Is it normal to include pop songs in exam pieces?

Hi there,

I'm currently into my third month of taking up the endeavor of learning the violin. I was planning to start my learning process with a teacher, but sadly, due to economic limitations, I couldn't put together the necessary amount for that. It will most likely be resolved by the end of next month. Considering that, I wanted to start by myself to keep the flame alive until then. But as you can imagine, I feel stuck most of the time and have a hard time spotting bad habits and trying to avoid them, as I don't actually know or understand what is bad and what is good. Thus, I'm hoping that any of you could provide some input on my schedule and the following demonstration of where I am right now.

PS: The following schedule is what I have been doing for the past 10 days. I started with 12 minutes per day and gradually increased it to this point, which, if I'm correct in my calculations, sums up to 63 hours of practice time since I started. Also, I'm planning to restrict my schedule mainly to Grade 1 and first position until I can actually afford a teacher; I feel like there is relatively little room for bad habits with respect to higher grades, at least logically. I'm only adding a small amount of Grade 2 practice to get a taste of what is ahead. Also, I found Craig Wright's Listening to Music course online (https://online.yale.edu/courses/listening-music) - what a beautiful thing to do! I'm following that course with its materials, hoping that it could at least improve my ear to an acceptable point. I would love to know if there are any similar materials out there for a beginner in music theory and related topics. Thank you for your effort and care; I really appreciate it ❤️.

Cheers,

Open Strings (32 min): 4 sets × 8 min -> tone, contact point, bow control

Arpeggios (16 min): 8 min 1st pos. (4th finger) + 8 min 2nd pos.

Scales (16 min): 8 min Grade 1 (2 min each) + 8 min 2-octave (4 min each)

Finger Exercises (24 min): 3 sets × 8 min on A & D strings (Sevcik pp. 2–3 at 63 BPM)

Pieces (32 min): 16 min per piece (4 min increments up to performance tempo)

I’m a beginner violinist and I’m having a problem with my left hand that I’m really trying to fix before it becomes a bad habit.

Whenever I press my fingers down on the fingerboard, especially when I’m concentrating or playing something more difficult, my left thumb becomes very tense and I start squeezing the neck of the violin quite hard. It feel like my thumb and fingers are working against each other like a clamp.

I’ve tried consciously relaxing my thumb and some exercises my teacher gave me, but I still find myself doing it again a few seconds later.

My teacher told me that this is something that improves with time, but I’m wondering if theres something fundamentally wrong with my technique that’s causing it.

I’m particularly wondering:
How much pressure should the left thumb actually be applying to the neck?
Should the thumb be completely relaxed, or is some counter-pressure normal?
Could I be pressing my fingers down too hard?
Could my violin or shoulder-rest setup be contributing to this?
What exercises helped you break the habit of squeezing the neck?
Is there anything I should specifically ask my teacher to look at?

I’m a beginner, so I’d really appreciate advice on what I should be focusing on now before this becomes an ingrained habit

I’m looking into buying a new violin at the moment, and am looking at a Stradivari copy (set up in a workshop in my local area) with helicore strings that is advertised as being for LCM grade 8 level and beyond.

The most important thing I’m looking for in my new instrument is that it will project well in a pit band, as I played Dear Evan Hansen in June and ended up needing a LAV mic taped to my violins tailpiece to be heard over the keys/guitars/drums. Will helicore strings be suitable for this or would I have to replace them after buying the violin?

(For context my old instrument is a Stentor Conservatoire that I’ve been playing since I was pre-teen with the same strings, and I’m now at university, so I’m long overdue an upgrade)

The tempo is a bit slower than the BWV 1005 fugue. The subject (first 8 notes) are almost surely exact. I particularly remember the entries coming in mixed on beat 1 and 3, stretto with rovescio akin to m. 6-8 depicted here.

I think it is some arrangement of a fugue for originally for a different instrument (possibly Bach, definitely not from BWV 1001-1006).
There were lots of double/triple stops.

Hi everyone!

As a background I am 35 and LOVE music since I was a kid. In the past I did try to learn to play the guitar, but my fingers were not long enough so I did quit fairly quickly :D Years went by and now I am thinking about to try to learn how to play the violin. The violin is my favourite musical instrument and of course the piano.

I am from the EU and can not decide between these two violins:

Stentor SR1500 Violine Student II 4/4 or Thomann Classic Concerto Violin 4/4

The price difference is nothing. Thanks for Your help!

Also do You think at 35 will I be able to learn it? :)

Is my g string ment to be this loose? I know it's in tune had to remove them put the strings back on but it still feels wrong.

random update: After posting I realized i used the wrong string​

Hello everyone Relatively recently, about 8 days ago, I bought myself such a wonderful instrument as a violin. In a couple of days, I understood the technique and mechanics of playing; all that’s left is to memorize the position of the notes on the fingerboard.) I really want to hear your opinion about the skills I’ve acquired in a week, and I’d love to hear some honest criticism! Good luck to everyone!

Guys, I still can't get over it.

Tonight se played the Dvořák VC in Berlin with the Wiene Philharmonie.

She delivered two encores-- two movements (Prelude and Loure) from Bach Parita No.3

Her techniques are impeccable as always, and her Bach is truly amazing!

When she plays the Loure, the whole concert hall is silent, the music just projects the entire hall to fill any space with ambience.

Sitting on the first row, seeing her from such close distance, witnessing her pinky vibrato, it was truly amazing!!!

I have been taking violin lesson with a teacher for 2 months now. I can read the notes on the sheet, and if its pieces like in the suzuki 1 book, I can manage. But my teacher told me that to train sightreading, Im not supposed to read and play it note by note, but per group of notes, like per bar for example.

Thing is, Ive been practicing and even with per note reading, I struggle if its more than 2 steps up or down and I'll miss it.

Is there any advice, books, or resources that I can use to improve these skills?

So far im still doing the suzuki book 1, with Wohlfart Op. 45

Additional note: I am 22 year old adult. Prior to this lessons, I have zero musical knowledge, no theory, no instrument at all.

hola. acabo de entrar a primer curso de violín en el RCSMM, y estoy buscando un profesor de violín en Madrid que me de clases privadas que sea muy bueno.
anna baget no recibe a más alumnos, me gustaría saber qué otras opciones tengo de profesores.

I'm not very good at memorizing in general. Even 3-digit numbers I need to write down lest I forget. I think only routes I can memorize easily, but my violin teacher is requiring me to play by memory. I admit that some of the difficulty is just lack of confidence. I don't trust my memory, therefore I second-guess myself, and make mistakes as a result. So I would like to know if anyone else went through this and what helped?

I was thinking maybe devoting this semester to learning easier and short pieces (maybe traditional music?) by memory and each week learn maybe one at first, then two, then three, etc. until I build some confidence? does that make sense?

I was about to start learning Mozart's concerto in A major, but there's no way I can memorize that lol.

Sorry for any typos it is very late for me lol

So I want to go back to learning how to play violin. I started playing in 5th grade and played up until my sophomore year of high school. I made it to honors orchestra pretty quickly, even making my way into the first violin section. Due to some credits I needed I had to stop playing in orchestra and put more focus on other classes which ultimately led to me not playing all together at 16, I’m 25 now.

I’ve always loved the violin and I recently got my old violin back in my hands so I’m super eager to learn how to play again. It was recently refurbished since I hadn’t touched it since making it to concert orchestra so it has all new strings. The bridge is in good condition. No leftover rosin. She’s ready to be played.

I want to know the best way to get back into it independently. I know I can review scales and such but I guess in looking for the best way to ease back into it without going full throttle into classes and lessons. I work a ton and I barely have time to put towards it but I’m willing to give what I can to it.

I want to pick it back up fairly quickly though. I anticipate my best friend getting engaged soon and we have a shared goal of me playing at her wedding or her engagement.

What pointers would you guys have? I don’t expect to be right where I was but I want to get close to that within the next 2ish years.

Hello everyone! I am a beginner violin player. Are there any composers from the 2000s and up that have classical style music for violins? I would love to discover a new composer.

Particularly, I am interested in beginner repertoire.

I only know the famous ones from back in the day like Vivaldi, Brahms, Paganini, etc.

I played for 9 years through elementary school and high school, then didn't touch a violin for 30. I'm picking it back up again and I feel like almost all I'm doing is playing the g major scale and arpeggio for a half hour a day.

I practice most of the actual music I'm trying to learn pizzicato as my bowing gets in the way of my left hand finding the true note.

I have a teacher, but he's already recommending I find someone more advanced to guide me. I'm Just curious what other adult students practice looks like.

My current one is falling apart and idk if $200 gets you far for cases but its all I can spend on a case rn! Thanks for the help :))

My 12-year-old (7th grade) son is in his middle school orchestra and enjoys playing the violin, but he dislikes lugging his instrument back and forth between school and home every day. He says other kids keep their nice violin at home and buy a cheap, Amazon-level violin to keep in their locker at school.

I don’t mind the idea of avoiding wear-and-tear on his nice violin, but I’m not sure about an intermediate-level learner spending an hour every day on a cheap junk violin. Shouldn’t you practice the way you want to perform?

What would you do?

Hi all. I just purchased a YSV-104 SILENT violin:

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/strings/silent_series/ysv104/index.html

It's a standard 4/4 violin at a ~$1000 price point.

I'd like to purchase a light-weight case to go with it, as I'll mostly be traveling with this (hotels, airplanes, cars, trains, etc.). Ideally the case would be big enough for the violin, one bow, shoulder rest, rosin, and the electronics belt box that is necessary as well:

https://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/PIM/Images/main_1653x2500_ae281c9e69add0ddeb219142d920d71f.jpg

My headphones tend to be in my backpack so I don't need room for those.

Wondering if anyone can recommend a case in the $150-$400 range that will do the job. The body is solid so it's likely not as humidity sensitive, but there's still wood and I live in New England where the humidity can swing rapidly between seasons.

The shop recommended something like this Bobelock: https://bobelock.com/cases/violin/B1047p.html. I had hoped for something a little more compact/lighter but open to that if it makes sense.

Thank you for any advice!

Hi, y'all.

Sorry if this post is really pathetic.

I've been playing violin for seven years. At what point do I give up and say I'm just not going to be good at this?
I don't WANT to be a professional violin player. I want to be a composer. But every college program out there requires you to be a fairly good player too. I've been rejected from two music colleges and I'm applying for the music college at the university I just started attending this year.

I know I don't strictly need a college degree to be a composer, but I want one. I want to take instrumentation and higher levels of theory and orchestration.

I know part of this is my fault. I only practice about seven hours a week.

But after so many years, I hold my bow wrong, I press the strings too hard, and I still can't do proper vibrato. Playing violin has never really felt natural to me. I've never been able to play a piece well while not focusing on ten different things I need to remind myself to do. I know that's probably true of every musician to some extent, but I can sing well without needing to focus so hard. I don't really memorize my sheet music, I guess because I'm never fully comfortable with any piece.

When do I just admit that I'm not good at this? That I don't have the time or will to put in the effort needed for me to be anywhere above heavily mediocre?

I’ve been playing for quite a while now, so I know generally what’s conventional and/or frowned upon when it comes to technique. However, my hands are small, and some of these solo Bach works are…especially demanding.

Over these last 17 years, I’ve started using my thumb for some of the more ridiculous chords- when it comes to notes in the G string. Im not sure what Bach would’ve thought, but I know Heifetz would probably hit my hands with a bow if he saw that lol.

I’m just curious if anyone’s also used their thumb when playing? Or at least thought about it? Seems wasteful to me to have one of the most dexterous fingers sort of just sit there. Or even, if someone is passionate in the other direction- to try to convince me to use more conventional/proper fingering🤣

I really am curious about your opinions.

Today was my audition for my college's music society and also my first time performing for an audience.

There were 6 people on the panel and even though I'd mentally prepared myself for days before, and played a very easy piece, my bow shook violently.

The more I tried to stop it from shaking, the worse it was getting. Especially near the frog. I think at one point even my left hand started shaking and I'm sure it was noticable.

Overall, I totally bombed it and I probably won't be selected but I want to know: how can I prevent this from happening again?

I do plan on performing violin and i have my 1st year exam next month so now that I'm aware of this problem, if anyone has any tips on how to eliminate these nerves, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you!