Violin Class

I've talked a lot about violin warmups and technique exercises that you should be doing at the beginning of your practice session, but it’s just as important to look at how to end our practice.

The way we end our practice session sets up the beginning of the next day’s work, and ideally we end wanting to go on and not in a mountain of frustration (although that happens, too!)

Here’s my suggestion for ending your violin practice: the R/R/R method. 

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For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

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I’m joined by cellist and online editor of the Strad, Davina Shum. We discuss practicing, careers in classical music, and practical tips for adult learners.

Full blog post
the Strad Podcast

Articles by Davina:
Why don't string players practice pizzicato
The importance and difficulty of playing softly
A case for depping

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For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

In my 15 years of teaching violin, I’ve noticed a topic that is confusing for a lot of adult learners: how to structure their technique and warmup practice.

In this blog post, I wanted to discuss six things that I think that every violinist should be practicing in some form at every practice session— some of these will be more geared towards intermediate to advanced players, but most will apply to beginners as well. I hope to give you a few more things to add to your practice routine and some ideas for how to practice them.

Full blog post
Free warmup guide

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For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

I’m joined violists Liz & Steph, the hosts of MusicianCentric Podcast. They share new research on how to practice smarter and the differences between viola and violin.

Listen to MusicianCentric podcast here
Molly Gebrian episode / Susanna Klein episode
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Full blog post and transcript
Free violin warmups guide
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For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

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 I’m sharing an interview with my private student, Carly. Carly started the violin in her late 20s and has made fast progress in the 2 years that we have been working together.

She discusses how she’s been able to progress without having a ton of time to practice— in addition to learning violin, Carly is busy raising and homeschooling 4 young children.

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For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

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Joining me on Violin Class this week is violin teacher Rachael Ridge, with whom I’ll be discussing:

• Body awareness
• How to relax and release tension as an adult learner.
• The importance of singing
• Proper posture on violin

As well as her own journey with arthritis and how she’s been able to practice to avoid pain.

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For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

Vibrato Series 3/3.  
Did you know that certain styles of vibrato can be controversial? This episodes explores the most common mistakes violinists make at every level of their playing.

In this episode, you’ll learn about what issues are most prevalent when violinists are learning vibrato in beginner, intermediate, and advanced stages of their studies.

Links:
Vibrato Masterclass - Live online class April 13th
Free vibrato ebook
Accompanying blog post | video version
Violin Class newsletter
Other vibrato episodes: Part 2 | Part 1

For lesson inquiries, contact me here or email me at [email protected].

For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

Send me a text message

For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

Vibrato series 2/3

Learning vibrato is such an important rite of passage when it comes to learning the violin.  It's something that every violin student strives for and something that sometimes feels impossible to learn.

However, vibrato is not a beginner technique, and I completely understand the frustration when it comes to wanting to play with a beautiful sound but not having vibrato in your toolbox.

Here are some things that you can start doing even as a beginner, even in your first year of violin playing to get ready to learn vibrato.

Links:
Vibrato Masterclass - Live online class April 13th:
Free vibrato ebook
Accompanying blog post
Violin Class newsletter
Other vibrato episodes: Part 1 | Part 3

For lesson inquiries, contact me here or email me at [email protected].

Send me a text message

For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

Vibrato Series 1/3. 
Learning vibrato is a long process, but there is a method to it. With the right guidance, a lot of practice and a whole lot of patience, you can learn vibrato and add it to your playing.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• What vibrato is and how it works
• Arm vs. wrist vibrato
• The 4 stages of learning vibrato
• Examples of different styles of vibrato

Links:
Vibrato Masterclass - Live online class April 13th:
Free vibrato ebook
Accompanying blog post | video version
Violin Class newsletter
Other vibrato episodes: Part 2 | Part 3 

For lesson inquiries, contact me here or email me at [email protected].

Send me a text message

For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries

So much to practice and so little time: I think this is a feeling that a lot of us can relate to. I'm going to show you how you can continue to progress on the violin even if you're limited by your schedule.
In this episode, I discuss: 
- The 2 keys to practicing with limited time
- How to fit more violin practice time into your day
- How to approach practicing during busy seasons of life
- My 3-template practice plan system

Send me a text message

For lesson inquiries, contact me at violinclass.co/contact or [email protected].

Violin Class Website | Instagram | Lesson inquiries