How to learn to play the violin

Video: Learn To Play The Violin in 1 (one) Hour!! YES - in one whole hour!!!

Content

Method 2 of 3: Get Started and Become Productive
Method 3 of 3: Improving
Useful Tips
A warning
You will need

1 Find the best time to practice. Whatever you do, be it violin, basketball or learning Klingon, you need to find the most appropriate time to practice when you are at your best. When do you feel most cheerful, energetic and ready to conquer the world? It is precisely at this time that you need to practice playing the violin.

Each person has its own time. For some, it comes in the morning after sleep, for some - in the afternoon or even in the late afternoon. This period can last 2 hours, sometimes as little as 20 minutes. What is the earliest time to practice in your case? Make adjustments to your schedule for "this" time.

Specialist Answer Question

How many hours a day is considered normal?

Elizabeth douglas

WikiHow CEO Elizabeth Douglas is the CEO of wikiHow. He has over 15 years of experience in the technology industry, including work in computer engineering, user experience and product management. She received her BS in Computer Science and an MBA from Stanford University.

SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

Answers Elizabeth Douglas, violinist: “It depends on what age you start at. If you are still just a child, then I would say 15 minutes a day... If you are older and can exercise for longer, then, maybe 30-45 minutes, at the most - an hour. "

2 Choose a nice and quiet place. You need a place to practice, away from distractions. No TV, phone, or constantly intruding friends or family. And if there is also good acoustics, then this is a big plus.

It should be comfortable to study in this place. Ideally, it is desirable that this is an open space without unnecessary details, where virtually everything is in place.Moreover, this place should not bother anyone.

3 Take whatever you need with you. To get started, you'll need your music, pencil and paper, and a music stand. Didn't we mention the violin? Her too. What else will help you get started? For a certain category of people, this is a favorite chair and recording device. You will be studying for several hours, so it is worth coming prepared.

4 You should be comfortable. In addition to taking care of the things that you "really" need, also take care of the things that make it easier for you. A bottle of water, comfy pants, a sandwich, and more. Being in good health will make your classes more productive and help you concentrate more easily.

Being ready for and not giving up is part of the struggle to be productive. If you are out of sorts, then the time allotted for the lesson will be boring and wasted. But if physically everything is in order with you, the classes will be much easier.

5 Don't worry about the length of the session at this stage. Did you know that in order to become a master, you need to do about 10,000 hours? This is partly true and not true. This is 10,000 hours of "deliberate" practice - which means that if you practice for 20,000 hours but don't focus, then nothing good will come of it. So don't worry about the length of your class. Once you learn to concentrate, your playing skills will begin to improve.

We will talk more deeply about this issue later, but at this stage, be more attentive and focused, and do not waste time. In the end, during practice, it is not ideality that is developed, but a habit. Not all habits are good.

SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

Elizabeth douglas

Elizabeth douglas
WikiHow CEO

To the question "How long does it take to learn how to play the violin well?" replies Elizabeth Douglas, violinist: “It depends on what age you start at and what you mean by 'good'. But I do think that with regular practice, learning to play well - and playing songs - is a matter of months. You just need to practice regularly to improve. "

Method 2 of 3: Get Started and Become Productive

1 Warm up. You won't run a marathon without warming up, so don't jump into a class without preparation. Begin by kneading your fingers with scales, arpeggios, exercises, and trills. Even the most seasoned violinists start with a warm-up.
- The warm-up time depends on the time you are willing to spend on practice - this is about 20-30 minutes of warm-up in one session. It would be nice to start the warm-up with the piece you are currently working on.
2 Determine the purpose of the session. Each time you walk into a study room, mentally set a goal for yourself. And it shouldn't be the goal of "practicing the violin" or anything like that. It must be something special - a goal towards which you must move. This can be working on a problem area, working out a certain segment of a piece, or working on a new one, but at the beginning of the lesson, be sure to set yourself such a task.
- You will notice that with each lesson you will achieve your goals. You will cross off the list one by one until you work harder and harder on more complex pieces. It will help you understand progress and goal achievement, which will increase your motivation to keep going.
3 Get ready to tackle problems. Very often it turns out that a person is working on something and all the time stops at one problem, which he solves, sieves and solves. Therefore, he is exhausted from this task and simply abandons its solution. This is wrong: it is necessary to work on the errors. Every time you work on a problem, bring it to an end - see what you are doing wrong and try to solve it in a different way. It will take longer, but it will help you achieve your goal.
- Overcome the problem step by step. Divide it into stages and overcome them gradually. Then concentrate on that “one” step only. Start playing it slowly until you hear an improvement. Once you get it right, start increasing the tempo until you have mastered this passage.
4 Record your game. When you are focused with all your heart on something, be it a violin or something else, our brains focus on getting the job done, and we don’t realize what we’re doing wrong. They put their feet too far, sang a note a third higher, or did not notice that the music should be played calmly and not half calmly. But if you record, you can look back and hear your mistakes, even if you didn't notice them initially.
- If you are wrong on the fast section, then split it. Play a few notes, repeat every 3-4 times before moving on (d-d-d-d-e-e-e-e-a-a-a-a), as if in a curved tremolo. Once you get used to it, you will already have notes on the basis of which you can take additional notes.
5 Think about your musicality. Imagine that part of a piece is being played on a computer. Technically, this is correct, but not good. Your musicality is your ability to interpret and play pieces with feeling. If there is something missing in your notes, then this is the name.
- Start looking for it in yourself. Experiment with different phrasing and variations in sound, style, and intensity. Once you remember this, you will be free to experiment further. Once this is ingrained in memory, you can create music in your own way.

Method 3 of 3: Improving

1 Work on improvisation. To become a good violinist, you must not only hear the music you play, but also improvise with it, just like jazz musicians. This skill will connect you with music. You can hear it in your head by playing completely different notes. Once you master the passage, try to add something of your own and see what happens.
- For experiment, play the bass part of a song that you know perfectly well. Then continue playing it in your head, but improvising in practice. This will take the piece to the next level and make it stand out.
SPECIALIST'S ADVICE
Elizabeth douglas
WikiHow CEO Elizabeth Douglas is the CEO of wikiHow. He has over 15 years of experience in the technology industry, including work in computer engineering, user experience and product management. She received her BS in Computer Science and an MBA from Stanford University.
Elizabeth douglas
WikiHow CEO
Elizabeth Douglas, violinist, adds: “In learning to play the violin, there is the Suzuki method, where you learn not to read notes, but to play them by ear. One of the great things about this method is that it uses really beautiful songs, so you play real musiceven if you are still a beginner. "
2 Develop your endurance. Playing the violin can be very stressful, especially if you get inwardly into the class. At first, any movement will be given to you with difficulty and it will be difficult for you. Start with a small passage to which you gradually add passages. As soon as you feel tired. Make a note of where to start next time.
- Sometimes you should practice as if you are giving a performance.These two activities require different levels of energy, and it would be good to know your level of capabilities. Try playing the whole part if you can, and see how you feel.
3 Schedule your class time. Remember when we said at the beginning of this tutorial that you shouldn't worry about the amount of time you spend on class? You need to do it every day, but for everything else, it's up to you. After all, 5 hours of mediocre classes will not be as useful as 1 hour of concentrated and attentive practice. Therefore, during the session, focus and try not to repeat mistakes. In the future, you will be grateful for this.
- It is because of thoughtless practice that people give up music lessons, because they are marking time all the time, and this is boring. You will not like it, you will lose motivation, stop exercising and things will get worse. Avoid this scenario and keep in mind the picture that everything will be fine. Calculate the time.
4 Record your progress. Simply put, don't trust your memory. Stop thinking, "I think yesterday I stopped here somewhere ... and I had a hitch with that, but I don't really remember what." Honestly, this will not lead to anything good. Instead, carry a notebook with you to record your daily practice. Then the next day you will start where you left off.
- Write down everything that you think might be useful: problem areas or a method to overcome a given problem, so as not to forget it. You can also schedule your time and schedule for the week.
5 Finish your class on a fun tone. At the end of each session, you will receive a small reward. Spend the last 10 minutes of your class having fun. Take a light piece and play it as you like. Turn it into a mournful melody, speed up and listen to how it will sound differently. Play the section that will amuse you. Strange passages will sound better and better, and you will certainly notice it.
- Daily activities will become addiction over time. These 10 minutes may initially seem like a waste of time, but over a long period of time they will inspire you. Finishing off on a high note will make it easier for you to return to the lesson the next time. And the next day and every other day, and a week later.

Useful Tips

Do something fun after a hard work. It's fun to play small songs of easy difficulty to hear the music. This is also the time to practice techniques such as vibrato or dynamic rhythms.
If you are not used to exercising. Try to get yourself into the habit of exercising at least once a day. You know you can't just play the violin! Practice develops ideality. You don't have to jump straight into one-hour classes, start with 15 minutes a day. If you are successful at this pace, gradually and weekly increase the time.
Taking breaks from your studies is helpful. Divide the lesson into several parts and do not practice for more than an hour without interruption, at least for a few minutes.

A warning

If your hands or palms hurt, then you need to pause the exercise. This means that your body has not yet become accustomed to such a strange position. This is why it is important to start with short sessions, otherwise you could injure your wrists or back.