonics (touching the string in such a way that stops the lower vibrations of the string so only the higher sounds are heard)? Is it just a matter of practicing, or can a good luthier adjust the instrument in some way to make it sound better? Thanks so much for helping me to understand how my violin is made so I can be a better player. 😊
I was hoping to hear from Olaf on this too. My experience is that the setup does count. A violin with poor intonation will also have poor harmonics. If you mix string gauges and brands you may have more trouble finding the harmonics on the fingerboard, for example. A bridge that hasn't got quite consistent thickness across the top can cause these problems. Professionals get to a point of symbiosis with the setup of their main instrument and are reluctant to change it, even if they have to 'play around' intonation and harmonics issues.
@@markuswx1322 Thanks for the input. That makes sense. I’m thinking that the shape and height of the fingerboard might affect harmonics as well. I know for me the fingerboard has a big effect on my being able to play in tune.
@@carolmccurdy6576 There's no question but that the fingerboard shaping and neck projection over the violin body can affect intonation. If you suspect this problem it would be wise to have it checked. Beyond that, some violins just seem to vibrate better at certain frequencies. I've watched Katha Zinn over at Atonal Hits, trying out some really great antique violins, and having a bit of trouble for the first few minutes with the intonation. Presumably these museum fiddles are set up well, but they may have variant vibrating string length and don't readily lend themselves to standard solo performance.
Damn, if my instrument adapts to me, I better stop playing....🙂 (luckily it is an E-violin) interesting video, before this I was not ibelieving this "voodoo" but I like your way of thinking and explaining (beginner violist but not a beginner in physics and mechanical enginering) I remember buying my most expensive guitar and was a bit disappointed but now after 10 years it is my favourite and its sound inspires me to play better (and this is an electric guitar so no changes in the instrument, just me over time adapting to it and being inspired by its sound (not only from the speaker, you feel the resonance in the body, the force is very strong in this one 🙂 )
Watching your video about the soundpost, I think that the settling of that part can change the sound a lot, correct ?
Hi, what do you think of the ToneRite device to help play-in a new violin?
Snake oil.
It works really well if tonerite is going to keep playing the violin and not you 🎻🤖 😁
@@zapa1pnt Hi, do you talk from experience? IMO most people that pan the ToneRite have never tried it. There are many reports that the device does speed up play-in for both wood and carbon fiber violins.
@@ssb73q: I think Olaf got it right in his reply. I can not imagine how a Tonerite could do Anything, for a carbon fiber instrument. That, truly, makes no sense. 😁🖖✌
I think I spent half the video watching the top plate of that beautiful instrument...
Interesting video but I think this is a myth.