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Culture

The culture of the violin is to bring out the heart of the student. Songs can be so smooth and refined that people feel a connection to each other. It is much the same as the connection we feel from a beautiful sunset. The ultimate of playing is to connect with self. There is a true joy in playing an instrument that soothes the nerves, widens the soul, and takes discipline and mastery to play.

Luthier

You may wonder what a luthier is. It is someone that has devoted their life to the repair and construction of new violins. It is a handmade process that is both scientific and artistic. Each luthier can produce an instrument that has slightly different tonal qualities. The reason is that a small difference in how the instrument is made will make a difference in the overall sound.

If you are serious about violin playing, a good luthier will be valuable to you. They can check your bow each year and rehair the bow, if necessary. They can also recommend to you strings that may work well for your playing style. Some luthiers make fine custom bows that are fitted to each player.

Violin Schools

There are not a lot of schools to learn how to make violins. However, there is a good school in Salt Lake City, Utah called Peter Paul Prier that has been devoted to violin making since 1972. The goal of the school is to turn each student into a capable luthier. The process takes approximately three years to learn. The tuition cost is approximately $11,000.00 per year.

Learning to Play

The most important part of playing a violin is to never quit. Many students get excited about playing, but quit after one or two years. People often decide that it is too much work and that the payoff is not going to come. In truth, most students never learn to enjoy playing. Most of the students quit playing the violin. This problem is not just for violin players. All musical instruments that take time to learn are filled with people that quit too early. Almost everyone has taken piano lessons at some point and yet few can really play well.

How to Stick with Violin Lessons

The way to stick with lessons is to develop the heart of the student. Do they love the music of violin? How do they feel about the instrument they are playing? Do they get to play songs that excite them and bring out their feelings?

As a teacher it is difficult to appeal to the needs of each student. Most programs focus on bringing the student to a basic level of understanding. For example, if you play Suzuki most students start of playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It teaches the students basic rhythm and tonal characteristics. Suzuki is a great program for violin.

The part that is missing is that each student is so unique. As a parent or teacher the important aspect is to listen to the student and seek out the needs of their heart through music. Once a student makes the connection, they will play for love and get good almost without effort.

I have seen countless times when a teacher adheres strongly to the manual of teaching. The student feels burdened by hours of practice, school, and extracurricular activities. The student often never gets a chance to play the songs they wish or, in other words, to develop heart soon enough to stick with the program.

Consider the following question. Do you have great music for your student to listen to? Do they listen to it on their own for pleasure? Do you listen to the music for pleasure? Does your student love the songs they play or are they doing it for the teacher or parent or program or the book?

Developing heart is complicated. Like falling in love, it doesn't come by following a computer algorhythm or following a strict program of instruction. Violin teachers have a difficult job of getting the student to play basic techniques and it is time consuming. That is why, as a parent, you can help the whole process immensely by providing great music to listen to, taking in interest in the student, and encouraging them to play pieces they enjoy. Parents can provide the sheet music, some ideas as to what to play and help the students love the music they play.

Posture

The first part of playing violin is to have good posture. New students may spend a great deal of time learning how to hold the violin before they get to play a single note. The reason is that good posture makes a huge difference in how the violin playing sounds. Bad habits are hard to break and the posture must be reinforced until it is easy to do it right.

If you have seen a violin player you may notice that the feet are always in a similar position. One foot is out slightly and the two insoles of the foot are pointing away from each other.

The violin hand goes over the outstretched foot and rests just before the scroll. This left hand is turned until the player can see the side of the palm of their hand. It feels a bit uncomfortable.

The chin rest is placed over the ear and onto the shoulder. The chin is placed on the chin rest as the student tilts their head slightly to the left and keeping their eyes focused forward.

If that isn't enough, the bow must be held in a triangular hold for strength and agility. The bow starts with a down thrust and must be held at an exact angle and tension to get a good sound. Without pushing on the bow, the weight of it makes it play.

The bow hand is anchored into the elbow and the movement of the elbow is what gives the player the strength and control they need.

It is tempting to avoid some posturing. Players may move their shoulder to hold the violin or try and muscle the notes. Bad posture will make players become quickly tired and not play very well for very long.

The irony is that muscles must be built up for play. Finger muscles, turning your hand muscles, and the bow arm must all be strengthened to make playing work.

Final Thought

The main thin is to listen to your child. If they want to play something then let them. Help them develop heart because you can lead them and help them. It doesn't take that much effort. Finally, parents should go to lessons, take notes, and follow up with homework assignments. If parents will do this, and encourage students to stick with it their children will become great players.

Children should start young on the violin. Many teachers and programs start them at three years old. They even make tiny violins for such young students. As children get older, they get so busy that the chances of mastering an instrument go down. It seems that the age of quitting is around thirteen to fourteen years of age. These students are much more difficult to pin down and get to practice because their lives get so busy.

Good luck in your violin playing!!!!