How to play on your violin's G string
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2024
- The best way to easily play on the g string is to learn your violin's 3 axes of positioning. Then you can change positions as needed to put the g string in easy reach of your bow and left hand.
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You're the best youtube violin teacher I've watched so far, you make things easier to understand, just straight to the point what needs to be learned. Please keep making videos!!
Love from Philippines. :-)
thanks for the sweet comment, Nightray. I hope some day I can come play violin while sitting on one of your many beaches in the Philippines!
Thank you! As an adult beginner student, I have been playing with violin position to find what was most comfortable and allowed me to keep playing for periods of time, but I wasn't really consciously paying attention to these axes. Additionally, I was seeing and reading things about how NOT to position a violin and was trying to do it "correctly," but for my short stature a lot of that advice wasn't working. I really appreciate your videos.
Oh yeah, if you are short, your geometry will be totallly different from a tall person. Watch other short violnists. That will really guide you if you find someone with similar build to yours!
Very well explained. Great video !!
This is so creative. I never thought of messing with my body position to play on he G- string. . As I'm getting older, it becomes harder. Also, I have a stroke in my 30's, 30 years ago. Do you ever do skype lessons or other ways to do personal consultations?
HI Imelda, yes, we have to get creative as we get older, and there is more than one "right way" to do things! You can email me about Skype consultations. (lora@reddesertviolin.com) Look forward to hearing from you!
As always , wonderful teaching and tips! God bless you
You’re an excellent teacher.
Thanks Bill!
In context: I just finished a 40+ year career as a teacher so I know one when I see one! Good job!
I agree
DEJA VU! I literally was thinking "I hope she makes a video about the G string." LOL
LOL......great minds think alike...
Man, I wanna give you a hug! Please live for ever !
I'll take a virtual hug! Thank you!
@@RedDesertViolin Oh sure, corona time! Hahah
You replied though, I'm already honored. :)
Thanks for the great tips. You bring wonderful, commonsensical teaching to this instrument. Love your fiddle lessons, too!
This time you solved my basic problem. I had a teacher for 7 months who gave me a lot of useful tips but this was missing. The reason why especially I needed this great advice of you is, that it's about my E string. Because I'm left handed and had decided years ago that I'm not going to buy a special violin for left handed players. In my musical life of about 50 years the bass has always been to the left and anything else would deeply confuse me. If it comes to holding the violin, I have to keep the violin slanted all the time in order to be ready for going up to the high range. And the problem started already on the A string-especially on the note D-but it got already a bit hard even on the C. Basically I played a very dark violin with just a few short trips to the high range. And after coming from up there I had to spend time in the low range to recover. But now that I slant the violin, plus move the elbow more and more inside while progressing to the high range, I can stay up there as much as I like. And I'm not so soon exhausted anymore and don't have to pause as much as before. You are highly competent with your wonderful suggestions and absolutely nail it! Personally I like to play a violin without chin rest since I prefer the Italian 1600s sonata style. Yesterday I took my chin rest off to slant my violin better. The chin is now resting on the wooden top and my cheek touches the tailpiece softly. The violin is lighter and easily to keep in a slanted position. The tailpiece now prevents me from going back to horizontal position.
*T H A N K Y O U S O O O O M U C H !*
FANTASTIC! Thanks for the update and feedback!
As always, super busy helpful tutorial Thankyou
Thank you for providing this clearly stated information.
Hey Heather! Nice to see you...remember me from orchestra?!
I love how you teach! thanks for the tips! it helps a lot !
Thanks for watching Camila.
Thank you! Very helpful. You explained these concepts so clearly
Glad it helped Margaret! Thanks for watching and keep up the good work!
This is great, Lora. I'm always impressed with your teaching!!
Thanks, Andy! Nice to see you here! (I love your channel "The Improving Musician".....GREAT STUFF)
Thanks Lora! I may take it to a luthier since I'm so inexperienced in these matters but this helps me know what to ask or talk to him or her about. Knowledge is power! :)
Let me know what you discover!
Thank you very much for this video!! I'm a Suzuki parent and while my son (5) probably won't have the attention span to watch this, this video helps me tremendously to understand the geometry of playing each strings (me, having no violin background whatsoever). Thank you for all that you do!!
You are an awesome teammate for your son.....I LOVE child/parent teams.....it is such a relationship builder. And yes, if you can comb through the technical stuff to help your son, you will be a better coach. Keep it up!
You are explaining so great... it is big fun to learn from you. Thank you
Thank you, Luba. I feel like the camera is a student.....sometimes I feel like Tom Hanks talking to the volleyball on Castaway! LOL Thanks for watching.
Thank you, that really helped alot❤️
Yay! Thanks for watching!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Very helpful thank you so much
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!
This helps a lot, thank you very much !
Glad it helped!
you’re the best!
Laura, you are the best.
hey i love you videos they are really helpful. could u do a advice video for beginners?
I will put that on my list. Advice on what? How to get started? Things to avoid? All of the above?
so helpful :)
Thank youuuu
Best explanation for what I was looking.
Thank you, Aisha. Looks like you are doing a good job of gathering self-help instruction for violin.Keep up the good work!
Can't tell you how helpful this is.
I am very glad you found it helpful! Good luck to you!
So helpful. ( You have a new sub)
Thank you
You are welcome!
good job
Thanks Christopher.
Thanks
You rule. Thanks again.
:-P Thanks for watching!
Thank you. :)
You're welcome!
great video. My challenge seems to be more around getting a good tone on the G string.
Ryan, the most likely reason for your tone on the G string is that most people play with a REALLY crooked bow on the G string, which also causes a second problem of the bow slipping over the fingerboard. (crooked bow + bad sounding point= bad tone) Practice in a mirror......you will figure out very quickly if this is the problem.
Red Desert Violin
thank you. i'm practicing right now for my recital on sunday. I will try to bear that in mind. i'll be posting a practice video shortly :)
Can't wait! Good luck on the recital!
I can tell you have been teaching for a long time, as it is from your experience playing with innate knowledge of everything pertaining to violin. You make easy what I perceive a difficult instrument to learn. I wished I lived closer to wherever you live. HA! I share that same passion, and want to learn everything all at once! Do you have a store to purchase books, songs, and that beautiful t-shirt, or is everything online? I heard your bird tweet an A? I have a double yellow head parrot that is a rescue, and she is very old, but starts yodeling when I play my banjo, and sings high pitch to the violin.
Hi Terry! Thanks for your kind words (as always!) I don't have a store, but very soon I am going to have some shirts available through "Spreadshirt" online. They make really nice shirts. I'll let you know when that happens. I love hearing about your parrot! OMG birds are incredible! I can't believe yours YODELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is a tune called the Silver Spire. The B section has a few notes on the G string that is difficult to play well with someone like myself that has less than long fingers. As best I can, I still struggle with this portion of this great tune.
Yes! I know that great fiddle tune! So that would be a good tune to try to apply these tips on.
Hi, I like your clasess so much, you are so kind and cute when you explain something. I don´t speak english to much but I understand you. But I have to ask. I have 25 years Old I had been studing for 107 days but I work in the day I just study at night do you thing I can be a good violinist soon? or we need to start suding violin since we are children.
Thanks you♥
Hi Tay May. 107 days in violin playing is a VERY short time. You need to give yourself 3-5 years......or I guess the common belief now is that it takes TEN THOUSAND HOURS to master anything. I don't know if that is accurate....but it gives you a perspective. Instead of counting DAYS.....count the HOURS you spend working on violin. I think if you practice daily for 2 hours (more or less), you will achieve INTERMEDIATE status in about 3 years.......and it gets VERY ENJOYABLE with every new skill you learn!
Red Desert Violin thank you si muchos😘
hey! I really love your videos! It really feels like I'm at a violin lesson. I've started playing the violin not long ago and I want to buy my own violin. I'm planning to buy a black Stagg VN 4/4 violin. Do you recommend that or should I stay away from black ones? I really like that colour :)
Color shouldn't effect your tone on an electric violin....so go for it! I think black would be very cool!
But this one's an acoustic violin, not an electric violin. That's the reason why I'm hesitating :/
Oh.....on my search of Stagg violins, it only showed electrics. Well, for acoustic violins, I would HIGHLY encourage you to get a traditional varnished violin without any fancy lacquer or colors. (if you are concerned about sound, that is) Any violin that has alternative coloring is going to suffer in sound quality. If you care about the tone quality of your new instrument, GO TRADITIONAL!
Thanks for the information! :)
I wish my teacher went over this stuff more, life saver.
Don't be afraid to ask your teacher questions. I love it when my students come to me with questions....it means they are THINKING!
1:27 I get it, abs-olutely, it's on your abs :)
BWA BWA BWA! (I hadn't noticed that pun.....good one!)
I am curious: if you are playing something like a 3 octave ascending/descending scale beginning @ G3, do you begin with the violin held lower and pointed more forward on the 3rd axis, as you say, but move it higher and more horizontal as you get to the E string? Or, do you maintain the tilt of the 3rd axis constant through the entire scale? (Your instant vid has inspired me to be more flexible as to this 3rd axis. :-) )
Hi Jim, this is tricky, because it's personal to each individual. But this is what I do: When playing a LONG EXTENDED passage on the G string, I totally adjust the "tilt" (axis 3) so that my G string is higher than usual, and then when I have an opportunity, (a rest, or a pause), I return my violin to a default posture. If I am playing something like a 3 octave scale, where I need to access all 4 strings in rapid succession without an opportunity to re-adjust, then I create TEMPORARY axis shift by raising my left shoulder a tiny bit. I can do this because it is TEMPORARY....and as soon as I cross over to the D string, my shoulder returns to normal position, and my playing is not disrupted.
Your question made me think it through.....I never think about it. But that is how I am able to adjust my "axis 3" (TILT) without interrupting my playing. Great question.
The other two axis (height of the scroll, and angle of scroll out from the neck), are subjected to LESS change based on playing context. Not to say they do NOT change, but there is less need to change these to accommodate personal geometry, or playing circumstances. (long passages on G, etc.)
Red Desert Violin Thank you for this video and your thoughtful response. This is has been for me a much needed eye-opener, to be sure. Your students are fortunate to have you at the helm.
Excellent. Suggest vertical axis, horizontal axis and transverse axis....
THANK YOU! I need good descriptive words like that!
As a beginner who can continue to take lessons for the foreseeable future (but doesn’t want to waste money on the only nearby and unfortunately sub-part instructor), would you suggest I keep taking them until I can’t anymore? The reason I ask is because I am very good at self learning and I think that once I learn the basics/fundamentals I won’t need an instructor anymore. Is there a certain point where it is O.K to stop lessons and still be a good player such as when you learn vibrato, learn scales, etc?
Hi Tiger Princess,
At some point, yes, you can stop taking lessons, but where is that point? It's impossible to say.....because even the greatest violinists can benefit from another pair of ears and eyes......so it's really hard to say when you can "go it alone". It guess it depends on your ultimate goal.
But I will say this: if you have a really, truly great teacher, you would not feel this way. You would recognize that a teacher's guidance and input is indispensable.
So, it's possible that you are already "teaching yourself" due to lack of teachers guidance? Possibly.
I would advise you to shop around and see if you can find someone who blows your mind. Ask several teachers for consultations. (you'll pay for the consult, but it's worth it). And if you find someone who seems to guide you in a great way, KEEP THEM!
Red Desert Fiddle thank you so much!
Heh ! I am 5’ 2” .....so , so helpful . Thank you . Bren
A fellow shortie. Nice to meet you!
hello! i need help from you! i am 16 years old and i have been studying the violin for 10 years since 6 years old but i have a big problem with my hand on the bow. when I play violin my hand is very strong, tight. i cant explain you. can you tell me some excersises because my teacher has explaned to me the hand of bow very very bad. now, i have 10 years that have been studying in the wrong way and its so difficult to change my hand's method. im sorry cause im from albanian and dont speak very good english. please write me!
Hi Megi, SOOOOO sorry for my slow reply. Do not worry.....I had to change my bow hold while obtaining my MASTER'S DEGREE!!!!!!!!!!! It's never too late, and you can do it. Your teacher should help you......it is very hard to explain here....but I am glad you have a teacher.....he or she should help you. WRITE BACK if your teacher is mean or too impatient to help you, and I'll do my best. (your English is better than my Gheg!!! LOL)
Hi I have a question and I hope you will see it
I've learned the violin years ago but I had to quit it because I couldn't reach the G-string. It was a 4/4 Violin and I have long arms and I'm 20. I am also a left-hand guy but played a right-hand violin. Was that maybe the reason why I couldn't reach the G-string? Should I try it again with a left-handed violin or a shorter violin?
Greetings from Germany!
Hi Luxenius in Germany! I would recommend that you continue to learn on the regular violin, because if you ever want to join a community orchestra or ensemble, it will be a problem if you play on a reversed violin. I will admit that people who are left-hand dominant insist that it is harder to control the BOW with their non-dominant hand.....but most are able to adjust and learn it.
IF you plan to only play alone or in a band, (not in orchestra) then you could learn on a left-handed violin and be just fine.
But if you have LONG ARMS, then the fact that you couldn't reach the G string is due to holding the violin improperly, not because you have a right-handed violin.
I would encourage you to watch lots of videos about chin rests/shoulder rests, and also violin posture and holding the violin. Once you figure that out, everything will be easier!
Good luck!
@@RedDesertViolin thank you! Friday I'll have a meeting with a professional violinist and he will see what can be done. I also now think that it's more that I never learned how to use the ellbow, how to hold the violin properly and how to use the chin rest. I'll watch such videos. Thank you :)
Hi Laura, the sound made by my G string always sounds kind of dead. I never get nice ringy sounds like with the other strings. I have Dominant strings on my violin. I have tried everything to make the G string sound beautiful. I have checked the position of my bow on the strings to be sure I'm bowing straight, my finger pressure on the string, I've cleaned excess resin off of it, etc. etc. Help! I am using Pirastro resin with the gold flecks in it. I know that only certain notes are considered "ringy" notes, but only the open G sounds pretty. I do not have this problem with the other strings. The strings are fairly new. Could it be my violin? I recently had the sound post replaced by a luthier and it looks like it is placed correctly.
Carol, sorry for the slow reply. Sometimes a new soundpost can shock the instrument....or maybe the luthier didn't get it quite in the right spot. Since you just had it in, I would think the luthier would adjust it for free. Also, have the luthier check the height of your "action". It sounds to me like the action might be too high...or the bridge might be too high on the G side. The only other option besides a rotten string is your bass bar or an open seam. Bass bar issues are rare, open seams are common. Good luck!!! Let me know what you discover!!!
@@RedDesertViolinThank you Laura! When I get a chance I will have to take it back to the luthier for a recheck. I don't live close to any luthiers. The nearest one is an hour and a half drive away one direction. The last time I took it to him I didn't get it back for...gasp...2 months!! I actually had to buy a student violin online so I'd have something to keep playing. Your comments help me a lot. I don't know what a bass bar is but I will look it up. This gives me some insight when I go talk to him. Again, thank you!
My G string sounds a bit weird after I tune it. What should I do?
First, make sure you got it in tune. Next, I would check your bridge, make sure it is not leaning, but is straight up. Also, the feet of the bridge should be in the area of the f-hold "notches".....don't mess with the feet unless they are OBVIOUSLY in the wrong place. Next, I would check the string at the nut and at the bridge. Make sure it's not being pinched at either place. Also, make sure the string is not resting on the fingerboard near the nut.....if it is, your nut might be too low, or the bridge might be too low. If all that seems fine, you might need a new G string. Is it more than a year old? If it is, replace it. Check for fraying or tarnish. FInallly.....you might have an open seam. You can find my video about finding open seams......sorry I don't have the link. Good luck!
i am 4 foot 8 still no sure on g string place, i try to play the d on the g string and the d open string at the same time is this poss
Hi Lesley, yes it is totally possible to play 4th finger D on the G string while simultaneously playing Open D. In fact, this is a really good way to figure out the intonation. The only thing is.....it is physically very difficult to play on the G string without accidentally touching the D string.....your fingers have to arch very tall, and possibly crowd over to the LEFT, away from the D string.
At 4'8", you are a good candidate for a 3/4 violin.....or at the very least, and 7/8. I have moved one of my adult students over to a 3/4 violin and it has helped her SO MUCH.
@@RedDesertViolin thank you
My violin sounds muffled and rasped when played in highest position especially on the G string. Is this normal for all violins and is it just my technic?
Well, it is normal to a degree. Tone production gets harder, murkier, more athletic in higher positions, especially on the G. Try moving the bow closer to the bridge, increase your bow weight, and make sure your left fingers are firmlly stopping each note. You'll figure it out. If it doesn't get better, consider a luthier's services....it could be the violin.
Sorry to ask yet another chinrest question, but have you filed yours down, or have you glued some chamois leather to the end?
Hi Vince, no worries. YES I filed mine down with a power tool, because I bought it thinking it would be an original Stuber, but it's not...it's a bad copy, and I had to gouge out that end. (Gary Frisch at chinrests.com has an exact copy of Stuber, and he is selling them, if you don't want to make your own!
Hopefully this'll work.
It should help! Let me know!
I'm 5'2" as well!
Yep, you and I are on the cusp of needing a smaller violin! But We can manage!
it would be ver y good spanish subtitles
Ursula, I will look into that. Do you know if subtitles can be added automatically? (I think Google can do something like that, but I wondered if you knew about that)
my g string has a nasal tone , what can i do to fix it ?
Gosh, that could be caused by numerous things. At this time of year, my first suspicion would be the change in weather. When summer comes, lots of things happen to our violin.....namely, the humidity changes. It can cause your sound post to be too tight or too loose, it can cause the string action to be too high or too low. If you have the option to go to a luthier, that would be the best time and money you ever spent. Otherwise, check your action height.
Next, I'd ask how old the string is. if it's more than 6 months, it is probably time to get new strings.
Those are the two biggies. Let me know if you figure it out....I'd love to know what it was.
Hi Lora, I left a message on your video about good intonation then saw the video here about G strings, so I'll post here, too, in case it will help someone else. Playing with my 2nd and 3rd finger (B and C) on my G string sounds absolutely dead. It sounds just AWFUL. I am a new adult beginner but have paid attention to good technique. I've looked in a mirror and my bow is straight and I am in the right place on the strings between the bridge and the fingerboard. It doesn't matter how much or how little pressure I put in the string to play it. The violin is very old but I had new strings put on it about 6 months ago (Dominant) by a luthier. Could my G string go bad that fast? I play about an hour a day. I did buy a set of Fiddlerman strings and replaced it and it still sounded dead and flat. I have checked for things rubbing on other things, cracks and loose spots and there is nothing. If you think it might be the string itself is there a brand you recommend above the others? The violin is a 200+ year old French Mirecourt in very good condition. It's not worth a whole lot but I inherited it from my mother and it is the violin I want to stick with since it is a family heirloom. Perhaps I should find a new luthier to look at it again? Thank you so much!
Carol, I doubt it is a bad string. I would bet money that it is either a sound post adjustment issue, or a bridge issue. If the bridge is too high on the G side it will create stress on those notes. Or, possibly the foot got moved so it's not vibrating properly. Make sure the bridge is standing STRAIGHT up, not leaning over. That's a common problem. FInally, if it's not the bridge, it could be the fingerboard was planed improperly. ALSO....you MIGHT have popped a SEAM. This is the time of year when buttons fly off our pants, and violins pop their seams, due to weather changes. (I have a video on checking for an open seam...search for it...it's easy) Good luck! (AND LET ME KNOW WHAT IT WAS.....I love a good mystery)
I'm still a beginner and I have the same problem. Is it possible that my bow it improperly tightened or rosin?
@@davinwilliams3130 if the problem is on all 4 strings, then yes it is possible that your bow is too tight or loose or too much or too little rosin....but I think you would instinctively know that to be the cause..so I thinknits probably one of the other issues or a combination.
I'd say if it works for you do it. Trying to keep up an arbitrary standard on posture is ridiculous if it actually hinders your playing. You don't see posture or technique when you're listening to a recording yet the music is there all the same.
Agreed!
I have long arms but small hands, short fingers and the TINIEST and double jointed pinky:( weird enough I find it hardest and most painful on A and E strings. I’m playing only at 1st position and I cant reach my pinky far enough, my elbow bends out when I try to reach even though I know I should not. Besides I started to have a sharp pain at the base knuckle of my index finger that prevents me from practicing. I guess I should find a teacher to fix all of those before I injure myself permanently:/
Naz, this is a concern, and if you can find a good private teacher to help you through it, DO IT! If you need a Skype consultation, I can make time, if necessary. (my rate is just $50 per hour) But here's an idea: have you seen my numerous videos about the PINKY? I suggest that you watch them all, because it talks about things you can do to help a short pinky, and things to avoid (such as bending the wrist OUT) So search my channel for videos with "pinky" in the title, and see if they help. And good luck. Dont' take any chances with that pain. Pain is never good. Talk later.
@@RedDesertViolin thank you so much for taking your time and writing this answer. Your channel is the one I benefit the most and I watch tons of channels for violin, so thank you so much for that as well🙏🏻 I already watched some of your pinky videos and actually do the exercises, I’ll definitely check for more. This week I’m finally seeing a private teacher, I hope he is as wise and beneficial as you are🙏🏻
@@RedDesertViolin I saw the teacher today and she told me I should not touch the side of my index finger to the neck of the violin😳 so basicly only the tip of my fingers and my thumb should be touching the violin. Do you think thats correct? I’m really confused😕
Something happened to my G string it sounds like my D string and I don’t know how to but it back to its original Tone :/
Sounds like you have it tuned up WAY too high. (it's been 2 weeks since you wrote...I hope you got it worked out)
DEMONSTRATE by PLAYING. P L E A S E.
I PROMISE, I will do a demo video of this concept soon. My computer died, and the new one just arrived....gotta get it all set up, which will take all weekend. I PROMISE I'll do this!
As promised: ua-cam.com/video/4BkJ0ZYf7QM/v-deo.html
Haha are G strings awkward for you?
LOL....depends on whose it is!!!