Classical instruments

[SPDC]

I've been listening to a bit of classical stuff lately (Pachelbel's Canon in D is a brilliant piece of music, and so is 99.9% if not more of anything that Bach composed) and I've been thinking about taking up a classical instrument or two. Does anyone else here play a classical instrument (violin, viola, cello, piano etc) and if so, what would you recommend someone that has experience in a more contemporary instrument (namely guitar) would be able to pick up with a minimum amount of fuss. That being said, I remember learning guitar and getting frustrated with not being even competent straight away, but I preservered and now am quite decent at it, so I'm not one to shy away from a little exertion during the learning process.

Any help would be great guys.

[Troy Dann]

I play the piano, violin and guitar.

If you started off with guitar, then going to violin is a bit easier, seeing as it's the same idea, left hand notes, right hand bowing. (assuming you're right handed)
Violin is an instrument which takes a lot of effort to become good at, a lot of practice, and is takes a while to pick up.

Piano on the other hand is easy to pick up but hard to master. Piano you can do a lot more with musically, but the violin "sings" more, if you know what I mean.

So really, picking up these would be easy if you've already played guitar and have some sort of musical background. The only problem I've found with transferring over to guitar is that since i spent 7 years on the violin, i memorised the positions on the board, violin style where the strings are tuned to 5ths.
While on the guitar, the strings are tuned to fourths, but both of the highest strings is E,so I'm still having a bit of trouble trying to read music on guitar as I get confused between them.

Otherwise go for it!

[Seasick]

Piano is easy (in relative terms) and great fun. I don't play it anymore but it gave me a leg-up when I started playing guitar. Just don't play a frikkin' keyboard.

[SPDC]

"While on the guitar, the strings are tuned to fourths, but both of the highest strings is E"

Yeah, the violin is tuned to GDAE, isn't it? Cello is CGDA, which is also fifths, but that'd be a fifth or so lower than a violin, if I'm firguring this out correctly. Is it easier to tune a violin by ear, being that the 1st and 5th are a lot more consonant than a 1st and 4th?

"Just don't play a frikkin' keyboard."
Heh, yeah, if I were to take up piano, I'd probably want to buy an old upright for however much they are nowadays.

speaking of prices, how much am I looking at for a decent-ish instrument? I'm not looking at buying a top one straight away (kind of like shelling out $3000 for a Fender strat for your first guitar).

Thanks again.

[lazy ollie]

If playing in 5ths troubles you, try the mandolin first, its not such a big jump from guitar and you can pick up an ok one for under or around $200. cello is my pick though, such a haunting sound, like a man crying, good range, chords sound fantastic on it, and when you have the bow thing happenin, use a cheap one on your guitar.