Mail order Strings | Official Blog

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Welcome to Mail Order Strings

Mail Order Strings is a Hans Weisshaar Company. Established in 1947 by Hans Weisshaar on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, the firm quickly became the destination for some of the worlds most accomplished musicians, including Pablo Casals, Mischa Elman, Zino Francescatti, Jascha Heifetz, Yehudi Menuhin, Michael Rabin, Isaac Stern, Heinryk Szeryng, Joseph Szigeti, and many others.

In 1965 Hans Weisshaar relocated his business to its present location on Larchmont Boulevard, where he continued to build a reputation as one of the leading violin makers and restorers in the United States. His legacy of unrivaled integrity continues to inspire violin makers, restorers, musicians, teachers, and students from around the globe. Georg Eittinger, who was previously with the London firm of J & A Beare, has been head of the firm since 2004.

Mail Order Strings was founded in the tradition of excellence established by Hans Weisshaar. Our mission is to provide the most competitive prices and the convenience of online ordering, while continuing to offer the service and expertise expected of a world class violin shop.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Online Music Lessons: Helpful or Hurtful?

We live in an interesting age, musically speaking. Through the avenue of the internet, so much is available to us in the way of recordings, videos, articles, pictures, etc, etc. From this sea of information, any aspiring musician with a computer can find tools and resources for online music lessons and often times for free.

Learning music online is vastly different than what teachers and players have been used to in generations before the world wide web making some wonder if online lessons are truly beneficial for budding musicians or if they just cause confusion and poor technique. Before investing any serious time in front of a computer screen, there are a few things to consider when it comes to music lessons.

When it comes to learning anything, I think the most important thing to consider is how you or your student learns. For instance, I am a kinesthetic learner. I learn best by doing or using my hands. Sitting around watching videos online, does help me as much a having a teacher guide me during a lesson and then practicing it on my own for several hours. Yet, I have a student who is a very visual learner and online videos are a great reference for the days in-between lessons. Likewise, I have a family member that can read a car manual and just build an engine in a weekend. I’m sure that if he wanted to, he could play the violin after a day of reading “How-To” blogs online.

you decide that using online music lessons are something that would be helpful for you, the next thing you need to consider is where the information is coming from. The good news is that there are hundreds of thousands of videos, articles, and blogs to choose from. The bad news is that pretty much anyone with a computer and 5 minutes of free time can post something. When searching for music lessons, it’s best to use media produced by a professional or teacher with years of experience. Generally, they will have tried and true methods to share that won’t lead you or your student astray. If you are unsure about the validity of something you found online, it’s best to double check with your teacher. Send them a link and have them check it out. If you are teaching yourself how to play, you can always check with other members in the music community. Contacting a local music store to see if they have come across something useful is a great place to find sound advice.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Violin and Fiddle: Are They Same?

Fiddle players get a lot a lot of flack for being lazy violinists while violinists get teased for being snobby fiddle players. There’s even a joke: “What the difference between a violin and a fiddle? A fiddle is fun to listen to.”

So, what is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? At it’s core, nothing. Violin and fiddle players use the exact same instrument. The only difference that could occur is in the “set-up” of the instrument.

Amplification set-up: Violinist tend to play in orchestras, quartets, trios and do not often have to use a mic to be amplified over other instruments. Fiddle players, on the other hand often play with bass, guitar and drums and often need a “pick-up” or microphone of some kind to amplify themselves over the other instruments.

String set-up: There are hundreds of kinds of violin strings. Each violinist or fiddle player will have their particular kind of string they like to use best. In general though, fiddle players prefer a steel string for their direct and clear sound. Violinists can talk for hours about different kinds of strings and why they use the type of string they do. It might be one of the reasons why violinists are considered snobby.

Bridge set-up: Often fiddle players have their bridge shaved down because fiddle playing has a lot of chords and double stops. Having a lower bridge helps to keep the strings on a more level plane, making it easier to hit chords. The classical violin style is associated more with single notes so having a more arched bridge is preferred.

So, what’s harder the violin or the fiddle? Violin players and fiddles players, while using basically the same instruments, have entirely different skill sets. A fiddle player is striving to often play super tricky rhythms and lots of doubles stops (playing two notes at once) and chords (playing three to four notes at once). A classical violinist, will be striving to produce clear tone, vibrato and learning the different positions on the violin.

I travel often and without fail whenever I am walking through an airport with my violin on my back a get the questions, “Is that an instrument?”. My response is always the same, “Yes, a violin.” I would say about five out of ten times the response back is, “Oh, my grandfather played the fiddle. Do you fiddle?” I always want to respond yes to this question, but instead I say, “I can fiddle.” I can fiddle and in fact I enjoy fiddle music but I was trained to play classical violin and know that my fiddle playing methods fall short compared to the great fiddle players.

The reality is that In whatever genre of music you play, being proficient at it requires practice, dedication and skill. This has very little to do with the instrument and more to do with the heart, focus and love of the genre of music you are playing.

Monday, December 8, 2014

String Instrument Techniques: How to Learn Vibrato

What is Vibrato?

Vibrato is the act of actually altering the pitch of the string by rocking or vibrating your finger the pitch of the note through the physical movement of your fingers.

It’s an artistic effect, an embellishment that adds to the musicality, phrasing, and beauty of notes that might otherwise be played flatly and without character.

Using the Left Hand

Vibrato is as essential to phrasing and musicality as dynamics and articulation with the bow. But unlike the nuances of volume and texture created with the bow in the right hand, vibrato is a unique expression performed with the left hand. For those of us who are right handed, it may seem challenging to train your left hand to do such minute and intricate movements, but with dedicated practice, it will eventually feel so natural you’ll hardly realize you’ve conquered the technique.

The Mechanics of Vibrato

The mechanics of vibrato are slightly different on violins and violas versus cellos and basses because of the angle of the instrument in relation to your body. Cellos and basses are played in an upright position, with the endpins towards the ground and vibrato performed by rocking the forearm and fingers on the strong. Violins and violas are played with the violin perpendicular to the body, in a horizontal position somewhat parallel to the ground with vibrato played with a motion centered in the wrist.

When to Learn Vibrato

Learning vibrato isn’t recommended until you are consistent and confident with your left hand positioning and finger placement first. Ideally, you have learned to play in tune without tapes or guides on your fingerboard. Your muscle memory (in terms of the proper shape of your hand and where your fingers contact the strings) is precise.

Your “Vibrato Mentor”

If you don’t have a private teacher or mentor working with you on your technique, now is the time to “consult” with an experienced player. With these fundamental techniques, like a proper bow hold and vibrato, learning how to do it correctly from the start is so important! Bad habits, especially when it comes to playing a string instrument, are extremely hard to break if initially learned improperly.

Sometimes students learn vibrato and bow holds in school orchestra programs without working one-on-one with a teacher. That one-on-one attention is invaluable with these more difficult and artistic techniques. Be sure to get that individual attention in this learning process.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

10 Reminders for Beginning Students

Stop picking your nose, don’t talk with your mouth full, be nice to your brother, look at me when I’m talking to you, don’t text and drive, mind your manners. Ugh. Minding your Ps and Qs is so much work!

But in the end, developing good habits and manners help us to become better people. Likewise, in order to become a better musician, there are a few Ps and Qs that will help you be on your best musical behavior. If you’re a string teacher, these are also helpful reminders to share with your students during those first lessons and beyond.

1. Tune first. Have your teacher tune for you, or if you’ve learned to tune your own instrument, take the time to do so before you practice. Because your fingers move to adjust the pitch of your instrument, you don’t want to develop muscle memory with your fingers in the wrong place because your open strings were out of tune.

2. Don’t touch the bow hair. Definitely keep muddy or Dorito-cheese-powdered hands away from the bow (and the instrument)! There are myths about this general rule, but don’t worry–if you accidentally touch the bow hair, it won’t disintegrate. The reason touching the hair with your fingers is discouraged is because natural oils from your fingers or skin will transfer to the bow and cause the hairs to “slicken.” This greasiness (think of how greasy your own hair gets after not washing it for days) compromises the dry texture of the hair that grips to the string and picks up rosin. For kids practicing right after playing or eating, you may even want to instill the habit to wash hands before making music.

3. Avoid over-tuning the strings. They might pop.

4. Never over-tighten the bow. While the horsehair is stretchy and could take it, it’s the stick that can’t! Regularly over-tightening the bow will warp the stick and ruin the crafted arch of the bow that makes it responsive. Over-tightening may also cause the tip of the bow to snap off. Ouch!

5. Always loosen the bow hair after playing. This is Point 4, Part 2–see above. Even if you didn’t over-tighten your bow, loosen the hair until some of the strands are hanging loose to relieve the stress on the stick. This will also prevent the arch and strength of the wood from being compromised.

6. Stand (or sit) up straight. There are so many great reasons to have good posture no matter what you’re doing, really! But because playing a stringed instrument is a physical activity much like a sport, its important that you hold your instrument and yourself properly to promote good playing technique.

7. Have a pencil handy. Write things down so you’ll remember them.

8. Keep your instrument in its closed (and zipped!) case when not in use. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen someone pick up their violin case, not realizing it was unzipped, and the violin and accessories come cascading out onto the floor. Keep your case nearby when you practice so that when you step away you have a safe place to put your instrument down. P.S. Avoid leaving your instrument on a chair! Like a pair of glasses, it’s bound to be sat upon.

9. Don’t let your instrument get too hot. Or cold for that matter. But heat–even from leaving your instrument in the sun, can warp the instrument, damage or melt the varnish, melt your rosin, cause cracks, etc. Store your stringed instrument like you would potatoes–in a cool, dry place.

10. DON’T GIVE UP! Enough said.