My violin teacher Peter Zaret taught me everything you just talked about 44 years ago. I am still playing the violin today at age 57. I am not a professional violinist, but I enjoy playing the violin, and people say they enjoy my playing.-Jennifer Allen
When i started learning, (almost 30 years ago, I feel so old remembering that) my teacher told me to imagine that the neck of the violin was a red hot piece of steel, that way I wasn't resting the neck between my thumb in index finger which restricted the ability to move up the neck and also meant that I was keeping my knuckles high above the fingerboard and using the bare minimum of my finger tips pressed hard to make the note, it gave a much cleaner sound.
I used to play violin from the age of 8 until 13/14. I stopped for years, now after almost 17 years I want to pick it up again, absolutely miss it! Looking to get a violin again and watching your tutorials to get myself back in shape. 🙏
Believe me guys ,I have seen a lot of tutorials on violin lessons for beginners but this is the absolute best. Focuses on basics and fundamentals to get good tone and sound.
I have got rid of my banana thumb problem I need to work on bending my wrist more and my lazy elbow. I am so grateful for all the help you have given me. Thanks to Facebook and TH-cam.
Thank you SO much for your wonderful videos! I'm an adult (ok, OLD!) beginner (I played a bit when I was a child), and picked up my violin again during the pandemic. I've made some progress, and your videos will help me immensely as I continue my studies. Again, many thanks, and I'm looking forward to your course on vibrato!
I really appreciate your clarity, lack of preamble, straight to the point/s delivery. And your demonstration of the 5 points is top notch too. Thank you.
Wow ... thank you! Your observation about hand height in relation to the fingerboard helped me loosen my hand. My vibrato improved 100 percent immediately.
Congratulations, you appear to me as a very good teacher, with quick and clear explanations AND demonstrations ! Looking forward to follow you these next weeks and months ! I am a professional pianist, but just took back on violin after 30 years intermission, and, to my pleasure, it's coming back better than ever !
Just ordered some Rosin from your store. :) Thank you for this video. I was a self taught violinist with all of these bad habits but your video helped me to know what to look for! Thank you so much!
I'm watching your videos again and again, every time I'm understanding more and more. it's clear that you're a very caring teacher. your the best. I wish I can learn with you personally, not through the screen (but for now I'm stuck in New York).
Thank you for the tips. I have been struggling with some of these exact things and and appreciate your site and what you have explained, You sound like an amazing instructor.
I love that #1-4 are all bow-focused issues. YES! The sound is created by the bow. Stop focusing on the left hand so much, every violin teacher ever! But if you do, #5 is true and a common problem. The reason for a contact point at or below the joint of the finger is how it affects the angle at which fingertips come down on the strings. It's a root cause of a lot of finger-related problems. Comments about different-length fingers - you're gonna need perfect violin posture and extremely long fingers to be successful with intonation and speed dexterity while placing your contact point anywhere on the first finger at all. Best to start right on the joint and adjust a bit up or down from there. Thanks for the vid
I'm just a complete beginner in playing violin (my first test-it-out-instrument was around 15 bucks, and I'm self-teaching myself with the aid of videos on youtube just like yours), but not even I made those mistakes. Maybe it is because I've been watching so many violinist like Mutter, Hahn, Sterling, Rieu, Kennedy (and so on) that I subconcious avoid these bad habits automatically.
I totally agree with this video, whenever I keep reminding myself and concentrating those points while I'm playing I definitely make a lot more elegant sound. However when I'm not paying attention, I found myself making squeeks a lot
If you're watching this as a total beginner, these are all good advice. The one bit where he is playing a scale, he is using vibrato, for beginners it is best to practice scales without vibrato, it can interfere with your intonation.
I love your videos they are really helping started playing again after about 30 years doing grade 4 this year, still have difficulty reaching 4th finger I have a very short small finger any other tips?
I've been learning in school for 3 years and I have all these bad habits because if my bad teacher and it's only now that I've started private lessons I've started to break these habits
Vani Your teacher probably told you to fix it on your first year, you just weren't paying attention. Kids at my school in orchestra with me have these habits, which they were supposed to correct on their second year, now they're on their 4th-5th year.Not the teacher's fault if you don' t have awarity of your mistakes, and care enough to fix them, while practicing with a goal.( I' m just assuming this based on what I've seen, if it's different than this, sorry to waste your time,would you care to inform me? ) F
Too bad. Margery Virginia Aber has gone to her just reward. She was a first rate strings teacher. I became a prima violist in just 8 months. Never seen anything like it. (And, no...I'm not an Asian girl).
I love all of your tips except for the last one. Different people have different length fingers so some people will need to hold their fingers at different heights in accordance with the fingerboard.
Yes, but his point is on the that height which each individual should figure out by self, showing them what students get wrong, and where, and why as well.
I don't agree with his last tip. The tip of the left-hand thumb should be touching under the neck and your hand shouldn't be touching the neck at all. You'd stand no chance of playing quickly or doing vibrato with the neck of the violin cradled in the crook of your thumb like that. If your left arm is pulled across your body, you should easily be able to reach all the strings.
His last tip was correct, simply put. The best violinists always have their hands making use of gravity. The more your fingers can just fall upon the strings and sound notes without additional force being used to push down on the string, the better player you are. His advice was sound, and such a small adjustment does not affect your vibrato, unless you are just beginning wrist/arm vibrato and are discovering how best to do it.
I agree Autumn, but most students don't get their fingers high enough in general, so it's rare (maybe 1% of the time) that I have to advise for a student to get their hand lower in accordance to the fingerboard. So my tip is a generalization that will help 99% of people get their hand higher (hopefully). And even for the few that have big fingers, it's likely they also have too low of a hand in accordance to the fingerboard. I tell students all the time - knuckles up!
Back in 6th grade (a year ago) I somehow picked the violin up fast and got to learn harder material for an LGPE, but one of the hardest things for me was getting my fourth finger out. It's because I have really short fingers, it has nothing to do with my knuckles. I eventually got used to getting them out, but I do not think it is a matter of low knuckles. Great video though.
I am sorry. Trying to register to your adult webinar but don't know how. I did upload the zoom app. Thanks for your lessons. Short, sweet, & right to the point.
I tend to only use the end of the bow, furthest away from the heel. I also have very flexible fingers so my thumb bends back on my bowing hand and my fingers all do on my left
Thank you for this video.....it was really helpful...... can you make a video to do s proper stacatto tooo...... it would be really helpful..... and vibrato too
Just found your videos, I have to bend my wrist quite a bit when I’m at the very tip of my bow. My arm length is probably much shorter than most, That or I’m doing something wrong that I’ve gotten away with for a long time! Starting back after more than 20 years. Yikes! My dogs hate me now.
Hello my name is Ariana and I am a leftie on the flute in a University Youth Orchestra. I have a few questions to ask. Is it possible for a leftie on the flute to easily learn how to play the violin? Would it be possible or difficult for a leftie to learn how to play the violin with the bow in with either the left or right hand? Which hand would be easier to learn with? Should I take the risk of learning how to play the violin? Or should I just stick with playing the flute?
I literally got a violin yesterday to try and learn. My bicep is practically cramping trying to twist my wrist enough to let my fingers fall on the strings properly. Its almost like I'm not flexible enough. Any tips?
2:20 Is it normal to experience pain in the first finger when getting the hand in that position? Or is it just when using the 4th finger? Thanks for the tips (:
Persistence. One method you can try is to over exaggerate the new hold or technique and practise it on open strings or on simple scale piece. This helps get the new technique kickstarted and to get your body/mind used to the new feeling. You would need to dial it back of course for correct technique.
Remember to practice slowly. This allows you to make sure that everything is as it should be while you're getting used to a new technique and/or fixing a bad habit.
I’m a guitarist, but I’ve learned that to improve your technique on any instrument, you just have to take it slowly to phase out bad habits as if you are relearning the instrument (because in a way, you are relearning)
Quick question: are you left handed? I am & not too sure what type of violin should i buy or even if i should by a left handed one. I am amin towards the traditional way. Use my right side & bow with my dominant hand which is my left hand.
Question: Have you ever have a student trying to start to play a piece and then suddenly pass out? I have extremely good hearing in one ear and when I try to play higher notes, I have passed out before, but I tend to get headaches. I wondered if it was because I am bouncing or squeaking the notes, but no. Even listening to others, more professionally, play the violin I still have that weird headache when they start to hit higher notes and I get light headed sometimes. Lower notes will make my chest and neck feel funny. Any advice?
Bobby Alby hello, my violin teacher used to pass out sometimes when she played when she was younger. It turned out she was pressing against a blood vessel in her neck and cutting off the blood supply which caused her to faint. Maybe look at how you are holding the violin and change how you hold it under your chin.
Hi Sir, I'm bit confused for right hand thumb position for bow hold. Right now, I place my thumb in the area between groove and pad of the bow. This I followed from other online videos and got habituated to it. Is this fine to have this way? I started watching your videos and I see in your videos that, thumb to be placed in the groove of the bow. Can you please suggest on this?
My violin teacher Peter Zaret taught me everything you just talked about 44 years ago. I am still playing the violin today at age 57. I am not a professional violinist, but I enjoy playing the violin, and people say they enjoy my playing.-Jennifer Allen
When i started learning, (almost 30 years ago, I feel so old remembering that) my teacher told me to imagine that the neck of the violin was a red hot piece of steel, that way I wasn't resting the neck between my thumb in index finger which restricted the ability to move up the neck and also meant that I was keeping my knuckles high above the fingerboard and using the bare minimum of my finger tips pressed hard to make the note, it gave a much cleaner sound.
I used to play violin from the age of 8 until 13/14. I stopped for years, now after almost 17 years I want to pick it up again, absolutely miss it! Looking to get a violin again and watching your tutorials to get myself back in shape. 🙏
Believe me guys ,I have seen a lot of tutorials on violin lessons for beginners but this is the absolute best. Focuses on basics and fundamentals to get good tone and sound.
i have a violin and ive been trying to teach myself....i definitely should get a teacher
yeah me too
Me too but i quit after grade 1 because the fee is too expensive as it was the only violin class in my district
TwinEclipse.....me 2👍
TwinEclipse I hate when people say violin is easy and that you don’t need a teacher, um yes, you do!
Luke Beckstrom and you have to start when you're like under the age of 10
Thank you, as a beginner, I needed to know all of that, may peace be unto you, and to your family.
I have got rid of my banana thumb problem I need to work on bending my wrist more and my lazy elbow. I am so grateful for all the help you have given me. Thanks to Facebook and TH-cam.
On point. Short and precise video... somebody give this guy a medal🏅
Thank you SO much for your wonderful videos! I'm an adult (ok, OLD!) beginner (I played a bit when I was a child), and picked up my violin again during the pandemic. I've made some progress, and your videos will help me immensely as I continue my studies. Again, many thanks, and I'm looking forward to your course on vibrato!
I've been playing for seven years and still do some of these! Thanks
I really appreciate your clarity, lack of preamble, straight to the point/s delivery. And your demonstration of the 5 points is top notch too. Thank you.
Wow ... thank you! Your observation about hand height in relation to the fingerboard helped me loosen my hand. My vibrato improved 100 percent immediately.
Glad to hear it Jim! Hope you are improving on the violin.
Been practicing for six months on my own. This teaches me a whole lot!
Congratulations, you appear to me as a very good teacher, with quick and clear explanations AND demonstrations !
Looking forward to follow you these next weeks and months ! I am a professional pianist, but just took back on violin after
30 years intermission, and, to my pleasure, it's coming back better than ever !
i did all of those 5 bad habits 😂 thanks for pointing it out!
Jannah Cheekie me four lol so baddd
The main thing is to understand it😂
Just ordered some Rosin from your store. :) Thank you for this video. I was a self taught violinist with all of these bad habits but your video helped me to know what to look for! Thank you so much!
I'm watching your videos again and again, every time I'm understanding more and more. it's clear that you're a very caring teacher. your the best. I wish I can learn with you personally, not through the screen (but for now I'm stuck in New York).
This is unbelievably helpful!!! I was doing the mistake #1 and right after i corrected it my bow changes became so LIT🔥
finally videos that get right to the point. thanks man
I got into varsity Orchestra, I'm almost on my fourth year of learning, and I thought I was actually good..... This man just proved me wrong.
My teacher never explains these things.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I TRIED AND I AM SOUNDING SO MUCH BETTER AND GETTING LESS CRAMPS!! BLESS YOU SIR
Thank you for the tips. I have been struggling with some of these exact things and and appreciate your site and what you have explained, You sound like an amazing instructor.
good tips, I've only been playing a year...this will help me a lot.
Very informative video! Will be checking out the rest of them!
I love that #1-4 are all bow-focused issues. YES! The sound is created by the bow. Stop focusing on the left hand so much, every violin teacher ever! But if you do, #5 is true and a common problem. The reason for a contact point at or below the joint of the finger is how it affects the angle at which fingertips come down on the strings. It's a root cause of a lot of finger-related problems. Comments about different-length fingers - you're gonna need perfect violin posture and extremely long fingers to be successful with intonation and speed dexterity while placing your contact point anywhere on the first finger at all. Best to start right on the joint and adjust a bit up or down from there. Thanks for the vid
Awesome insight, the last one was kinda a bummer for me. Ur great man.
Excellent! I am self taught and these helped me. Subscribed
I'm just a complete beginner in playing violin (my first test-it-out-instrument was around 15 bucks, and I'm self-teaching myself with the aid of videos on youtube just like yours), but not even I made those mistakes. Maybe it is because I've been watching so many violinist like Mutter, Hahn, Sterling, Rieu, Kennedy (and so on) that I subconcious avoid these bad habits automatically.
Thank you.
I was struggling to reach notes on g string.
With improved hand height i tried and i see results. Thank you.
I totally agree with this video, whenever I keep reminding myself and concentrating those points while I'm playing I definitely make a lot more elegant sound. However when I'm not paying attention, I found myself making squeeks a lot
youre teaching great!!! today morning i was taught the same thing by my teacher
If you're watching this as a total beginner, these are all good advice. The one bit where he is playing a scale, he is using vibrato, for beginners it is best to practice scales without vibrato, it can interfere with your intonation.
This video helped me out a lot. Thank you very much
5th advice was really beneficial.. was getting trouble to play C# on G string with my little Finger..
Very good information...good teacher...good info...no waffle...
I love your videos they are really helping started playing again after about 30 years doing grade 4 this year, still have difficulty reaching 4th finger I have a very short small finger any other tips?
Thank you, this was a very helpful video! :)
I've been learning in school for 3 years and I have all these bad habits because if my bad teacher and it's only now that I've started private lessons I've started to break these habits
Vani Your teacher probably told you to fix it on your first year, you just weren't paying attention. Kids at my school in orchestra with me have these habits, which they were supposed to correct on their second year, now they're on their 4th-5th year.Not the teacher's fault if you don' t have awarity of your mistakes, and care enough to fix them, while practicing with a goal.( I' m just assuming this based on what I've seen, if it's different than this, sorry to waste your time,would you care to inform me? )
F
+that random spidercat Then again if the teacher sees the habits again they should remind the students on what they should not be doing.
Too bad. Margery Virginia Aber has gone to her just reward. She was a first rate strings teacher. I became a prima violist in just 8 months. Never seen anything like it. (And, no...I'm not an Asian girl).
Don’t blame da teacher ;)
This is a great instructional video. I learned a lot.
This is a very good tutorial of things we should do during our practice, this helped me alot thx
U r good sir.... U r my teacher in quarantine
Really helpful since I have some problems that can be solved by this. Nice video!
I have 4 of these bad habits... 😢
Going to work on them right now!
Amazing video! ☺
Dude thanks a lot I all was mass up when I'm doing the d string but with the part about the elbow really helps I never thought of that when I play
AWESOME TIPS, THANK YOU MICHAEL.
Honestly I’m not a violin player but it is nice to know these things
I love all of your tips except for the last one. Different people have different length fingers so some people will need to hold their fingers at different heights in accordance with the fingerboard.
Yes, but his point is on the that height which each individual should figure out by self, showing them what students get wrong, and where, and why as well.
I don't agree with his last tip. The tip of the left-hand thumb should be touching under the neck and your hand shouldn't be touching the neck at all. You'd stand no chance of playing quickly or doing vibrato with the neck of the violin cradled in the crook of your thumb like that. If your left arm is pulled across your body, you should easily be able to reach all the strings.
His last tip was correct, simply put. The best violinists always have their hands making use of gravity. The more your fingers can just fall upon the strings and sound notes without additional force being used to push down on the string, the better player you are. His advice was sound, and such a small adjustment does not affect your vibrato, unless you are just beginning wrist/arm vibrato and are discovering how best to do it.
I agree Autumn, but most students don't get their fingers high enough in general, so it's rare (maybe 1% of the time) that I have to advise for a student to get their hand lower in accordance to the fingerboard. So my tip is a generalization that will help 99% of people get their hand higher (hopefully). And even for the few that have big fingers, it's likely they also have too low of a hand in accordance to the fingerboard. I tell students all the time - knuckles up!
Really useful and interesting! Thanks
Short and relevant tips. Very useful.
Wow... How awesome!!!
Thank you Sir!!
I am gonna practice hard playing a 🎻 ♥
Back in 6th grade (a year ago) I somehow picked the violin up fast and got to learn harder material for an LGPE, but one of the hardest things for me was getting my fourth finger out. It's because I have really short fingers, it has nothing to do with my knuckles. I eventually got used to getting them out, but I do not think it is a matter of low knuckles. Great video though.
HAHAHA MEMORIES AHHHH
This was very helpful! Thank you!
That violin sounds great!
Super tips 👍👍👍
I am sorry. Trying to register to your adult webinar but don't know how. I did upload the zoom app. Thanks for your lessons. Short, sweet, & right to the point.
Thanks Sir 👍 👌 .
You explained every single thing .
Those are some awesome tips to remember. Thanks for the great video that I thoroughly enjoyed. :)
Excellent video
I tend to only use the end of the bow, furthest away from the heel. I also have very flexible fingers so my thumb bends back on my bowing hand and my fingers all do on my left
Brilliant tips!!!
This is very useful. I'm sure it will help me improve.🎻
Now I got to know where I go wrong. Thnku sir
Thank you for this video.....it was really helpful...... can you make a video to do s proper stacatto tooo...... it would be really helpful..... and vibrato too
Thanks for the advice my fourth finger is so much better now
My problems are no 3 and 5. I'll go fix it. Thanks for the video
Thank you for makinh this video.😊 Im gonna start practiceing now
Thank you so much!!!! I needed this!!!! =)
Excellent. Very good advice.
Just found your videos, I have to bend my wrist quite a bit when I’m at the very tip of my bow. My arm length is probably much shorter than most, That or I’m doing something wrong that I’ve gotten away with for a long time! Starting back after more than 20 years. Yikes! My dogs hate me now.
Great lessons Michael. At what speed would you recommend working through them?
Thank you for sharing you knowledge!
Great video,thank you sir
Thank you 🙏🏽 I was making all these mistakes 🙈
Great! Tks so much
Michael How can I get the Music book for your beginning lessons
Very good tips great advise 🖒👏
This video is so helpful.😊
Hello my name is Ariana and I am a leftie on the flute in a University Youth Orchestra. I have a few questions to ask. Is it possible for a leftie on the flute to easily learn how to play the violin? Would it be possible or difficult for a leftie to learn how to play the violin with the bow in with either the left or right hand? Which hand would be easier to learn with? Should I take the risk of learning how to play the violin? Or should I just stick with playing the flute?
Hi sir. Can you make a video of buying violin for beginners?? Which violin is better for beginners??
This was helpful!! Thanks
I literally got a violin yesterday to try and learn. My bicep is practically cramping trying to twist my wrist enough to let my fingers fall on the strings properly. Its almost like I'm not flexible enough. Any tips?
Thanks 4 the tips👍
God bless u 🙏
🎻 💛🌷
2:20 Is it normal to experience pain in the first finger when getting the hand in that position? Or is it just when using the 4th finger? Thanks for the tips (:
Perfect now I realise how shit I am for trying to self teach myself for so long :( Any suggestions to change the bad habits?
Persistence. One method you can try is to over exaggerate the new hold or technique and practise it on open strings or on simple scale piece. This helps get the new technique kickstarted and to get your body/mind used to the new feeling. You would need to dial it back of course for correct technique.
Remember to practice slowly. This allows you to make sure that everything is as it should be while you're getting used to a new technique and/or fixing a bad habit.
I’m a guitarist, but I’ve learned that to improve your technique on any instrument, you just have to take it slowly to phase out bad habits as if you are relearning the instrument (because in a way, you are relearning)
@@xxXthekevXxx I agree
Quick question: are you left handed? I am & not too sure what type of violin should i buy or even if i should by a left handed one. I am amin towards the traditional way. Use my right side & bow with my dominant hand which is my left hand.
Can i do this tips on viola?
Very nice instrument, I like them
thank you very helpful!
Great tips, ty
Sir I am a beginner it would be great if you told me about where to get notations to any classical music piece
Excellent tips
i do have question on vibrtro. as a beginner, how do I do this
Thank you so much. Bro.
Which violin should I take as a beginner
Question: Have you ever have a student trying to start to play a piece and then suddenly pass out? I have extremely good hearing in one ear and when I try to play higher notes, I have passed out before, but I tend to get headaches. I wondered if it was because I am bouncing or squeaking the notes, but no. Even listening to others, more professionally, play the violin I still have that weird headache when they start to hit higher notes and I get light headed sometimes. Lower notes will make my chest and neck feel funny. Any advice?
Bobby Alby hello, my violin teacher used to pass out sometimes when she played when she was younger. It turned out she was pressing against a blood vessel in her neck and cutting off the blood supply which caused her to faint. Maybe look at how you are holding the violin and change how you hold it under your chin.
Bobby Alby I'm a horn player and I have passed out twice in lesson
alex Bowcock yes but horn uses breath correct? Violin is a string, it doesn't use breath
michelle rae good to know, thank you so much! I'll see how I'm holding and see if that helps...
Every time I play the G string, my fingers starts to cramp.
Edit: I improved and my fingers don't cramp anymore
HAHAHA I perform for 2hrs with only sharp notes
Lilia Megerova I was playing in G sharp major so stfu
It hurts my wrist to play on the G string... while in 7th position
G string hurts you guys?? I have trouble with D.....
Hi Sir,
I'm bit confused for right hand thumb position for bow hold. Right now, I place my thumb in the area between groove and pad of the bow. This I followed from other online videos and got habituated to it. Is this fine to have this way? I started watching your videos and I see in your videos that, thumb to be placed in the groove of the bow. Can you please suggest on this?
where are the links, you describe in the video? The weekly webinar is what I am most interested in?
Oh wow thanks that help a lot
YOU ~ ROCK ! !