Contrary to popular belief, a violin is not just another string instrument; it is much more complex and needs a lot of effort. Mastering the violin requires immense patience and perseverance. You need to be consistent perfecting the chords, the different strings and the complicated hand movement and posture.
Now apart from the regular practice sessions, you can even check out the many tutorial videos uploaded by many famous violinists. Also, read up some blogs on the playing techniques to help you handle the violin better. A little extra knowledge never hurt anyone! Follow these useful and practical tips and practice along with the established violinists:
Your Uniqueness is Your USP
As a violin player you have a lot of rules and notes to follow, but don’t let that discourage you from experimenting a bit on your own! That’s how you grow. If you’re a beginner you should totally check out this popular female violinist, Taylor Davis. She has quite an impressive fan base on YouTube and is known for her unique and creative content.
A special mention to her Pirates of the Caribbean gig that is a wonderful performance, complete with the proper costume, background, and special effects! She has even released a couple of albums and has given many live performances across the globe as well.
Perfect Your Bowing Technique
Ever watched Mark O’Connor performing? The man is a legend! He’s probably one of the few violinists who can use the bow that fast. Want to learn the correct techniques of fast bowing? Well, now you can and from the master himself! Check out his live performances on YouTube and carefully observe the way his entire right arm works in perfect synchronization.
The trick is in the subtle relaxing hand movements that prevent unnecessary strain on the right hand hence all his notes are bang on every time! Seek inspiration from his performance to get the finger movement correct and develop your own style.
Learn the Correct Technique and Posture
It is only when you get your basic right that you can actually attempt at playing the violin properly. Learn about the technical nuances of the instrument and practice them vigorously. Learn some tricks from watching legends such as Jascha Heifetz, one of the best violinists of his era.
Watch the many live performances and concert tours on YouTube or other violin blogs, the sheer simplicity of his style would blow your mind! Playing the violin comes as naturally to him as breathing. Observe how he his relaxed his hand movements are and how seamlessly he holds the violin straight.
The way You Carry Yourself Onstage
The violin is a very sophisticated and complex instrument; still, it doesn’t mean you will simply play it mechanically like a programmed robot onstage! No, you don’t have to do those crazy moves and head banging but you can definitely spice up the performance a bit.
Learn how to do that from this amazing violinist, Lindsay Stirling. Her unique style and quirkiness have earned her quite an impressive band of followers on YouTube. She adds a dash of drama, dance, and narration to her playing making it all the more interesting and innovative. Remember, for the audience to enjoy the performance you must enjoy playing for them as well. Overcome your stage fright and deliver a beautiful performance with full confidence!
Proper Sync in a Group
Up until now we only discussed solo performances; well, group shows are quite popular and trending among violinists as well. If you want to join an orchestra, you’ll have to know all about complementing your group members.
Watching the Jerusalem Quartet is an amazing treat for the ears and it teaches you how to communicate with the other musicians as well. Observe how completely at ease they are in the group, pointing, and looking at each other further enhancing their performance!
The Bottom Line
There are many more talented and established violinists active online, creating instructional, and motivational content for you to gulp down and rollick on your journey through violin lessons. Also, check out the tutorials videos and learn the correct techniques to play this rather sophisticated instrument. With your violin lessons and the extra help from these videos, you can master the violin quicker than you ever imagined!
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#UnlikelyPirateTreasure World’s smallest violin pic.twitter.com/Tjm4MIC8Rx
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— Bikini Bottom News (@Bikini_Btm_News) September 20, 2016
Related Articles:
The secret behind violinist Paganini’s amazing technique
Was Paganini’s renowned virtuosity the result of a carefully guarded secret, as he himself claimed, or did he acquire his technique in the conventional manner, through years of long hours of diligent practice? According to his friend Julius Schottky, as quoted in a Paganini biography by Leslie Sheppard and Herbert Axelrod, Paganini insisted that he had discovered a secret that gave its possessor mastery over the violin. Schottky writes: Frequently, in my presence, Paganini has hinted that when he tired of his public career, he may one day be induced to communicate to the world a secret, the existence of which is little suspected by musical conservatories, a secret of such wonderful efficacy that by means of it a pupil may aspire to a degree of perfection unattainable by one who, pursuing the ordinary method, should devote ten years to practise the greater part of each day. Via The Strad
A Reexamination of Leopold Mozart’s Famous Violin Pedagogy
In 1756, Leopold Mozart, a leading Salzburg violin teacher and fourth violinist in the local prince-archbishop’s court orchestra, brought into the world two important offspring. Both would gain international recognition over the next few decades, but their notoriety and respect would decline by the end of the century, only to rise again decades later.
The first of these offspring was baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; now we call him merely Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Six months later came the second progeny, carrying an equally weighty name but known to us in English as A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing—sometimes referred to simply as the Violinschule. Via Strings Magazine
How to Find the “Sweet Spot” On Your Violin
The violin can be a difficult instrument to master. Intonation is often challenging; unlike the guitar, there are no frets to guide the fingers, and even if all the notes are correct and in tune you’re still left with the issue of tone.
The purest and perfectly in-tune notes can still sound bad if they’re played with poor tone. However, there are many methods and tricks to help your violin bowing, which can instantly improve your tone. Via Take Lessons
