So a lot of you guys have been requesting us to review
articles on how to play the violin.
Well, what a coincidence!
Because today Brett and I fell over and hit our heads.
And then...
And like...
- We- - We just...
Yeah, I just...
- Forgot how to play the violin. Yeah. - forgot how to play the violin.
The Ling Ling within us disappeared.
So of course, we have to go on wikiHow.
Find our calling again.
Yes.
- Let's see- - WikiHow, help us.
How do I play the violin?
1.7 million views.
Wow, guys.
Damn.
Okay, let's go, guys.
Sensei!
Let's do it.
The violin is one of the most rewarding
and beautiful instruments to play.
The road to learning the violin is a long one,
but with patience, discipline, and enthusiasm,
these steps will help you start down the road to success
with this...
storied instrument.
Uh, what a beautiful...
- ...intro. - Tells a story.
Violin tells a story.
Alright, part one. Let's see.
Gathering equipment.
Purchase a violin - I already got one.
Step two: check the accessories.
- That's very important, guys. - What, what -
What do we need?
Unless you have purchased the instrument only,
your violin outfit should come with a violin with four strings,
Good, we have four strings.
Cool.
And a bow.
- Got it here. - Got it.
In most cases, the person who sells you the violin
will be happy to string it for you,
which has the added bonus of double-checking
to be sure the tuning pegs,
the knobs at the scroll -
got it -
top of the violin, are properly fit to the scroll.
Yes, okay.
Aha.
- Yeah. - Strings- Yeah, okay.
Yeah, okay, whatever.
Ah, here we go.
Step three, purchase other items.
Eh.
- Yeah, we got it. - Yeah.
- The rosin - - It's over there.
It's too far, it's in the corner.
But don't worry, we got it.
It's in good hands.
I just rosined my bow before the video started, so.
Yeah.
Actually, I don't know how to play.
That's alright.
Part two,
learning the basic technique.
Once you've set up the music stand and sheet music,
open the case and remove the bow.
Good, okay.
The hair of the bow should be limp.
Look at that, can you guys see it?
Floppy.
Tighten the bow by turning the end...
screw...
clockwise...
Dude, look at her end screw!
That's messed up!
No!
I forgot - I forgot how to play the violin.
We can't criticize her, I don't know!
Guys, just uh,
wait.
Okay, oh, Brett's back.
That's really messed up, guys.
You should never...
loosen it that much.
Unless you're fixing the hair or getting rehaired.
The luthier should fix that.
'Cause it'll fall out.
- Okay. - And then things will happen.
Yeah.
- Oh! - Wow! Okay.
Turn clockwise until the space between the hair and the stick
is big enough to pass a pencil
through cleanly from tip to tip.
- I need a pencil. - Yeah, okay.
I don't have a pencil but I have, like,
this recorder thing.
Aw, yeah.
That's actually probably better.
If you had a pencil, you end up, like, drawing on it.
Yeah, can I try?
Yeah.
Aw, it touched the hair!
That's better.
- Okay, that's good enough. - Nice.
Don't use your pinky finger as a gauge
because the oil from your skin
will transfer to the hair.
Fair enough.
Rosin the bow.
- Ugh. - Augh...
Alright, Brett's getting his rosin.
Rosin comes in two types,
uh, okay, yeah, yeah.
Dark and light.
Fine to - uh, okay.
Aws - okay.
How do you - how do you rosin the bow?
Here's the rosin, guys.
Grip the rosin by papered sides.
But mine's plastic.
Gently but vigorously...
...rub it up and down along the length of the bow hair
three to four times.
What does it mean by "gently but vigorously"?
Alright, are you ready, guys?
Three or four times.
That's one, two.
Three.
You forgot the down the third time.
That, that was very gentle and vigorous.
I like it.
Tune the violin. Oh.
Oh, I mean...
Oh, that is a weird way of tuning -
I mean! What!
- Uh. - Oh, and...
she's using an electric tuner clamped to the pegs.
I mean.
Interesting.
Step four, grip the bow
I don't know about using the word "grip"
because "grip" kind of implies tension.
But I don't know anything!
- Oh yeah, we don't know our - - Yeah, yeah, we lost -
I don't know about violin!
Use the balance point to learn to hold the bow
and even out the weight.
When you think you are ready to grip the bow like a professional,
start by gently laying the middle part of
your index finger
on the grip.
I love how she says "when you think you are ready to grip the bow-"
Yeah, I know.
Uh, I don't think I'm ready yet.
She didn't explain what the balance point is.
I know the balance point is that
but what's that got to do with holding the bow?
Does that help?
No, not really.
I'm, wait, I'm looking at the gif,
she's kind of just holding it.
Hm.
But you can just hold it anywhere,
- like - - Yeah.
- Ah! - Whatever.
People have different styles of teaching.
Start by laying the middle part of your index finger on the grip.
So, here.
Okay, see.
My problem with that what is the middle part of the index.
It's already very vague.
And if we look at the image here,
she's doing the Russian bow hold.
Oh, is that the Russian, or the Franco-Belgian-
- I mean, I don't know any of the bow holds! - I don't know anything, what are you talking about?
What is the Russian bow hold?
She's...
putting it here.
And there's actually different schools of thought with
violin playing.
Some people hold it...
down here.
Very old school.
You can hold it with your elbow.
But...
she's holding it, kind of, here, so it's touching
this bit.
I mean, I don't know.
On the grip.
The slightly padded part -
okay -
a few inches above the tightening knob.
Okay, so,
this thing.
That's actually called a thumb grip.
And then place the tip of your pinky
on the flat part of the stick near the base.
Where's the base?
What's the base?
Yeah, what does that mean?
- Oh, so that's the base. Oh. - She's gripping - oh, okay.
WikiHow, wow!
- Hey, hold the bow! - Wow!
Whoa, look at that!
I'm a professional!
Wow, I love how she says,
"keep the pinky slightly curved."
Beginners!
Yeah, guys!
Keep it curved!
Curve your pinky.
The ring and middle finger should rest with their middle parts
in line with the tip of your pinky.
I can't...
English.
I guess it means
this.
The ring and middle finger...
Yeah, it just means this.
Magically, wikiHow, wow!
Let's get to the playing part.
Your thumb should rest underneath the stick,
at the front of the frog, near or on the bow hair.
But you just said not to touch the hair.
Dalia, what do you mean?
You said not to touch the hair!
You put too much oil on it.
Aw, violin Eddy back.
You put it in this corner.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Don't put it on the hair.
I mean, I get what she's meaning,
it's just, it's hard to...
understand with just words.
Yeah.
Alright, next one.
Alright.
- Hold the... - Hold the violin, okay.
Stand or sit with a straight back.
Oh, she did this.
Pick it up -
by its neck
(both) with your left hand
and bring the butt of the instrument to your neck.
Okay.
Rest the lower back of the violin on your -
- collarbone. - collar?
Bone?
- Yeah. - Fair enough.
And hold it in place
with your jaw.
To learn notes, however, you should hold it guitar style
and buy a music book.
What?
Your jaw, just under the earlobe, not your chin,
is supposed to be resting on the chin rest.
Oh, resting, okay.
This helps prevent the instrument from sliding off the shoulder.
I mean, that's pretty good.
Kind of have to adjust but as a general rule,
that seems pretty legit.
Perfect your hand position.
- Oh! - Step six.
- Oh. - I need help with my left hand, like, actually.
Just look at that.
Dude, that green circle needs to appear.
Ready?
Can the editor, like, baaw!
Wow!
Wow, I'm starting to get it back now, wow!
No, what is that?
You can't do that.
Oh, oh, oh, okay. Yeah.
Place your hand on the top of the neck
and support the violin
so that the scroll is pointing out away from you.
Hold it steady by resting the side of your thumb on the neck,
allow your four fingers to arch over the fingerboard.
What does that mean, "arch"?
Thumb...
on the side of the neck,
and arch my fingers.
Is that right, Brett?
Yeah, close enough.
I don't know!
Beware of the "waiter hand"
where your left wrist is touching the fingerboard-
Oh, oops!
Like that?
Ah.
Just like how some waiters hold - okay.
As a beginner, your hand should be as far up the neck as possible
while still allowing your pointer finger to
come down on the fingerboard.
What does that mean?
Oh, no. She's talking about this.
Oh, here?
- Like, not higher notes. - Yeah.
It's really hard to understand through, like,
words.
You could also be misled by the photos, actually.
Yeah.
It's a little bit confusing, but anyway-
Play the strings.
Oh, wow. Oh, here we go.
Place the flat side of the bow hair
approximately halfway between the bridge,
the flimsy looking wood - okay -
and the fingerboard.
Pull the bow along the string as straight as you can,
parallel to the bridge!
Good one!
Apply a small amount of pressure.
How small is small?
A sound should emanate from the violin.
Also, tilt the bow hair towards the bridge at a 45-degree angle.
Eddy, my sound is fading away!
Well, no, no, that's because
more pressure equals louder sound,
but too much pressure makes it scratchy.
If there are gaps, the bow needs more rosin.
Wait, so you need more rosin, man.
'Cause your sound is disappearing.
- Oh, let me put some more - - Lighter -
If you play too close to the bridge,
it may also sound scratchy.
Yeah.
Tilt the bow slightly toward the scroll
and your tone will be more focused.
Tilt it toward the scroll.
Eddy, my wood's touching.
Nah, it says "tilt the bow slightly."
Oh, slightly, okay.
I think it's -
- It's pretty good. - pretty good for a starter.
I think the main problem I have with that is just
they said, "light pressure should produce a continuous tone
from end to end of the bow."
- Yeah, it should - - Because -
at the tip, you actually need more pressure.
At the frog,
you have to actively lighten it here.
It's hard to explain.
Yeah.
Practicing open strings, G, D, A, E,
in order from top to bottom string.
Open strings are simply strings played without fingertips on them.
Rest the neck of the violin in the space between the left...
- Okay. - Uh, huh.
And hold the violin with your wrist.
Hold the bow with your wrist?!
That's not really working.
No, no, no, no, no, no, it's-
Hold the bow with your wrist, elbow, shoulder
and contact point on the string within one plane.
So, basically, she's saying the wrist, elbow, shoulders,
and the, uh,
this
plane of the bow should be
the same.
Kind of true,
but then you see Kavakos and he plays like this.
Change strings by raising or lowering the elbow
to bring the bow to the proper height.
Try short strokes of 6 inches.
Oh, like this.
Continue practicing until you can play one string at a time
without touching the other strings.
(both) Wow!
What a prodigy, Brett!
You already got it!
Wow, geniuses are born, not created.
Like this. *plays note*
Practice playing other notes.
It takes a lot of practice to master the pressure and positioning
required to get your fingers to produce
clear notes on the fingerboard.
Start with your strongest finger, the pointer finger.
Okay, here we go.
Use the tip only.
- Just the tip! - Just the tip!
Press down firmly on the highest string, the E string.
Draw the bow across the E string
to produce a slightly higher note.
The finger should naturally come down
about half an inch below the nut,
producing the note F.
*note playing*
Dude, you can't learn how to play an F just by that.
You can't, it's impossible.
It's impossible, yeah.
It's hard to explain, but she's doing a good job.
Dude, we're doing scales now.
Wow!
She went from -
- Bro! - From F to practice scales!
Whoa!
Dude!
A series of notes that ascend and descend
in a pattern of steps,
usually 8, sometimes 5 -
What?! -
that starts at one note and ends at a higher or
lower version of the same note.
- Alright. - Ooh, okay.
*playing scale*
Wow!
*playing scale*
You're a prodigy, too!
(both) Wow!
No, no, no, it's thanks to wikiHow.
Oh, wikiHow, yeah.
Thank you, Dalia.
- Thank you so much. - Thank you.
Practice every day.
Start with a short time,
15 to 20 hours,
and work a little longer every day
until you reach 40 hours.
Serious violinists practice 40 hours or more a day.
Oh, wow, she actually even wrote, like,
suggested songs and techniques.
That's really good.
That's actually really legit.
I think it's as good as you can get online, as well.
On wikiHow.
Wow, we can play now.
Wow!
Well, wait a second!
Wow! What's this!
The ultimate technique!
Okay, that's all.
Alright.
There you go.
No, like, in all seriousness
I think it's a good guide, at the very least,
so people understand what to look out for.
Yeah.
As with most things, and in most instruments,
it's a lot more complicated
so we do suggest you try to find a teacher.
There's only so much you can do with no feedback.
Yeah.
And then...
Yeah, keep practicing.
Forty hours every day.
Subscribe!
Oof!