Categories
Practicing the Violin

Even Better than Violin Practice

Without a doubt, the single highest point of leverage in your violin journey is learning how (not what) to practice. If you improve this core skill, every aspect of your playing will win.

This, of course, is true for any level of musician. In fact, a novice violinist’s skills will actually grow more rapidly than those of a professional.

Yes, learning song and pieces is fun, but the rewards of violin practice as will as violin performance become far greater when you connect to that music from a place of greater practice mastery.

Categories
Staying Motivated to Practice

“Play the Violin? Pick your projects carefully!”

If you are going to play the violin (or any instrument) for a lifetime, choose projects that are meaningful to you. This as opposed to chasing trends or selecting music you think might be popular to others.

When all is said and done, it’s only the projects you care about that end up adding more value to others.

Do this, and 20 years from now you’ll still be playing your violin, while others’ instruments are merely collecting dust.

Categories
Violin Lessons for Kids

“Our biggest problem is the kids don’t want to practice violin”

If you’re constantly nagging your kids to practice more, you’re working to solve the wrong problem.

The constant complaining won’t be solved by appeasement, by turning practice into games, by offering gold stickers and other such temporary bandaids. Those approaches only escalate into greater and greater concessions on your part.

No, the solution lies in changing your approach to practice. That begins by increasing your own involvement with and understanding of the process. When you do that, your kids will respond in kind.

True, it won’t happen overnight. But “do as I do, not what I say” definitely applies. And it’s much more effective than throwing your kids in a shark filled pool with the simple instruction of “swim, I’ll be back in 30 minutes.”

Categories
Quick Violin Practice Hacks

Learn the Violin in 5 Minutes – The 5 Minute Bow Stroke

Violin Practice Hack: The 5 Minute Bow Stroke demonstrated by Dr. David Wallace
Level: Novice to Expert

Got only 5 minutes to instantly grow your technique?

This Learn the Violin in 5 Minutes
practice hack is just the ticket.
Dr. David Wallace explains this powerful practice hack as it was originally taught by the famous pedagogue and perfumer, Josef Gingold.

Bonus Benefit: Do this just before walking on stage to perform and you’ll be amazed at how it can reduce or eliminate your stage fright.

 Follow @InViolin for more Violin Playing Hacks (or join our mailing list)


Categories
Pro's Corner

How Will You Become a Professional Violinist?

How will you become a professional violinist? Or any type of professional musician?

Answering, “I’ll pass out flyers and take any gig I can get” is a quick route to failure. More important, it’s a cop out.

It keeps you from choosing a clear path, as one compromise after another will block your musical and professional success.

As a pro, it’s your job to develop extreme, even epic level skills in a single area. You are not a jack of all trades. You’ll need to fight back against average every time you pick up your instrument.

Do you want to be a symphony player? Then find out what orchestra audition committees are seeking.

A studio musician? How do recording contractors find players they can trust?

A solo or backup performer? Who will pay you to play? And how will that person find you?

You must push your work out to the edges, and learn to embrace the extreme. Average won’t go far toward finding your audience or paying the bills.