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Nancy still has tape on hers ,she is the young lady in our last video. When I play hers the tape just messes me up now...LOL
Bach : As the greatest expert and judge of harmony, he liked best to play the viola, with appropriate loudness and softness
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HeadCheese said
I Find them to be helpful when switching back and forth between my son's 15" viola and my 16", although his tapes were originally off by a bit.
So you readjusted them? Just out of curiosity. I know that you play guitar. Can you hear when you are just a little off? Do you adjust afterwards? Do you look at the fingerboard all the time?
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The fret wires on the guitar ensure I'm never a "little" off. If I'm off it'll be by an even step or half-step. Put your finger anywhere behind the wire and you get the note. Much easier than on a fretless instrument like a violin or viola.
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When I first picked up the viola last year My friend (Who owned the viola) put the tapes on for me. Only first, second, and third since I've never left first position or even used my 4th finger yet 
However, as I progressed across the two months that I had the viola in my possession I found that on songs I knew, i.e. Amazing grace, twinkle twinkle, and row your boat, I stopped looking at the tapes as often. However when I started on something new I tended to look more until I felt more comfortable with the "Pattern" of the piece.
I might get scolded for this but I do plan on putting tapes on my Cecilio when it comes in. Though given how easily I stopped looking at them before I shouldn't think that they will be on the instrument for more than a year TOPS.
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I think the only real use of the tapes is to teach intonation. If you already have a good ear Id just go without, but theres no right or wrong way, whatever works for you.
Bach : As the greatest expert and judge of harmony, he liked best to play the viola, with appropriate loudness and softness
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I actually have tapes on my viola. They are the same color as the fingerboard, and so thin they barely register as being there at all. I use them mostly when I'm first learning a piece, to add a visual aspect to the audible memorization process. Once I know where my fingers need to be, I work mostly by ear.
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If a person IS going to use tapes: Duct tape is NOT your friend in this instance! Neither is Electrical tape. If you want to use tape from around the house instead of buying "Pre-made, especially for YOU" tapes from a shop simply cut very thin pieces of Masking tape. It leaves little to no residue and is very low profile.
I think we need a home remedies page Suggestions for things like tape or safe solutions for Sticking or Slipping pegs, Safe at home cleansers, preparing your Instrument for ascension up a cliff face (I'm a rock climber) things like that 
Just a suggestion
-Dennis
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Actually, pin-striping tape from any auto-parts store is quite inexpensive and comes in a variety of colors.
it's what the local schools' orchestra teachers use...
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Huh, I never thought of that one. Makes perfect sense though. Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be stopping by Advance Autoparts later today to buy tape???
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I've not used tape. I have a reasonable ear (only one) and figured that I could use it to learn rather than my eyes (got two of them)
I was tempted to use tape at first but it just never happened
Bite off more than you can chew..... Then chew like MAD
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I think My Ear is about as bad as my voice. Had a guy tell me to sing a song, either mary had a little lamb or row your boat I can't remember which, and that I can tune my viola by using the notes I sang...even after demonstrating my inability to sing on key he STILL told me to do it!
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If your hearing for intonation is good it's a great idea to not use the tapes but if you can use them for a while and then take them off it might help you. Certain people should not use them while others benefit from them. The important thing is that you don't get used to staring at them.
It would be like driving stick shift and looking at the stick every time you shift.
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Gordon Shumway
