What Violin Strings Should I Buy?
Everyone is always asking, “What violin strings should I buy?” The thing is, that varies from player to player. Below I’ll be talking about several different brands/variations of strings from total beginner to professional grade. I’ll also tell you what strings I use. I went through several years and several types of strings before finally…
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violinguy
How to Tighten Up Your Violin Practice Routine
I play a lot of golf, and in many ways, learning golf and learning violin are very similar. Both golf and violin have feel players and mechanical or technical players. I’m going to go into much more detail below, and at the end, you’ll see why you need to insert more mechanics into your practice…
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violinguy
How to Choose the Best Violin Teacher?
Choosing the right violin teacher can seem more difficult than learning the darn instrument sometimes, but I assure you it’s not. Let’s explore what sets the best violin teacher apart from a lame teacher, shall we? What Kind of Student Are You? Choosing the best violin teacher really depends on you. Teachers have different styles…
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violinguy
Can You Learn the Violin Online?
We live in a different world now. Human contact, especially in a hands-on environment, can be deadly these days. With proper precautions (wear your mask people!), small groups can interact, but larger groups like, say, an orchestra or choir are trouble. In our new world, artistic professionals (musicians, artists, etc.) have gone to teaching online…
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violinguy
5 Easy Tips for Better Violin Care
It’s one thing to learn how to play the violin. You go to lessons then go home and practice. Unfortunately, some teachers don’t teach how to care for your violin. Like any other tool you own, the violin needs regular care (I was going to name this post ‘The Care and Feeding of Your Violin’). …
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violinguy
You CAN Practice Sight-Reading – Really
Sight-reading is arguably the worst part of every audition whether as a student or a professional. For many people, sight-reading comes easily. For others (like me), not so much. Plus, there’s a common belief that you can’t learn to sight-read before you need to do it at an audition. After all, how can you practice…
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violinguy
Oh No! I Bought a Chinese Violin!
Buying a violin is a big deal. Even if you are buying a spare (like I just did), you need to shop around and not only get the best deal ($$), but the best value. Value is defined as the amount of quality at a given price. We want better quality, but can we also…
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violinguy
Goals for the Year
I know, it’s almost February. New years resolutions should have been made a month ago. Fear not, intrepid reader, you can still organize your goals for the coming year. I’ll help you. Give it Some Thought Just like the practicing you’re about to start, you need take your time and think about what you want…
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violinguy
I Practiced Only Scales for a Month and Look at the Change!
We’ve all seen the ads and “sponsored” content on the interwebs: I only ate kale and anchovies for a month and look at the difference! Very annoying for sure. However, it occurred to me I could use this as a teaching tool and improve my own playing to boot. I practiced only Carl Flesch scales…
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violinguy
Strong Habits for Young Violin Students
A great many blog posts and ebooks have mimicked the great book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Too many really. I’m not going to copy that other than to say that below are some habits that will make young violin students more successful and therefore happier. I began playing the violin at age…
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violinguy
How to Learn Your Music Without Your Instrument
Surely one can’t actually learn music without practicing it on the instrument in a practice room. Well, that is only partly true. Yes, you have to have your instrument and you have to practice with it to learn music, but there are so many things that can be done with only your sheet music and…
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violinguy
Parents and Violin Lessons – How to Help
No matter what method is being taught to a child, the parents still play a key role in that child’s success. As a teacher, I teach Suzuki method with my youngest and beginning students. I stress the parents’ role from the beginning. One or both parents must be involved in a child’s musical development from…
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