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Advice for Students
Please read the following suggestions, which we have compiled
over the last year in order to help you benefit as much as possible from your
lessons. ( This file is version 1.0 )
About mistakes and the right frame of mind
Hoping you will never make a mistake, or striving for
perfection is not a musical goal. Indeed it is not enough simply to play
faultlessly. It's not a crime to make a mistake - it's human. During your
learning process and during lessons you will make many mistakes, and rightly so,
because no person can learn to play such a complex instrument without getting it
wrong at least once ! The first stage is learning to accept this fact, to laugh
about it and to go back for another go ! It's quite unnecessary to stop, become
horrified, and apologize to the teacher for every wrong note played. Your
teachers are ready to forgive every mistake you make, provided you are ready to
try again. With method and hard work, you will overcome your faults and worries,
and gradually build up confidence and style.
Method ?
That's right : We guide you through the right steps. The steps that lead you to
getting it right ; to success. Our lessons will teach you how to resolve
passages and how to overcome the difficulties involved in coping with your
instrument. The way we achieve this objective together will serve as an example
on how you should teach yourself : In other words how to practise. Lessons
basically simulate your practice sessions, and even when your teacher is away,
eventually you will remember how to apply the methods and techniques needed to
master your piece.
What about Practicing?
Well, until you know how to practise, and what to do, it's virtually impossible
to work your way through technical difficulties. You need method for that ( see
above ). You can play through pieces you already know ( and that's as much as we
expect from students in their first year of study ) , but that's playing - not
practising. You need to know exactly what to do. To start practicing you must
repeat the exact steps taken in the lesson at home ; as if you were in a lesson.
Beginners, What do we do about practicing ?
Well if you're an absolute Beginner then please don't practice ; you'll only
learn the wrong position of the hands or get stuck ! If you're on open strings,
they're going to sound pretty arid unless you have the piano accompaniment. Ask
for the accompaniment tapes from your teacher ( about £ 3 each ) - then you can
have him / her at home playing with you all the time. That's easier and nicer to
listen to ! You may have noticed that you can play music ! not exercises ! This
is why it is nice to play your instrument - because the pieces are pleasant !
Violin Strings & Maintenance
None of our students are allowed to have metal strings. Faulty or bad equipment
will hinder your progress considerably. The first "must" is a set of
Thomastik " Dominant " strings. These cost about £ 25 but make a much
better sound than metal strings. In fact we hate the sound of metal strings (
metallic and tinny ) . Also, the sweetness of sound is the most important
quality to acquire if we want the dog to stop howling, or the neighbors to stop
banging on the wall. Dominant strings can be bought in all sizes. Make sure you
get the size to match your instrument. Dominant strings are made from many
strands of perlon ( sort of nylon ) , with an outer aluminum binding. Every week
you must rub the strings gently with alcohol or cleaning spirit, because the
sweat left by your fingers will slowly corrode the string surface, which then
becomes rough to touch. Deteriorating strings must be replaced, and if the
string is no longer smooth, the outer aluminum binding may cause splinters in
the fingers.
Cellists - Tail pin slips ?
You need a special device to stop the pin from slipping away from you. You must
never play without this, as you will not develop a healthy posture if you do not
lean towards your cello. The cello must be firm and stable if we are going to
play confidently and firmly. If the pin slips, the cello falls, you break your
neck falling off the chair...the audience applauds etc. The special device costs
about £ 10 ( home made is just as good ) and is either a T shaped wooden piece
or has 2 strings to attach under the chair. Make sure you have a chair of the
right height.
Other equipment
A notebook to keep track of pieces and progress. Group lessons or 20 minute ones
are not long enough to warrant notes as too much valuable time would be wasted
writing. Beginners will need Stepping Stones and Wagon Wheels, and then Violin
Playtime 1 ( followed by books 2 & 3 ), but the first pieces are always
played by heart. A music stand is important to have the music at the right
height, when you start reading. A shoulder pad is important for when you start
changing position ( home made / pad / or the best which is called "
Playonair " - Medium size ( Junior for very small violins or Jumbo size for
violas ) ) Good Rosin can help enormously ( no Chinese rosin please ! ). An
electronic metronome is another valuable tool useful for practising scales and
getting the right speed at home.
Instruments and sizing
Violin sizes are roughly as follows : 4 yrs old = 1/8th size, 6 yrs old = 1/4
size, 8 yrs old = 1/2 size, 10 yrs old = 3/4 size, 12-14 yrs old = 4/4 size.
Violas are usually the same only slightly bigger ( violins strung as a viola ).
Cellos are 4 yrs old = 1/10 size / 5 yrs old = 1/8 size, 7 yrs old = 1/4 size, 9
yrs old = 1/2 size, 11 yrs old = 3/4 size, 14 yrs old = 4/4 size. Naturally
these sizes vary from make to make, and as does the shape and size of hands of
children of the same age. An instrument with poor quality strings, faulty setup
and with a deformed bow is virtually useless. In Bristol, England, it is worth
buying or renting from reputable shops like Cremona House 0117 9264617,
Hamilton Caswell 0117 9294642 and The Bristol Violin Shop 0117 9424352,
or in South Wales, Mr.Terry McCool 01633 895177, or Cardiff
Violins even if slightly more expensive than private sales, because they
guarantee instruments to be in a perfect state of maintenance / repair. If you
are offered an instrument at half price, beware of falling into the trap of
thinking that an instrument is an instrument. Sometimes they can be in such bad
condition that not only are they unplayable, but may even be more expensive to
setup than just buying a new one. Always consult your teacher when buying an
instrument, and if possible have the teacher try it out before parting with your
money !
Parents
are invaluable for the support they give. However it is important that the
parent be involved not too much and not too little. Encouragement is always
needed when starting an instrument. Practicing is a routine that should work
within family life. Parents are advised not to attend lessons regularly, as a
child can often feel uneasy if he / she is under close observation. The best
solution is to leave children on their own, with the teacher, so they feel free
to experiment and work. By all means come in at the end of the lesson and listen
to what's going on. In fact we cherish any moments with parents, to discuss your
child, and to keep you informed about progress and pieces. In cases where
parents do not get many chances of meeting us, please feel free to phone or
email us. The notebook can also help bridge this gap.
Exams
It is important not to race from one Grade to the next, and not to skip Grades.
The teacher shall determine when and if taking an exam is the best step forward.
Some students are totally put off by taking exams, especially if they have not
done well. In this case it is better to work without this unwanted pressure, in
order to brush up on bowing style and especially on a certain amount of
musicality which is often left out when simply struggling to learn the notes on
time. We can enter students for all Graded exams, but only do so if there is a
good chance of doing well in it. A good mark boosts confidence tremendously. We
like our students to play because they love playing, not just to reach Grade 8
in order to give up!
Go Slowly - Play by heart
It is important to start off slowly. Many students who struggle with their grade
7s & 8s do so because they lack a solid foundation. A slow and correct
initialization may look unspectacular, but in the long term will lead to a more
satisfying level of achievement. Playing by ear or by heart is the first natural
stage in becoming a real musician. Note reading comes later, as with our mother
tongue. It is important that a certain degree of fluency and confidence is
attained manually with the instrument before starting to note-read ( though this
will be tackled at the right stage. ). Stage 1 : We believe children
should enjoy first of all. Stage 2 : Hard study or work will follow soon
after. Lastly, our Web site can be extremely useful for students who feel a
little " on their own " in between lessons ! Students and parents may
ask questions and receive answers on-line !
North Somerset Young Strings Project -
Tips for Young Violinists
*
Violin Newspaper 1 - October 1997
Dear Parents,
A good start has been made, and we would like to express how pleased we are
with everybody involved from children to parents to the North Somerset Music
Service. We have made a list of ideas, some of which may help your
child's violin lessons and practice at home. I say may because each case
is different, and often what works for one person may not work for another! If
you have any queries or points you would like to discuss about your child please
phone the teachers on 01633.255780 - we would be very happy to hear from you.
1) Let's go slowly ! Many students who struggle with their grade 7s
& 8s do so because they lack a solid foundation. For example we encourage
our students to play cantabile ( with a "singing" tone ), and
therefore develop the right hand or the bowing arm slightly ahead of the left
hand.
2) Playing by ear or by heart is the first natural stage in becoming a
real musician. Note reading comes later ( as with our mother tongue ). It is
important that a certain degree of fluency and confidence is attained manually
with the instrument before starting to note-read ( though this will be
tackled at the right stage. )
3) Motivation : Stage 1 : We believe children should enjoy
first of all.
Stage 2 : Hard study or work will follow soon after.
If a child is forced to practice something may go horribly wrong. We
would all like some results from Stage2 as soon as possible, but we must
remember not to skip Stage1. Stage1 may take up to 6 months or more,
during which lessons will become more and more entertaining. We have had
children skip parties, break-time, skiing trips, you-name-it, all because their
lesson is ( as a student once put it ) the highlight of the week !
4) Parents attending lessons. This is quite a delicate matter, and so
far no parent has interfered at all while sitting through a lesson. However, if
a child makes a mistake he / she may fear disapproval from the parent. Even
feeling observed may make them uneasy. After all we have only just
started the violin and there are plenty of mistakes made each lesson. Most
of these mistakes are unavoidable when starting to learn such a tricky
instrument ; indeed they are almost allowed !
5) Too much advice. The violin is hard enough in itself without
everyone saying don't do this don't do that. As teachers one of
the hardest things we learn is not "what to say " but "what not
to say". Often comments in the lesson usually refer to one thing at
a time ( whatever we think is the most important aspect to be corrected ).
6) Individual lessons. If you see your child playing with another
child please do not despair! Often there is a very good reason for it. Starting
and finishing a lesson with some music ( especially accompanied by the piano ),
with a friend and with another teacher takes some of the pressure off a
one-to-one lesson. It adds variety, and sometimes is much needed after a lengthy
explanation ( word after word ) by the teacher !
7) Putting children together. From past experience we have seen
children become inseparable friends after their group lessons. Even dissimilar
children are brought together and interact successfully and constructively when
under good guidance. Just think every micro-second of sound of each member of
the group is combined in unison . They share similar objectives as a group
and gradually they learn to work together, harmoniously, as a team. Let's not
forget how much harder this becomes later on in real life !!
8) Buying an Instrument. When your child makes up his / her mind that
he / she likes the violin why not buy an instrument ? Usually instruments
can be traded in for the next size up when the time comes to change. Besides,
owning your own instrument allows you to build up your own sound on that
instrument. You can be certain of the proportions and the fingerboard distances
unique to each instrument without the fear of having it swapped for something
you're not used to. Lastly it's yours
9) Practice Tapes : There are two different tapes available : 1.
" Jumping Ponies & Other Pieces " and 2. " Let's play the
violin ". A 3rd is on its way soon. Though all 3 contain mostly the same
pieces, Tape 2 I feel came out better than tape 1, and Tape 3 will be better
still ! For anyone who has a first tape I will happily record a second if you
supply me with a new blank tape ( or the cost of a tape - £ 1 ). There
is no reason not to own 2 or 3 tapes and alternate them. NB. Duplicating is a
lengthy process & takes time ... I usually have only 3 / 4 per week ready.
10) Posture : Nobody starts with a perfect violin stance ; it takes
time. Feet should be at shoulder length ( one foot below each shoulder ). Feet
should be parallel ( as if on a railway track ) with the weight evenly on both
feet. The feet should be firmly and flatly placed on the ground. The feet and
shoulders should be on the same axis as viewed from the side (i.e. don't twist
the torso / body ). The violin should be flat ( horizontal ) resting on the
collarbone with the "button" touching your Adam's Apple ( Centre of
neck ). There should be no gap between violin & neck. The head should rest
gently on the chin rest close to the centre of the violin and facing the scroll
( looking at the scroll ). The left hand should wrap around the body of the
instrument, ( not the neck ) and should hold the violin at a 45 degree angle
from the front of the body. When pupils start using their left hand a shoulder
pad ( " Playonair " is the best type or a home made sponge and
rubber-band kit ) is needed to facilitate the left hand.
11) Bowing : This is the most crucial and the hardest component to
master. Sound is produced ( almost magically ) by the right hand, and no matter
how many notes are played a second they are all unbearable if the sound is not
beautiful. Our students learn a great deal about bowing, though often
indirectly, as they strive to express their pieces each time with a more mature
sound. The bow hold is not finalized until the bowing arm starts drawing the bow
freely from tip to heel. During the first few lessons the bow hold is so tight
that the student uses only 2 inches of bow. From those first lessons and with
each subsequent lesson more and more bow is put into use. Just one word of
caution : saying " more bow !" does not necessarily produce the right
sound ( which depends on bow contact among other things ). In other words as the
student conquers the use of the bow ( inch by inch ) they also "sing"
the notes with increased tonal richness. Lastly, it is important the student be
unaware consciously of all these intricate complexities, as worrying about them
would impair natural phrasing. That is the teacher's job!
12) Mistakes ! We all make them ( including teachers !... and
then they're really funny ! ) So it's not a crime to make a mistake - it's
human. Nor do mistakes have anything to do with playing musically, though that's
difficult to explain in words. In short we forgive many, many mistakes and
intentionally so. Sometimes external students come to us for lessons, and
promptly stop in the middle of a phrase apologizing for some mistake which would
otherwise hardly be noticed. So we tell them not to worry, as playing and being
terrified of making a mistake hardly puts you in a mood to enjoy what you're
playing
13) Maintenance ! Bow hairs should be tightened and loosened ( with a
screw on the end of the bow ) each time we play. Some bows are best left
tightened. The bow must not be tightened too much ( a medium concave shape of
the bow - never convex / outward ! ). Hands off the bow hairs - and never in our
mouths, please! This takes away the rosin from the bow and it stops working !.
Rosin the bow once a week evenly from tip to heel. Any fine tuner / adjuster
that turns stiffly can be loosened by dipping the screw in a drop of olive oil.
Deteriorating strings must be replaced, and if the string is no longer smooth,
the outer aluminum binding may cause splinters in the fingers. The strings only
may occasionally be rubbed with cleaning alcohol. Rosin ( a white
"dusty" powder ) must be cleaned off the fingerboard / belly of the
instrument. More updates / tips before Xmas !
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