londonoudi
Oud Maniac
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Registered: 1-1-2009
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Violin query
Hi all
Would like to get a violin to experiment with.
With the oud is fairly easy to at least pick it up and have a go. play around and find scales etc. How difficult is it to pick a violin up and start
trying a few things?
Do I need a particular style of violin or will one from western music shop be ok?
Apologies if this is in the wrong place - I appreciate this is a oud forum.
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Penguin
Oud Admirer
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Registered: 8-7-2011
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Hi. I just joined this forum because I just received an oud, but I think I can help on this one. I'm actually a cellist, not a violinist, but I can
give you the perspective of a western string player. The violin isn't an instrument that can be easily be picked up and played. The technique
required to bow and get a good tone is actually quite difficult and can take years to learn, and the hold under the chin and the left hand position is
quite awkward. It's really hard to get this right without a teacher. A lot of people try but you can actually do some damage to yourself if you're
straining to hold the instrument incorrectly. Violins are also tuned in 5ths, which would be a bit of an adjustment from an oud. Realistically you
need to be willing to invest at least 5 years if not 10 to get to a moderate level of competence on the violin.
Given that though, violins are fantastic instruments! There's endless repertoire, and opportunities to play in all genres of music. I'm mostly a
western classical musician myself, and play two to three nights a week in an amateur orchestra and chamber ensembles, but I'm also playing in a pit
orchestra for a musical and have done some recordings with rock and pop bands (all strictly amateur of course). It can be a great way to experiment
musically, so I encourage you to walk into a music shop and just give it try. Try holding it under your chin and plucking a few notes. Try how it
feels to bow. It's best to try an instrument at a professional string instrument shop rather than a general music store. The cheap violins you'll
find there are often poorly set up, but if you just want to get an idea of how it feels to hold one it should be ok. If you do decide to take on
violin you should probably try renting an instrument first rather than buying a cheap one.
Another idea, is you might want to give a mandolin a try. Its tuned exactly the same as a violin, but is fretted with 8 strings tuned in 4 courses
(like an oud has courses) and is plucked/ strummed rather than bowed. If you can find a bowl backed mandolin (they look like renaissance lutes),
rather than the modern bluegrass style ones, you may find that it's quite similar to an oud.
Hope that helps!
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billkilpatrick
Oud Junkie
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as one who plays all three - oud, fiddle and mandolin - i'd say the fretless aspect of the oud was a definite help in playing the fiddle. tuning in
5ths (violin and mandolin) was a revelation, in terms of how music works.
if you were thinking of the violin as an adjunct to arab/middle-eastern music, i'd suggest you try a viola - its tonality is more in keeping with the
oud.
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londonoudi
Oud Maniac
Posts: 68
Registered: 1-1-2009
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Thanks guys.
I actually had a handful of violin lessons many moons ago and found it reasonably difficult. The sound was awful in comparison to the smooth silky
sound I was used to hearing. Perhaps it was a cheap instrument. But it is something I have wanted to pick up for a long time.
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