Back to School Violin Supply List
It’s time for the kids to go back to school which means it’s time for violin lessons to get started again. Every violin student needs certain supplies for his or her lessons. Read on for the best back to school violin supplies updated for 2016. Instruments Every violin student needs a violin and bow. Duh. …
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violinguy
The Practice Room is Your Laboratory
Let’s be honest, no one likes to practice. The best violinists in the world don’t love getting into a room and working for hours on little snippets of repertoire. Unfortunately, the practice room is where we work and improve. Practicing is necessary, but if you’ve read anything else I’ve written here, you’ll see that I…
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violinguy
The 5 Best Mendelssohn Scherzos
Felix Mendelssohn is one of my favorite composers (but is he on Mt. Rushmore?). He was just as much a child prodigy as Mozart ever was, and just like Mozart, he didn’t live to see his 40th birthday. He gets far too little credit, mostly because he wasn’t revolutionary in his composing. Like Brahms, he…
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violinguy
The Best Pieces of Classical Music in Every Key
Classical Music by Key – Introduction (and excuses in advance) In classical music (and even popular music), the key of a piece is one of the most important choices a composer makes. Every key has its own characteristics that can make a symphony great, or boring. For example, Spinal Tap says that D minor is…
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violinguy
How Does That Make You Feel? – Emotion in Music
Emotion in music is a huge topic. Music makes people feel all kinds of emotions, and not the same for everyone. People are always asking, “What’s the most depressing piece of music?” or “What is the happiest symphony?” These feelings are going to be different depending on who you are. Below, I’m going to give…
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violinguy
Dos and Don’ts of Playing Gigs
Gigs come in many different forms; weddings, symphony work, corporate functions, pit orchestras, and many more. Below are six tips that every musician should follow so he or she will not only be successful, but get hired again. For purposes of this article, I will assume you are a freelance musician and not a tenured…
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violinguy
5 Violin Showpieces to Motivate Young Violinists
It is well known that children are easily motivated by someone doing what they want to do, and doing it very well. When I was a young violin student, my parents bought a record (you know, those big black vinyl discs) of Itzhak Perlman encores. While many young students today look up to Joshua Bell…
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violinguy
5 Violin Practice Tips to Do More in Less Time
Practicing. I doubt there is a single violin student who can’t wait to lock himself in a tiny room and hash out scales for hours. Successful violinists practice violin for upwards of 6-8 hours per day. That’s longer than some people spend at work. Below are five practice tips to help you get more accomplished…
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violinguy
How to Make a Violin Mute Out of a Dollar Bill
Today I’m going to tell you (and show you if you watch the video) how to make a violin mute out of a dollar bill. One of the tools you must have as a string player is a mute. Showing up at rehearsal (or worse a performance) is very unprofessional. Orchestra music routinely calls for…
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violinguy
The Wonderful World of Viola
As I have already stated, I play viola in addition to violin. This year, I purchased my first good viola to use for gigs and teaching, and this last weekend, I performed with it for the first time. For years I have been a violinist who can’t resist telling a good viola joke (What’s the…
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violinguy
Cool T-shirts and Gifts
So, not only am I a world class violinist and in-demand private teacher, but I also design and sell stuff through a print-on-demand company called Zazzle. I design lots of gifts, clothes, and other fun merchandise and get a small commission when people buy them. Zazzle takes care of the production and website, and I…
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