Violin Forum/Message Board

[espire]

Hi there! I bought a student violin a while ago, to try and teach myself how to play. However, I'm in a situation in which I can't make very much noise, so I can't really play the violin. I need something to make it very quiet, and I don't just mean at the level of a violin mute -- I want it quiet enough that I can just barely hear it enough to know what I'm playing.

I don't care about sound quality or the beauty of the resonance at the moment, as I'm at a level where that really doesn't matter. Does anybody know exactly what makes a violin so lout in the first place, and how I can get rid of that amplifying factor? Absolutely any advice is welcome, and I don't care about side effects of a solution, since I can't play right now anyway.

I'm sure there must be some way to do this, as electric violins are supposedly near-silent, and I'm now regretful that I didn't spend $50 more to get an electric one, because it's exactly what I need right now.

[Shirley]

Hello, espire! I see that you already have have come up with the only complete solution I can think of: an electric violin. Is there a chance you can trade the violin you have for an electric one?

If not, there is one other thing you can try: a metal mute. These are big clunky things, but they do seem to work wonders - perhaps not right under your ear, but ask someone to stand across the room, or in another room, and report.

Also, perhaps there is a way to close up the f holes - with a rag or something? The way a violin makes noise is this (a non-scientific explanation): The bow vibrates the string (and itself), the string vibrates the bridge, the bridge fibrates the top plate and the soundpost (the bass bar figures in there somewhere) and the soundpost vibrates the violin box. The noise comes out the f holes, as well as the whole box. So, perhaps stuffing the f holes with something might help.

This is all my imagination can come up with right now. It is difficult playing a stringed instrument if you really have to be quiet - a lot of us have this problem, and so I hope you get some more answers! (Besides distributing ear plugs to all your neighbors.)

And may I say congratulations for having the guts to try a violin? It is extraordinarly hard to learn without a teacher (even one or two lessons might set you on the right track), but several here have done it, so you may get some more information from them. Good luck!!

Shirley

PS - really cheap lousey strings mute the sound a bit, too.

[Jack H.]

go to your luthier or music shop and ask for a practice mute.
THey are very chunky mutes that come in chrome or brasss that are made specifically for your need.
They dampen the violin to a point where it is about as silent as it will get.
Bring your violin and try it out to see if it suits your need.
It is made for the people who have to practice after hours and not disturb the neighbors.
Good luck.
JH

[Leif Luscombe]

http://www.violins.ca/accessories/mutes.html

The heavy metal practice mute #929G/N is very heavy and effective.
_________________
Leif Luscombe
Violin Maker and Dealer
The Violin Forum Moderator

[espire]

Okay, thanks a lot for your suggestions, everybody! I'm likely going in to a music store tomorrow to check out keyboards, so I guess I'll take in my violin as well to see how the heavy mutes work. I'll also try covering up the f-holes before that, though I doubt that this will dampen the sound sufficiently.

An electric violin really is ideal, but I spent only $50 for my violin, so I doubt I can get much by trading it in. If I get serious about violining, I'll probably buy one, but that means I'll have to be able to play a normal one.

[Selah]

Just another thought....

What kind of situation are you in that you can't make a lot of noise? As a beginner, you may need to be able to hear yourself play so that you don't develop poor intonation habits that will be hard to correct down the road.
_________________
Selah

Pause and think about it