Violin Bow Buying Tips For Beginners - What Material Should I Choose?

Introduction
Buying a violin bow can be a tricky process especially for beginners. The violin bow is one of the most important pieces of playing the violin and different bows will drastically change the sound of the violin and playability level. It is valuable to be knowledgeable about the bow you are using and what other types of bows are out there for the future if you were to pursue the violin for a longtime. The more experienced you are, the easier it is to tell the difference in sound.

Violin Bow Material
The first factor to consider when choosing a violin bow is what kind of material it is made out of. There are many different types of materials that explained below.

• Fiberglass - This is the least expensive and worst quality material you can buy. They typically can run anywhere from $20-$50 and can work for beginners who aren't too serious about violin yet and aren't sure if they want to learn the violin long-term. Very often violin outfits that you buy online include these cheap bows as part of the package. These bows sound very stiff and any experienced violinist would hear the difference in sound immediately.
• Brazil wood - These bows are a cheap quality wood that can be a good upgrade to fiberglass. They work well for beginners who are serious about the violin but are just starting. These bows can run anywhere from $60-$120 depending on the quality of Brazil wood and maker.
• Carbon Fiber - These bows are very durable and have similarities to good quality wood bows. They are a lot stiffer, but have a good sense of cleanliness to their sound. These bows work great for fiddle players that aren't doing advanced classical techniques or for a more intermediate classical violinist. Carbon Fiber Bows run anywhere from $150 to $1,000 depending on the quality of the material and maker.
• Pernambucco - These bows are the best quality bows you can buy because of the quality of the wood. Pernambucco wood is considered the most valuable and best quality wood in the world because of its ability to resonate and bend. Typically these bows are hand crafted by some of the finest bow makers in the World. Pernambucco bows range in price all across the board but usually start off at about $300 dollars. They can also be worth thousands of dollars depending on the quality and reputation of the bow maker.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Sanchez

My Violin, In Repair

So I have had my violin in the shop recently, as it needed some cosmetic repairs. One corner had caved in, the bottom had chips taken out of it from performance wear and tear, and there was just a lot of varnish damage.

Guarneri House Violin Shop did a fantastic job fixing up my instrument.

Here is the corner that was once concave, and is now rightly convex again. :)

 again...

 ...and here she is looking nearly brand new, with a fresh coat of varnish!

I am thrilled to have my violin back!

For those gear heads out there:

My instrument is a Meyers Halverson violin made in 1972, it was the instrument my Grandfather used in the Grand Rapids Symphony. 

Stradivarius Violin - How Do I Know If This Label is Real?

Introduction
Working at a prestigious stringed instrument shop for over three years I definitely got my share of questions about people wondering if they actually own a Stradivarius violin. If you didn't already know, Stradivarius violins are the most valuable violins in the World that were made by the Stradivari violin family in the 1700's. Under a thousand of these instruments were actually made and there are only a few hundred that are actually claimed to exist in the World today. These violins are valued at anywhere from 1-4 million dollars depending on a variety of variables.

Why is this a Common Question?
So why do so many people believe they own one of these rare collectibles that are worth so much money? Back in the late 1800's, a German factory decided to mass produce violins by the thousands. These violins which are now called "Strad Copies" are great sounding instruments now because of their age and were made to portray an actual Stradivarius violin by having an exact replica of a Strad Label. These particular violins look very aged and can easily be mistaken by anybody to be an original Stradivarius violin. Without having the proper training of violin appraiser, it is very common for people to look at this label and believe they actually own one of these million dollar violins.

So how do I know for Sure?
To know for sure if you actually own a Stradivarius is to visit a violin shop that specializes in appraising violins. These people have the experience at looking at many different variables to see if a violin is an original or not and how much they believe the violin is worth. Even if your violin is not an original Stradivarius does not mean that the violin isn't worth a good amount of money. Some of these Strad Copies can range anywhere from $1,500-$3,000 depending on its year of origin, wood quality and condition.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Sanchez

how do you learn how t do vibrato i practice my fingures on the sideof the violin almost eveyday but still they are stiff like a board

Hey There! I would suggest watching a few of my videos on vibrato and I also have a Ezine article that explains how to do proper vibrato!

Vibrato Article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Do-Vibrato-on-the-Violin&id=3444666

Vibrato Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/violintutorpro#p/u/31/pvZLYQ8MXdI
http://www.youtube.com/violintutorpro#p/u/30/1MnepoWQETo

Ask me anything

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a warm and happy holiday!

Image Source: http://blog.huayuworld.org/chicagoshin/20659/2010/11/18/76466

What made you want to pursue a career teaching others the violin? Is this the path that you always planned on taking growing up? If not, when did you decide it was something you wanted to do? (Three questions in one, I know!)

Thank you Leslie for asking such a wonderful question!

The biggest thing I have loved about teaching the violin is that I have been able to watch people grow and enjoy the hobby of playing the violin. I love when people get very involved with it, it makes me feel that I have made a positive difference in their life.

As far as for the little kids, I love being able to be a positive influence, and be a role model in their lives. I feel sometimes like I am an extended arm of the parent, that is there to help them grow in music.

I went to school for business and music, but never thought I would be putting them together to do it as a career. Teaching violin has always been considered to me as a hobby growing up and not a career. I am so happy that there is enough interest out there to now make it a career!

After all of the growth with students in the past year, I am officially hooked to teaching violin. With students locally, and online, I feel like I will be teaching them all violin (and fiddle of course) for a very long time. And I can imagine that growth of students over that long time period will make me love what I do even more!

Ask me anything

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Ask me anything about violin or lessons! http://formspring.me/violintutorpro