Hacker News Reader

I think it's hard in comparison to non-bowed string instruments. Even someone on their first day playing a guitar can pluck a single open string and not have it sound terrible, but getting a decent tone when bowing an open string on a violin is something that might take months for someone to do even sometimes.

> it doesnt need years of practice

It absolutely requires years of practice to play the violin at an expert level. This is well documented.

> the real sound comes when its played with other instruments in concert

So in the violin repertoire, the Bach sonatas and partitas for unaccompanied violin, the Ysaÿe sonatas and the Paganini caprices are what, not real?

My experience may be a bit biased by having to listen to children attempting to learn the instrument.