I have done it, got myself a violin!

Fortunate to find a spare-time violin restorer living nearby outside Leamington who had a 'Maidstone' for sale on ebay which I won. The violin has been set up excellently, with a nice bow, and a new tub of rosin so I'm all set !

Being local I was able to call round to John the restorer's house to collect, very fine chap, very helpful, and I was able to hear how good the instrument sounded, and I played a few (open string) notes 

It came in the original coffin-shaped case which has seen better days; John the restorer suggests I get a new case as the old one might start to grow mould if I keep it in a warm house. Sounds like good advice.

As it's Murdoch & Murdoch on the label that might mean a late instrument (I think the earlier ones were just J. Murdoch) so might be just pre-WWI. Did the German factory continue supply after WWI?

Let me post some new photos of the violin on here later tonight, just to get anyone's opinion about how well set-up the violin looks - and how good it looks!

John W

Yes, thanks Reiner. He's only been restoring for about three years, but he knows a local professional restorer and maker, Derek Roberts who is in Leamington, who deals in instruments a few levels up from the 'Maidstone' 

I've taken some photos now and from them you'll see there is no great wear and tear, it's quite decent looking especially the back with it's stripey pattern. It's the original fingerboard and tailpiece (getting to know the instrument, I've been reading the wikipage and restorers' pages) and pegs. It's had a replacement bridge and chinrest, the latter is an old/contemporary ivory one. Strings are new. No cracks or repairs visible, to me anyway.

So this is it (on the back hall floor)













You can see the soundpost through the f-hole. I first thought it should be directly under the bridge but just down from the E-string side is about right.

Well done, John! You'll be chasing Janine's tail in no time. Oh, wait... 

Make sure you have the elbow of your left arm (ie the one with which you are holding the instrument) pulled in towards your body so that it is hovering under the body of the instrument itself.  This will help to place the instrument in the correct plane, and bowing the correct string will become easier as a result.

The other thing is to make sure that you are always bowing the instrument at a direct 90-degree angle - the tendency will be for the elbow of your right arm (with which you are bowing) to slip backwards, leading to bowing at a cock-eyed angle...  this increases the likelihood of accidentally touching the other strings.

And if you can think about three things at once, try to make your early work with the bow on the part of the string that's exactly half-way between the bridge and the end of the finger-board.  The angle-differential there is optimal for a nice sound and accurate selection of the desired string.  If you let the bow slip towards the finger-board, you'll make things more difficult for yourself.

Let beauty of tone be your watchword - unless a nice sound results, there is no point in all the fancy fingerwork in the world.  And a good dusting of rosin on the bow will help in getting a nice clean "attack" to each fresh bow you take.  Try bowing up and down, so that the up-bows are just as warm and resonant as the down-bows (which are easier to do).

That's nothing unusual!  My advice is to use a full-length mirror.  This allows you to check a number of different things at once, including the sounding point (the distance between the bridge and the bow) and the right-angle between bow and strings.  The latter is very difficult to properly observe any other way.

One other suggestion I would make, regarding playing the string intended without catching the others - aim for the upper arm to be aligned with the bow.  It's a common tendency for it to end up angled slightly lower, which means that any motion with the arm and elbow affects the positioning of the bow rather than moving it solely in a straight line.

Very very sound advice from owain there, john.  A mirror is needed for all sorts of things.  But at some stage you will need to look directly at the bow contact point, so just shut one eye.

Owain is dead right on the bow, forearm and upper arm forming a plane.  In bowing, you open and close all joints in your arm (well, generally) so the plane needs to be just about level with the string.  More advanced techniques later go against this, but it is a good starting point.

In a relaxed position, the fingers of the left hand should rest on or just above the a and e strings.  Don't stretch them to get d and g.  Instead, swing your elbow.  It is like your elbow is a swing seat, with ropes attached to your shoulder and hand.  Only a small swing is needed and it should take your fingers to the lower strings.

But it is hard for starters (both left and right arms).  So don't feel bad about concentrating on a and e.  Just remember to keep some freedom in your limbs for later.

Tommo

strina,

yes it was fun the first few attempts, laptop on desk trying to read/remember the advice on here or watching/listenung to the lady on the dvd. I will print off the messages and study them better.

Been out most of today (just got back) but did find a large mirror in the garage so something else to help me. I struggle to get the violin comfortable under the chin (or left jawbone?) and can't hold it with just the chin, not much flesh on my shoulder/jawbone, so shall I get a shoulder rest to ease my posture and free my left hand in these early days?

John W

Oh, I didn't say earlier that I paid  £101 for the 'Maidstone' violin, more than previous Maidstones that I'd seen on ebay but mine was well set up by John the restorer, worth the extra for me, and less than half the price of a Maidstone  in a violin shop in Birmingham. As well as the tuition DVD I also bought a little electronic vibration-tuner that you clip onto a peg. John set up the violin nicely tuned but at some time I'm going to have to tune the violin, I'm terrified of touching the pegs or the fine tuner thing on the E-string, advice on tuning would e appeciated. 



I've gone this route today strina, one of my customers uses a firm foam/sponge 3cms thick in their manuf. process and the manager gave me a couple of samples to try out, and I cut a piece about 5cms x 10cms, cut a narrow slot for the rubber band and this has made a difference.

Not quite enough friction with the tea-shirt I was wearing but the violin was at a nice height under my jawbone that I could hold it hands free for a few secs while I sorted myself with the bow.

And I've kinda started again, now able to concentrate on the bow, and with the old bathroom mirror propped up on the desk in the garage, back to exercising some up and down strokes with the open strings, looking in the mirror, keeping that 'square' with the upper arm parallel to the bow and the lower arm sort of parallel to the violin, and keeping the bow about an inch from the bridge, so I'm getting a clean sound on the open strings  hitting tht A string sweeter.

I'm free on Friday morning so I'll check out, properly this time, the playing of scales on the DVD, and after that disaster I'll maybe think about lessons