Electric violins are a great choice for anyone who wants to play the violin but doesn’t want to deal with the inconvenience of tuning and playing acoustic instruments.
But before you plug in and start jamming, there are some things you should know. In this article, we’ll show you how to set up your electric violin, so it’s ready for use. Preparation is a must if you don’t want any hassle later on.
How to Set Up Electric Violin Before Playing
Even if you have the best electric violin in town, it will make no sense if you don’t know how to set it up before playing. So, you might want to follow these steps before playing.
Check the instrument if it has any damage.
The first thing to do is check your electric violin to see if it’s in good condition. There can be a lot of small dings and dents on your instrument, but you need to make sure that the strings are in good condition and the bow as well.
Next, make sure that all of the accessories are in place, such as the
- Bow
- Rosin
- Shoulder rest
- Tuning peg wrench
- Music stand.
You’ll also want to double-check that you have plenty of rosin on hand for when you’re playing.
Tune electric violin
Tuning your violin is a crucial part of playing, and it’s easy to forget to do it. Before you start playing, ensure your violin is tuned and double-check that it’s set up correctly if you’re using a digital tuner.
Make sure the pitch of each string is correct by listening to the sound of each note when it’s played alone, then check it on your tuner. This is particularly important for violins with synthetic strings as they stretch out more quickly than others.
Use headphones
Before you begin playing, it’s important to have your headphones on. Using headphones will minimize the noise while you’re playing the instrument. In addition, headphones help you get the most out of your instrument by giving you an accurate picture of what’s happening.
Ensure that the bow is in good condition.
Note that your bow should be straight, with no bumps or bends. If it is bent even a little bit, it will make it hard to play and sound out of tune.
A nice method to test this is by placing the bow on a flat surface and pushing it down on one end of the curve. If there’s any space between your hand and the table or floor, then it’s not straight enough.
If your bow has a bend, try using a heat gun or hair dryer for a few minutes to soften up the wood, and then press down on both ends until they meet each other again.
Set up the music sheets
You can utilize a variety of methods to set up your music sheets. Some people prefer to print out the sheet music, but others like to use an app that lets them play directly from their phone or tablet. Whichever method you choose, make sure you can see the entire sheet and all of its notes clearly.
Summary
There’s a lot more to learn, but these are the basics. Before you start playing, you’ll want to make sure that your instrument is set up properly. If you’re new to playing violin, it’s easiest to have someone help you with this process.
However, if you don’t have access to a trained violinist or music teacher, then you can also refer to this post or watch video tutorials online. Just make sure you don’t rush yourself and your instrument before playing!
