Good bowing hold. The left hand thumb position is key to perfect intonation. Having a stable and steady thumb position makes intonation automatic..may require a closer review..good video 👍👍👍
Very interesting video. I am a beginner myself (started studying classical violin in June 2016). I have two violins, one is German and one is Romanian. The German one is not rare or expensive but very nice. The Romanian one was very bad because it was very cheap. Not unlike your last violin, the Chinese one. Which is why I modified it and ended up with a perfectly playable instrument, even my teacher who said it was really bad before I modified it now says it is nice! So you can still make use of your Chinese violin, even though it sounds really bad at the moment, there are ways to turn it into a playable instrument. This depends upon your luthier's willingness to improve it OR your own willingness to DIY. First of all the varnish on cheap instruments is very bad. It is generally synthetic varnish and it blocks the sound. Removing the varnish with sandpaper and then re-varnishing with 2-3 coats of shellac varnish can improve the sound. While using the sandpaper you can also thin out the wood a bit. Cheap violins are generally factory made so the wood is often too thick. Another thing you can do is buy some D'Addario Octave strings - these convert a standard violin into a tenor violin, one octave lower than standard violin. Such a bad instrument will not bring you much joy in its original state but if you use these strings you will start wanting to use this violin. These strings do require a few alterrations to the nut and bridge because they are much thicker than standard violin strings - you can ask your luthier to do this for you. Also, ask your luthier to install a good quality bridge and soundpost. My luthier didn't want to deal with such a bad instrument so I did everything myself (except for the bridge, pegs and soundpost). What I wrote here is just the barebones of what I did. I am a visual artist, not a luthier, but I did plenty of research before working on this project. If you plan to do this to your violin feel free to ask me for details and I will explain everything I did (my Ig is medicine_madison). Your bad violin improvement project may even turn out better than mine as long as you are more careful than I was.
Thanks for sharing your violin story with us, I found your video interesting. I have also owned several violins (4 to be exact - you beat me by one 😊). It sure takes a while to find a suitable combination of the violin, shoulder rest and chin rest. Look forward to being inspired by your progress. Keep up the great work. Happy Practice! 🤓🎻
Hey, nice to see you here on UA-cam as well! Thanks for all the nice words! Thanks for watching! The whole shoulder & chin rest journey is one of its own! 😅
I loveee your hand posture for your bow… keep practicing. I stopped playing my instrument and recently got back before I played with college orchestras. Keep up your progressions ❤❤
My newly acquired Czech violin from the 1930s or something is also loud ahhaha and I love it. I still have to find strings that are good with it thouhg. RN Im using tonica with gold e.
You asked to do more videos because you are very humble, honest and so pleasunt to listen to and also make great content in my opinion. Thanks !😊
Good bowing hold. The left hand thumb position is key to perfect intonation. Having a stable and steady thumb position makes intonation automatic..may require a closer review..good video 👍👍👍
Very interesting video. I am a beginner myself (started studying classical violin in June 2016). I have two violins, one is German and one is Romanian.
The German one is not rare or expensive but very nice.
The Romanian one was very bad because it was very cheap. Not unlike your last violin, the Chinese one. Which is why I modified it and ended up with a perfectly playable instrument, even my teacher who said it was really bad before I modified it now says it is nice!
So you can still make use of your Chinese violin, even though it sounds really bad at the moment, there are ways to turn it into a playable instrument.
This depends upon your luthier's willingness to improve it OR your own willingness to DIY. First of all the varnish on cheap instruments is very bad. It is generally synthetic varnish and it blocks the sound. Removing the varnish with sandpaper and then re-varnishing with 2-3 coats of shellac varnish can improve the sound.
While using the sandpaper you can also thin out the wood a bit. Cheap violins are generally factory made so the wood is often too thick.
Another thing you can do is buy some D'Addario Octave strings - these convert a standard violin into a tenor violin, one octave lower than standard violin.
Such a bad instrument will not bring you much joy in its original state but if you use these strings you will start wanting to use this violin. These strings do require a few alterrations to the nut and bridge because they are much thicker than standard violin strings - you can ask your luthier to do this for you.
Also, ask your luthier to install a good quality bridge and soundpost.
My luthier didn't want to deal with such a bad instrument so I did everything myself (except for the bridge, pegs and soundpost).
What I wrote here is just the barebones of what I did. I am a visual artist, not a luthier, but I did plenty of research before working on this project. If you plan to do this to your violin feel free to ask me for details and I will explain everything I did (my Ig is medicine_madison).
Your bad violin improvement project may even turn out better than mine as long as you are more careful than I was.
this is so cool thanks for the info!
Thanks for sharing your violin story with us, I found your video interesting. I have also owned several violins (4 to be exact - you beat me by one 😊). It sure takes a while to find a suitable combination of the violin, shoulder rest and chin rest.
Look forward to being inspired by your progress. Keep up the great work. Happy Practice! 🤓🎻
Hey, nice to see you here on UA-cam as well! Thanks for all the nice words! Thanks for watching!
The whole shoulder & chin rest journey is one of its own! 😅
I eagerly look forward to more videos from you :)
Thank you! I will try!
I loveee your hand posture for your bow… keep practicing. I stopped playing my instrument and recently got back before I played with college orchestras. Keep up your progressions ❤❤
Easter EVA-3 Matt, beautiful sound about $120 might help you. You should have a look I'm loving the fingerboard marks.
i started playing violin when i was 12
now im 14 almost 15
starting late is harder but far from imposible
And I enjoy it. that is the most important thing!
@@SonjaKreukniet
exactly!!
Me too!!!😀
you find something you love youll never work a day in your life!
my mom tells me that quote
My newly acquired Czech violin from the 1930s or something is also loud ahhaha and I love it. I still have to find strings that are good with it thouhg. RN Im using tonica with gold e.
Glad you love yours!
How do you like the Tonica's?
@@SonjaKreukniet it's good but it unwounds rather rapidly. I wont recommend it. The gold e is good. I will try visions with evah gold e!