Last September I was performing at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival and someone asked me, “How do you amplify your violin to get such a natural sound?”

I get that question a lot online, but this time, I had everything set up in position to shoot a quick video showing you exactly what I use.  It's actually quite a simple set-up.

The video explains how everything works together, and you can also follow links to the exact equipment I use along with some alternative options depending on your situation.

It all begins with the pick-up on my violin which is the Baggs Bridge made by LR Baggs:

LR Baggs 4/4 V10 Transducer Mounted Bridge With Side Mount Jack Vwws

It's a transducer style pickup that is embedded in the wood of a high quality violin bridge with a side mounted 1/4 inch jack, also known as a carpenter jack.  This all needs to be installed by an experienced violin luthier, because the bridge will replace your old bridge and needs to be custom carved to fit your violin.

The Baggs Bridge has no on-board pre-amp so you'll need a piece of gear to boost the signal a bit before going to your PA mixing board.  I explain two options here:

Option 1 (which I use when playing at outdoor festivals)
A wireless transmitter which boosts the signal and sends it magically through the air to the corresponding receiver:

Audio-Technica AEW-4315aC Wireless Dynamic Handheld Microphone System – Band C (541.500 – 566.375 MHz)

For some reason on Amazon it is only available with the additional hand held mic.  Unless having the mic as another option looks like fun, I recommend getting a better price for just the Audio-Technica 4000 Unipak transmitter and receiver by calling these guys: http://www.northernsound.net/

And this is the unique cable that will plug into your violin and into the unique jack on the Audio-Technica transmitter pack:

Audio-Technica Guitar Input Cable for Wireless Systems

Option 2
Staying with an entirely cabled system.  If you don't really need to hide cables (as in a Renaissance Faire setting), you can save a lot of money and get a slightly better sound this way.  When I'm playing indoors on a small stage and don't plan to run out into the audience and dance on tables while playing, I use a 1/4 inch instrument cable like this:

Rapco Horizon SEGL-10 StageMASTER 10-Feet Instrument 1/4-Inch Straight Connector to Right Angle 1/4-Inch Connector Low Noise Shielded Cable

I like having the “right angle” connector to plug into my violin because it's less visible and hugs the side of the violin instead of sticking straight out of the violin under my left ear.

Then simply plug the other end into a DI box or preamp.  I use this one, also made by Baggs:

LR Baggs Para Acoustic D.I.

Whether you send your signal to a wireless receiver, or plug right into a DI box, you will use an XLR cable to take the signal to the mixing board or amp:

Rapco Horizon SMM-15 Club Series Microphone Cable 15-Feet

This covers everything to get you from violin to the board.  If you're putting together an entire PA system, and are curious about the rest of the PA gear that I use with my band Circa Paleo, here ya go.

We use this board:

Allen & Heath AH-ZED-22FX 22-Channel Mixer with USB Interface and Onboard EFX

JBL powered front speakers:

JBL EON 515XT Lightweight 2 Way 15″ 625W Self Powered Speaker (Each)

And a sub woofer for the drums and bass:

JBL EON 518S Portable 18-inch 500-Watt Self-Powered Subwoofer

For new players, I hope this helps you to get out there and start performing!

If you already amplify your violin, please let us know your fave gear in the comments below.

I've been performing on tour with Circa Paleo for 20 weeks now, and have gotten waaay behind on answering emails and messages. I just got a Facebook message today with a juicy question that made me really miss interacting with all you fiddlers out there- it's been so long that I've been on tour I can't wait to get back to making videos!

Here's the question from Michael Cannain that I can totally relate to:

“Hi Jenny. I have a question. What kind of advice do you have for those of us who play, but get nervous in front of crowds? Nervous up to and including shaking..sounds horrible on a violin…just wondering.”

And here's what I said:

Dear Michael,

This is a great question!

I used to get nervous and shake as well. I know- it makes it completely impossible to play the dang thing.

There are a few personal tricks and warm ups that I could demonstrate better in a video. I will add this to my list of videos to make in the new year. But for now, I still wanted to share the three most basic helpful tips for managing nerves while playing in front of people:

1) Be Prepared.

It helps if you have practiced the tune a LOT on your own time. Try this confidence building exercise:

Give yourself a challenge to play the piece or sections of the piece 10 times in a row with no mistakes. If you make a mistake, play only that section 10 times in a row. Once you have the section down consistently, then go back to playing the whole piece. Once you've achieved the 10 times all the way through with no mistakes, celebrate and take a break.

2) Keep doing it!

Playing in front of people is a separate skill that has to be practiced. It's sometimes difficult being a capable adult to accept that other people will watch us learn, or in other words… see us while we still suck at something.

Seek out every opportunity to play in front of people even though it's scary. Start with one or two of your best most prepared tunes. Play for an individual friend, or small groups of family- just anyone you can get to listen. Tell them that playing in front of people makes you nervous, but that you are trying to overcome it. When you are ready you can step it up to playing for strangers. Many hospitals and nursing homes have programs for volunteer musicians, and you will find very appreciative small audiences.

3) Breathe

Holding your breath is a common unconscious reaction to playing in front of people, and it makes things infinitely worse. If you can remember to breath, you might find that helps your body stay more relaxed. Thinking about breathing also gives you something to distract you from the fact that there are people watching you. Try practicing at home with designated spots to breathe in rhythm with the tune.

And stay tuned on youtube, because I will be very interested to answer this in more depth when I get back to making videos next year.

Keep playing!
Jenny

If anyone else has a tip for Michael, or experience with getting over nerves, please leave your ideas in the comments section below!

I could totally relate to this question sent in by Rodrigo in Mexico city:

“I'm 32 years old, and I am very busy most of my day. I have a sales franchise and work in a consulting firm here in Mexico and most of my day is spent on my work. However I'm very enthusiastic about learning to play the violin. Could you please give me some advice on how I can learn despite my hectic schedule?
-Rodrigo”

It can feel damned near impossible to find time to practice as a busy adult, and I believe this is one of the top reasons that adults think they can not learn. Some slight adjustments to how we think about practice can go a long way in violin progress!

1) You can progress on the violin with a very SMALL amount of practice each day. As a beginner, focus on frequency rather than duration. In other words, it is much better to practice for five minutes a day, than to have longer less frequent practices. Five minutes a day IS enough to progress through the first stages. Five minutes twice a day is even better. Most of the actual progress and learning happens in between practice sessions when your subconscious mind can chew on what you've done.

Try to create a habit of practicing for five minutes just before your lunch break, and again before you end work for the day. By lumping your practice time together with your work day, it may feel less like you are sacrificing precious down time. And you can use the momentum and focus of your work day to assist your violin playing. This can be easier than trying to get focused back on the violin after beginning your evening relaxation.

2) Take lessons via video Skype for 30 minutes once a week. This is a big one. The violin has many technique tricks that are hard to figure out on your own, but very easy if you have someone show you. A good teacher can keep you on track and help to avoid frustration and bad habits. By using the video Skype, you can cut out the time of traveling back and forth to lessons. Having a weekly check point gives your practice sessions focus throughout the week. If you have a great practice week you have someone to show off for at the end of the week, and if you have a busy week and can't practice at all, you can have a chance to refocus and recommit yourself for the next week.

It is a big motivator to have put some money on the line. By paying for lessons you can make a clear statement to yourself that says, “this is important to me!” I'm amazed once I've paid for lessons, I will step up to get what I've paid for and put in the practice time. My Skype teacher is Corrin Evans and I highly recommend her: www.rosincloudschool.com.

3) Keep your violin outside of the case. Use a violin stand or shelf to display your violin so that it's easy to pick it up without having to go through the whole process of unzipping the case. This saves time and keeps the violin on your mind. Try keeping it at the office so you can pick it up to practice before leaving, or put it in a prominent area so that it's the first thing you see when you get home.

4) Practice your bow hold with all sorts of objects. Learning a comfortable bow hold is the first and most important thing to learn. To practice this you don't even need to hold the violin or bow. You can learn to have a comfortable and relaxed bow hold by taking 20 seconds to stop work, think about your right hand, and try a simple relaxed bow hold with your pen or pencil.

If you can remember to this a few times each day you will exercise the “bow hold creation passages” in your brain much more effectively than by beating yourself up for 30 minutes straight some evening in an official practice session. When I was first beginning I would think of the bow hold very often and try it on all sorts of objects including my steering wheel when stuck in traffic.

Does anyone else have time saving tips for busy adults? Has anyone tried these? Do they work? Please let me know in the comments section below!

Happy brief and frequent practicing, everyone.

Love,
Jenny