General Violin Advice

tiny violin on top of a violin and viola looking like baby and parents

Fiddleheads' Owner Rhiannon Nachbaur is a leading expert on all things violin online.

Many of her articles have been published in various newspapers, magazines and online blogs since 2001. She's happy to share her growing knowledge with musicians and appreciates your readership.


 

  1. Should I Worry About Dryness Affecting My Violin?

    giant violin in a sandy desert with dark clouds overhead

    Fiddleheads' Instruments Are Prepared to Withstand Typical Use in Dry Climates

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  2. Fiddleheads' Fingering Dots for New Players

    Violin's fingerboard and strings with four small circular blue dot stickers in a row

    A Clever Teaching Aid that Helped My Students for Decades

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  3. Match-Making: My Experience as the Violin Cupid

    A young Rhiannon helping a student with a violin

    I have assisted countless violinists and violists of all skill levels trying out my instruments since the early 2000s. Over 92% of the trials are successful, resulting in elated customers who now have the right instrument for their budget and needs.

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  4. A First Violin for Christmas

    A mom and dad standing by a Christmas tree are holding and kissing their preschooler child while he smiles and holds his new violin

    Far more meaningful than plastic toys or tech fads, the gift of a violin creates a lifetime-long love

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  5. Be Your Own Teacher

    Violinist with multiple versions of herself holding up the bow, scroll, etc

    Advice from a Self-Taught Symphony Violinist

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  6. Photo Gallery: Fake Strads

    various photos of fake Strad violins spread out across each otherA Fiddleheads Email Inbox Photo Album

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  7. Rhiannon's Guide to Violin Appraisals

    old violin obscured by wood case

    Let's explore the best way to determine the value of your instrument

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  8. A Clever Mask Hack from a Fiddleheads Customer

    Violin covid mask covid comfort hack

    A resourceful Fiddleheads customer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, found her VN-102 violin's endpin and chin rest hardware was irritating her neck and collarbone. All she needed was an item already easily available to everyone during the Covid Era...

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  9. The Dark Side of the Violin Trade: Crooked Luthiers, Greedy Salesmen & Other Creepy Creatures Exposed

    Violinist playing in the back of a store in the shadows

    Watch out for fake labels, convincing replicas and other sleazy practices. Originally Published July 21, 2006; Updated April 2021.

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  10. Look Ma, No Sound!

    Young attractive Asian woman in a black dress playing violin in a misty green field while two fit asian men in khaki shorts cover their ears in pain

    Apartment-Dwellers and Parents of Newborns Rejoice for the Miraculous Invention that is the Violin Mute

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