# Any Pianist to Violinist Experience/Advice?



## BlackKeys

Hello everyone!

I have been playing piano for almost 12 years now and I really want to expand my horizon. I've been interested in studying the violin and was wondering how smooth the transition would be (like is it fairly easy to pick up as I have advanced knowledge in reading music/theory?).

Please share your experiences or any advice, thanks!


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## Sappho

Unless you're a die-hard autodidact, get a teacher - at least for the first couple of lessons, since flaws in posture tend to be rampant in beginners and are difficult to correct later.

The biggest struggle in the beginning will probably be to place the left hand's fingertips in the right spots in order to get clean whole and half tones. As piano players we tend to take these for granted  Once you've mastered these, you'll eventually discover that what is _actually_ difficult is bowing correctly - upon which subject one could write several encyclopaedias alone.

Still, as with any instrument, with a quantum of talent and a boat-load of grim determination, you'll get there eventually. Best of luck!


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## BlackKeys

Thank you so much for the tips!


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## alan850627

I played piano for six years before I started violin, and I've been playing it for 8 years now - still going strong. With your ability of reading music quickly is obviously a plus; you won't need to spend time learning that anymore. 

Once you start playing violin, you'll realize playing in tune is a highly complicated matter. Same notes must be played slightly differently depending on the context. Just a silly example, but E# will most likely need to be played higher than a F natural. This is because strings don't play in equal temperament like the piano does. 

Once you get a hang of tuning problems, you'll probably realize your tone doesn't sound like the professionals in concerts and recordings. Now, this is where the bow complications come in. Like what Sappho said, several encyclopaedias can be written about bow and tone. I myself is still working on this at the moment 

Differences aside, please DO find a teacher! Playing posture is absolutely important! Not that with the wrong posture you'll get the wrong sound, because that's subjective, but you don't want to hurt your body while playing violin. Violin playing forces your body into a very awkward position (you'll know when you hold a violin properly), and you don't want to strain your muscles practicing long periods of time with the wrong posture. I know violinists that have crooked spinal chords because of bad posture from years of violin playing. 

Go ahead and start learning violin! The feel and the sound you get is completely different from the piano. Vibrato can melt your heart, true legato can give you goosebumps . Good luck!


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## GraemeG

Reading certainly helps, and obviously general musicianship. But violinists tend to 'think' a lot in 4ths (the 'natural' span from 1st to 4th finger) and fifths (the string tunings). I never really realised quite how much (not having properly played any other instrument) until co-operating with my wife (flutist) while the kids were learning.
Flute players (I guess all wind) just don't think of things the way we do.
Keyed brass have their own approach too, thinking in harmonic/open notes and the semi, tone, tone+half, of the their three keys.
The piano will obviously help with music theory in general, but it's no real help for any non-keyboard instrument otherwise.
cheers,
Graeme


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## BlackKeys

alan850627 said:


> Differences aside, please DO find a teacher!


Thank you for all the tips and I already have a teacher in mind. I was in a quartet (violin/viola/cello/myself on piano) and he had a great approach with the strings students.


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