Our Best Tips to Master The Violin Practice
Back to BlogPlaying an instrument has always been a special talent for many people. Feeling the music through your fingers when you play is fun and fulfilling. It is just as rewarding when you master the instrument you enjoy.
Violin practice requires patience. To improve, you must practice regularly. You might spend time practicing scales, or you might play music games or do other exercises to build up your skills.
One good piece of advice is to record yourself
Listen to yourself. Record your violin practice and listen to the recordings. You will hear new things about your playing.
Another good habit is: when playing a new piece of music, play it slowly enough that you can play every note correctly. Once you speed it up, continue to play in tune by choosing fingerings that are comfortable for your hand. If your fingerings don’t feel comfortable, try other fingerings until you find one that works. Stick with this fingering throughout all of your practice sessions and performances.
Choose your bowings and fingerings wisely, and then stick to them at all times when practicing. If you change your bowings or fingerings once you choose the ones that feel comfortable for you, you will learn the piece faster, and when you have to relearn it, it will also be faster.
Protecting your violin and its accessories is also crucial. A high-quality instrument case can help you avoid scratches and dust, and it’s an essential tailor-made cushion for your instrument. The violin market has plenty of cases and bags; some have compartments or pockets for storing items such as rosin and shoulder rests.
A check-up is necessary. An instrument must be in good working order and properly cleaned and maintained, just like the human body. Just like you go to the doctor, take your instrument to a violin maker or luthier.
Now, 3 challenging violin pieces for you to practice
Ernst’s Variations on “The Last Rose of Summer”
Some violinists believe that they have already mastered Paganini’s difficult works, so they don’t bother learning Ernst’s pieces because they are much harder to play. For example, “Variation on ‘The Last Rose of Summer'” is considered one of the most difficult solo pieces for violin because it has almost impossible demands, including fingered harmonics and left-hand pizzicato on top of tricky arpeggios.
Bach’s Chaconne from Partita in d minor
Besides writing some of the most beautiful music known to mankind, Bach also wrote some of the most fiendish pieces for solo violin. While all of his sonatas and partitas are known for their difficulty, the concluding Chaconne from the Partita no. 2 in d minor takes the cake.
Sivan’s transcription of the Liszt b minor sonata for solo violin
The b minor sonata by Franz Liszt commands great respect in the piano world. Its horrifying pianistic difficulties make it one of the most difficult pieces in the standard repertoire.
The Workshop
Amorim Fine Violins is a violin, viola, and cello workshop based in Cremona. Our mission is to provide musicians with instruments so they can uniquely express themselves. We are a family business, just like the workshops of Stradivari and Guarneri. Founded in 2001 by the renowned violin maker Luiz Amorim and his wife, Betina Schreiner. We bring our fine arts experience into the violin-making field. .
