When it comes to trying out new instruments, musicians’ approach varies greatly. Some don’t tire of playing anything coming their way.Curiosity rules for even a number of established professional players, who have found their own definitiv violin, viola or cello.Others have a hard time using anything, but the familiar. My metier drives me to explore the vast differences between cellos.I get a sense of a violin’s impact also, but ultimately I rely on feed back from consummate violinists.
Are you planning on eventually buying another instrument? Systematic and frequent trials give you the evaluation tools to make an educated choice. Of course there is an immediate gut reaction, when you put the bow to the string, which is tremendously important.
Presuming this is a blindfolded trial, leaving out for now prestige or attractiveness (neither to be dismissed) there are basically 5 criteria to listen and feel for: Timbre or tone colour, response, dynamic flexibility including projection, balance across the whole range and playing comfort.
If your interest is peaked and you are actively looking you might want to arrange for 2 weeks of intense trial, which will allow you tests in all sorts of rooms and situations. Is your first impression validated? An instrument shouldn’t demand hard bow work, but has to offer some resistance for the core sound to bloom. Does the instrument carry in a hall and measure up to a piano or is it just sounding loud under your ear? An orchestra situation and ensemble is excellent for testing balance. I want to I hear myself in the section and easily find the centre sound (play in tune) especially in pianissimo.
Try gaining experience without pressure. If you are around Montreal December 5, leforumdefabricants is one such opportunity to delve in and play numerous superior instruments.
After all this rational testing I admit, your instrument does not need to be perfect, but it does have to be wonderful.