The Importance of Scales

I ran across this blog post about practicing scales. Click here to view. While reading these posts, I realized that it's split pretty evenly between those who think scales are not important and those who think scales are important. As a teacher for over 15 years, I've noticed the importance of scales. When you are learning the violin, it is very necessary to practice the notes that you'll be playing. You obviously need to learn where to put your finger for each note and the best way to practice that is with scales. (Young beginners can learn the notes one by one instead of using a scale right away. Most teaching books have it set up that way. Sections of a scale, the 3 or 4 notes on each string, are introduced. Scales are added later.) Scales train your ear so you can hear if the note is incorrect. Beginners start with simple scales and work their way up. Learning 3 octave major and all the minor scales, is pretty advanced and once perfected, one can move on to the Flesh Scale System. Some etude books incorporate scales in the lessons, which I think is great. That way you're teaching your ear the sound and key, before learning the etude exercise or song.

Hope you have a great day and practice those scales!

New Stadivarius Violins?

Many of you might not know about what I'm blogging about today. I just recently ran across some articles about a new scientific way to make the wood that Stradivarius used for his violins. If you click here you can read the full article from Science Daily. They call this mycowood. The scientists that figured this out say that they should be able to develop this so that many others can have the opportunity to play a violin as good as a Stradivarius. Other articles say about the same thing. One article mentioned that if a cheap violin is treated with this fungus, it may still not have the sound of the Stradivarius due to other factors (type of wood and age, strings, climate conditions, etc.)

Personally I think this is an interesting idea. If these scientists can work on this idea, I think it would be great for some violins to have a better quality. As a teacher, I've heard many of the beginner violins and it's not a great way to learn. For most students, the quality of the instrument doesn't matter as much. As students progress, some notice the quality of the violin. Sometimes it is the technique of the student that is creating a not so nice sound, but many times it is the quality of the instrument. I do recall one student being frustrated with his instrument because he couldn't get a good sound out of it. I do know there are other types of violins that have a great sound and are not Strads. My violin is an "Emmanuel Fabrica" from the Guarneri line. Click here to learn more about Guarneri violins from Wikipedia.

Would love to hear other's input on all this information. Thanks!

Violin for Christmas?

Did you get a violin for Christmas? Have you had a violin but never had the motivation to learn how to play it? 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!