Join our 2011 youtube Christmas project :-)

http://fiddlerman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Click-for-Christmas-Project.mp3

Here is the CLICK TRACK for Fiddlerman’s Christmas Project for use with recording your recording. Play through your computer or use with MP3 player through earphones, jacks or headphones. Not to be heard on the recording.
For all the files including music, demo's and instructions go to:

http://fiddlerman.com/studies-etudes-and-music/christmas-project/

How To Hold The Bow by Fiddlerman

How To Hold The Bow – Place your thumb in the C of the bow frog and place the other fingers on the other side of the stick with the pointer finger towards the tip of the bow. Keep the all the fingers comfortably together and relaxed. The bow’s stick makes contact on the first fingers knuckle with each following fingers closer to their tips. Finally the pinky needs to learn to sit on top of the stick and stay there. A proper hold will enable you to make flexible smooth bow changes. This and many more tutorials available at http://Fiddlerman.com

Win a Cecilio CVA-400 Viola

You can win a Cecilio CVA-400 Viola

The CVA-400 comes with everything you need to get started. It's a beautiful instrument and produces a great sound right out of the box for under $160. If you are starting out on the viola you probably can't find a better sounding instrument for the same price. Visit violaman.com to see how you can win this CVA-400

Cecilio CVA-600 Viola Review

First impression when opening the box and the case was that this is a beautiful instrument. Even nicer than expected and hard to believe that you could get such a nice instrument for the money. First I checked the Viola to make sure that there were no cracks or major damages incurred by shipping. I also checked the sound-post to make sure that it had not fallen down and was straight enough to put pressure on the bridge. When tuning the instrument I constantly checked that the bridge was in the right place, centered so that the strings were  and fairly straight, I rosined one of the bows that are included in the case. To get enough rosin on the bow I had to scratch the new surface of the rosin and work it in for about 10-15 intensive minutes. When I finally got some friction on the bow it was time to play.
Suddenly a big smile on my face and difficult to put the instrument down again.
There are of course flaws as well. For $400 you can't get everything.

• The bows are not very good and I managed to break at least 10 hairs in the first hour of playing.
• The sound-post was cut badly (too short) and was pulled out closer to the f-holes to stay in place.
• The bridge was sanded on one side instead of evenly planed on both.
• The strings are steel-core and would much nicer if switched to high quality synthetic core.

See the whole review on the below link:
http://violaman.com/2011/10/cecilios-cva-600-viola-review-by-violaman-com/

My new violas

I received three violas from kkmusicstore today. I was seriously impressed with the first one that I opened. The bows are junk, the case is cheap but looks great non-the-less, and the end pin sticks out way too much. Also the sound-post is real crocked but I don't dare move it because the feet are flat at that angle. The instrument itself is beautiful, real inlaid purfling, and nice grains in the wood. The sound is great even with the bad sound-post and cheap strings. Look forward to opening the other two boxes and doing a review on all three violas tomorrow.

VIOLA TUNER

In case any of you play the viola or would like to learn, I just finished my VIOLA TUNER :-)
http://violaman.com/viola-tuner/

Fiddlermans Christmas project!

Good morning :-)
How is your practicing going? What kind of projects do you have going on?
Are you joining in on Fiddlerman's Christmas Project?
Visit this link for details: http://fiddlerman.com/studies-etudes-and-music/christmas-project/

You can be the lucky winner of Cecilio's CVN-300

http://fiddlerman.com/2011/10/win-the-cecilio-cvn300-christmas-give-away-on-fiddlerman-com/

To be eligible to win you need to involve yourself in the “Fiddlerman's Christmas Project”

• Download and learn any of the four parts found on the above links page. Using the upcoming click-track, (will be uploaded to above page soon) record yourself playing one of the parts and send the video to Fiddlerman
• All of Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk forum members with over 100 legitimate posts are automatically eligible and are not obligated to upload a  video to be entered.
• Forum members envolved in the Christmas Project will receive an additional entry increasing their chance to win.
• Previous winners are not eligible to win.

China makes 70% of the world’s violins.

 China now makes 70% of the world’s violins. And the quality at the top-end is quite good. In fact, it’s making Italian violin makers nervous. The World’s, Mary Kay Magistad checks out China’s violins.

http://fiddlerman.com/2011/10/violins-made-in-china/

Learn to play "Deck The Halls" on the violin

Learn to play,"Deck the Halls" a traditional Yuletide and New Years' carol on the violin. The "fa-la-la" refrains were probably originally played on the harp.
The tune is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, Nos Galan. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to "Deck the Halls" for a violin and piano duet. The repeated "fa la la" is from medieval ballads and used in Nos Galan, the remaining lyrics are American.
This free PDF can be downloaded, print, and played and includes suggested fingerings and bowings. More free sheet music can be found on Fiddlerman.com

Want to learn to play violin from scratch. The lessons are free.

Do you want to learn to play violin? If you've never touched a violin before start here !!!!
http://fiddlerman.com/fiddle-learning-tools/where-do-i-start/

Violinist played his instrument as surgeons performed deep brain stimulation.

Roger Frisch of Plymouth, Minn., lay on the operating table with his hands clutching his violin to his chin. While surgeons operated on Frisch’s brain, Frisch began to play the chords he’s known for more than 30 years.
Read all about it here

Third Position Smear exercises for Violin

Learn to shift more accurately from first to third position. Practice shifting slowly at first. Slide on each finger from first to first, second to second, and third to third and steadily increase tempo for best results.
Try to memorize the feeling of where your hand ends up, either by feeling a guide when reaching the position or by memorizing the feeling in your left elbow when bent the proper amount. Remember to rely strongly on your hearing both in anticipation and arrival to the note.
Download and print this free smear exercise and many more from fiddlerman.com

A date has been decided for the CVN-200 give away

http://fiddlerman.com/2011/10/date-decided-for-the-cecilio-cvn-200-give-away/

Glissando and Portamento on the Violin

Glissando and Portamento on the Violin

Glissando is a when you slide a finger on a string from one note to another. The word comes originally from the French word glisser which means to glide. A portamento is when you slide from a note or to a note but do not connect the two notes.
Watch this instructional video on what is, how to play, and different types of glissando. Learn the differences between glissando and portamento. Hear how different glissando's can sound using varying speeds, amounts, volumes, and lengths. Glissando is used in all genres of music and is a great part of musical expression.

Fiddlerman is on a roll for Christmas.

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 1739 in the collection Hymns and Sacred Poems, having been written by Charles Wesley.
In 1855, English musician William H. Cummings adapted Felix Mendelssohn's secular music from Festgesang to fit the lyrics of Wesley's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". Wesley envisioned the song being sung to the same tune as his song Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, and in some hymnals, is included along with the more popular version.
This hymn was regarded as one of the Great Four Anglican Hymns and published as number 403 in "The Church Hymn Book" (New York and Chicago, USA, 1872).
This free PDF can be downloaded, print, and played and includes suggested fingerings and bowings. More free sheet music can be found on Fiddlerman.com
Check this and more Christmas sheet music for violin out here.

Fiddlerman is the number 1 violin site :-)

This is great news. We are no. 1 and not just on Google :-)
One of my members shared this link with me.
http://onlinedoctoratedegree.org/top-50-violinist-blogs

Happy Fiddlerman Day to everyone :-)

Happy Fiddlerman Day to everyone :-)
Today is one year since I uploaded Fiddlerman.com



I first decided I wanted to devote time to an online violin learning site about six months before actually doing it. It occurred to me that if done correctly I could help so many more violinists with each lesson than giving private lessons. I’ve always felt like everyone who wants to learn should be able to do so whether or not they are fortunate enough to be able to afford it. Internet is world wide as opposed to local and I love the idea of connecting to the entire world. Another thing that enticed me is knowing that whatever I produce now can theoretically remain indefinitely. It’s obvious that internet will continue to expand at great speeds.  One of the first things I did after deciding to start a site was to read a book about SEO (search engine optimization), not having ever done anything like this before I wanted to know what I would be getting myself into and what I needed to do to get traffic to such a site.
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