Latest hobby.

Hi,

I'm now 78 but four years ago my wife Bron treated me to a brand new Hidersine Vivente violin set.

When we first married we had very little cash due to a huge mortgage so we visited local secondhand stores; in one store it had a first floor and as we climbed the steps I saw a very old violin hanging on the wall; it had no price on it and even if it only cost £1 we couldn't afford it. Ever since that day I've always fancied owning a violin.

I was overjoyed as I started to practice playing the violin but after a while I was getting worse not better; the sound was terrible so I joined a stringed instrument forum; it was suggested I contact a luthier to check and set up the violin. I took it over to a luthier in Sheffield; he informed me when I collected it the violin had been thrown together at the factory; the D string was worn out and the remaining three strings were very poor indeed; the sound post had been forcibly thrust in at an angle and also other things were bad. The luthier set it up and installed much better strings; when I brought it home and tried it I was absolutely amazed by the difference; he had given it the kiss of life.

During the next four years my wonderful and generous wife Bron spoiled me rotten; I now have a very nice small recording studio to the rear of the bungalow in one of the two extension rooms.

At one point I had four violins; the Hidersine; a circa 1880 German trade violin (concert quality) a green violin (Rainbow) bought for £25 as a full kit through Gumtree and my favourite violin my Yamaha YEV-104. I also have a matching Yamaha THR10 amplifier.

I've never before even touched a violin so it was an whole new exciting world to explore. As I say the story spans over four years but now my studio is my main hobby. I can play a few tunes on the violins and can record the playing through lots of recording kit Bron also generously bought me.

As an hobby I can highly recommend taking up any musical instrument; starting is the hardest part but once the instrument is bought it can become highly addictive as in my case. Stringed Instrument forum members and another string forum in America have encouraged me not to give up practicing playing the violins as many often do. I know three ladies who tried playing violin in music lessons at school but found it too difficult so never carried on. Violin playing looks so easy but I'm finding it incredibly difficult but highly interesting; my memory is so poor I have trouble remembering three notes from scratch; I've now got around this as I'm also learning sight reading which I'm progressing well with.


My modest but cosy recording studio. The Balalaika seen middle top is genuine Russian.


Recording gear; I installed 16 x 13a sockets. The pipes I'm hopeless with due to lack of trying to play them.


Some of the music scores I play from; I had the scores enlarged at 50p each allowing me to see the notes easier. I'm considering using my current desktop computer with a large monitor for displaying music saving messing around with paper scores; it's something I want to try.


Bron bought me the ENZO synth and very recently I've bought the B9 & POG2 pedals; I can turn my violins into sounding like organs;


My Yamaha electric violin and amp; below the violin are two more violins in the cases; the large Fender amp I bought for Bron together with two electric guitars just before Bron heartbreakingly passed away in March this year.


One of Bron's electric guitars this is her Fender Stratocaster; Bron only ever had this on her lap once then sadly her health quickly failed; Bron had expressed interest in playing a guitar after watching YouTube music videos so I was delighted to spoil her for a change buying the two guitars and amp as a package through Gumtree. I was amazed by how much an electric guitar weighs. I'm now having a go at learning to play them.


I bought this Yamaha mini keyboard hoping to get Bron interested; it's absolutely amazing only costing £60 new; I try playing it from time to time. The monitor (speaker) is one of two I use for playback; they give real tone.


Bron's guitars.

As I said earlier a violin kit to get started can be bought very cheaply indeed through either eBay or Gumtree; the Rainbow violin kit I bought for £25 cost £160 new and was playable but I gave this as a present to one of Bron's carers a very young asian girl who was so interested in the violins; she had a guitar and was learning to play it; Bron was at home on paliative care at the time and everyone concerned was brilliant.

Bron spent £K's on me and I'll never part with anything she bought me; not just what's in the studio but also lots of gear in the workshop; Bron wasn't only my wonderful wife but my best friend ever. With winter imminent I'll spend a lot of time in the studio.

If you ever fancied having a go at adopting a new hobby or learning to play a musical instrument I fully encourage you to go for it.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

I quickly realized why so many give up learning to play a violin after only a few practices. It's very difficult indeed to a total novice especially those like me who had no one they could talk to about it or receive basic guidance.

YouTube is excellent.

I've still a great deal to learn but now I can play a few songs it encourages me to learn more. As I said earlier my memory is poor and also trying to read sheet music from A4 sized paper I struggled with; distance glasses and reading glasses weren't much use; the music sheet score needs to be on a stand but distance is needed in order to play the violin.


I'm just downright stubborn so if I have a problem I look for solutions; I browsed the web looking for local printers and found this one in Ossett.

Printers for Wakefield, Leeds, Ossett, and further providing low cost, cheap printing services at high quality - Ace Print

An email confirmed my music scores could be enlarged so I took ten pages along and it only cost £5 printing whilst I waited; friendly and helpful staff. I even considered buying a large printer.


How I started playing in order to make sense of what I was looking at; I came up with my method of notation as seen under each note. I then played three notes at a time playing over and over before moving to the next three notes; it actually worked very well indeed; this also helped with sight reading too. Connecting the threes up got me playing. I bought a violin tuner very cheaply through eBay and I still use a tuner because unlike violin experts I don't yet have the "Ear" for tuning but it's improving; I can now tell when something sounds off.

Songs I play often are;

Lara's Theme.
Scarborough Fair.
Ode to Joy.
Can't help falling in love.
Amazing Grace.
Twinkle Twinkle.

I've played these hundreds of times although not the full scores; one or two pages each but now I can play these from memory which amazes me. I'm going to start adding to these.

I find it difficult having to keep breaking off to swap scores so I'm considering taking this desktop computer into the studio with it's 23" monitor then I can load the scores full screen and simply press a button for next; it's just an idea at the moment but it will save having scores enlarged and I can buy a new desktop computer for the office. I'm constantly looking for and dreaming up things to help me in whatever I'm doing.

I tried upgrading my studio laptop costing a total of £50 wanting to install the new OEM Win11 OS I bought but Microsoft have decided I need a new computer because Win11 is rejected by the laptop; I can sell the laptop it having a clean Win10 install then just have two desktop computers but I'm looking at dumping Microsoft because I don't like being pushed into replacing an already excellent laptop; I'll be looking for a new OS something like Linux or Zorin; I've already been looking at YouTube videos. Everything takes so much time. I've got the heating on in the studio so I'm heading in for a practice; I'm fascinated playing the violin but it sounding like an organ; the ENZO synth is very different indeed; it plays tunes like the original Dr Who introduction plus a lot more.

Do any other members play a musical instrument whether string; wind or percusion?

Kind regards, Col.

 

Never been able to play a single note, I'm probably tone deaf, but I like music of various kinds.
I admire your tenacity and keep going.
I gave up at the triangle stage at primary school.

 

It's nice to play a musical instrument. I hope you get on well.
I had piano lessons when I was in my early teens and passed two exams (one with a Merrit !) but I had no real interest in it because I always wanted to be out in the garden, or drawing and painting. I can still read music though and could probably play something easy if I had enough practice.

 

Hi,

I always thought I'd never play any instrument; tone deaf @pete. In junior school at the age of seven the teacher had a group of us in front of the classroom singing; I was soon discarded which pleased me because I'd no interest in singing at all. I didn't like singing hymns because even from a young age I didn't like RE (religious education).

I do however like quite a few hymns and even Christmas carols to the point of learning to play some of them like Amazing Grace. Yes I'll keep practicing.

What a shame @Michael Hewett to let your piano skill fade after all the time and effort you must have put in to the point of being awarded a merrit. Perhaps when winter bites would be a good time to flex your fingers again just for the joy of playing. Thanks for your encouragement.

I've got a powerful push behind me to carry on learning to play my instruments; I'll never let Bron down because she spent a great deal of money over the years spoiling me; I'd be letting Bron and myself down if I gave up trying so I'll never give up.

Now I'm making progress playing a few tunes it makes me want to learn more; I keep getting side tracked though with more important things to do; I'm doing my best in the garden having uncomfortable sessions attacking couch grass of which there is a lot but can only manage two hours at a time due to working on the steep slope. I've also my studio laptop to sort out after Microsoft won't allow me to install Win11 onto it; I'm looking for a replacement operating system; then of course now being on my own I've so many daily chores to perform; being fully retired I should have lots of time but in reality days and weeks fly by at an alarming pace.

I'll have a mug of tea then at 9 o'clock I'll head up the mountain to resume my attack on the couch grass. It's wet and miserable but it won't do itself; I'll wrap up well.

Kind regards, Col.

 

What an interesting post from you Col, I do admire your tenacity. All well over my head.
My Grandma taught me a few tunes(with both hands) when I was a child on her old piano,I think one was called The Little Matchgirl. So I sang and played!!
I love the violin and my most played piece is Mendelssohns violin concerto, usually when I'm painting,its so inspirational.
My son plays acoustic guitar beautifully, and hubby strums a banjo now and then. Just a few cords.

Music can bring back so many memories.

Good to hear you are busy with it all and sending you good vibes!

 

Very interesting

I used to play guitar a lot, not that I have much talent. I also built electric effects pedals both from kits and as I learned more about circuit design, built some to my own specification. I also built a few tube amplifiers and modified an old tube radio I found in my parents house. That was a wonderful sounding amplifier

I have not played in years now though, I tend to get really into a hobby then lose interest.
I've still kept most of my guitars though, maybe seven of them.

 

Thanks Col, but I haven't got a piano. There was a nice one in my parents' house but my brother took it, sister-in-law is a brilliant pianist and the one they had was a bit battered. Anyway I'm busy with other hobbies and wouldn't have the time for it.

 

Hi,

Thanks so much @Valley Gardener it's kind of you. Do you still play your violin; I'll have a look at the concerto you mention; I need to move on a bit now adding to what I can already play; you've got a musical family. Music gives pleasure at many levels; you don't need to be expert; just play what you like when you like.

Thanks @Hanglow you don't need much talent to play a musical instrument if only playing for your own pleasure; anyone can make a sound; I'm far from perfect but if I get a tune pretty near I'm happy. I've been spending time with the pedals trying to achieve a nice organ sound; the pedals are really for a guitar so the resistances might be out regarding matching an electric violin impedance but it's fun trying.

We have something in common @Hanglow I spent ten years restoring vintage valve (tube) radios and even a 1957 Ekco 17" TV/Radio so I understand your interest in tube amps; one of my radio friends built many tube amps often explaining the circuits to me. It's a fascinating hobby in its own right but downright dangerous for a novice if playing around with mains electricity. It's overdue to get your guitars out again and give them a lot of TLC?

How far did you get to in building your amps; did you wind your own transformers? I learned how to wind all manner of transformers; tuning coils and field windings etc; I never designed or built an amp but I did build large power supplies and I also had large industrial machines in the workshop powered by a 7.5hp Transwave converter for the 3 phase supply but I never liked it so I built my own 3 phase 415 VAC transformer allowing more than one machine at a time to be powered up;


At 75kg this was the largest transformer I wound to power my 3 phase industrial machines; not a job for anyone who is timid or a novice; here it's fully wound and on test. I enjoy a challenge like this.

Seven guitars is a nice collection and a shame not to play them.

Not having a piano certainly limits you playing one @Michael Hewett at the age of five I started in the infants school and the classroom had a piano with a threat of death if we touched it; teachers knew how to control kids in those long ago days which are never forgotten. It's nice to have plenty of hobbies.

I've watched quite a few of the following videos on YouTube I found to be interesting;



There are so many interesting hobbies many costing very little indeed and better than sitting in front of a TV.

Kind regards, Col.

 

@Retired I'm amazed at how many hobbies that you have.

 

Hi,

Thanks so much @Logan.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

Snow is here so I'm grounded and have some spare time.

Just for you @Valley Gardener;



I've still got Win10 OS on my laptop; today I plan to set it up in the studio allowing me to do away with paper sheet music because it occurred to me I can display the music score more easily on the laptop and turn the pages with a single click on the keyboard; at the moment its just an idea but the next tune I want to learn is The Final Countdown arranged for solo violin playing;



I can pause this or go back and play over and over until I grasp how to play it; another idea is to buy a "looper" then I can experiment adding my own backing track; it's all to go for and what an interesting hobby to while away winter months whilst in my small but cosy studio.



Here's the official video;



What a great video and so full of energy; it's not going to be an easy one to learn. I've been buying sheet music which is quite expensive then having it enlarged adding to the cost; if I can play as planned I've got the whole of YouTube at my fingertips; I'm a premium YouTube member paying about £13 per month for no adverts; I only watch YouTube and Netflix so not having a TV licence pays for YouTube. Bron used to watch a bit of BBC so we always bought the rip off licence; now Bron is no longer with me I'm happy to dump BBC.

Yes, more people are cancelling their TV licences, with official figures from the BBC's 2025 annual report showing a fall of around 300,000 licenses in force between March 2024 and March 2025. This drop is largely due to viewers switching to streaming services, leading some households to request refunds for any remaining time on their licence, such as the approximately 300,000 households mentioned in a November 2025 report who are eligible for refunds.


I also want to use the laptop for recording and editing through "Audacity" which I've used on my desktop computer but having a laptop in the studio is a lot more convenient allowing instant access to all the gear. I can also either play from tunes copied to memory stick or from the YouTube "History" file. I've got an incredible amount to learn; I was trying to learn sight reading from charts but now I've got the basics I'm finding sight reading to be a little easier just by playing the tunes against the score and listening; Enough for now; the heating's on in the studio and I want to have a go at setting up the laptop before dinnertime; after dinner I'll do some baking.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

I bought a "Looper" this morning through eBay;


Estimated this Friday delivery £56 inc postage but a good saving against buying new; this will be four pedals in my collection.

I also spent a bit of time this morning in the studio;



The laptop is now fully set up and I'm delighted by how clearly it displays music scores; just what I hoped for and it saves a lot of bench space; the laptop will now be my hub.



I've also moved gear around trying to find the best position but ideally I think I now need to make a dedicated pedal board with a big power supply in order to dispose of ever growing numbers of 13A PSU plugs; what a shame I sold most of my radio gear including wire coil winders otherwise I could have designed and wound my own transformer at any output I desired and with tappings for assorted voltages; I dislike untidy cables. My three pedals with a fourth due.


Recording gear I'll start using again; this time I can now hook it up to the laptop for so many uses in the studio. The studio wll continue to evolve as I gain more experience.

Kind regards, Col.

 

As a lifelong pianist, I much prefer paper music than computer screens. Easier on the eyes too as well as being able to scribble notes on music paper when learning the skill.

 

Hi,

Thank's @Songbird; very good points and I fully agree with you; I have trouble reading the paper scores using reading glasses because of the distance needed to play the violin and my distance glasses to aren't much good; I've been resorting to having the paper size enlarged only costing 50p per sheet but only just starting to use the laptop computer screen I find it's size just right saving me playing around enlarging the sheets.

I've a great deal yet to learn so I'm going to make every mistake possible; my memory is very poor too; I was a late starter taking up violin at the age of 74 and now I'm 78. When I first started playing the violin I looked at the music score but by the time I tried to remember just three notes I'd lost it so as you rightly say adding notes to the paper score works a treat. I'm hoping to take this a step further by copying to memory stick and although not as convenient I can add notation using my desktop computer before copying to stick to play on the laptop.

The main thing is for me to carry on unlike three ladies I know who were taught violin playing at school but immediately stopped playing the violin on leaving school; all are retired and sadly one passed away. I'm finding playing the violin to be very difficult but at the same time addictive as I keep learning little bits encouraging me to carry on.

Two stringed instrument forums are a huge help.

My luthier retired and I've been approaching local companies regarding rehairing a bow but so far although classed as string instrument companies they are guitar focussed; I feel like a loner but it won't stop me; rehairing the bow will be another new skill to learn next summer when I can get into the workshop; there are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating how to rehair a bow and I already have correct high qualty hair. I enjoy learning new skills and challenges so it's not a big problem; this dire weather is preventing me doing much that I want to do.

What do you like playing most on the piano @Songbird?

Kind regards, Col.