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Electric vs. Acoustic

 
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caeman
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Joined: 11 Dec 2008
Posts: 143

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:07 pm    Post subject: Electric vs. Acoustic Reply with quote

Come August I will be buying a violin. I will be saving up a little money each week to spread the cost out of over 8 months. I have two young children, so one of my concerns is when I would be able to practice without being interrupted. The best time is, of course, when they are in bed. Acoustic violins don't exactly have an off button. I also don't have a lot of space, so I kinda need to target a good quality ($400 or less) violin my first time around.

I have seen the ads for the electrics and they would seem to be a boon. You can plug in head phones and no one will be bothered by my rookie screeching.

So, other than tradition, is there any real reason I should avoid an electric as my first violin? Are they harder to maintain or tune? Other factors I should consider as I continue in my 8 month long pre-learning stage?
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kel
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Joined: 20 Oct 2008
Posts: 73
Location: Asia

PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i'd think about the lifespan of those electronic/electrical parts

see if there is warranty associated with your purchase
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Steven Potter
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Joined: 28 Sep 2008
Posts: 10
Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I’ve only been playing for about 4 years, so I’m no expert in these matters…

About a year ago I purchased a very nice Yamaha 5 string electric violin; partially because I thought I could use it as a “silent practice” instrument. I soon found that the subtleties of bow pressure, speed, angle, left hand finger pressure, etc are so complex and so interwoven that the “feedback” from a non-amplified electric violin is totally different from an acoustic. So much so, that practicing with the electric instrument actually hindered my progress with the acoustic.

My advice would be…don’t buy an electric violin expecting that by playing it through earphones, you could practice your technique in the same way you would on your acoustic violin. Maybe this would not hold true for an advanced player, or one who plays mostly with an electric instrument. Finding a time/place where you can actually hear your violin is a goal worth putting a lot of time into.

In my early days of practicing at home I also noticed that the room in which I practiced had a huge impact on the quality of the sound coming back to my ears, and consequently, to my pleasure and satisfaction with the sound I was producing. I practiced at first in a living room with carpet, drapes, upholstered furniture, etc. The sound was always deadened by all the soft surfaces.

Now I practice in a room with hardwood floor and plaster walls. Very nice.

Good luck with your practice, wherever you play!
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Steven Potter
Toronto
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