Frets On A Violin

I was just thinking about how difficult it is to play a violin and I thought why it couldn’t have frets like a guitar? It would make playing so much easier! What’s your opinion about it? :)
PS : Dont steal my ideas because I’m gonna patent it B) ;)

I’m not an instrument teacher, but I gather it would allow more freedom like non-western tonal systems, which I believe is used in other countries with their own unique scales. There is also the matter of slides which is much smoother than a guitar. With a guitar, especially classical guitars, it requires more technique to slide without the additional sounds that the fret creates.

Yeah, a violin with frets would ceise being a violin, in my most humble opinion.

youtube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarViols

website
http://www.togamanguitars.com/

forum
http://bowedguitar.com/

Thank you for links but I guess I was too late with pateting <_< . Anyway, I’m glad it really exists and I can see no reason why this shouldn’t be used in place of normal violin or cello :).

Seriously, how often do you play any other tonal systems then the standard western? I don’t play violin but I believe that learning proper sliding with frets is easier then years of ear training to learning to play the exact pitch :). I don’t want to argue, but if I’m ever going to be a conductor of orchestra or a violin player, I’m gonna get one of these :yeah: .

No arguments in the horizon :) just helping out.

I like the western tonal system because of solmization. I suspect, and I could be wrong, that non-western tonal systems have trouble with chords as well as translating those notes to voices or lyrics, but combining standard western chords with non standard western melodies apparently works very well.

There’s no reason why you couldn’t hack and burn an instrument into your own. I often find inspiration through Kurt Cobain’s gear and although not a violin, at least its in the same tone as hammering a unique instrument to your specs. All of this is starting to remind of of chopper motorcycles now :D

Vibrato is part of the characteristic tone of a violin and frets would interfere with the usual technique foe producing that vibrato.

It’s not a guitar, you don’t bend the strings from side to side to produce vibrato on a violin.

They aren’t needed, it’s not really that hard to get the pitch right once you are used to it. In addition violin has such a small board that fretting it would make it really pain in the ass to play. Imagine smallest frets in guitar and halve that. Just not possible.

The Genius of Mozart (Part 6 of 18)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXw1ePE7OQg…feature=related

Take a look at 3:50 and 7:49

It looks like frets made of string tied and added with some chalk marks or something else on a cello or double bass.

but den it woodnt hav da slideyness :unsure:

I have no idea what it is. It could be just a simple inlay instead of what my eyes deceived me before.

Interesting… thanks for links, I will watch it when I’m on my pc :)

Yes doubt they are not frets, looking how he plays the instrument it looks like they are too apart. Though some kind of coloured stickers or such are used when teaching kids to play bowed instruments, so its possible.

yeah someone did it allready…

it’s called a mandolin :)

The reason violins dont have frets is largely because the notes are so close together, that frets would essentially cover the whole instrument due to its high tuning.Vibrato can still be achieved with fretted instruments(the violin was invented before vibrato was widely implemented, Wagner was actually one of the first composers to implement it, as it gave the orchestra a fuller, shimmering sound), try it with a guitar, but place your finger at the very end of the fret and make vibrato by pivoting between your thumb and fretting finger.The you tube post made earlier is of a modern viola da gamba, which had around 5 strings and frets, but was generally larger, so it was more practical.Also adding frets to a violin would not allow you to play much modern violin music that contains micro tones, such as double flats and sharps…hope this helps :)

Nice, thanks. That instrument sounds pretty sweet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCnR_-aI6i0

edit: added youtube link