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André Rieu - The Godfather Main Title Theme  (Live in Italy)

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Lindsey Stirling - League of Legends: Wild Rift

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You might be trying to find a violin for the very first time as a beginner, or you may be upgrading to a finer instrument after playing for a long time. Here are some tips:
For the beginner
The beginner has two options, either to rent an instrument or make a purchase. While violin rental may be viewed by some as an opportunity to grow acclimated to the instrument, be aware that these are generally lesser-quality instruments that can be extremely frustrating to play upon. The law of diminishing returns applies to rentals, as you begin paying more for a lesser-quality violin that you never will be the owner of; if you rent for more than a year, you may have already paid through the value of the instrument. Some shops will let you apply part of your rental fees towards the purchase of an instrument, but you should always ask about this ahead of time and not count on this being the case.

One good reason for the rental of an instrument would be if you are looking for a child's (undersized) instrument. In this case, it is generally not worth the risk of physical injury to buy an instrument which is too large, thinking that the child will "grow into" it. On the other hand, it is quite expensive to buy a series of increasingly larger instruments (there are 8 basic sizes, and children grow out of their violin sizes at a surprisingly rapid rate.) Besides rental, another option for acquiring a small violin is to find a reputable luthier or music store nearby and ask about their "trade-in policy". Assuming you take care of the instrument, many shops will give you a generous discount on the purchase of the next size up if you bring back your current instrument as a "trade". (Take note that they do this because they want you to be a return customer. For this reason, most places will not give you a trade-in discount for an instrument you did not buy from them).

That said, if you decide to buy a full-size violin, you may well want to go to a violin dealer or a "luthier," which is a person who makes or repairs stringed instruments. In fact, we have a directory of luthiers right here on Violinist.com, as well as a directory of the merchants who support Violinist.com.

When purchasing an instrument from a store, it is always an excellent idea to go in the company of an experienced violinist or luthier. In general, however, the instrument must be solid to the touch with no creaks when you press down (but not too heavily!) anywhere on the violin. If it is possible to test the instrument in-store, all of the open strings should sound full, resonant, and pleasing to the ear.

It is possible to buy a good violin online, but be wary of extremely cheap violins. Here is a link to our article about why an extremely cheap violin may not be a bargain for you. It is best if you can test a violin before making the commitment to buy it.
For buying a higher-quality instrument
If you buy an instrument from a luthier, you will probably be buying the violin, bow and case separately.

It is appropriate to test violins and bows, to play on them, before buying them. If a luthier lives in another city, he or she can send you violins or bows to try out for a time, after which you can decide on one, or send them all back and buy none, or ask for some others to try. It is also appropriate to negotiate the purchase price of the instrument.

If you are going to a violin shop, most have a room or a place where you can test out an instrument that interests you.

Do not come straight out and tell the dealer your price range. They may have an intent to mark-up violin's prices on the spot if the instruments do not have a price tag. Only if the instruments have tags on them with clear pricing should you tell them your price range. Try to test only instruments you can afford. If none are to your liking, keep looking elsewhere.

Modern instruments, made by a luthier who is still living, tend to be less expensive than older instruments. An older instrument is valuable not only because of the sound it makes and the beauty of its construction, but because of its antique value, and because it is necessarily a "limited edition" if its maker is dead and no longer creating violins!

An older instrument can be an excellent investment. But there are many modern makers whose instruments sound as good, and if you are on a budget, this may be the way to go. A new instrument, if played well (in tune, for maximum resonance), can "open up," and it is quite exciting to be the person that helps shape the fiddle's voice.

As far as bows are concerned, a bow needs to have good weight, flexibility and balance between frog and tip. This is not always easy to gauge, and requires spending some time with the bow. If it is too heavy, it can strain your hand and even cause injury over time. If it is too light, it can make it difficult to produce a big sound.

If it is either too flexible or too stiff, it will be less nimble in your hands. If it is not balanced, it will be difficult to execute advanced bow stroke such as spiccato (bouncing bow), sautille (really fast bouncing bow), ricochet (bouncing several times on a down bow or up bow) or other strokes.

Do not forget to use one of your best resources: your teacher. Bring the violins and bows to your teacher, or ask your teacher to come with you to help pick something out. If you don't have a teacher any more, don't forget to use the ears of your musician friends. Realize, however, that neither your teacher or your violinist friends are likely to be experts in the actual construction of the instrument and can only offer an experienced opinion on the sound of the violin and point out any glaring problems.

Therefore, it's a good idea to have the violin "vetted out" by a trusted luthier. A good luthier will likely be able to verify the maker and/or approximate age of the violin. More importantly, he or she will be able to tell if the instrument is well or poorly made or if it has any structural problems.

Go to a big hall and play for someone, or let the other person play so you can hear what the violin sounds like from across the room, what impression it gives. Try to play the violin in as many rooms as possible - from large halls to your practice room - to assess fully the capabilities of the instrument.

But, most importantly, do not ever buy a violin that you either don't like or have doubts about.

Luthiers and friends do have influence on your opinion, therefore do not forget that you should be the one to pick the instrument after all. Believe in your thoughts. There is nothing worse than playing on an instrument that you bought for a lot of money and don't really like!

After playing for a while, you may decide it's time to upgrade your violin. If your teacher tells you that you are working too hard to get the sound from the instrument--this is sometimes one indicator that it might be time to upgrade. If you feel that you are ready to upgrade; make sure that you know how to test an instrument for tone, response, projection, etc. Use skilled friends and teachers to help you with this.

Before getting an upgrade, explore the question of whether a refitting by a qualified luthier could make your old instrument come to life. This is sometimes the case, and often adjustments such as gluing seams (which routinely come unglued and can radically diminish the violin's sound) or moving the soundpost slightly can make a radical difference.
Expectations of value
A common expectation is that a violin is an investment and will rise in value over time. This is possibly true for very expensive violins but certainly no one should expect dramatic appreciation on a violin purchased for less than $100,000. The economics of dealing in violins makes this very implausible and the market for the private sale of violins is not well developed.

Most violins will hold their value as long as you trade the violin for another more expensive violin from the dealer who sold you the instrument. Dealers may also offer you trades at similar value for instruments you purchased elsewhere. If you quit playing the violin and decide to sell it altogether you could see a significant decline in its value. You may decide to save it for a child or grandchild or to donate it to a school and take a tax deduction.

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Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Violin

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You might be trying to find a violin for the very first time as a beginner, or you may be upgrading to a finer instrument after playing for a long time. Here are some tips: For the beginner The beginner has two options, either to rent an instrument or make a purchase.

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CHEAP vs EXPENSIVE violins - Can you hear the difference?

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Hi,
My name is Alison and I’m a professional musician, performer and teacher based in Norfolk, United Kingdom. I create free piano & violin video tutorials with free sheet music to accompany most of my videos as well as other videos about techniques and just about anything else you can think of! I…

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Latest blogs - see more blogs

Upon receiving a brand new violin from the internet or local retail store, chances are you need to set or move the bridge in the right location and position and tune your violin up from almost or complete loose. Learning to easily set up a violin with loose or new strings will make all kind of jobs much easier. Don't be afraid to work on your instrument. The more you do it the easier it becomes. When changing a whole set of strings, simply loosen, remove, change and re-tune one string at a time.

Arrange a stable working surface with a soft cover such as a large towel.

Make sure the center of the bridges feet line up with the inside f-hole notches.

While looking over the violin, insure that the strings are centered over the fingerboard by lifting and sliding the bridge to the right or left accordingly.

Constantly check that the bridge is not leaning too far forward or backwards.

Keeping the bridge at a slight back angle will insure that the strings do not pull the bridge over and even risk snapping.

Tune each string one by one while controlling the angle of the bridge.

Tightening one string will change the pitch of another requiring you to tune over and over between the different strings.

Remember to frequently check the bridges angle.

How do you stay motivated?

It can be tempting to neglect your instrument and do something more enjoyable for the moment such as watching a movie, hanging out on Facebook, playing online games, or perhaps taking an unnecessary nap. Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated.

Leave your instrument out in plain sight.

Listen to great music and performances.

Read through new pieces of music.

Find play along recordings or music to jam with.

Plan a performance.

Find a friend to play duets with.

Find musicians to motivate you on a forum or other social network.

Enroll in a competition.

Plan a chamber music party or jam session.

Record yourself.

Join a community orchestra.

Find friends with mutual interests.

Set specific goals for your instrument.

Get a teacher. If you don't have time for lessons every week, maybe every other week.

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Learn to Play Violin/Fiddle for Free - Meet other Fiddlers

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Latest blogs - see more blogs Upon receiving a brand new violin from the internet or local retail store, chances are you need to set or move the bridge in the right location and position and tune your violin up from almost or complete loose.

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The bow is normally held in the right hand. It is pinched between the fingers and should not be squeezed too tightly. The way the bow is moved, calling "bowing," determines the length, volume, tone, and other characteristics of the note.

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how to play the violin:the basic position

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How to Play the Violin The basic position

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The bow is normally held in the right hand. It is pinched between the fingers and should not be squeezed too tightly. The way the bow is moved, calling "bowing," determines the length, volume, tone, and other characteristics of the note.

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Introduction: How to Play Violin

This instructable is going to teach you the basics of playing the violin.

You will learn:
1. How to prepare to play
2. How to read violin music
3. How to hold the violin and bow
4. How to put all of this information together to play "Hot Crossed Buns"

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Step 1: What You Need

In order to play the violin, you'll need the following things:

A violin. (A decent violin usually costs upwards of $800, so I recommend finding a friend or teacher with a violin that you can borrow, or renting one from a local music store.)

A bow. (The bow does not always come with the violin, and can also cost hundreds of dollars. Hopefully, if you are borrowing or renting a violin, a bow will be part of the deal. If not, inquire.)

A shoulder rest. (This is used to hold the violin between your neck and shoulder. Since a violin is not shaped to fit this part of your body, this helps violinists be able to play longer and have a better sound overall.)

Rosin. (This is a sticky resin obtained from various trees and plants that helps the bow make sound when it comes in contact with a violin string.)

Music. (For this instructable, see slide five for the music. Otherwise any local or online music store, or music teacher can help you find music for beginners.)

A music stand. (You need something to put your music on! Most music stores carry stands that are fairly inexpensive. If you are unable to find a stand, I suggest using other household items placed on a table or shelf to prop your music up.)

*All of these things can be obtained from a local or online music store.*

Step 2: Getting Ready to Play

Setting up your violin:

1. Take the violin and bow out of the case.(not shown)

2. Put the shoulder rest on the back of the violin. If you are using a sponge, use rubber bands to secure it.(shown in the first picture)

3. Tighten the bow. Use the screw on the end of the bow, tighten the hairs of the bow. The hairs should be about the width of you pinky finger away from the wood of the bow.(not shown, but the picture from step one can be a guideline)

4. Rosin the bow. Rub the rosin up and down along the bow hairs. This should take you about ten seconds unless you have a new bow. In that case it will take you about a minute.(shown in second picture)

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Step 3: Learn to Read Music

This is just the basics, if you want to learn more about reading music, I recommend seeking out a teacher that isn't the internet.

Most violin music is written in the treble clef (see image of the clef). That symbol will appear at the beginning of a set of lines, called a staff . The staff is a set of five lines and four spaces. Those lines and spaces each correspond to notes. In music notes are named with the letters A through G. The lines and spaces are named as so:

F-------------------------------------------------------
E
D-------------------------------------------------------
C
B-------------------------------------------------------
A
G-------------------------------------------------------
F
E-------------------------------------------------------

A good way to remember the order of the lines and spaces is from the bottom up. Lines correspond to the acronym " E very G ood B oy D oes F ine" and the spaces from bottom to top form the word FACE .

After you know the names of the notes, you have to know how to count them.

A piece of music is divided into measures. These measures have a certain number of beats in a measure, most commonly four.
The numbers at the beginning of a line indicate the time signature, which lets the musician know how many beats are in a measure, and how to count each beat. Since "Hot Crossed Buns" has four beats in a measure, I will only discuss this particular time signature.

"Hot Crossed Buns" is in what is called "four four time". (see image) This means that there are four beats in a measure and a quarter note gets one beat.

What is a quarter note?
A quarter note represents one quarter of the measure, or one beat. Similarly, half notes last two beats, or half of a measure. I bet you can guess that whole notes last the entire measure, and eighth notes last half as long as a quarter note, or an eighth of a measure.

Rests are also measured in the same intervals, only they look different from the notes. You'll notice the difference noted in the image.

Also important to note is that the strings on the violin correspond to notes. The one closest to the left when looking at the violin is a G, then left to right is C, A and E. That order is also lowest pitch to highest.
Got all that? Okay, on to the next step!

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Step 4: Put It All Together!

1. Set up your stand and music.

2. Place the violin on your shoulder, holding it mostly with your chin and shoulder.

3. Hold the bow by placing your thumb on it's tip between the wood and hairs of the bow, and curling your fingers around the wood of the bow as shown in the image.

4. Drag the bow across the strings to create sound. At the same time, put the fingers on your left hand down on the strings to change the notes.

I've included the image of the "Hot Crossed Buns" music again, and have labeled the corresponding fingerings for the piece. I have also included the string that each note is played on.

Good Luck!

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How to Play Violin: This instructable is going to teach you the basics of playing the violin. You will learn: 1. How to prepare to play 2. How to read violin music 3. How to hold the violin and bow 4. How to put all of this information together to play "Hot Cross...

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Welcome on Violinspiration! You can learn for free on my blog how to play the violin. Download the sheet music and charts, and start practicing right away!

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Do you want to learn how to play the violin? Perhaps you've dreamed about becoming a great violinist. Are you curious about what you need to know or do to achieve this goal? If so, you've come to the right place. I'm happy to share a list of 35 steps you can take to play the violin and fulfill your dream of progressing from a novice student, to an intermediate player, and finally, a seasoned violinist.

The Right Equipment

If you want to start off your journey on the right foot when learning how to play the violin, begin with the right equipment.

1. Find a Proper Beginner Violin

This is much easier said than done. Given the variety of options out there, selecting the right violin for you can feel overwhelming. Be sure to take your time, as this is an important decision.

The first few years spent learning how to play the violin can be difficult. Thankfully, a high-quality violin will produce a wonderful sound and be easier to play when you embark on this journey-encouraging you and helping with your progress. On the flip side, a violin of lesser quality with a poor sound that is difficult to play can discourage students, who may not even want to play at all because of this!

Know Your Options: Buy or Rent

First, decide if you are going to buy or rent a violin.

Renting a violin is a good idea when:

You are unsure if you will like playing the violin. In this way, you avoid investing too much into the instrument if you ultimately decide that playing the violin is not for you.

You need a violin size of ½ or smaller. As a young student grows and the body is changing, there is a need to increase the violin size on a frequent basis. This can get very expensive if you choose to buy the instrument.

Buying is a good idea because:

Long-term rental instrument fees can add up. It's important to know that you can buy a quality entry-level violin for a cost that rivals about one year of rental fees.

A well-chosen violin will maintain its value. If you buy from a violin shop, most outfitters allow you to trade in your instrument for an upgrade, which can help offset the cost of a new and improved violin.

There are often liabilities for any damage that occurs to a rented instrument.

Many rented instruments are not in the best condition. Common issues include dings and scratches, tape markings or glue on the fingerboard, and so on.

What to look for when buying a violin:

Quality materials and craftsmanship. Hand-crafted violins are more expensive, but a variety of good-quality violins are in fact mass-produced.

The body of your violin should be made with a quality wood.

Check for symmetry and cracks.

Your fingerboard should be made of ebony, and your pegs should not be plastic (unless you choose to use Wittner Finetune pegs).

The strings should press down with ease.

The chin rest should feel comfortable.

Your shoulder rest should encourage good posture, feeling as natural as possible for you!

Listen to how the violin sounds when someone more experienced plays it. Do you LOVE it?

Before buying a violin, also be sure to check out my mini guide:

Remember that your first violin doesn't have to be expensive. You can always start with a more affordable alternative and employ strategies to make it sound better.

2. Buy Extra Equipment

To successfully play the violin, you need the following accessories:

Bow: check out the pros and cons of different types in my article "Violin Bow Materials and Which Ones Are Best"

Rosin: for useful tips on the best rosin for your own personal sound preferences, click here

Shoulder rest: to ensure a comfortable hold, learn which shoulder rests are best and how to properly use them

Chinrest: though your violin is probably already equipped with this, if you don't have one or believe yours is uncomfortable, see my recommendations here

Case: to store and travel with your violin, I recommend the Gewa Violin Case Maestro

Sheet music: scales, concertos, pieces for all levels, and all kinds of fun songs to play

Music stand: to hold your sheet music, you can choose a lightweight or orchestra stand

Tuner: you may want to use a separate device or free online tuner

Metronome: again, this can be a physical device or online app

Duster cloth: to remove the rosin from your violin after each practice session

Additional accessory options include:

Fine tuners: for easy tuning

Practice mute: out of respect for your family and neighbors 😉

Extra set of strings: in case you break one

Instrument care kit: for extra cleaning and polishing every so often

Beginner violins usually come with a kit that includes a violin with a chinrest mounted on it, a case and bow, and perhaps also rosin and a shoulder rest. When buying from a violin maker, the bow and case are typically separate.

3. Tune Your Violin

Tune your violin strings to the correct pitch using one of three possible methods:

Check out the following posts to learn how to properly tune a violin:

4. Prepare Your Bow

Tighten the hair on your bow by turning the screw at the end of the frog to the right before you play.

Remember: Loosen the bow hair by turning the screw to the left after playing.

Learn How to Hold the Violin and the Bow

5. Learn to Hold the Violin Bow

The simplest way to learn how to hold the violin bow is the bunny technique. You can do so in six easy steps! Thereafter, you should work on relaxing your bow hand.

I want to emphasize how a relaxed and correct bow hold is the key to producing a beautiful-sounding tone when you are learning to play the violin: after which you are primed to learn advanced bowing techniques in the future.

6. Perfect Your Violin Hold

Your violin hold should reflect what feels most comfortable for you. This is in relation to the parts of your body needed to execute the violin playing technique-your arm, hand, and fingers-and how you would judge correctness. If you are not comfortable, you can develop pain.

How are you supposed to hold the violin?

Learn Your First Song on Open Strings

7. Learn to Play on Open Strings

In this way, you will get a feel for bowing without the added difficulty of using your left hand. After all, it's better to learn one thing at a time until you feel comfortable, and trying to grasp too many things at once will split your focus. Focus on one thing and make it great!

Song on One String

Learn a song on one string. Practice your bow stroke and create a lovely tone. Make sure you maintain correct posture.

Below is a great video that will teach you how to play your first song on the violin!

8. Learn to Change Strings

Learn how to switch strings by finding the right elbow level used for the varied strings. The motion should be gentle, natural, and fluid-not stiff and abrupt.

The video below will teach you how to use your elbow to change strings:

9. Learn Song on Two Strings

You are now ready to learn a song on two strings. Switch between the pair by focusing on your elbow levels.

The video below will show you how to play your second song on the violin:

Learn to Make Use of Your Fingers

Once you are comfortable with simple bowing, you can add the use of your fingers. Each finger has a specific spot on the fingerboard assigned to it for placement, and it's interesting to note that a violin fingerboard does not have any frets like you would see on a guitar. Violinists put in hours of practice developing their muscle memory, and even more hours training their ears to find the correct pitch of each note.

10. Put Tapes on Your Fingerboard

Beginners use fingerboard tapes as a guide to help them find the correct pitch. Watch my video below to place these on your violin:

For even more details and tips, visit my blog and read the post about DIY fingering tape.

11. Learn Your First Easy Scale

A scale is a sequence of notes ordered by pitch: starting with the lowest pitch and ending with the highest, which is called tonic.

It might seem boring to play this same sequence of notes over and over again, but scales are the superhighway to get better at playing the violin.

Specifically, scales are the best way to improve:

The number-one scale I recommend that all my students learn first is A Major. You can learn your first scale by watching the video below.

13. Build Your Repertoire

Keep practicing easy songs until you know about ten pieces. Practice them in rotation throughout the week, which will keep them fresh in your memory so you can build out your repertoire.

Hopefully, my Video Lessons Library located on the page with easy arrangements of popular pieces will prove inspirational for you!

Learn to Read Violin Notes

Learning to read notes is a valuable skill for any musician, no matter the instrument played. Notes and music notations tell the player where to put his or her fingers on the fingerboard and which bowing technique to use.

14. Learn to Recognize Open Strings

Learn to recognize which notes on the staff are open strings: serving as your guide to recognize the other notes.

15. Learn to Recognize Other Violin Notes

Learning the other notes in a specific order can be helpful. In the first position on a violin:

1. First, learn to recognize all notes on the staff played with your first (or index) finger

2. Next, recognize all notes on the staff played with your second finger

3. Then, learn to recognize all notes on the staff played with your third finger

4. Finally, learn to recognize all notes on the staff played with your fourth (or pinky) finger

Learning the key signatures will also pay off quickly!
16. Learn to Recognize the Most Common Rhythms

Instruments used to play music are all very different, but what they do have in common is that their music uses the same rhythm patterns. Knowing how to recognize these will be a great benefit to you as a player.

A wonderful way to learn rhythm patterns is by using the Kodaly Method. You can practice this technique by using my special Rhythm Cards. Print the Rhythm Cards - Complete Set and play on your own or with friends or family. You can clap the rhythms, sing or play. No matter which you choose, most importantly-have fun!

Seek Feedback on Your Performance

It is important for your progress to obtain personal feedback from a more experienced violin player.

17. Engage in Violin Lessons

Look to take lessons from an in-person teacher or online tutor. These instructors have experience, lots of knowledge, and personal tips that will help you grow as a musician.

Herein, I would like to invite you to my online violin school for adult beginners: Julia's Violin Academy. Join to enjoy a step-by-step plan, variety of resources at your fingertips and a community of other violin enthusiasts!

18. Implement Feedback to Improve Your Technique

If you have a full-length mirror, use it to practice and give yourself feedback to improve your technique. You can also use a camera to record yourself playing and analyze areas ripe for refinement.

Another way to obtain feedback is to ask your teacher or-if you are a member of Julia's Violin Academy-submit your feedback video. Victoria, a professional violinist with a degree in violin performance and violin pedagogy, will answer all your questions and give you tips for improvement.

19. Learn the Most Common Scales and Arpeggios

It's fun to practice scales and arpeggios when you know the progress you will achieve by doing so.

If you analyze sheet music, you will stumble upon a variety of hidden scales and arpeggios.

Do you want to compose your own songs or improvise in jazz or fiddle music? Practicing scales and arpeggios will help you improve, no matter the end goal.

Do you wish to join a special teaching program, violin exam or orchestra? The audition will dictate that you play scales and arpeggios.

20. Learn All Violin Bowing Techniques

Read my article "All 25 Violin Bowing Techniques with Examples & Symbols" to learn which techniques are used by violinists and how they are notated in the sheet music. Then, watch the video examples.

It will take some time, and remember that you need not master all bowing techniques in the first year of your violin journey. Rather, zero in on one or two at a time and work on them persistently.

This PDF chart will help you learn how to recognize each bowing technique:

21. Learn All Left-Hand Techniques

Your left hand is truly a multitasker when playing the violin. The fingers move up and down vertically, changing positions and sometimes moving horizontally depending on the note you are playing. They cross strings, slide, and vibrate.

Ultimately, you should learn seven left-hand violin techniques:

22. Continually Improve Your Note-Reading Skills

Take your note-reading skills to the next level and learn to understand the musical concepts behind the numbers and beats: opening the doors to execute many different styles of music.

Jazz and swing music are at different tempos. Learn more advanced rhythms, go beyond triplets and learn how to play tuplets. You can hear the composite rhythm in an ensemble. There are syncopation, recurring patterns and many more advanced rhythms to master.

Add Musicality to Your Playing

Actors bring the words on a script to life when telling a story.

Likewise, musicians bring the notes on a piece of sheet music to life when telling a musical story.

This is musicality. Violinists add musicality to a piece by using phrasing and dynamics.

23. Learn About Dynamics and How to Apply Them

Dynamics is how loud or soft you play a particular note or section of music.

You increase the volume by:

1. Increasing your bow stroke speed

2. Increasing the pressure on the bow stroke

3. Playing closer to the bridge

You decrease the volume by:

1. Decreasing bow speed

2. Decreasing bow pressure

3. Playing closer to the fingerboard

24. Add Musicality to Your Pieces by Learning Phrasing

Phrasing adds musicality to your piece. It separates musical ideas to form musical sentences. A composer who puts his or her notes on paper gives you an idea of how the music should sound. You, the player, makes it your own by deciding how you want to play it.

Listening to how other violinists choose to play the same piece is a great way to learn phrasing. You will be able to hear the subtle differences with respect to altering the tone, tempo, dynamics and articulation.

Track Your Progress

Keep a practice journal, giving you something to look back on and see how far you've progressed. This can serve as great encouragement to all violin students.

25. Write Down Your Practice Goals at the Beginning of Each Week

Write down what you plan to practice, and do your best to stick to it! Always have a plan that is specific and goal-orientated.

If you would like a printable copy of a practice plan to keep track of your practice habits, enjoy a free download here:

31. Watch Inspirational Films/Documentaries

There are so many inspiring films and documentaries centered around the violin out there.

Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), Music of the Heart (1998) and The Soloist (2009) are based on true events.

A classic like Humoresque (1920) is something you may enjoy, or perhaps They Shall Have Music (1939) starring the famous violinist Jascha Heifetz, if that's more your type.

A documentary about Itzhak Perlman called Itzhak (2017) is also worth watching.

Rounding out my list of recommendations is a must-see (and listen): The Red Violin (1998).

32. Watch Fun Violin Clips on YouTube

You'll enjoy a good laugh when watching fun violin videos on YouTube. The channels I recommend are:

TwoSetViolin: Brett and Eddy combine their knowledge of classical violin training with comedy, creating an enjoyable channel you can get lost watching

Ray Chen: A mixture of fun and professional performances

I highly recommend also following YouTube violin teachers to stay inspired to learn new skills every week. Click here to get to know what are the best YT channels to learn the violin.

33. Play Together with Your Friends

Choose a piece of music appropriate for two or more violins and collaborate with friends.

If you know a pianist or someone who plays guitar, select a piece they can play with you as well.

You can download sheet music for duets here.

34. Play Along in a Folk Jam

Familiarize yourself with popular folk music. Join a folk play-along or jam session where musicians gather in a casual setting and play together. You don't have to know every song and/or play every time: it's fine to listen as much as you play, and your goal is to have fun!

35. Join an Orchestra

Another way you can have fun playing is by joining an orchestra.

There are a variety to choose from, ranging from those in schools to large city-based orchestras. Some towns have local or community orchestras as well.

No matter which one you select, know that each orchestra requires a different level of skill and technique for its members, and auditioning for a chair can be very competitive. Make sure you know the requirements ahead of time so you can prepare accordingly.

A chair assignment in the back row is not something to write off: you have a chair! Every rehearsal and performance affords you an opportunity to improve and have fun. Go for it!

What step are you currently at? Please comment below, I'd love to know!

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How to Play the Violin: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide - Violinspiration

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Do you want to learn how to play the violin? Perhaps you've dreamed about becoming a great violinist. Are you curious about what you need to know or do to achieve this goal? If so, you've come to the right place.