Violin, Viola, and Cello Lessons

Use different variations to work out a difficult passage. Here are some variations to try:  long short, short long, double each note, play each note of the passage the same length, play the passage at a very slow tempo, work the tempo up from slow to fast in intervals.

Break things down.  Work on short musical phrases or even a few measures and then put everything back together.

If you are feeling frustrated by practice, take a break and come back later.

Schedule practice into your life rather than waiting until you “feel” like practicing

Practice is essential to making progress on any instrument. It is the most beneficial when done regularly rather than all at once in spurts. The best way to incorporate practice into your life is to make it part of your regular routine. Try to practice around the same time each day which is specifically reserved just for practice. If you only practice when you feel like it, you will not have enough contact time with your instrument to improve. This is why practice needs to be scheduled. When you practice choose a relaxing environment where you can focus and work without distractions. Practicing is not the same as performing. You need to feel comfortable playing something that doesn’t sound great over and over again in order to make improvements. It may be best to wait to start studying an instrument when you know that you have the time to dedicate to practice.

Stringed instruments are fragile because they are made of wood. Wood expands in heat and contracts in cold. For this reason it is important to take proper care of your stringed instrument and bow. The bow is easy. Just make sure to always loosen the bow before you put it away when you are done playing. Also make sure it has enough rosin before you play, so it will make the best possible sound. Lastly, never poke things with your bow. The tip of the bow is the most fragile part or the bow, and it can break off.

Your instrument is a little bit more high maintenance. It can’t be in weather conditions that are too hot or too cold because it is made of wood. It always needs to be in heat or air conditioning depending on the current temperature. The biggest mistake people make is accidently leaving their instrument in their car overnight. This is not advisable because the finish of your instrument can melt or your instrument can develop cracks that would need to be fixed by a luthier. If I am running an errand with my instrument in the car, my instrument comes in with me wherever I am going. It is also important to wipe the rosin off of your instrument after every time that you play. If you don’t wipe the rosin, it will build up on the instrument, and it can even eat away at the finish of your instrument. If you live in a particularly dry climate, you may need a humidifier like a dampit for your instrument. Taking care of your instrument and bow ensures that it is always in prime playing condition for you.

It’s an exciting time when you decide to upgrade your instrument or bow. When making a large purchase like this, you want to make sure you are getting the most quality bow or instrument for your money. The best way to do this is to go to a luthier in your area to see what they have available. Starting with a luthier is important because they will only carry quality instruments and bows at their shop. Try the instruments or bows that they have available in your price range to see if there are any that you would be interested in purchasing. If you have the option to take some of the instruments to your private lesson, take this opportunity. Your private lesson teacher can help you identify qualities of each bow or instrument that you like or dislike. Also in your lesson you can take turns with your teacher both playing and listening to each instrument or bow. This is invaluable because instruments and bows can sound different next to your ear when you are playing then they sound projected out when you are listening. 

If you find an instrument or bow that has all of the qualities that you are looking for and you decide it is the right one, don’t be afraid to move forward with the purchase. The instruments that a luthier carries are unique, so if someone else comes along and purchases the instrument before you, the instrument is gone. On the other side of things, do not buy an instrument or bow unless it fits all of your needs and you love it. You can always expand your search and try instruments and bows from different places. An instrument or bow is a large purchase and you will be playing it for years, so you want to be happy with your choice. 

Some students taking music lessons may choose to major in music when they go to college. Music is a unique major in that you can’t just decide that you want to be a music major without any preparation. In order to major in music, you have to be accepted into the music program at the school of your choice. Acceptance into a music program requires you do an audition on your major instrument which usually takes place between February and May of your senior year of high school. Preparation on your audition pieces needs to start several months before your audition takes place. In addition to being accepted into the music program, you also need to be accepted academically into the school. It is important to get grades that meet the standards of the school to which you are applying. It is part of the job of your private teacher to help you prepare for these next steps if you choose to study music in college.

The quality of accessories for your violin, viola or cello is just as important as the quality of the instrument itself. The purpose of these items is to help make playing as easy as possible. Learning a stringed instrument is already a big enough challenge, so it is important to leverage any possible advantage to making the learning process easier. Having quality accessories does just that.  Here are a few of my favorite and most trusted accessories.

Shoulder Rests for Violin and Viola-Having a quality shoulder rest is very important because it sets the foundation for the correct playing position on the violin and viola. It also greatly improves your comfort when playing. My two favorite shoulder rests are the Kun and the Wolf Forte Secondo. Both of these shoulder rests can be purchased for most sizes of violins and violas. The Kun can be found at most area music stores or online, and the Wolf can be ordered online. The Kun would be a better choice for students with a shorter neck and broad shoulders, while the Wolf would be a better choice for student with a long neck and boney shoulders. On the Wolf you can actually bend the shoulder rest to fit your shoulder shape. There are other quality choices for shoulder rests as well, but please stay away from sponge shoulder rests. They do not do a good job of holding the violin or viola in place, so it creates a wobbly foundation for the correct playing position and posture.

Rosin-Good rosin really does affect your sound on a stringed instrument. For violins and violas, my favorite rosin is Hill Light Rosin. It is affordable rosin that has the perfect amount of grip, and it makes a great sound. For cellos, my favorite rosin is AB Rosin. It has great volume and clarity of tone. It can also hold up against temperature and humidity as compared to some other rosin brands.

Rock Stop-A good rock stop is so important for cellists because it holds the cello in place while you are playing and keeps it from slipping out of your grip. My favorite kind of cello rock stop is the Xeros Endpin Anchor. It is affordable, and it lasts for a long time. Most importantly it doesn’t slip at all.

Tuner-This tool assists developing musicians become more confident tuning their instrument independently. My favorite tuner is the Snark because it can hook to your instrument and distinguish your instrument from other instruments in a group. It also shows you what note you are playing and if the note is too high or too low, so you can tune your instrument accordingly.

Strings-The brand of strings you put on your violin, viola or cello will make a big difference in the sound of your instrument. For student violins, I recommend Thomastik-Infeld-Dominant strings.If you want a very bright E string sound, you can use the Pirastro Gold E with the rest being Thomastik-Infeld-Dominant. For student violas, I recommend Thomastik-Infeld-Dominant or Jargar strings. For student cellos, I recommend Jargar, Helicore or Thomastik Spirocore. Any of these string choices would be a quality set of strings. You can decide based on price or choose different brands through the years until you decide which brand you prefer personally.