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Violin/Expert Profile

David

U.S.

Available

Expertise

I mainly aim to answer questions about playing techniques--intonation, vibrato, bowing etc. I am somewhat familiar with Baroque and Classical music, though not as much with Romantic. I am unable to answer questions about advanced music theory, violin crafters/brands or the monetary value of a violin.

Experience in the area

I have played the violin about nine discontinuous years. Most of my work has been orchestral, with some soloing throughout. I was principal 2nd violinist of the Disney Honors Orchestra in 1998, a six-time All-State Orchestra violinist, a two-time assistant concertmaster and two-time concertmaster of my All-County Orchestra. I also have perfect pitch, which I believe can be learned (though I do not claim to know how to teach it). Since starting medical school in 2004, I have had fewer chances to play, but I hope to someday resume on a regular basis.

What do you like about this subject?

The violin has beautiful sound, amazing versatility, and requires a high level of devotion for even intermediate levels, let alone mastery.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

There is much to learn in the violin world; one can never learn enough, and techniques require improvement and maintenance among all musicians from the beginner to the professional recording artist. As more music has been written for the violin than any other instrument, increasing one's repertoire is a lifelong and worthy goal.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Some violin backs are two-piece, others one-piece. Also, new violins are more likely than old ones to warp because the wood has not had time to age, so it is generally better to choose older ones.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

If you cannot play in tune, it does not matter what fancy stuff you can do. Intonation, not theory or corybantics, is the absolute core of good string playing--even the most advanced musicians must not take intonation for granted, but pay very close attention to it.

Average Ratings

Recent Reviews from Users

User	Date	K	C	T	P	Comments
James	02/10/09	10	10	10	10	Thanks so much
Jessica	10/06/08	10	10	10	10	Thanks a bunch David!
JOJO	04/04/08	10	9	6	10
Mike	03/20/08	10	10	10	10	Thank You very much!
Negron	01/25/08	10	10	9	10	He is a person who is just .....

Recent Answers from David

2009-06-10 Vibrato, cold/sweaty hands:

Dear Jane, My apologies for the delay; I was out of town for an extended period and did not realize I was shown as active on the site. I will try to answer your questions. For vibrato in the highs of

2009-02-08 teaching:

Hi James, I'm going to answer the question as though your neighbor has no prior instrumental experience. I would definitely recommend focusing first on holding the violin and bow in the proper positions

2009-02-06 Bowing technique:

Hi Taylor, Fatigue in the arms has a number of different causes. One possible and likely cause of tiredness in your left arm is that you are trying to support the viola with your arm, because you haven't

2008-10-01 Intonation:

Hi Jessica, I understand this situation. The problem with school orchestras is that some musicians are far more motivated than others, and if much of a section has difficulty staying in tune, it can

2008-08-25 Bow:

Hi Zach, In my opinion, the tension in the bow when you rosin it can be about the same as the tension when you play. The correct tightness of the bow for playing is that at which the distance between

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