student violin Archives - Fiddler Dan Violins & Workshop, Brisbane

Violin Bridge replacement

Violin bridges are essential for a violins function and over time need replacement. Just a few mm wide, a violin bridge holds up strings in tension with significant downward force on the body of the violin itself. In addition to the mechanical properties the bridge is responsible for the transmission of the strings vibration to the body and the violin bridge replacement needs to be carefully crafted and sculpted.

Bridges fail for all kinds of reasons including misadventure, but also succumb to the ravages of age and twist and warp under the constant tension. An improperly fitted bridge may have a shorter lifetime as well as it may not sit at the correct angle to connect and buttress the strings to the body in the correct alignment, or the feet matching to the body of the instrument may not be optimal.

When I fit a bridge I take into account the instrument it’s going on, the strings and the needs of the player. For beginners and student violins I cut the bridge a bit thicker than otherwise, this prioritises strength as the alignment is not likely to be checked and adjusted as often as it should be. On better instruments, the matching of the bridge to the instruments tonal qualities can help with the bass vs. treble response, bridge thinness and mass removal from the kidneys and bottom arching can really help. Selection of the grade of the bridge is also important especially if you are chasing projection and brilliance.

A new violin bridge blank looks something like its final fitted form and the replacement process involves matching the feet to the body of the violin to ensure full tonal transmission. The angle of the bridge must be set so that the pulling of the strings from the top and the tailpiece are optimally into the instrument. String height is then matched to the type of strings used to make sure the heights are both playable and also that the strings have enough room to swing without clipping on the fingerboard and leading to buzzing.

Teacher preferred Violin

Parents often come to me clutching a teacher preferred violin list and can I sell them the exact brand from the list…and of course for a good price. Why do teachers have a preferred list?

Firstly teachers know the whats best for your violin student and the teacher preferred violin list is a part of making sure they have a good instrument that is right for their student for that stage of their learning journey. Its also done in desperation, because they have seen a few to many ALDI blue violins and Ebay cheapies in their time. As a parent if you knew violins you wouldn’t buy these..but you don’t know and they look like they have everything and the price it good…but they are often sub standard instruments for learning on. See my guide on internet violins for more thoughts on this.

If your learning violin in a group lesson, such as at a state school there isn’t a lot of time week to week, let alone for instrument selection, this is where a preferred instrument list really shines. If you have individual tuition, such as at a private school or with a teacher outside of school there is room for more conversation to get a good instrument. in fact i am often contacted by private violin teachers hunting for a good value instrument for their student.

So what makes “the list” ? well generally they need to sound OK, be reasonable priced and also be widely available in shops at the moment. So , depending on the teacher you will see Enrico, Arioso, Arco, Gliga and a few others (that are commonly stocked in stores) listed – or they might say anything from the XXX store. Brisbane has most of the popular national brands, but not all of them so there are a few that you won’t see, like the Kreisler from the Sydney String Store and the Glanville family of makers . The other thing about these instruments are they are usually setup well, thats is the bridge height, fingerboard and nut heights are all good, pegs greased so they turn without getting stuck. All violins, these ones included, need to be ‘setup’ to be playable, an ebay or ALDi instrument isn’t and I suspect this is what the teacher is most concerned about…as well as the quality of the build.

Secondly there is also the *dark side* of the musical instrument business, where teachers receive an undeclared commission or gifts from music stores(2Set violin have a nice video about this) . This is more common on the expensive violins and is a practice that might be fading, but its definitely a factor.

As you get to be a more advanced violin student, it can take a lot of time to find the instrument that is right for you…and usually won’t be a list instrument…but thats a story for another day.

The violins I have are a mix of the “teacher approved violins” and others. I encourage people to play a few instruments to decide what they like best. My Krieslers, Montinari Elites (4/4 intermediate) and Neos (1/2 beginner) new violins do surprisingly well, as do the assortment of secondhand instruments that I bring up to spec.

Goldilocks and the three student violins

Do you know the story of Goldilocks? It is a little known fact that she was also a violin player…no really its true 😉

What violin did she play, the curious amongst you might ask? Well all I can say is it was not too cheap, but not too expensive….it was just right. Just right for her that is.

Image credit NZ string quartet

As a beginning player, her mum couldn’t bear the thought of a cheap tinny instrument being played around the house, nor did she have the money for an expensive European instrument when she wasn’t sure if Goldilocks was going to keep learning.

On her violin were not the cheapest of strings – which can hurt the ears, but neither were they the expensive solosists strings …that would amplify every falw in her beginners technique.

Her bow was neither too soft so she could get decent tone out of the instrument, nor to capriccios as an expensive pernambucco bow would be skittering around as she was just learning how to handle a bow.…its was somewhere in the middle

The case itself also was just right…tough enough to handle the every day rigours of heading off to her friends grandma’s place for lessons. Her friend wore a red riding hood…you might know her. But also the case was not so expensive as to cost more than the violin as well.

So when you are next in the market for a violin, keep in mind your ideal Goldilocks violin. Watch out for stores that will frame their products ranging from expensive to very expensive and try to find something that will suit you. Remember a quality well cared for violin will hold its value into the future, just change your violin according to your needs as you grow.