While some of you are already familiar with classical and acoustic violin, there’s also another type of violin that also made it big in the industry of music – the electric violin. It wasn’t until the 1920s that this type of violin had been used widely, although it isn’t commonly used for the orchestra.
Difference between Acoustic and Classical versus Electric Violin
Electric violin still shares similarities with a traditional violin – its body has a bridge where the strings rest, head has scroll and pegs that are tuned in the same way, it also has neck under its strings and it also has a shoulder rest. But what makes it different from the typical violin you may know are as follows:
- For starters, the electric violins are made of modern materials such as plastic compared to the acoustic ones which are usually made out of wood (i.e. ebony, maple, spruce). And the good thing about the material of an electric violin is it can have different shapes as long as it has the main parts.
- Since a classical violin is classified as a hallowed instrument, the sound it has come from the vibration of the strings and the body of the instrument while electric violin, on the other hand, has a solid body which means it requires an amplifier to be able to hear the sound it produces.
Advantages of Learning the Electric Violin
Here are some of the advantages of learning how to play the electric violin:
- It is said that learning this instrument can even motivate an individual to learn violin in general as some electronic violins allow someone to put earplugs on the instrument so that they’ll be the only one who can hear the music they’re playing. Thus, you need not worry if someone will knock on your door and ask you to tone it down since you’ll be the only person who can hear the music you’re trying to play.
- You can also place an SD card into the violin to practice on your favorite compositions. This gives you the opportunity to play the preferred composition and practicing it all at once.
How to Buy an Electric Violin
There are three (3) options that an independent artist can choose from if you are keen to learn how to play the electric violin:
- Buy online from reputable stores that have a variety of electric violins to choose from. Just make sure that you are purchasing a branded version and the seller is legitimate. Usually, when the price of the electric violin is high, you can ensure that you are getting an efficient instrument.
- You can go to music stores nearby and maybe tag along someone you know is an expert with choosing the right electric violin. You may also seek an opinion from the adviser of the music store on which brand of electric violin is most suitable for your violin skills.
- If you are tight on budget, you may go with a second-hand electric violin. Just guarantee that you’ve thoroughly checked the instrument and you can obtain it at a reasonable price. You can seek advice at what rate you can obtain a second-hand instrument and even bring someone with you before you purchase the electric violin.
At the end of the day, the most important thing in learning any instrument is to have the motivation and perseverance to get better at playing it. Regardless if the instrument is easy to learn or not, it all depends on who’s holding and playing it.
Author: Rea Ragay – Business Administration graduate, who loves to browse the net and read about beauty, health and entertainment articles; fond of music and a loving mom to her one and only daughter