So uh, I randomly decided to buy an Erhu....

[ravenraritie]

Well, not completely random I guess. I've always loved the sweet sound of them and I've always wanted to learn violin, but violin is complicated and expensive. So I bought an erhu instead Two days in and I'm questioning the wisdom of the decision, but I do have 30 days to return it, so I plan on buckling down hard, learning all I can, and if I really just can't get it down I'll send it back and try something else. I suspect I'm already at a disadvantage because it's a niche instrument and I have no teacher. I'm learning about it completely online through videos and stuff. If this fails, I will probably try a lyre instead, as my sister-in-law has one that I've tried and I actually managed to play a simple melody on right away.

Has anyone else made an impulsive purchase of an instrument you suddenly decided you want to learn? How did it work out?

 

[porsoli]

Twice. First, impulse bought a very cheap violin ($45). Taught myself Mary had a little lamb then lost interest. Next, a harmonica. Same story, lost interest over time.

For the last year, I've been considering unboxing the violin and taking another stab at it. Perhaps try fiddle style rather than classical.

Good luck with your new adventure. You can do it!

 

[porsoli]

The erhu looks and sounds interesting!

 

[ravenraritie]

4 days of practice in, and I've already learned and improved my sound SO much! I have to get better at doing it every day instead of sporadically though. But just from the first 4 days, my bowing angle has improved, I've found the right bowing speed to get a good sound, I've figured out how to efficiently rosin the bow, I've gotten the instrument correctly in tune, and installed a bridge and dampener. I also got a "mute", which is a little metal clip that clips onto the bridge and reduces the volume by like 90%. This has GREATLY improved my playing, as I'm very prone to migraines and I was being held back by the fear of playing too loud and triggering them. Now I can play more forcefully and not worry about volume! Next step for me is to mark where the notes are on the strings (this is normal for erhu players!), but that requires a paint marker which I didn't have, so I ordered a few and they come tomorrow. Progress!

 

[porsoli]

Hey that's great Raven! Keep up the hard work. Send us a recording someday.

 

[ravenraritie]

Well, I think I royally messed up LOL. The "Qianjin", which is the bit of cordage at the top of the neck which secures the strings to the neck, was too high on my instrument, so I decided to measure and lower it to the proper height. Ever since I did, it sounds absolutely awful. I can only play the lowest 3 notes on each string without it sounding like screechy, scratchy wailing. My cat now sprints around the house trying to get away from the sound. It's chaos, lol. The worst part is, I was a dummy and didn't mark the spot where it was previously, so I don't know how far to move it in order to get it back to where it was. Feeling rather defeated at the moment I think tomorrow I'll just try inching it back upward and testing the sound as I go. Hopefully I didn't permanently ruin anything...

 

[Sbenny]

I got my dad to gift me a violin for my birthday and.. long story short, I dropped the idea of playing it after 2 days it's too hard! I decided I'll stick with guitar and piano (my fav) as I've been playing music for over 20 years I think piano and guitar are the most versatile instruments ever, especially since a digital piano can "mimic" the sound of so many instruments (even thanks to MIDI support) that you're basically 100% covered if you plan to make any songs.

 

[ravenraritie]

Haha yeah, when I was younger I briefly thought about trying violin, but after watching my cousin learn how to play I decided NOPE! Both my brother and my dad play guitar (my dad was actually in a band back in the 80s), and my brother tried teaching me, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. I do actually have an old Cassio keyboard that's been collecting dust in my closet... I dug it out because a boy I had a crush on played VERY well and wanted to teach me haha. Eventually we just kind of fell out of touch, and that's where my piano journey ended too