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Posts Tagged ‘how to play violin’

It has become one of the most popular and most played instruments in the world for spontaneous music and formal compositions.  It is a dream for a lot of people to learn how to play the violin. Learning to play the violin is an incredibly gratifying and very fulfilling euphonic pastime which is straightforward to learn once you have  the devotion and the passion which are needed to conquer all the intricacies of playing this one-of-a-kind musical instrument.

If you believe that you have the talent and the determination to learn the discipline, as well as the time to practice religiously, then you have no reason not to go on and pursue your dream. There are a lot of avenues on how you can learn to play the violin by yourself.  You can concentrate on what style you feel is perfect for you.  The internet can provide you with different techniques and procedures on how to play violin.  Likewise, watching videos of renowned violinists will be a great help. Although you may find it difficult in the beginning, and a bit awkward, after some practice you should be able to make headway and create some beautiful music with your violin.

Before you can begin your actual lesson you need to have a violin.  You have two options to consider.  If you truly feel that the violin is the ideal instrument and you really intend to excel with this type of instrument, it would be wise to invest and buy yourself a violin. Keep in mind that there are things to consider when purchasing a violin. Take someone with you who can also play, as well as listen. Be sure the instrument is properly set up and examine the wood that the violin is made of.  Italian violins are known to be among the best in the world because violin making remains less commercialized there. You should also consider the price you are willing to pay. The price may not represent the quality, especially in the case of a used violin. Finally, play a variety of violins and make your evaluation in a stress free, no pressure setting.  However, if you are not absolutely certain that the violin is the ideal instrument for you to learn, then borrowing or renting one is your best option.

In order to pursue your passion, you will need to invest in a bow and a digital tuner. Before you get started with your lessons and training, it is your primary concern as a beginner to study and develop the proper posture while playing the violin.  Be aware of the proper sitting position and the way you hold your violin. For this purpose, you can refer to instructional manuals or use online resources and videos to familiarize yourself with proper posture and correct positioning of your instrument. However, developing good posture is not enough, it should be maintained every time you sit and play the violin. Exert extra effort to constantly check and compare your posture with visual aids.

Once you have the posture set, then start plucking the strings with your fingers, so you will know just how they should sound. As the sound of the strings becomes ingrained in your mind, you will want to add the sound of the bow as it resonates against each string. Through these simple exercises, you will immediately begin to feel the music within you want to come out. It is now time to get serious about your lessons!

    Remember you are learning your lessons all by yourself. Therefore, self discipline will play a vital role in your success. You should set your training and skill development schedule and follow it religiously. Daily practice is a must and there is no substitute for regular practice if you really intend to excel in playing your violin.  Eventually you will enjoy listening to your own music and then share the gift of music to others.

Learning how to play the violin can be a challenging but rewarding experience whatever your age or skill level. The beginning for violinists is how to hold the instrument, how to finger the notes accurately, how to hold and use a bow and how to produce a good tonal quality.

Holding the violin is crucial and many people learn to hold it like a banjo to begin with. Referred to as the banjo position. The instrument is tucked and held under the right arm, just like a banjo allowing the player to pluck the straings with the right hand thumb and get used to reading and playing some basic open string notes.

Once this has been mastered then the violin is lifted and placed between the left shoulder and chin. The left arm is then curved under the neck of the violin and the hand arches around and over the top of the strings.

From here the violinist will learn how to play the violin by holding notes down on the neck. Much like a guitarist only there are no frets. The player must use their ears to pitch each note correctly and use muscular memory to memorise the note and finger positions carefully.

There are 2 main ways a violinist creates sound.

1. Is with the bow. It is drawn across the strings in both directions, known as up bow and down bow. This can be varied to create different lengths, volume, timbre and shape.
2. The second is similar to the banjo position where the string is plucked with the right hand fingers. This is called pizzicato and creates a short stoccato sound.

What you read above is only the start of how to play the violin and it is going to take regular practice to become a proficient player. Consider taking some online violin lessons in order to reach your true potential. They are surprisingly affordable and you often get the chance to learn with someone as famous as Eric Lewis.

If you have always desired to learn how to play the violin, you can. You may have heard that it’s advisable to start young. And certainly that’s true to some extent, but don’t allow that hold you back.

The first thing you want to do is choose a quality instrument. This can be pricey but it does not
have to be. There are a lot of good used violins available to purchase. And used instruments frequently sound better than new ones.

Next you should find somebody qualified to instruct you. It can be a professional or a friend or relative when just starting out.

The first thing you’re going to have to determine is how to hold the instrument. If you hold it incorrectly, you’ll be really uncomfortable and may even eventually suffer stress injuries from trying to play the violin incorrectly. Here is how you do it right. Put your left arm (if you are right handed) under the body of the violin. Then curve your fingers over the neck as you control the neck with your left hand. The result should have your fingers and hand over the strings and the chin rest needs to be between your chin and left shoulder. You grip the bow in your right hand and bow or pick the strings with that hand.

Once you’ve learned to hold the violin the right way, you can start to learn how to finger notes on the violin. Unlike guitars, violins don’t have frets. That means you need to learn by ear where each note is on the fretboard.

For this, you’ll need to identify 4 places on your instrument. The low notes are set away from your face. That is the first position. The 4th position is the highest notes and is the furthest up the neck. The strings themselves are tuned to specific notes, lowest to highest. The notes are G, D, A, and E, meaning that is the note they sound when they are played “open” with no fingers on the fretboard. Other notes are played when you finger the fretboard in various spots.

There are 2 ways to play the notes. The first is called pizzicato which is just by plucking them. The other is by drawing the bow steadily across the strings.

In addition to studying how to play the violin, you’ll also have to study how to understand music notes. If you don’t understand how to read music before you learn how to play, you can start by studying music in a more basic manner, either by attending classes, having somebody versed in music teach you, or studying on your own to a particular degree by getting online and searching out different tutorials. Then acquire some quality violin sheet music made for beginners and you’re ready to go.

Trying to figure out how to play violin for beginners and on your own can be extremely difficult and frustrating. It can be an uphill struggle for anyone but your musical education on the instrument need not end before it has begun. You can turn things around and make them fun with disciplined commitment and dedicated learning. Hundreds of thousands of musicians worldwide have sworn on the same commitment. They all ended up pursuing successful professional careers in music. This can apply just as easily to anyone interested in learning the violin but wishing to do it on his own. It is not always necessary to have a personal violin teacher when trying to master the instrument, as long as one has the patience, understanding and determination to succeed by being self taught.

If you intend to be self taught on the violin, one important question needs to be asked of you. How serious are you about doing it? Is your passion for the instrument strong or just something that is on the spur of the moment? A natural love for music is also necessary. It helps to increase tenfold the enjoyment of pursuing your musical education. Dealing with any obstacles will be less difficult if your passion and love for what you do is strong as it pushes you on.

While it is admirable to be self taught, do not exempt the fact that some form of sharing and learning from others would be necessary during your journey. Look for other violin players and learn from each other. Learning from others' experience could speed up your own progress. Inculcate their experiences in your own lessons and progression might result quicker. Do not neglect other resources such as picking up a learn violin dvd to gather more insight from other professionals.

Students with teachers often have an extra push or motivation from the latter. If you decide to teach yourself how to play the violin, then self discipline is something you must cultivate and master in order to fulfill your dreams. You must not shirk your responsibilities with regards to violin practice and more effort might be required compared to one who has a personal coach. You also need to examine your progress regularly so that areas of improvement can be determined and worked on.

Many self taught musicians neglect classical musical theory. Not only is it difficult to do so on your own, but it takes many hours of work to understand and memorize them. But it helps to make you a better violinist. It is also really necessary to know musical theory in order to become a better violin player as there is no alternative theory system for the instrument. There are many violin lessons online that can provide help in this area and you should turn to them for extra knowledge.

At the end of the day, whether you are enrolled in a music school or choose the self taught path, becoming proficient in the violin requires all your attention to detail, dedication, passion and commitment. There will be no limits to your progress as a violinist if you remain persistent and continue to grow your strengths. The journey will be long but fruitful till the end.