You can cheat on the violin by sliding into notes

Violin is definately not the most difficult, putting up there is a snob thing; and certainly does not rank above the electric guitar, keyboard or even a trumpet. Professional guitarist have to learn chords and their structure, scales, styles, 6 string and 12 string techniques.

Again a lot depends on the level you play at. To say Benedetti or Rieu are better musicians and more talented than Eric Clapton or Steve Hackett, no as a professional guitarist I don't accept that. You can play the violin / fiddle at varous levels. Take for instance the deedle-um-a-deedle the fiddlers do, absolute simple rubbish, mostly played open string. I think this list is way off the mark my friend

Comments

If you know violin you must be pretty smart, visitor! I don't have the brains for it. Heck, I don't have brains. - HezarioSeth (3/23/2014)

No, that's inaccurate. It is not a "snob thing," as you so eloquently put it.

The guitar is most certainly not as difficult. And keyboarding? Sorry, but that's a joke. Keyboarding has got to be one of the easiest instruments to play, ever. Also, to think that just sliding a bow across the strings of a violin will produce a beautiful sound is completely misguided. I've taught myself to play the electric guitar, the acoustic guitar (I play by ear) - but I couldn't ever have learned to play the violin without a teacher, and even then, I can hardly create beautiful sounds. It takes a ton of practice to be able to infuse your soul into the violin. The violin is an instrument that attaches itself to you- it becomes a part of you, and the beating of your heart is synonymous to the notes of a violin. It is definitely not an inferior or snobbish instrument as you claim. - visitor (7/30/2014)