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The only way to raise your proficiency in the violin is to practice. In the world of the string instruments more than any other, practice makes perfect. There is so much to learn and so many ways to learn the violin. You will need to employ targeted focus to your violin lessons to allow yourself to progress as quickly as possible.
On the road to becoming a professional musician the only thing that can stand in the way of your progress is you. Let’s take a look at how you can take violin lessons and accomplish your dream of becoming a violinist.
Choose A Violin Course Online Or At Home?
The are many ways to learn to play the violin, but the most popular styles are to learn online, learn with a free resource via self-study or to follow the traditional route of private one to one lessons with a violin instructor.
Each route comes with its own pros and cons. The direction that you ultimately select will highly depend on your goals for yourself and your music. If you want to be a professional musician, you would definitely study differently than if you were just learning the violin as a hobby.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways you can learn the violin and take a step closer towards becoming a musician.
The Pros And Con Of Online Violin Lessons
This is a very engaging form of study as when you work online you get access to the online world of violin teachers and you can choose anyone anywhere in the world to be your teacher. As long as you both have a good internet connection, Wi-Fi ready devices and high-quality microphone and camera. You will be able to have successful lessons.
Pros Of Learn Violin Online
- You can learn anywhere with any one of your choices.
- You can record your lessons and watch them back as often as you would like.
- Great to study music theory and practice specific areas.
Cons Of Online Violin
- Not great for the beginner as they will need more hands-on support.
- You need to have the exceptional equipment.
- It is easy for the teacher to miss small habits that you are developing.
The Pros And Con Of Self-Study Violin Classes
When you search online for ‘learn to play the violin’ there are no less than 41,000,000 results. You can watch millions of videos with musicians sharing everything from how to hold the bow for beginners to how to play a concerto. There is free sheet music for every song you can think of, free ebooks to teach you about music theory or popular blogs groups and communities where you can integrate yourself and your self-study routine.
Pros Of Violin Self Study
- Great for intermediate musicians or enthusiasts.
- You need to be highly motivated as learning to play the violin takes time.
- There is lots of free material online that can support your study.
Cons Of Self Study
- Not great for people with low levels of discipline.
- Too challenging for a beginner or very young students.
- The lack of guidance may support bad habits.
The Pros And Con Of Private Violin Lessons
Private violin lesson are the traditional route that most violinists take. The reason for this is not just because having a private violin tutor carries prestige. But learning how to play the violin is not just about how to use your bow and the strings to create the best sound.
If you are serious about becoming a violinist, then you need to bring together all of the elements of a talented musician.
This includes your posture, finger placement, reading music, the hold of the violin and bow, tuning, violin maintenance and many more points of attention.
Pros Of Studying The Violin Privately
- Fantastic route for the learner of all ages.
- Teachers can adjust your posture, placement and violin maintenance.
- The teacher can help you get rid of bad habits.
Cons Of Traditional Violin Classes
- Private lessons can be expensive.
- Your selection of teacher is limited to your local area.
- If you travel, you will miss the lessons.
Search for violin lessons near me here.
Choosing A Violin Teacher According To Their Experience!
When you are ready to find your violin teacher, you will need to look for the perfect mix of skills and experience. As well as a person that you enjoy working with towards your goals. Learning the violin, can take many years and so it is wise to find someone that you enjoy working with who has the know-how to drive you towards your goal of being a violinist.
Top Tips For Finding Your Violin Teacher
- Ask about which violin method they use.
- Decide where you would like to study.
- Get recommendations.
- Compare rates to get the best price.
- Interview them about how they will help you reach your goals.
- Ask for referrals on community pages.
- Stay safe if meeting privately.
- Use a music school who works with violin tutors.
What To Expect From Your Violin Lessons?
When you go for your violin lesson, you are likely to be studying using the traditional violin teaching methods, the Suzuki violin teaching method or even a blended mix of the two. The technique that you learn to play the violin with makes some difference to how you will learn. The method you chose will depend on you, but both methods come with pros and cons.
The Traditional Violin Learning Technique
This technique can be seen in lots of teaching methods, music students may learn differently, but all of them will be taught how to read music as a foundation for this style of teaching.
The Pros:
- Students learn how to read music
- Students study only with a professional tutor, parents don’t have much input.
- Study aids help with precision which is excellent for beginners
The Cons:
- Not easy for very young students who cannot read yet
- Multi-tasking reading music while playing can be very challenging and a bit of an overload especially for a new student to the instrument.
- Proactive learning only takes place when the student is with the tutor.
The Suzuki Violin Learning Technique
This technique comes from the idea that we all learnt to speak our native languages without being taught and so we should be able to learn music in the same way. Invented by a violinist called Shinichi Suzuki, this method takes a natural approach
The Pros:
- Students can place all of their attention on playing music as they don’t need to learn to read sheet music.
- Parents are heavily involved in the process which creates an intensive learning environment and allows parents and children to work together.
- You get to learn faster due to the focus on increasing confidence.
The Cons:
- Not reading sheet music can limit the options for children to join orchestras or music groups.
- Learning to read sheet music so late, may impede the student from incorporating it into their playing.
What To Expect From The Violin
- It can take years to get good with this instrument.
- You will likely find 4-year-olds who can play better than you, remember it’s not about competition but your personal practice.
- You can join a community of students and professional musicians who all play the violin.
- Your violin requires a lot of care and maintenance.
- You should practice daily.
- Your posture is an integral part of playing the violin.
How Much Does A Particular Violin Lesson Cost?
The cost of learning the violin can vary greatly depending on how you choose to learn and your current level.
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Learning To Play The Violin: Self Study
If you choose to learn to play the violin by yourself, then you will have access to lots of online resources for free or almost free. You will also be able to connect with online communities, mobile apps made especially for musicians and lots of books. The benefits of learning to play the violin independently are that it encourages an excellent work ethic if you are naturally self-motived with some knowledge of music it can really help to propel you forward. The cost to Self Study is from Free
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Learning To Play The Violin: Online
If you choose to learn to play the violin online, then you will join your violin teacher in an online environment and use chat software like Skype to communicate. The benefits of learning online are endless a key advantage is that you can meet with any violinist anywhere in the world and have lessons for as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection and compatible devices. The cost to study online is from £20
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Learning To Play The Violin: Privately
If you choose to learn to play the violin in one to one lessons. Then you will be following in the footsteps of the majority of classically training violinists. The benefits of private lessons are that you will get personalised feedback on how to improve your form and intonation. Any habits that you have developed will be noticed, and the teacher will be able to help you understand the correct form physically. The cost to study online is from £35
If you want to take violin lessons, then you will be in it for the long haul. Gaining proficiency in this instrument takes time, focus and dedication. If you aren’t passionate about the violin, it could be a challenge to rise to the professional level. But If you dream of being a professional musician is then learning the violin will bring your musical goal within your grasp. Let’s Make Music!
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