Our first lesson was coming up fast, and I had preparations to do! 3-5 year olds (or so) in the suzuki program start with a "Box Violin". This is so they can learn to be gentle, how to hold the violin and work with them without anyone having to worry that they will break them. He will probably be with a Box Violin for about a month or so.
My instructions were basically to take a small box (granola box for example) and stuff with paper. you stick a ruler or paint stick in it, tape it all up, cover it with paper and decorate it. Well, the way I am, I wanted the best box-violin I could make with my skills. I would have liked to glue several layers of cardboard together, and then cut it into the right shape - but I doubted my abilities to do that one! But I spent a bunch of time researching how big his violin will be, so I could find the best box in the house! Would you believe that it was almost impossible to find the depth of the violin on the internet! (which I figured was the most important measurement....) I finally found it - (don't remember off hand....) - and found a box that was pretty close to all 3 measurements..... It was a Robin-Hood mix box.... I think for angel food cake. Well, as we have had that mix for 7 years (we no longer have the right type of pan) - I just dumped the mix and used the box.
I got a couple of free paint sticks from Rona, and also checked in their cutting area.... and they had a perfect sized dowel (Delta's fore-arm length) in their scrap that I got for free to make the bow. I pasted and taped 2 paint sticks together to make it a bit thicker for the violin neck. I also pasted an eraser onto the dowel for the "Frog" of the bow.
I finished up the box violin by printing a picture of the body of a violin that I found on the internet. (I printed it with the print dimensions to fit the box perfectly!)
I am pleased with his little box violin.
My instructions were basically to take a small box (granola box for example) and stuff with paper. you stick a ruler or paint stick in it, tape it all up, cover it with paper and decorate it. Well, the way I am, I wanted the best box-violin I could make with my skills. I would have liked to glue several layers of cardboard together, and then cut it into the right shape - but I doubted my abilities to do that one! But I spent a bunch of time researching how big his violin will be, so I could find the best box in the house! Would you believe that it was almost impossible to find the depth of the violin on the internet! (which I figured was the most important measurement....) I finally found it - (don't remember off hand....) - and found a box that was pretty close to all 3 measurements..... It was a Robin-Hood mix box.... I think for angel food cake. Well, as we have had that mix for 7 years (we no longer have the right type of pan) - I just dumped the mix and used the box.
I got a couple of free paint sticks from Rona, and also checked in their cutting area.... and they had a perfect sized dowel (Delta's fore-arm length) in their scrap that I got for free to make the bow. I pasted and taped 2 paint sticks together to make it a bit thicker for the violin neck. I also pasted an eraser onto the dowel for the "Frog" of the bow.
I finished up the box violin by printing a picture of the body of a violin that I found on the internet. (I printed it with the print dimensions to fit the box perfectly!)
I am pleased with his little box violin.
[Note made much later - the bow should have been longer - I think more like the length of his whole arm, not just the forearm.]
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