Top 5 Reasons To Learn To Play The Violin
Hi and welcome to my Lens. My name is Gary and I am, amongst other things a violin instructor with over 10 years experience. I hope to share with you some of the benefits of supplementing your violin tutoring and practice with some of the best online resources.
5 Reasons To Learn To Play The Violin
Can't think of a single reason to learn to play the violin? Allow me to provide you with five!1) Playing the violin will make you smarter! Studies show that people who play an instrument have a higher IQ than those who do not play an instrument. People who play an instrument also perform better in memory tests and children who play an instrument have higher grades than their non-musical peers.
2) The violin will make you more creative. Albert Einstein is widely known as the father of relativity theory. What is perhaps less well known is that Einstein was also an enthusiastic violinist. Many anecdotes relate how Einstein, confounded with a difficult mathematical problem, would reach for his violin and begin playing. Minutes later he would have the solution. Psychologists explain that playing an instrument activates the right (creative) part of the brain, enhancing our lateral problem solving abilities. learn to play the violin and you can also start to unlock your hidden creativity!
3) Sheer Beauty! I doubt their is a sound so beautiful, endlessly enchanting or aesthetically pleasing as the sound of a master violinist at the peak of his powers. Of course when you first learn to play the violin you will not approach this level, but you will constantly surprise yourself with the wonderful sounds you create as you progress along your path to violin competency.
4) Sense of achievement! As a violinist and violin instructor with many years of experience I can tell you right now there is no sense of achievement that comes close to the feeling of mastering a score which previously had you pulling your hair out. Also, going back and breezing easily through those pieces which you find hard when you started to learn to play the violin will let you see exactly how far you have come.
5) Discipline. When you learn to play the violin you learn more than a mere instrument: you have to learn a whole new mindset. You have to learn to set and accomplish goals. You have to learn to practice day in day out, now matter how you may feel. You have to learn to keep coming back and never give up, no matter how demotivated you feel. In short you learn that most valuable to characteristics: discipline.
learn to play the violin now and you will be on the road to more than just learning the most beautiful art ever devised!
Choosing A Violin To Learn On
Hand made or factory produced, what is best for learning the violin?
When you start to learn to play the violin it is tempting to buy a cheap, mass produced violin. These go for under 200 bucks and even as little as $100. The logic here is understandable - as a newbie you don't know whether you will be able to learn the violin successfully, and want to minimise the amount of money you might lose if it all goes pear shaped.However you should avoid the temptation to take shortcuts with the quality of violin you use. You can buy an excellent, hand-made violin for as little as $300 - for an extra $100 - $200 you can have a vast improvement in quality. A hand made violin will sound far better, increasing your enjoyment of playing and improving your musical ear far better than the second rate sound of a factory made violin.
You should also make sure you get first class instruction by someone who is renowned both as an excellent violinist and as a violin teacher. For anyone who wants to learn to play the violin I can enthusiastically endorse the excellent course by Eric Lewis, one of the worlds top violinists, and a world class instructor with 40 years of teaching experience under his belt.
The Real Secret To Playing The Violin - Persistence
When you first start playing you will sound scratchy, and will hit all the wrong notes. It is easy to become frustrated. Keep persisting though and I guarantee you will have results.
As far as a good teacher goes I highly recommend Eric Lewis. Eric is one of the worlds greatest violinists, and he has many years experience teaching violin to learners of all ages and abilities. His engaging style will keep your enthusiasm bubbling over and he possesses reams of knowledge to impart to his students. Even as a proficient player myself I learned a lot from Eric's excellent course which will teach you how to learn the violin as painlessly as possible. The full course is available at violin beginner
How To Hold The Violin
At first most beginners will struggle with the slightly unnatural feel of the violin, will let it slip around and hunch over it with their chin on the instrument. In this video Fred Carpenter gives newbies some pointers on how to correctly hold the violin
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The Benefits Of A Shoulder Rest
I highly recommend that anyone new to the violin purchase a shoulder rest. As the name suggest the shoulder rest is simply something we attach to the violin to allow it to fit more comfortably against the shoulder. The benefits of a shoulder rest are, first of all better playing. because the violin is less likely to move around when fitted snugly against the shoulder. You will also feel more comfortable and will be better able to maintain good posture. There are many types of shoulder rests, and I recommend you try a few until you find one which feels just right. Play The Violin (better)!
Any aspiring violinist needs needs a few bits and pieces to get started. Here are my recommendations.
Learning The Violin At Home - A Viable Option
The ability to play a musical instrument is one of the great gifts life can offer. There really is nothing quite like the ability to dazzle others with a virtuoso musical performance. If you are trying to decide on an instrument, my (admittedly biased) suggestion would be to try to learn the violin. If you have already decided to learn the violin and wish to improve or expand your repertoire then I my recommendation is to take advantage of some of the fantastic home learning opportunities currently available. Learning the violin at home confers many advantages over traditional person to person tutoring sessions.First of all home learning is much cheaper. To visit a tutor on a weekly basis requires some serious dollar - a good tutor can cost you hundreds, even thousands of dollars each year. You can buy an excellent home tutoring set for a fraction of this cost.
Home learning is also much more flexible than traditional tutoring. You can follow the tutorials in your own time and at your own pace. If you don't get something immediately, then you can hit the back button and go over it again, as many times as you need. You are not compelled to take lessons at a time which suits your instructor; you take them when you feel like playing. You are the person who decides when each lesson starts and for how long it should last
Tutorials for learning the violin at home also come with a generous amount of information regarding all aspects of the instrument: its history and culture as well as its grammar and playing technique. You can immerse yourself in all different types of information, and learn about the aspects of learning the violin which interest you the most. You will also be able to view pictures and watch videos which instruct you on the correct method of holding the violin and to examine different playing styles.
Possibly the most important advantage that home based classes have is that they are completely satisfaction guaranteed: if you buy a course and are not completely satisfied with its quality, then you can simply return the entire course and get all your money back: you are not out a single penny.
If you are thinking of learning to play the violin, then the method of instruction you should use is a no-brainer: the advantages of learning the violin at home are many: convenience, cost and flexibility. Jump right in now and take advantage of the opportunity to learn the violin at home. You will be taking a first step on the road to a lifetime of fulfillment.
How To Hold The Bow
It is important for beginners to know how to properly hold the bow to, or they will never get the correct sound from their instrument. This video is an excellent demonstration of how to properly hold the bow.
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Points To Consider When Buying An Online Violin Course
If you are looking into the prospect of buying a violin for beginners course, there are certain things you ought to look for in any prospective package.1) You need to make sure he course is friendly to beginners, but with enough information to allow you to grow and expand well beyond "beginner" status. Having been through the entire course I can tell you with certainty Eric Lewis' course is the best introduction to the violin for beginners
2) You need a course taught by an experienced violinist and teacher. As Eric Lewis is widely regarded as one of the best violinists on the planet, plays with the Manhattan string quartet and has 40 years of teaching experience under his belt, he is more than amply qualified in the regard.
3) The course should have a 100% money back guarantee, this way if you are in any way dissatisfied you are sure to get you money back. Eric Lewis' violin for beginners course guarantees you a complete refund if you are not completely happy.
Some Relevant Links
- Beginning Violin
- A community devoted to the violin, including blogs, discussion boards and a store.
- History Of The Violin
- This wikipedia entry has everything you could want to know on the history of the violin.
- Learn How To Play The Violin
- Tips And Advice On Playing Violin
- Learn Violin
- A Good Wordpress Blog With Tips and Advice
- Violin Beginner
- This Is The Course I Recommend To My Students
- Learn To PLay The Violin Now
- This is an interesting blog I found on blogger, which basically reinforces some of my points.
by musiclover74
My name is Gary, I am a 36 year old teacher. I teach math full time, and teach chess and violin on a part time basis. These three things are my passio... more »
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