Practise Before Playing

PRACTISE

BEFORE PLAYING

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO PLAY THE VIOLIN. One teacher will expect you to hold the bow in a certain way while another might throw you out of his or her class for perpetrating such blasphemy. So do not be alarmed if you pick up another book and find a different set of teachings. The most important thing is that you play the violin in the way that gives you the greatest pleasure.

It is tempting for beginners to disregard the normal conventions in the hope that they will pick things up as they go along. Just remember that the longer you practise bad habits, the more difficult it is going to be to rectify them later. Therefore, if you are serious in your wish to play the violin, it is worth taking the trouble to learn the ‘correct’ way from the beginning. I recommend that you find a good teacher as soon as possible, for the violin is not really an instrument which can be self-taught (although it has been done).

Over the years your technique (a grand word for the way in which you play) and your physical ability will be moulded, modified and shaped by various teachers until you reach the point where you have developed your own true style. This is what sets the great artists apart from musicians who follow a set of teachings rigidly – the ability to adapt. 

This chapter is concerned with developing your technique and the actual mechanics of playing the violin. To this end, I have included various technical exercises to help you. You will also be taught (as far as it is possible from a book) to hold the violin and its bow correctly and how to produce the various notes on the instrument.

Many things you learn here will be tested on your own or a hired instrument. Do not be alarmed by the discomfort of many of the positions, particularly if you are an adult. The adult body is not as flexible as that of a child and it may take a while for your limbs and muscles to become used to the mechanical actions of violin playing. Do not fret. It does become easier.