Guitar vs Violin – Which one do you choose?
It all depends on the person, but generally, it is a good idea to go with the one that interests you the most. Many people do start with one, and then as time goes on, they decide to switch for several different reasons. Some people say that it is more challenging to play the guitar, but then at the same time, you can play almost any type of music on a guitar, while what you can play on a violin is a bit more limited.
The main difference between a guitar and a violin is that they are two different musical instruments. Violins have four strings, while a guitar has six strings. A violin is played with a bow, and a guitar is played with a pick or fingers.
What is a Guitar?
A guitar is a type of string instrument played by the plucking of the strings. The fretboard, the strings, the body, and the headstock are the four main parts. Plastic and wood are the most common materials used to make them, and their strings are usually made from nylon or steel.
The strings are plucked by using fingers and fingernails with a pick. Either the right or left hand can be used. The other hand is used to hold the neck of the instrument. Different finger positions on the fretboard make different notes.
People have been using similar instruments for many years, and they have just become more popular over the years. They are light to carry, easier to learn how to play than other string instruments, and can produce a variety of music. There is a variety, made in different ways, which determines what type of music they are for. All of the traditional options are hollow, which makes the strings louder. This is what is known as an acoustic guitar. Only from the 1930s did people start using electricity and amplifiers. Electric guitars do not need to be hollow, as they do not need acoustics.
What is a Violin?
The violin is a four-stringed instrument played by using a bow. Usually, a guitarist will tune the strings to A, G, E, and D notes. It is held between the chin and the collar bone, and different notes are made by pressing on the strings (fingering) with the left hand. The right hand is used to hold the bow. It also does not have any frets or markers like a guitar has.
It is the highest-pitched and smallest string instrument used in western music. The person playing the instrument is called a violinist, and the person who fixes them is called a luthier.
This is important in Arabian and European music. It is the most popular of all instruments in the whole of Europe. There are no modern options older than about 400 years, but similar instruments have been around for nearly 1000 years. It was almost entirely created when modern orchestras started forming in the 17th century. Nearly half of the instruments used in an orchestra are violins, divided into two parts – the first and the second. They are used in solo music performances, folk music, chamber music, orchestral music, and jazz.
Sometimes people refer to them as a “fiddle,” which is a nickname. The central part of the violin is the body, made of wood. The body is what makes the vibrations of the strings sound louder. The front is called the “belly,” the sides are called the “ribs,” and the back is the back. The strings go from the neck, down the fingerboard, and onto the tailpiece.
How Each Of These Are Tuned
Tuning a Guitar
When you tune a guitar, you have to adjust all 6 of the strings. When you are doing a standard tune-up, you start from the lowest-pitched, thickest string (the 6th string) and start at the top of the neck. The E string is the thinnest and the highest-pitched at the bottom of the neck. The E string is the 1st string, and all the others follow afterward. The order in which you tune is E, A, D, G, B, E.
Tuning a Violin
As you become more experienced, you will be able to trust your hearing more, but until that time, it is a good idea to buy a digital chromatic tuner if you wish to make sure all the strings are tuned correctly. The strings are tuned at 5th intervals in music.
Work from the A string, then the D string, then G, and lastly E. You will need to bow the string many times and listen carefully to get the desired pitch. Listen is essential, even when using the digital chromatic, because you want to get used to what it should sound like once it is correctly tuned. The last thing that you will do is to tune the tuning peg.
The Neck And Fingerboards
A violin has a fingerboard, which does not have frets, and a guitar has a fretted fingerboard. A guitar needs frets because of the very limited ability to pluck the strings. Frets make it easier to place the fingers on the strings without being as precise as you have to be when playing the violin. According to inexperienced guitar makers, frets are not that easy to fit or maintain.
The necks of both these instruments are prone to bending and warping. The neck of the violin is only there to guide the player where to place their hands. The player needs to apply more pressure to fret the notes with a guitar, especially when playing chords. If the neck of the guitar is too thin, a player can find their hand will start to cramp.
The fact that people need the necks to be as light as possible does tend to cause issues with the necks bending, which is why “truss rods” are used to control how much it bends.
The order of the strings is played very differently. When you play the guitar, strings are strung from the low E to the A, then D, then G, then B, and lastly to the high E. There is a perfect fourth between each note.
When playing the violin, the strings are strung low to high, from G to D, then A, and lastly E, with a perfect fifth. So, it is precisely the opposite order that the guitar is played.
When it comes to instruments, the response time to the pressure refers to how fast the particular instruments produce a sound when being strung, hit, or pressed.
The violin has a quicker response time to pressure than a guitar has. The strings are very thin and sensitive and do not require much pressure to produce a lovely sound and music.
Guitars are often more difficult for beginners because of their thicker strings, making it more difficult to press down on and produce the sound they are looking for. Many new guitar players complain that their fingers hurt due to this. Players who first start with a violin could get more used to pressing on the guitar strings after building up endurance while playing.
Difficulty to Learn Each Of These Instruments For Music
When you are trying to decide on which of these string instruments to choose to learn how to play, there are several differences that you need to take into consideration. Still, the main thing to remember is that you find it more exciting and have a passion for that counts.
Not every person who wants to play either one is passionate about the particular instrument. If you find this to be you, here are some differences that may help you choose between the two.
|Has frets||Has none|
|Can be plucked or strum||Uses a bow|
|Easy playing posture||More difficult posture|
|Abundant resources||Not as many resources|
|Easier to master||Takes more practice|
|Harder to press strings||Easier to press strings|
|Very versatile||Limited music genres|
|Easier to multitask with||More difficult to multitask with|
Pricing Of The Two
Both vary in price, just like with any other product on the market. Some are very costly, while others can go for as little as $100, depending on the make and your needs. If you are a beginner, you should not make your budget much higher than $200. You do not want to buy a cheap product either, as you will end up spending loads more on keeping it in tip-top shape.
With the guitar, it is the same principle. Beginners can get away with as little as $100 for their instrument, but as time goes on and your skill increases, the instrument that you need could end up being a few thousand. The cost of the guitar or violin depends on the make and many other factors.
Choosing Which One To Learn To Play
Both are beautiful instruments to learn to play. Beginners may, however, find that the guitar is slightly easier to learn, which is mainly because they have frets. Drawing the bow across the strings may produce a much better sound, but it can take weeks, even months of practice, to master the art. With that said, learning to play the violin first will give the player more endurance and the ability to tune in to the sound of their instrument quicker, making guitar playing at a later stage a bit easier.
Whichever instrument you decide to try first, the decision should be yours alone. It would help if you saw which of the two suits your needs better. Ask yourself which one appeals to you more and instead give both a try before rushing out and buying an expensive instrument that you may not enjoy playing music after all.
Which one should you choose to play? With all the information you are now equipped with, you should be able to consider all the aspects before making an informed decision. If, after reading all of the above, you still find yourself wondering which one of the two instruments you should look into learning, you should visit your nearest and most trusted music expert. You may find that they have to practice musical instruments that you can use to see which of the two suits you better, before running out and buying one, only to be a disappointment later.