Pick the right violin, bow and accessories

 

Pick the right violin, bow and accessories

 

As you know, I mainly devote myself to teaching jazz violin, which has become a real vocation for me in recent years… thanks to you, my loyal readers, subscribers, and students!

But it often happens that some of you are not yet very experienced on the instrument, or even beginners on the violin.

You regularly ask me questions about the equipment I use: violin, bow, strings, rosin… and also how I amplify my violin at concerts.

So I made an article about it!

 

Choose a violin

 

The first step for those who intend to learn to play the violin is to know how to choose the instrument.

If you are a beginner, there is no need to spend a lot of money on violins made by renowned luthiers.

When buying a violin, be careful! First, choose a so-called whole violin, in its adult size. Some smaller violins are for children…be sure to check that it is not a 3/4 size!

At the beginning of the learning phase, it is difficult to obtain a pleasant sound… and you don’t have to worry about that, it’s normal.

Therefore, trying out the sound of a violin would be necessary, but it can be complicated to do if you don’t know how to play it yet…

The best thing is to buy the violin from a trusted luthier, to avoid buying one with flaws that will probably only be recognized as the lessons progress.

Also beware of online shopping; you need to make sure that the instrument is of high quality, otherwise repairs may be expensive.

If this seems too complicated for you, I recommend that you take a look at these packs for beginners from Marie Leloup, whom I interviewed recently, which you will discover very soon…

My violin? I love it… I adore it…

My violin is from the luthier Bernard Bossert who is based in Geneva. It was built in 2004, the year I was studying in professional class at the Geneva Conservatory. The workshop was next to the conservatory… And I was looking for a high quality violin. Ordinarily, this luthier only makes violins to order, but he had made this one between two orders, and I happened to drop by a week after it was finished…

I tried it, and I fell in love immediately! And besides, Patrick Genêt, my teacher at the time, really liked it…

I really bought this violin for classical, but it suits me just as well for jazz. I have tried many since, old ones, Italian ones…

But none I liked so much! Lucky to have found it…

 

 

The strings of the violin

 

The violin has four strings: G – D – A – E. Basically, there are three varieties of strings, namely:

• sheep gut, which has a greater variety of sounds, but is more expensive and more difficult to maintain, used especially for baroque music
• chrome steel, which sounds strong and bright but can feel rough at times
• made of synthetic material, a compromise between the first two varieties, generally covered with a ribbon of aluminium, nickel or silver.

 

The recommendation is that beginners opt for violins with synthetic strings, such as nylon, for example.

Personally, I’ve often been asked what brand of strings I use…

And my answer always surprises people!

I use 3 types of strings: CORELLI CRISTAL for A and D, DOMINANTE for G, and PIRASTRO GOLD for E!

Why this combination, you ask?

Quite simply because it suits my violin, which naturally lacks bass (hence the use of Dominante to accentuate it), and which shines in the treble (no need to press it…)

If you already have a few years of playing the violin in your fingers and are looking for strings that will improve your sound, I recommend that you spend an afternoon at a luthier to try out the strings that are suitable for your violin. They often have used ones that they can lend you for a fitting!

 

 

The bow

 

The quality of the bow is very important for the creation of the sound.

The horsehair must have a uniform color over its entire length, and must be new or have been changed recently. As the bow wears out, you will need to change your bristles regularly, otherwise the sound will be altered, and the bow will slip too much on the strings.

Indeed, on the horsehair there are tiny scales which grip the bow to the strings and create resistance: with wear, these scales are removed, and one must put more and more rosin on the bow to get a good sound…

Then you know it’s time to get your hair changed!

You regularly ask me the question of which type of bow is best suited for the jazz violin…

Again, this is very personal. Here are my preferences for jazz and classical styles:

 

• for jazz I prefer a bow that’s a bit heavier and more responsive on attack, to be able to articulate the rhythm more clearly, because rhythm is the big priority, which you certainly understand if you have explored my jazz violin method…

• for the classical, I prefer a bow that is lighter and less reactive on the attack, but which jumps more for the spiccato…

 

I recently managed to find a superb bow by François Grimaud, which is perfect for jazz but whose sound is also suitable for classical! With this bow I recorded my album Souffle, which precisely combines jazz and classical music…

 

Rosin for the bow

 

The rosin is essential to create the resistance of the bow on the string. The adhesion it creates allows the production of sound…

There are several kinds of rosin, more or less sticky…

If you have the opportunity, get some ready to try and feel what you prefer!

To start, you can for example choose a rosin like Gustav Bernardel, reputed to be of very good quality.

Personally, I often lose the rosins… So I don’t always use the same one! But I don’t really care about that either…

For me, before the equipment, it’s the playing technique that has always counted the most, even if the accessories are still important.

 

The violin case

 

For years I have always used very different violin cases.

When I was a conservatory student, I had rectangular boxes with a built-in sheet music pocket… But now that I’m improvising, I prefer violin-shaped boxes!

My latest acquisition is the best! More expensive yes, but resistant… light… I’m delighted!

But I also had GEWA boxes, or unknown Asian brands…

My latest discovery:the TRINITY CASE, with the suitcase that allows you and your violin to take flights with ease! It’s really great, and I’ve been using it a lot since traveling has become easier again and gigs have resumed. Ideal for low cost companies like Ryanair or Vueling, where you would normally have to buy an extra seat for your violin…

 

 

Violin mutes

 

Do you know these famous hotel mutes?

I have used them so much…

So as not to annoy the neighbors, but also to pick up the solos of jazz musicians, in order to immerse myself as much as possible in their sound (to the detriment of mine… ) If the subject interests you and you wish to deepen it, here is my article on picking up solos where I answer 5 essential questions!

But otherwise, to have a nice softer sound, I use the pie mute. And since I only do jazz, I hardly use it anymore…

Unlike me, some jazz violinists use it a lot… Again, a matter of taste…

 

 

The chinrest

 

Currently, I play on a very high chinrest: the Tibor Varga chinrest.

I’ve been using this chinrest since 2004. It doesn’t suit everyone and is quite special, but it suits my body type…

I really recommend that you try out the chinrests at a luthier!

I have a friend who makes custom chinrests: Jacques Gay. You can find out more on their website or http://www.mentonniere.com or https://violonis.com

He welcomes violinists to his home at the Center Stéphane Grappelli, and spends several days experimenting in order to find the ideal model for each morphology. The Center is located in Najac, in Aveyron: surrounded by nature, a little paradise on earth!

 

The shoulder rest

 

My current shoulder rest is a Jinhui but my friend Jacques Gay modified it to match my chinrest. He has lots of models of shoulder rests and chinrests to try to find good combinations!

Before that, I played for many years with the brands Kun, Wolf and Viva Musica…

Once again, the best thing is to try different shoulder rests at a luthier, because everyone’s bodies are different… You have to go with what feels best for you, and you can find what works best for your body…

 

Mic-up your violin

 

This is perhaps the question I receive most often…

Which microphone do I use to amplify myself to play jazz on the violin?

For me, there is no doubt: my preference is for SCHERTLER’S STAT V pickup, which Didier Lockwood also used…

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE YOU WILL FIND THE LINK TO THE STAT V WITH A 10% OFFER!

Why the STAT V?

Yes, it’s a pre-amp and the sound is not totally acoustic…

But in my opinion, an amplified sound cannot be totally acoustic…

I tried DPA, I also have an Audiotechnica… With my friend Jacques Gay at the Stéphane Grappelli center, I got the opportunity to try everything possible, because there they have all possible violin pickups…

But for me, the Shertler is a safe bet. Even if the sound is a bit electric for some, I prefer it for 4 reasons:

1. It still offers the same faithful sound, I have no bad surprises
2. On stage, I don’t have any feedback problems (which totally annoys me, and I’ve always had them with DPA or Audiotechnica…)
3. In concert, I am not dependent on the quality of the sound engineer (if he is very good, a sound with a DPA can be great, but if he is not competent, it can sound like I’m playing in a barrel, and I say this from multiple experiences…)
4. I can adjust the volume myself thanks to the preamp, which is convenient to clip to pants or belt

Below you will find a special offer of 10% off Schertler’s mics and pickups sitewide.

 

There, you know almost everything about the equipment I use to play the violin!

I hope this article will help you in your choices. Feel free to ask me questions in the comments!