Can you play any violin piece on viola too?
MOST violin pieces can technically be played by viola, but not all. The violin E string, being a 5th higher than the viola A, can reach 5 finger positions higher than the viola. The viola simply runs out of fingerboard real estate. While there are violin pieces that utilize those stratospheric tones, most don’t come close to that limit.The other factor is would you really want to. The timbre of a viola reaching its high limit on the A is totally different from a violin playing in a 5th lower position on the E. The violin will sound crisp and brilliant; the viola will sound very constrained. This brings up the question of whether it would come anywhere close to what the violin composer had intended for effect. Is it being played just to prove a point?Playing the whole piece in the 5th lower key is one solution, as long as it was not written in a key that would create chaos for the rest of the orchestra after transposing their parts. Almost all of the teaching pieces in the Suzuki series take this approach as they are generally only utilized in a one-on-one setting, or with piano accompaniment.
In most concerts, why is there only one piano but so many violins?
Violins have a fairly soft sound and can play anywhere from one note to two fairly close notes to 3+ farther notes, or closer with great difficulty. Playing in higher registers is also harder, as well as bouncing around from different pitches high and low. If the violin were to play loudly, it would need more bow to be used and this sacrifices dynamics and certain expressions.The piano, on the contrary, is very large and loud. It can play anywhere from 1 to 8 notes with ease, and 10 notes with a little stretching of the hands. All around, it fills the room with sound much more, namely because of its extremely larger soundboard compared to the violin’s.Many violins fill this problem. With lots of violins, playing softly and sweetly is audible. Plus, lots of violins make the sound more rich, while one or two violins can sound more stark and like a solo. For big orchestra pieces, lots of violins are needed to really create that big, grand string sound.Playing a note on the piano is like plucking a string. With lots of pianos, all playing the same notes at once, some people are bound to be a little off. The sound would be muddled and frankly a little echoey-sounding. But what if each piano played a different note in a chord? Well, that's a little useless. Why have 8 pianos, be it grand or upright? Even with very cheap pianos, 8 pianos is a lot of money to afford. And if the orchestra which is performing does own 8 pianos, they would take up way too much room. Where's the space for the violins, violas, cellos, flutes, piccolos, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, timpani, etc etc..? One or two pianos is plenty.
What should I choose to learn, the violin or the guitar? Why?
Learning a musical instrument is difficult, not to say frustrating and time taking. It requires a lot of patience. So, if you want to learn to play, you ought to have serious dedication and lots and lots of patience , cause leave rome, not even my house was built in a day. If you have made up your mind and are confused what to choose, I suggest you borrow both of the instruments for sometime (not at the same time, of course), and see what suits you. If you like either of the instruments after practising , I won't be surprised.Guitar, and Violin are both sufferance instruments. You like the thought of playing it at first, showing your skill off to your friends and even impressing crushes. Then you buy one, and enroll at a music school. You would've had dreams of holding your violin bow and striking a sensational song at first strike, and how your dumb struck teacher will stare at you. Let's burst the bubble now. For the first few weeks, you won't even go anywhere near the strings. Hand exersizes... Correct position of holding your hand.... Such and such.After the first few weeks, you will want to throttle your good natured teacher.I'm not discouraging you. There are harder instruments than violin and guitar to learn. If after my disparaging lecture you still are interested at playing, then go for anything you want. With right patience and dedication one can achieve anything.P. S: If you are a beginner, you might want to start with a four string ukelele and then move on to the guitar then violin. A violin takes years to master, so I wouldn't advice it to a beginner. Go with something easy. Baby steps, as they say. Good luck.
Why is it common for "smart" people to be fluent in Latin and play the violin?
Hard to know what you mean by smart in quotes. It could mean: intelligent, educated, stylish, hip, in, cognoscenti, upper crust, and so forth. I have not observed that it is common for any of the above to play violin or read/speak Latin. So far as having earned both of these accomplishments, it would think it is not at all common, being as an estimate somewhere in the .01% range of all people. To be quite accomplished in either, much work is necessary. My take is that once Latin is learned, you have it and could not improve on it a lot or perform latin readings to be anywhere near as enjoyable to the performer and/or audience as accomplished and polished violin performance can be. After one reaches a certain level on violin, where players can have confidence in their intonation, fingering, etc., even practicing/learning a new work can be most enjoyable, even while working out the rough spots. I do believe the most enjoyable times of my life at present are found when I am playing my instrument. For example, right now playing the second movement of the Tschaikovsky Violin Concerto, brings me to tears from time to time because of its beauty as a musical composition.
Is it good to buy a violin online?
I'm a violin teacher and I would strongly advise you NOT to get that violin. You can get a decent violin for the same price, about £60, but I have a strong feeling that's not it. For one thing, the seller doesn't know much about violins. It's described as being made from maple, but almost all violins have a maple back but a spruce top. It also says, "Bottle of rosin is included so you can keep your violin looking and sounding fantastic for longer." Rosin is a solid thing you rub onto the bow, and it comes in a little cake. What the seller is describing is some kind of polishing compound (which, by the way, is totally unnecessary and sometimes harmful). One other bad sign is that decent acoustic violins just don't generally come stained or painted colors. Electrics often have crazy paint jobs, but the finish affects the sound of an acoustic so much that good violins are usually just wood-color. If you were in the US, I'd strongly encourage you to buy from these guys: http://www.sharmusic.com . You might want to anyway; they ship overseas; I don't know how much shipping would be. But you can get a violin there for £60-80 that I'd trust much more. If you don't feel like going with them, send them an email and maybe they can suggest a UK company.
Was Einstein a good violinist?
A very good amateur. There’s this delightful anecdote:In later life, his fame as a physicist often led to invitations to perform at benefit concerts, which he generally accepted eagerly. At one such event, a critic – unaware of Einstein’s real claim to fame as a physicist – wrote, “Einstein plays excellently. However,his world-wide fame is undeserved. There are many violinists who are just as good”.There’s a recording of Einstein here: Einstein and the Violin. Nothing very technical, and his style is a little schmaltzy for present taste, with slides and heavy vibrato. But good intonation and rhythm, and only occasional wavering of tone. Totally respectable (way better than I would sound).