Audition Advice for Orchestral Violin Players
I have (update: had – it was cancelled, sigh) an orchestral audition coming up in a few weeks so I thought I would share some of the audition advice I have learned over my many years of playing the violin. I have scoured the interwebs for audition advice and have found some great stuff. There…
Read more
POSTED BY
violinguy
Five Activities You’ll Be Good At If You Play the Violin
Learning to master the violin is hard, however the tools you use in learning the violin are very helpful in many other activities. When you play the violin, you are gaining dexterity in your muscles. When you play violin in a group, you are listening and blending in. Learning music helps your brain develop memory. …
Read morePOSTED BY
violinguy
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. …
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
violinguy
The Care and Feeding of your Violin Teacher
Choosing a violin teacher is an important process in finding the perfect match for your abilities. A good teacher will work with what you have, not engage in a futile attempt to get you to do something uncomfortable. A good teacher will be patient most of the time, but tough when called for. Finally, a…
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
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…
Read morePOSTED BY
