Here are two pages with the note values. Use these to learn and practice these important note lengths. Once you've learned these note values, you'll be ready to start learning rhythm. Young students should memorize all these values, but only need to learn to play rhythmically, the whole note, half note, quarter notes, and eighth note. I hope these to pages are helpful!
Part of learning how to play the violin is learning when to play long and short notes. This notation is important in making the rhythm of the song you are playing. When we refer to counts or beats that a note gets, think about a steady beat (like from a clock). If a note get 4 beats, it would be one note held for 4 ticks on the clock. When you're playing a song and have a note that gets 4 beats, you are not going to count 4 seconds (like on the clock) but 4 steady counts. Different songs have different speeds, but to understand and learn the counts of a specific note, keep thinking about the clock ticks.
Once you've learned all the note values you can have in a song or piece of music, you can start to learn how to play them by doing rhythm exercises. You'll play only one note, but play notes that are short and long by following the music.
Most beginner violin books have some rhythm exercises and they also introduce the different note values gradually. For my adults or more advanced students, I use this book I had in college called "Studying Rhythm" by Anne Carothers Hall (2nd edition). This book starts out with simple rhythm and then adds something different in each lesson. Clapping and counting the rhythm with this book is a great way to really develop your rhythmic skills.
If you'd like a great way to learn all this, there is a program called "How Anyone Can Learn to Read Music in Just 7 Days". This will teach you how to read music, timing, tempo, rhythm, and much more.
Rhythm may seem hard to teach oneself, so this is great for those learning to play the violin at home. You could easily spend three to six times more on private violin lessons to learn how to read music and all these other techniques.
Today, I'm showing you the pages, to learning how to read music, for the notes above and below the staff. The first page shows you the note names and the second is for practicing. The third page shows you all the notes as they go from the bottom G, which is the lowest note, up to a high B. These are the basic notes used until you get more advanced. The third page also shows you, that as you go up one note at a time, you go up the alphabet one letter at a time. Practice the notes on that page. Once you have those notes practiced, you are ready to begin learning those notes on the violin.
If you'd to learn how to read music quickly, click here to order "How Anyone Can Learn to Read Music in Just 7 Days". This program gives you tools and other methods to learning how to read music quickly. It also teaches you about timing, tempo, volume and dynamics, and even transposing.You could easily spend three times as much on private violin lessons to learn how to read music and all these other techniques. This is a great way to learn and a great place to begin!
In my last post, I noted that learning to read music is one of the first steps to learning to play the violin. Below , I've posted two pages that can help you begin. They give you important information about beginning to read music, the notes located on the staff, and a practice section on the page. You can print these off so you can practice those notes when ever you can. There are more notes to learn - below and above the staff. I will post those pages another time.
Learning how to read music is one of the first steps in learning how to play the violin. If you'd like to learn how to read music fast, click on this link to order "How Anyone Can Learn to Read Music in Just 7 Days". This is a great program! Maybe you've forgotten how to read music and just need a refresher course. If you've been given a violin and just never had the time to start learning, you can start today and learn very quickly through this program. You could spend more money learning how to read music from lessons from a violin teacher. Don't waste time looking for a local violin teacher and learn in the comfort of your own home! CLICK HERE TO ORDER!
Learning how to tune your violin takes time and training. Some people tend to think that they are tone deaf, which may not be true. Some of us just need a little more time to learn and develop our ears to hear correctly. Tuning the violin is very hard at first, but with time, it becomes easier. If you are a beginner violinist, you'll have to determine the best way for you to tune the violin (pitch pipe, tuning fork, piano, or electronic tuner). If you have all four fine tuners on your violin, tuning will be easier. If you don't you'll need to learn the technique for adjusting the pegs. The pegs are slightly slanted so that when you push them in the peg hole, the wood becomes tighter in the hole and creates friction so the peg doesn't move. You don't want to force the peg too much into the hole, because the wood expands and contracts with temperature and humidity, so when you go to tune your violin the peg may be stuck. If the peg is not pushed in while turning it, the peg will be too loose and will go out of tune right away. The video below explains all this again and then goes into detail about the pitches of the string and how to tell when it's in tune. It may be a little hard to hear the pitches of the strings as they are out of tune and then come together and are in tune. Play this on your violin following this video to really hear what she means. You should always tune your violin before playing. If you tune your violin, and it seems to stay in tune, don't change the string just to change it. If it's correct leave it. In this video, it may look like you must loosen each string when you go to tune your violin. She is correct in that you need to bring the pitch down before bringing it up to the correct pitch. You could bring the pitch up and then bring it back down if you are having trouble hearing it from the other way. If you have an electric tuner, try tuning it by ear first, then check it with the electronic tuner. That way you're still training your ear. By checking the pitches again with the electronic tuner, you can see where you were off and try harder to get it correct the next time. Again, this may take some time to learn. I hope this information is helpful.
I found another video that goes with the violin techniques learned in my last post on Monday, November 26. In this video, Todd Ehle, talks about the bow and how to make the best tone. He is very good at teaching this technique and has great ways to help you understand and describe what you must feel. He mentions his own teacher trying to hit the bow off the strings to see if there's enough weight on the bow. This is a great idea, which I plan on using with my students. Be sure to work on this technique for 10 min each time you practice. This is an important technique to be working on even as a beginner. I hope you find this information helpful.
I found this video showing the technique to use when practicing string crossings. This video is really great for beginners to work on bow arm movement. If you really want to learn the proper violin techniques, this video is really good to get perfected. As you advance, the lessons learned in this video will make things easier. Pay attention to the bow arm's wrist and elbow. Those are the two key areas to focus on when perfecting this movement. I would practice this for 10 min. at every practice session until you feel comfortable, and see and hear the fluidity of the bow change. Leave any questions in the comment section below.
Have you heard about these silk spider strings? I guess they've been around for awhile. Check out the link below for more information on the Silk Spider strings. Please leave a post if you have any comments on these strings. Silk Spider Spun Strings Information
Has anyone tried these violin strings? What do you think about them? Would you switch from nylon strings to these spider violin strings?
Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving! Remember to be thankful to God for all you have including family and friends. Shar Music is having a "Black Friday" Sale tomorrow. Check out their website to buy violins and accessories! Shar Music
What does rosin do? Rosin is rubbed on the hairs of the bow to provide grip between the hairs and the string. Dark rosin is more thick and sticky and grips the string more. You want to use dark rosin if you want more power and sound with your violin. It's also better to used if you live in a less humid climate.The lighter rosin gives you a more clean smooth sound. This is best to use if you live in a very humid climate. If you're not sure which kind to use, go with the lighter rosin since that is the most liked by most violinists.
There are a several different makers of violin rosin. There are all kinds of brands for beginner violin rosin, which comes molded into a piece of wood so it is easy for young violinists to use. Any brand is fine, because there isn't much quality difference.
The higher quality rosins have slight differences, so you may have to try a few to choose which kind you like best. Pirastro makes a good rosin and they make a Obligato rosin and Goldflex rosin, which is very popular. The Gold flex has a light color which makes the bow have a smoother sound. Hill makes good violin rosin, both light and dark, and is a more cost effective option for students. Bernadel is another brand of rosin which is used by most professional violinists. Melso is an all natural rosin, if you'd like to go more "green". There is also Dominant, Motrya Gold, Larsen, Hypoallergenic, Kaplan, Andrea, Hidersine, Kolstein, and AB.
I used the beginner rosin up until high school. When I began high school, I got a new violin and bow, so it made sense to switch to a higher quality rosin. I've been using AB (dark) and I've loved the sound it gives me.
If you're a beginner and still elementary school age, use the beginner / cheapest rosin. Once you are more advanced, switching rosins can help your tone and improve your sound.
The video below tells you about rosin and applying it to the bow.
If you've ever heard Itzhak Perlman perform, you know he's one of the best violinists ever. Whenever I'm working on a violin solo, I listen to Itzhak perform it. I've been in awe of his talent since I was little. Are you a beginner and want to know how to hold the bow? Are you a more advanced violinist but would like to hear from the expert how it's done so you can make any corrections? Here is a great video that Itzhak made to show you how to hold the bow properly. I hope this is helpful. Itzhak Perlman speaks about bow grip
Have you ever wanted to learn the violin? Maybe you just haven't had the time or wanted to commit to weekly lessons. No matter the age, anyone can learn the violin. Violin Master Pro is a great program to learn the violin. You'll learn from the professional violinist Eric Lewis. View this link to get a feel for how he teaches and if he'd be a good match for you. First Violin Lesson by Eric Lewis on YouTube. His teaching is very clear and easy to understand. You may have to consider whether you can learn by example and following instructions via video, because it may be hard for some to learn that way. I think the price point for these lessons is extremely reasonable. I am a teacher and would almost charge for one lesson, what the cost is for Eric Lewis' WHOLE PROGRAM. Learning an instrument through a video series, allows you plenty of time to go at your speed, repeat lessons, and go through the lessons when you have time. Eric doesn't just limit you to only playing classical music. You'll learn jazz, rock, country, and others. There is a right way to be trained to play the violin. The style of music doesn't determine the way you play. Once you learn how to play correctly, you can play any type of music you want. When I was a young child, I really enjoyed fiddle music and country, so I played and practiced that music along with my weekly lesson music. That kept my interest and love of the violin. A little variety made it more exciting. I love the fact that Eric introduces and teaches other styles of music to help more people reach their violin playing goal. For more information and to download the program click here http://8d290evpp9rr-5wqmez30glj94.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=VLNMASTERPRO or click the ad on right side bar of this blog. I hope this helpful! Best wishes learning the violin!
Beginner violinists! I would like to tell you my recommendation for which type of violin strings would benefit you best. I've mostly played with Dominant strings, since my teachers always thought they were the best. I believe there are other violin strings that are good quality and have a little different sound that you want. The Dominant strings are great, but can seem a little too expensive for the beginner. Prelude, Super Sensitive Stellar, Overture Premium Steel, or Helicore are some good strings to use as a beginner which have a more reasonable price. They also have longevity. Prazision and Prim are made for beginners who play in ensembles and those who play folk or bluegrass music. Please keep in mind that your sound maybe different depending on the type and quality of your instrument. To find out a little more information about these strings and others, click on the "Violin Strings" tab at the top of this page. Feel free to leave any comments! Thanks!
