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Keep your instrument healthy

There are some Violins that were made in the 17th century, and they are still played on, they still sound the same as they sounded 400 years ago. On the other hand, some Violins that were made 10 years ago are already unplayable. Wooden string instruments, especially bowed ones, are extremely fragile and vulnerable. Any string player has to be aware of things that can hurt their beloved Violin or other instruments of the family. Here we are going to talk about looking after and protecting your instrument. 1. The Violin loves to be clean! Look at your Violin and see if it is clean. If not, clean it right now and try playing. You will see how much better...

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Your first violin

Among all musical instruments, Violin is the most challenging one. The path to the goal is long and thorny, exciting on the one hand and full of disappointments on the other. Success depends on many factors. We will name the most important ones. 1. An ear for music, an innate sense of rhythm, manual dexterity - all of these are undoubtedly very important, but neither you nor anyone else would be able to determine the level of your natural abilities until you learn how to play. Love for music and a passionate desire to learn how to make beautiful music - that is the true sign. If you have those qualities - go for it! Just be ready to dedicate a considerable...

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Chinrest

The violin or viola chinrest - a wooden or plastic "cup" attached to the violin or viola on the left of the tailpiece or above it - is now an essential attribute. This was not the case before about 1820 when it was invented by Louis (Ludwig) Spohr, an outstanding German violinist, composer and violin teacher. Before that, all violinists, including the greatest, like legendary Niccolo Paganini, could do without this device. It's funny that Spohr did not come up with this thing for convenience at all and it was not because the violin repertoire required more and more technical perfection. His goal was ridiculously trivial. Being a large and physically strong person, as well as having a massive chin and...

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Luby - Austrian Cremona

A small and very beautiful town called Luby, located on the western border of the Czech Republic, with a population of only 2,100 people, until 1946 was known as Schönbach, which means "Beautiful stream" in German. The German name is due to the fact that until 1918 Bohemia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Schönbach or Luby has been well known for its violin-making industry, and it was once dubbed the "Austrian Cremona". The first manufacturers of musical instruments settled in Luby in the first half of the 17th century. The oldest surviving instrument from this region is the viola by Johann Adam Pöpel, dated 1664.JAPöpel was the first known violin maker in this region and the founder of the Guild of...

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