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SEP87 Junior Member
Joined: 22 Apr 2013 Posts: 1
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Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 10:58 am Post subject: Returning to the Violin |
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Hello,
I played when i was younger and recently decided to start playing again. This is mainly because over the last few months my interest in classical music has soared and now i really regret not continuing when i was younger.
I have a few questions which i would value your opinions on:
Firstly is my violin size. I am certain that when i was younger i was bought a 3/4 violin (i was about 10-11). Having recently looked into purchasing a 4/4 i have realised that my current violin has a 14" base and has a 23" total length, which according to on-line sources is a 4/4 already! This is a complete mystery to me and either i am mistaken or we were actually sold a 4/4 when we thought we were buying a 3/4! Either way i would like to confirm that these dimensions are correct (the bow is 29").
My next question is about progression. I was at grade 2 when i stopped playing and i have to admit that at that age i really wasn't that into it and rarely practised. I would like to get to the stage where i could join my local amateur symphony orchestra. For this they suggest that grade 5-6 would be suitable to keep-up. Now lets assume i can get back to grade 2 pretty swiftly as looking over the music it seems quite simple. How long would you expect someone to achieve this sort of improvement. I'm not expecting miracles but having grade 2 is at least a good base to start from. Is it achievable in a couple of years or are we talking 5+ years?
My last question (sorry about the essay) is about the grades themselves. Do most people bother taking them if they intend to play in an amateur orchestra? Is it something that everybody completes or are there those who play to a high standard but haven't bothered with completing grades?
Thanks for all your advice, i can't wait to get back into it. |
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Lemuel Site Admin
Joined: 12 Aug 2010 Posts: 515 Location: Mt. Elgin, Ontario
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Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for joining. It's good to hear you starting the violin again.
Yes, you have a 4/4 size. A 3/4 size is about 21" body length.
For an amateur orchestra, the basics of knowing and being comfortable with your instrument, understanding the
language of music (mainly for sight reading) and a good hearing is a must. You can obtain this by taking a number
of courses from a reputable music school or seeking private instruction from a professional private teacher.
As for grades, they're only methods for measuring skill levels for the above requirements. Although it's possible for
you to teach yourself and then go take examinations, you'd likely miss some essential elements or holes in your
learning. It's possible to join an orchestra without going through the grades. Demonstration during auditioning is
usually enough. However some orchestras may require you to have "certification". You should make sure you know
the requirements of the orchestra you want to join.
Self taught musicians tend to be strong on their hearing and know their instrument. They seem so free in their
expression and so the music has a lot of "life" in it. They're very creative and can play many things on the spot,
because they hear it in their mind first and then know where on their instrument they need to go, and intuitively,
know how to express it. However they tend to be weak when it comes to reading and understanding the language
of music. |
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