Why does my violin sound scratchy

Finding exactly the right level of rosin to apply is like everything else involved with learning to play the violin… it takes practice. If you have too much rosin though, rather than trying to clean the bow hair, which can reduce the capability of the bow to create a crisp, clear sound, simply play until it wears off. This is another factor that has a subtle, yet distinct impact on the tonal quality of your play. While your teacher or instructor can help you best, a few things to keep in mind to improve violin tone through bow grip include:.

Replacing or upgrading your strings can have a significant impact on the sounds you are able to produce on your violin. Nylon or synthetic core strings typically generate warmer, more pleasing tones and are a great choice for beginner or intermediate level violinists.

These style violin strings are also a bit easier to play. You can improve violin tone and the overall tone and sound quality of your violin by sticking to the mechanics. Many students find that their tonal quality drops off as they advance, but this is often due to a slackening of proper playing form. A Connolly Music Publication. Start on the E string. Your elbow should be quite near your side.

Move the bow to the A string. Your elbow should move up with it. Next, D string. Again, elbow should move up. On the G string, your elbow should be almost as high as your shoulder, in order to keep up with the bow! I am the creator and owner of www. I love the violin. I love teaching. This website combines both of those things. If you struggle with how your violin sounds Powered by OptimizePress 2.

Free Courses Login Contact. TheMusicianGirl 0 Comments November 29, Welcome, violinists! Other instruments like piano or even guitar to a lesser extent already HAVE their own tone.

When you hit a piano key, it sounds like a piano. But when you bow a violin… at first, it might sound like a dying cat. Not only do you have to learn about music in general music theory, rhythm, melody etc.

What should you do to prevent squeaks? Number 1 First and foremost is to keep your bow moving in a straight line. Oh no! If you put a loop of scotch tape on the end of a stick such as a tongue depressor or chopstick and put that through the f-hole of the violin, you can usually eventually get the object to stick to the tape. Then you can turn the instrument upside-down and draw the object right up to the f-hole. At that point, since the object will often be turned the wrong way to fit through the hole, you can take a pair of tweezers to get it to turn the right way.

It may take some doing, but you should be able to get it! Hi Nathan, Thank you for the helpful article. Although I was aware of most of the health issues it is good to read it again. Also the tip about the contact point is something that I can truly learn from.

I came across this article while searching for reasons that my violin might be more difficult to play after getting my bow rehaired and two small open seam glued I did not even notice them being open. I find that the sound is similar but I encounter more squeals or wolf-like response on my A and E strings particularly playing near F or G on the A string.

Maybe I am not using enough pressure, but after 30 years on this fiddle I kind of know what I was able to get away with. Do you have any idea what might have changed? By the way, the A and E strings were also replaced by the Luthier at my behest. Hi Nathan, thank you for the good read! I got here because my violin sounds sick.

Sounds like it has a cold, especially on the A and E strings. When I got it a year ago, it had a nice pleasant sound, then I had the sound post damaged as it had fallen during travel with no string on and tried to put it back myself. Eventually, had a new sound post made and had a professional setup with new strings. Seasonal changes can really wreck havoc too, depending on the instrument and the weather… Canada seems a likely place for winter blues!

There are so many factors to consider. If it is too tight, you risk a sound post crack on top which is expensive to fix.

Too loose and you get a weak sound from the violin. I just had it checked out with a luthier but he said it was loud. It sounds like wind through a bamboo tube — does that make sense to you? When I was tuning my violin, as I tuned it the flatter it got. Is that normal or not? Is this a string issue, or a sound post issue, you think? My sound post looks to be in a good position but may be too tight. The bridge is well fitted with no gaps under the feet.

It absolutely could be as simple as moving the post. Or it might be a combination of a few things. If you live in an area where you can get to someone good, it would be well worth it for you to spend some time with a luthier who could try these things out with you!

You can try the trick of placing the bow at the tip parallel to the bridge, then asking a friend to hold the bow in that position while you slide your bow hand up and down the length of the bow stick. Hi Nathan. I was wondering if you could give us some advice on different kinds of rosin.

Specifically, what brands would you recommend for different purposes? Not sure if they have the same options now as when I bought. I really appreciated your explanation on friction when adding rosin. My first teacher taught me to scratch the rosin to create powder, and while my second teacher told me to stop scratching my rosin, she never explained how the rosin ends up on the strings. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Only the most severe cases of neglect require a team of specialists! Only a poor workman blames his tools Have you heard that expression? How new are your strings? Have you rosined properly? Is your bridge straight and upright? The front side appears to be angled, the back side straight up-and-down. All is well. Is your soundpost where it should be?

Do you have any open seams? Are you playing with a good contact point? Did you give your violin a checkup? What happened? Let me know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please pass it along by clicking the Facebook share button on this page! Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Thanks for becoming a member! Thanks for checking out the Detroit audition prep course Thanks for confirming: 3 variables Thanks for confirming: NY Phil challenge Thanks for confirming!

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