Violin Forum/Message Board

[Robbie Daug]

Hi,
I am actually a rock/pop/folk/blues/sort of jazzy/metal guitarist/singer/songwriter who happens to own a violin. I've hardly played it.

It was a gift to me in 1992, and i've only played it a handful of times.
I stopped playing back then because of the difficult vibrato which is essential to violin playing and rather hard to do (well).

I've recently (summer 2014) picked it up again to try to learn some Irish jigs.
I've learned to play a few rather well, minus the tricky Irish fiddle ornamentation. I have not touched it since then for various reasons. I will again, though.

I am not musically trained, at all. I've learned to read music on my own when i was younger, with several books.
I like to play by ear, guessing each note and phrase as i go along.
I can read music and can understand where the notes are on my other instruments but i am still learning the violin (sort of).
I can not sight read all that well as i have not practiced it very much.

I am 54 now and have never tried to be a great sight reader.

I like to incorporate my "off" (wrong) notes and try to use other phrases to incorporate my off notes and try to make something fit musically.
That is something that works for me on a guitar, but the violin is still a strange instrument for me on which to improvise, and i don't really fully understand the neck.
No frets along with the different (from guitar) tuning of the violin is a challenge for me to feel completely comfortable.

I would like to introduce you all to me, musically, by letting you all listen to me improvising to a random backing track i found on youtube.
Below is the link to the backing track without me playing along so you can all listen to what i was dealing with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmf0QavW7M

I had only listened to about five bars of the backing track before even attempting to try to improvise to it. That's how i roll. I like the total spontaneity of improvising to a piece of music i've never heard before. It helps my creativity to flow out.

When my solo begins, i start off forgetting to use vibrato and then i remembered to practice what i had learned, recently, on youtube about violin vibrato.
Towards the end, when the backing track fades out, i keep on playing as if the track continued as i still heard it in my head and, sort of, wanted to just keep on going until i felt somewhat satisfied.

If you notice, i sometimes use a (eeek!) guitar vibrato style. I know, i know, it's wrong. It happens purely out of habit as i am a guitarist.

Okay, so, i feel believe i've done a good enough job at bracing you all for the worse possible scenario. Here it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbdgAbVJUYc

By all means, feel totally free to critique my playing style, notes used, vibrato, improvisational skill and whatever else should be noted in regards to violin playing.
Don't worry. I know i am not a good player, and i am certain all of you could play Bach and Mozart violin concertos with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back lol... okay, maybe not all of that...but you know what i mean.
I am quite eager to read whatever comments come my way.

Just keep in mind that the last time i picked it up and played it was about 12 years before the summer of 2014 when i recorded this improvisation.

It sits in the case up on a shelf most of the time. And i have not played it since this video was made.

This 3/4 violin was made in Mittenwald\Bayern, Germany by Andrew Schroetter. The Model number is 2231.
If any one knows of this model, i would like to learn more about it, like when it was made. It was bought second hand in 1992.
There are several photos of it on my Robbie Daug facebook page.

Thank you for reading and listening.
Robbie