music help: What are some high quality violin companies? - Help.com

Are you trying to learn, or already know how to play?

I suggest W.M Lewis & Son.
That’s where I bought mine, and I’ve been playing for 8 years. It’s not professional quality, but it’s an upper quality for students. Mine was about $800 I think (my mom bought it for a bday present a couple of years ago….)

Here’s some tips to keep them lasting.
Don’t change the temperature on them a lot. They react very sensitively to that. So don’t leave it in your trunk to overheat.
Also, wipe it down after playing.
Use a good quality rosin for the bow. I have Hidersine. It’s decent.
Make sure to loosen the bow after each play!!!!
BUT don’t try to take the string part off of the bow! It’s very easy to tangle, and then not usable ever again.
DON’T DROP THE VIOLIN. ITS VERY FRAGILE. NOT LIKE A GUITAR.
If the bridge falls, be VERY careful with the violin when transporting it to get fixed. Don’t try to fix it yourself, because it might break.

If you ever have any questions, I’m here to help :-D

I actually don’t know of any sites online, because I did all of my playing in school.

W.M. Lewis may be online, but its always better to go to the store to handle it first. It’s like buying a pet. If you’re not comfortable with it, you’re never going to play it.

I actually can’t play any Pagannini (or rather, have never tried). I can play that one song from the diamond commercial. Palladio by Karl Jenkins. Most of what I played was with a full Orchestra, so unfortunately I didn’t play many solos.

There are a LOT of beginner books that are easy to use. I actually have one that is more intermediate full of Disney Solos. Haven’t really used it yet. I downloaded it a while back. But you can download a bunch. Just look up Beginner Violin online and I’m sure there’s tons of resources.

Also, I forgot to mention that you should invest in a Shoulder Rest. They’re like $20 and make playing a whole lot more comfortable, and without one, you typically will be playing flat.

Not a problem

Just happened on this post now. First of all, you can’t learn the violin on your own. You seem to think you can. Guitar, you can get resources on the internet and learn. Actually, almost any instrument you can. But you just can’t with violin. No matter what, it will sound like a cat being strangled. I remember teaching a friend to play twinkle twinkle, and it took him a day to learn to play it incredibly out of tune and with all the wrong technique. He said it was like pulling teeth and he just gave up. SO if you have any ideas of becoming good in a few weeks, don’t even try!!!

But on the optimistic side, if you stick with it, it is the most amazing instrument to play, and you are always always learning. It is just not an instrument for anyone who wants to learn it quickly, you know? You are never finished with the violin. Even the best violinists in the world still have to practice hours and hours every day.

And no offence, but I first played paganini after 14 years of playing the violin! Granted, I started when I was 3 so I couldnt even attempt to play it during the first 14 years as I was too young, but it is going to be ages before you can play Paganini.

And about the instrument, if you intend to become good, you will have to upgrade. As I get better, I have to change my instrument. Before, it was as I got bigger. Now, its as I get better. You can never just buy one violin and have it last for the rest of your life. Thats mainly because there is so much technique you actually can’t do on bad violins, or songs which just can’t be played on anything but amazing violins. When I got my last violin, my teacher told me that I couldnt get a good violin for under 30,000!!!!! So, as you get better, you will need a better instrument to cope with the bigger challenges!!!

Anyway, wow this is a long answer! I hope you don’t think I am being discouraging, I am not! The violin is the most amazing instrument. If you decide to stick with it and regularly practice, you will seriously reap the rewards!!! Have fun and be sure to keep me updated on your progress! :o)

again you use the word companies! That is a foreign word for me. We go buy makers. And what country it was made in, and what time etc. And also all the fatures of the violin itself. If I was to go into the differences between a 30 grand violin and a grand violin, I would probably spend an hour going on about it, so I will save you that conversation! But I once played a stradivarius violin worth…in dollars I am not sure….5 million? 6 million? And I cant even describe it in words. The closest thing I could say to attempt to describe it is…it was like playing silk…it was effortless….it was like heaven….anyone who plays a stradivarious can not describe it. Equally, when I play a violin that is under a grand, I shudder at how bad it is. But that is only because I have sampled the best (obviously I didn’t own it!!! I was just allowed play it for a couple of minutes).

My suggestion, do not go to a company. They mass produce violins that are genuinely poor quality. Go to a maker. Get a violin he has made. And I presume you know that the older the violin is, the better. It is just like wine. And I mean old as in 100 years or more. New ones are never ever ever as good as old ones. Thats my advice anyway. Don’t go to a company, go to a violin maker. Or a guy who sells violins and fixes them for a living, but not a company.

This is kind of an old post, but I want to suggest a “maker” and dealer of violins for all levels. www.sharondeestrings.com She uses the same woods that Stradivari used, and has all levels of instrument, and some old ones over 100 years old.