How much should you practice the violin?
It depends. This might not have been the answer that you wanted to hear, but it’s true! 😉
How long you should practice depends on three things: ability level/experience, amount of repertoire, and goals.
Ability level/experience
In general, the more advanced of a violin player you are, the longer you will need to practice daily, simply because advanced players are working on a wider range of repertoire and techniques than beginners. However, there is one caveat to this; if you are a very experienced or professional player, it may take you less time to learn and master certain pieces and/or skills, thus requiring less practice time.
Amount of repertoire
The more pieces you need to practice, the more time it will take! A student playing 5 pieces will need to practice more than a student playing 1 piece (and the students playing more pieces are usually more advanced).
Goals
Someone who aspires to become a professional violinist will need to practice more than someone who plays simply for pleasure. Additionally, if you have a competition, audition, or performance in the near future, it’s likely that you will practice more in the months and weeks leading up to it to prepare.
Below are my suggestions for how much violinists at different stages of learning should be practicing in order to see consistent progress. Disclaimer: these are just general guidelines; everyone works and learns at their own pace.
Complete beginner: 15-20 minutes daily
This stage requires the biggest learning curve of all. Complete violin beginners are learning so many new things; it’s important to take things slow and truly master each skill before moving on.
Beginner, playing a few months to a year: 30-60 minutes daily
This should give ample time for warm-up exercises, a scale, and 1-2 short pieces.
Intermediate, playing a few years: 1-2 hours daily
I like to call this stage the building stage. Intermediate players have a solid grasp of basic technique and can play simple pieces well. They are most likely working on learning and perfecting more advanced techniques and beginning to play longer and more complicated pieces.
Advanced, playing 10+ years: 1-3 hours
If you are an advanced player who is not seeking to become a professional, you have much more leeway in the amount you need to practice. It’s a good idea to practice for at least an hour a day to keep up your skills, but beyond that, how much you practice depends on what you’re learning or working towards at any given moment.
Advanced, aspiring to become a professional player: 3-5 hours daily
3-5 hours is the industry standard. Yes, this is a lot, but it is necessary to become a competitive violinist in today’s atmosphere.
I’m often asked how much I practice, but what I think people really want to know is how much they need to practice to sound like me. First, you will never sound like me, and I will never sound like you, and that’s a good thing. At this point, I am not really learning any new techniques: I have developed all the techniques I need to play at a high level, and I am working to maintain and polish them, so I really only practice for 1-2 hours a day. However, when I was learning and building my technique, I was practicing a solid 3-5 hours daily.
When practicing for long periods of time, it’s important to take breaks (I recommend breaking practice up into at least 2 different sessions throughout the day), monitor your body for any excess tension, and keep your mind engaged. Have you ever driven somewhere and had no memory of it? You don’t want that to happen during practice!
Finally, when it comes to practicing, frequency is more important than quantity. It’s better to practice every day for shorter periods of time, than every few days for longer periods of time. This helps build and sustain your muscle memory, which is vital for playing well.
How much do you practice per day? Is it enough? Let me know in the comments below!
