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Violin troubles =( Help!
Alright so Im 13/f and I recently started playing and trying out the violin. Ive wanted to play it for quite some time now (since I was 6) and my mom took me into the music store a week ago and paid so that I could rent a violin for $20/month. She also bought me a book so I could learn by myself since I wouldnt be taking lessons unless I got started by myself.
I worked hard, practicing every day for over 5 hours and Ive become pretty good considering Ive only been doing it for about a week. My parents came home from their shopping trip in the U.S. yesterday (we live in Canada btw) and they surprised me with my veey own violin. It wasnt good enough to play just yet though...
We took it into the music store to be restrung and tuned and stuff. I got it back tonight about an hour ago and I was so excited just to get it out! I adjusted things and played a 2 octave g major scale but something was off and I sounded as if I'd JUST picked up the instrument! It sounded like a screeching cat! first off, it did not have tape so I could see where my fingers went like my rented one.. second, it sounds like its a semi tone off compared to my other one. third, the hair on the bow wont tighten very much... fourth, the strings are too close together and they dont stretch like they are supposed to over the bridge =( and last, its hard to hit an individual string because they are closer than my rented one. Ive been trying to figure it out ever since I got home and its not working! Ive been so frustrated to tears and I just had to put it away so I didnt end up throwing it across the room.
My parents paid alot of money for this violin (bought it off a guy that lives an hour from here) and it was my birthday present. Everything is wrong now and I dont know what to do =( Aswell, the strings arent as thick as the rented one's strings. I dont want to play it because it sounds horrible when I do =( What do I do? Ive been in tears everytime I think about how horrible it sounded.. Help? Please?
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The first thing you should do is not give up. By the tone of your post you sound very excited to be playing, so don't quit now. You also have a good ear; it sounds as if the violin is coming quite naturally to you.
I've never seen the violin, but if it is brand new and just out of the music store, it has probably never been "set up" or prepared to play. Many instruments sold to students these days start out that way. There are a number of things that need to be checked; sound post location, bridge height, condition of the tuning pegs and more. String quality is another thing that is very, very important. It sounds to me as if your rental instrument was already prepared to play.
What you need to do, with your parents help probably, is find a person called a "luthier" which is a person that makes and repairs stringed instruments. This is a person with the skill to get the screech out of your violin. Find one in your local area if you can. Get to know them and they will get to know you. If you stick with the violin, you'll need someone you you trust to do your repairs and adjustments on your instruments.
Good luck and keep practicing. :)
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It looks like they purchased an instrument that had some problems they could see and others that they couldn't see. There seems to be something more that is "way off" with tone and it other that needing the new strings.
It was impossible for them to know not knowing what to get. They saw a violin, figured they could restring it so they got it. You need to tell your parents that there's no question you're grateful but something is way off with tone, strings, etc etc. that never was with the rental. They might think you don't KNOW this to be sure as you only have been at it a week.
Ask politely if you can re-visit the music store/rental place and have them look it over to tell you the problems with it. They'll be honest but expect them to try and sell something. Worst comes to worst you'll rent a violin. Obviously, they can see how much this means to you and the research put in. Just tell them the truth. It's all you have.
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