Hi all, I bought a violin today, and I've never played one before except for today. It's a really beautiful instrument. I bought a cheap $170 Ashton 4/4 Violin because I didn't want to spend too much on a beginner violin. I've also been playing guitar for over 6 years.

Well, when I brought my violin home and tried to tune it, I found it extremely hard. I was able to tune E, and D, but A and G broke. Basically, I wasn't able to get it to the correct note before it snapped. In a guitar, you can literally rotate the peg like 5 - 10 times past the note before the string will snap, but with violin it seems like just a little more rotation and the string will snap.

None of the videos I've seen have addressed this issue, but I believe it's a pretty common issue given the comments I read in the videos (especially from a guitar background).

Can anyone please give me some detailed tips on how to tune the violin without breaking the strings? Thank you.

P.S. I don't know if I was an octive too high in tuning, but I don't think I was; the only other way I could have it in EADG was to tune it DOWN and the strings were very low and with little tension. The only way to tune to a useable tension was to go UP, hence why I don't think I'm tuning to a too-high octive.

Well, You could get a decent beginner violin around 190-200$. Anyway, tuning would be difficult for a beginner. Try to get some peg compound. You may also use pencil graphite for lubrication purpose. Be very careful when tuning E coz that is the the string most easy to break.

online violin tuner

The violin's G string should be the same pitch as the guitar's G string. The violin's E string and D string are an octave higher than the guitar's high E string and D string. The violin's A string is a perfect fourth higher than the guitar's high E string. (Bear in mind, however, that guitar notation is an octave higher than concert and violin notation is not.) New violin strings shouldn't break. Or you sure you bought 4/4 strings?

I play both guitar and violin, and when tuning the violin you have to use way less "turn-age". The stings on a guitar are longer, therefore, they need more turning to tune the string. When you tune your violin, make sure you only twist a little bit (your pegs might be stiff, so be careful how much pressure you put into it) not like you would on a guitar. You can also use your fine tuner(s) on the tail piece once you're almost in tune. Use an electric tuner, and remember, the strings go E, A, D, G, in order from highest to lowest. It might just be that you need different strings as well.

If your instrument is new then there are several reasons why the strings may break like this. You need the wreckage of the string and determine where it broke. The usual places are at the tail piece, at the brisge, at the nut at the end of the finger board and at the peg. If the too much string is wound round the peg then it may be squeezed against the side of the peg box. If at the bridge or nut then it may mean the groove that the string passes through is too narrow, or badly finished (it needs to be smooth). Take the instrument back in that case and get it sorted. If at the tail piece then it may just be a faulty string.