Violinslover believes that studying how to play the violin brings new levels of brainpower and dexterity to young pupils.

Violinslover, Pasadena, CA – Nothing lifts the heart or stirs emotions like music. As simple as a melody may sound, the layers of auditory information that are involved in its creation permeates the sensory receptors of the brain causing a rush of sensations that are at once physical and mystical. Throughout the centuries music has been as much a fundamental course of education as reading, writing and arithmetic. Upon examination, the teaching of music involves all the same principals; however the beauty of music is in its ability to combine all the skills of each subject and instill all these basic lessons while simultaneously entertaining and eliciting a sense of joy.

When a child takes up his first school violin and begins to play, the development of various mental processes arise. Spatial intelligence, pattern recognition and the ability to form conclusions and reasoning proficiency all come into play through the simple action of bow upon string musical instruction. Even for older students in college violin training can sharpen rudimentary education skills and help with more difficult subjects.

Although other instruments may be a little more popular like the guitar, drums or piano, the violin possesses a quality that transcends all others due to its ability to sound like a choir of angels ascending to heaven or become as rough and raucous as a Louisiana alligator at a backyard bar-b-que. In fact many guitarists who started their musical educations on the violin find that the increased requirement for hand and finger dexterity gives them greater appendage strength making guitar positions much easier to perform.

Advancements in manufacturing technologies have brought discount violins onto the market that are of exceptional quality. Such “school violins” should not be dismissed as inferior just because they are not 17th century antiques with a price tag in the thousands. Many stringed instrument makers continue the ancient methods of the craft but with the addition of new types of glues, varnishes and machines, the process has become much more cost effective which translates to a lower priced violin without sacrificing exquisite tonal properties or harmonic beauty.

As a leading maker of professional grade and school violins, violas and cellos, Gliga Violins, through their online store Violinslover.com, brings the very best of old world craftsmanship and combines it with modern manufacturing techniques. Master craftsman Vasile Gliga has been creating exceptional discount violins and other stringed instruments using the same principal methods of such well known artisans as Stradivarius, Guarneri and Amati. Gliga violins are made of the finest woods from the “Italian Valley” of the Transylvania forests where century old Carpathian spruce and flamed maple imbued their spirits into the instrument, sealed with the consummate passion of the master luthier himself.

Violinslover has received a lot of attention from the media due to the numerous musicians who have been so happy with their instruments and have expressed their appreciation on the Internet in music blogs, forums, and other social interaction websites.

“We received the beautiful violin about 1 1/2 weeks ago and my daughter loves it! She’s had her first violin lesson and her teacher commented on what a lovely violin it is. Thanks for your prompt service and for selling violins that sound good even in the hands of a completely inexperienced 7 year old!” Kathy Asseiro

For more information about Violinslover, please go to www.violinlover.com or check out their store at Gliga Violins, The Violin Place Inc. 245 N. Carmelo Ave. Suite 105, Pasadena, CA 91107

From its humble beginnings when just two craftsmen used to turn out one violin a piece per year, The Gliga Group has grown to employ some 500 skilled craftsmen, precisely constructing each violin or cello with its own particular personality, much like the musicians that enjoy playing them. Gliga Violins proudly carry on a tradition for fine hand made musical instruments that are revered for their exceptional sound and artistic brilliance.

Gliga Violins are born rather than manufactured starting the time honored process with the selection of some very particular woods. Only the finest of dense homogenous woods are chosen from Romania’s 150 year old forests that surround the village of Reghin in Transylvania. The Gurghiului Valley flamed maple woods are so prized for their use as backing for stringed instruments that many luthiers that have made the trek from Cremona, Italy in their quest for the perfect materials, commonly refer to it as the Italian Valley. It is these rare, intricately grained curly spruce woods – that have an aberration found in only one out of a thousand sycamore trees – that contain the unique wavy fibers that produce the exquisite resonance that is the hallmark of a Gliga Violin.

After the stack of spruce or maple is chosen it is marked with the year it was cut and labeled to denote the specific part of the instrument the section of the wood will be used for. Then like a fine wine the wood is aged up to six-ten years so as to develop a depth and flavor achievable only through the maturity process.

The making of a Gliga student violin is far from the typical assembly line product often used to produce low priced instruments which tend to also have inferior tonal quality as well as limited visual appeal. Under the intense scrutiny of Vasile Gliga himself, Gliga Violins are carefully hand constructed and finished with premium materials ensuring that perfection and attention to detail is ingrained into each treasured instrument. It is this consummate passion for making the finest violins that has made Gliga Violins renowned the world over and .

In direct contrast to those that believe only antique violins, mellowed with age and tuned by time, can produce the concert hall quality sounds of the classics like an Amati, Guarneri or Stradivarius violin, professional violinists like Yehudi Menuhin have praised Gliga instruments for their exquisite intonations and magnificent aesthetics. The Gliga Group continues to hand craft stringed instruments and accessories that revolutionize the marketplace by providing high-quality European instruments that fit down to earth budgets.

All Gliga instruments are given a 7-day trail period and 7-day money back guarantee giving you full confidence in your musical purchase. It’s easy to shop for your handcrafted Gliga violins, violas, cellos or double basses by going online at www.violinslover.com. The Gliga Group professional and student violins, violas and double basses give you the gift of music without having to spend a fortune to get it.

This is a bowed string instrument with four strings that are generally tuned in perfect fifths; it is the smallest member of the string family, which is also made up of the viola and the cello. Sound is produced by drawing what is known as a bow across one of the four strings or by plucking the string with a finger.

One of the brilliant features of the violins is the fact that they are available for various skill levels and age groups. This allows children from the age of three to take up and learn the violin. Children do however grow out of violins at a surprisingly fast rate. While some stores allow buyers to take back to the violin shop the instrument purchased from them and trade it in for the next size up, some others do not. If you consider a trade up in the future, it is a good thing to talk about this with your seller before making a purchase. Not all music stores allow trade ins.

There are around nine different sizes of violin, which are known as student violins. These range in size is made to accommodate players of all ages. For example 1/32, 1/16, 1/10 and 1/8, are all suitable for three to five year olds. For six to ten year olds you are able to get hold of a half size violin before working up to a full size, which is generally suitable for 12 year olds up to full adults. The student violins that you work your way through depends on arm length and your overall size. Basically, you want one that you feel the most comfortable playing. If a 1/2 violin usually fits a 6 year old, it does not necessarily means that will fit you, too. You may have smaller or bigger arms then average, which means that you will need a different size than what the standard indicates. In many cases, when a student reaches around the 7th grade, he/she will generally require a full size (4/4) instrument as opposed to a fractional one.

Once you have a strong idea of the size you are looking for, you can set out to buy a violin; but where do you start with this? Well, basically there are three main choices open to you: you can either visit a violin shop in your area, buy a violin from the Internet, or you can opt to purchase the a custom made instrument directly from a luthier. The latter is often the choice of more advanced and experienced violinists, as they are more sophisticated in their choices and they reached that level of musicianship that allows them to feel the quality of their violin and justifies the large expenditure associated with the purchase of a custom made violin.

If you are opting to buy a violin from a online music store, then it is a good thing to buy a violin outfit. The outfit contains a violin, a case, and a bow. Not all violins include a case and a bow. So, if it is not mentioned on the website, don’t assume these items are included by default. You should ask the seller about the case and a bow, to avoid an unpleasant surprise. It is important to test the instrument before committing to the purchasing it, so make sure the instrument comes with a trial period when you can test the instrument for sound performance.

The most important thing to keep in mind however, whether you want to buy a student violin or a more advanced one, is don’t buy one that you either don’t like or have doubts about. Sales people can influence your decision, but deep down in your heart you know the truth. Consult with your violin teacher or with a friend whose opinion you trust, but first of al trust your guts. Always make sure you test the instrument out and you are happy with the sound, as there is nothing worse than playing a violin that you don’t really feel comfortable with!

A fist advantage of buying a violin on the Internet, as opposed to buying it from a regular store, is definitely convenience. You can comfortably sit on your sofa, with your laptop in front of you, searching for online violin stores, and listening to your favorite music in the background. No driving, no traffic, no noise, no pushy sales people, no formal attire, no need to leave your house.

A second advantage is unlimited and immediate access to information.  You can easily validate all the information listed on a particular website about a particular violin. You don’t need to be convinced about a sales person about anything; with only a few mouse clicks you can find out where, when, and who made a particular violin, what the reputation of that violin maker is, how well that violin was received by musicians, how good the customer service was in a particular store, how many people enjoyed a positive buying experience with a particular online violin store, how many people reported a bad experience while buying a violin online, etc. The Internet made all this possible for us for us, and everything is free.

Another advantage of buying a violin from the Internet is that the next online violin store is just a click away. You can easily go from a store to another in a matter of seconds, without wasting time and money on driving around and trying to find parking. You can easily compare, side by side, the features of the violins from two or more different makers, you can easily find unbiased feedback about the violins you compare on online forums and blogs, you can ask for instant live help from the online stores in case you have questions, and you can definitely make a very informed buying decision.

Another advantage of buying a violin online is lower pricing. We all know that there is a very close connection between competition and pricing. In monopoly, the monopolistic corporation has total control not only over its products or services, but also over the selling price. This single-seller status gives monopoly extensive market control and becomes a price maker. Well, monopolies are very rare, and it’s not at all the case with the violin stores, especially with those that operate on the Internet. In the violin world there is o such thing as a “single-seller” status, which means that no violin store will ever have any market control, and they will never be price makers. The market control belongs to those who buy a violin on the Internet. The fierce competition between the online violin stores engaged them in a price war, which forced them keep the prices very low. The winners of this war are, obviously, the buyers.

So, in short, the advantages of buying a violin online are as follows: convenience, immediate access to information, large selection to choose from, fast violin comparison possibilities, and lower pricing.

Everything looks and sounds good, but there is always a catch. Let’s see now what the disadvantages of buying a violin online would be.

First and foremost, I would say that the incapacity of actually hearing a violin before buying it is a great disadvantage. A violin is not a piece of furniture or a statue that is going to be placed in the corner of a house and used from time to time. A violin’s main purpose is to produce beautiful sounds when the strings are touched by the bow. The visual appearance of the instrument is really not at all that important. Since the main function of the violin is to play well, and not to be a beautiful decoration item, a violin is usually bought for its sound performance and not for its physical attributes. The Internet does not really make that possible, and the buyers must rely 100% on the seller’s description of the sound. Most online violin stores acknowledged this weakness of the Internet, and try to motivate buyers to buy online by offering extended trial periods and sometimes free shipping, which transforms the online violin shopping experience a risk free one.

Visiting an online violin shop is a convenient task that can be performed from the comfort of our own house, in a friendly and familiar environment, and without the pressure of the persuasion power that a skilful sales person, who tries to sell us the most expensive violin in the store, lays on us. The violin comparison process has also become much easier, as the next violin shop is only one click away. We do not only get to see other violins, but also learn about the reputation of a certain violin maker, read the reviews that other online shoppers left for a particular violin store, compare the features of several violins that come from varied sources, and get an idea about which instrument would best fit our personal style and budget. The Internet helps us make a more informed buying decision and it can lead to either buying a violin online or, if we need to have a personal confrontation with the instrument before making a final decision, visiting a certain violin shop.

In many cases, the Internet is used for information purposes only, and the buyers prefer to visit the various violin shops in their area to validate the information that was made available to them online. In this case, the violin comparison process will involve a physical examination of the instruments and a real evaluation of their sound performance. This is probably the best way to approach when buying a violin, but it is not always possible. In some cases, there are time and distance constraints that might keep us from following this path. Our busy schedules might prevent us from spending hours and hours of driving to and from the nearest violin store in our area and in this case the Internet seems like the only way to go.

The financial benefits of buying a violin online constitute a factor that is worth being taken in consideration when deciding where to buy a violin. The concept of “competition” in the online violin shops market has a different dimension compared with the same concept applied to the conditions of a traditional market; the competition in the virtual market works very positively in the buyers’ favor. The Internet is a buyers’ market, where the success or failure of a violin store can easily be influenced by the level of satisfaction, or respectively dissatisfaction, that the buyers experience. “Word of mouth” has become something that can very easily be transmitted to a very broad audience through the Internet. The speed at which the information circulates online is much faster than in any other advertising media and the target audience is theoretically unlimited.

The fact that a competitor’s violin store is available to the buyers at the touch of a mouse click makes things not at all easy for the online sellers; the fierce competition forces the sellers to refine all the facets of their business, which includes the pricing. People are no longer willing to make a price compromise and accept to pay more just because they are tired of driving to the next store that might offer a better price. The violin comparison from a pricing perspective has become a very easy task and allows us to make very good, financially advantageous choices.

Taking violin lessons from an experienced violin teacher will help you with passing the first few steps, which are usually the most difficult. Acquiring good violin books and other instruction materials will help you with practicing and learning faster the violin notes. A beginner’s violin usually won’t sound very good in the hands of an inexperienced musician. Actually no violin will sound good if handled by an untrained individual, this being the reason why the violin has earned the reputation of being the most difficult of all instruments. Beginning violin players have always been intimidated at the beginning by this myth and here is where the didactic skills of the music teacher come into play. The support and the guidance from a professional musician, who is ideally also a great teacher, has always proved to be very helpful to the beginner violin player, who is trying to decipher the secret code behind the four strings and who is at the beginning of a difficult path in developing skills for producing beautiful sounds.

The first violin lessons will usually be focused on the position of the body while playing the violin, the ear training, and the bowing. The difference between noise and music stays in the rhythm; if we give noise a certain rhythm, it becomes music. The purpose of the ear training stage is to help the beginning violin student understand rhythm, which will further be emphasized in the bowing phase. The first few beginning violin lessons revolve around mastering the bow movements on the four strings and understanding of rhythm dynamics. In this stage the instrument is really not that important. In some people’s opinion, the first instrument in a beginner violin player’s life is not essential; some people believe that in this stage, the student violin player is not able to make the difference between a good sounding instrument and one whose sound performance is questionable. This is why a violin for student or beginner use is usually low priced, and its quality level does not quite meet the highest standards. The best beginner’s violin will be an instrument whose quality will allow the student to use it for at least one year, without feeling the need of an upgrade.

In most cases, it is a good idea to stay away from spending large amounts of money on a beginner student violin. A high quality violin is not a good investment if the prospective violin student is just flirting with the idea of playing the violin, instead of being absolutely into it. Some people lose motivation and interest somewhere on the way and give up very soon, without getting to the point where they are able to feel the value of such a good sounding instrument. Again, at the beginning of the violin playing career, the violin fingering and the overall playing might not be at all that great and the player might not be able to tell the difference between a good sounding and a very good sounding instrument.

Investing in a better quality instrument, such as a college student violin, has of course its advantages. A higher quality instrument is a very good investment if the prospective violin player is absolutely sure that he/she will stay with the violin for a long time. Buying a very good violin from the beginning will help with developing a very good sound perception and understanding from an early stage, increase motivation, and save the student from a future expenditure, because no upgrade will be needed anytime soon.