How do I get better at the violin?
There is nothing more frustrating than feeling as though your effort to learn the violin isn’t worth it. You so desperately want to get better, to see the fruits of your labors, to finally master that technique or play that piece, but nothing seems to be working. As a seasoned violinist, I have felt this way more times than I’d like to admit, but I have also pulled myself out of this rut and can help you do so, too. 😊
Here are the three key factors to master to ensure progress on the violin.
Practice. You knew I was going to say that right?! I wish there was some magic wand I could wave that would magically make me violin virtuoso, but alas, no such thing exists. There’s no getting around it-if you’re not practicing, you’re not improving. Two common issues arise around this topic: not practicing consistently, and not practicing efficiently.
Consistency is key. My schedule is packed, and I’m sure yours is too. You might have a really demanding job, super long hours, a family, and anything and everything else in between. You’re constantly being pulled in a million directions and it’s hard to find time to practice. The one thing that has helped me and my students the most with consistent practice is scheduling it into your day. Treat practice as a priority, and carve out time for it in your crazy schedule. It doesn’t have to take 3 hours! Even just 30 minutes daily will help you improve.
Practicing efficiently is a whole different beast. Have you ever driven somewhere and completely forgotten how you got there?! Yeah, me too. Your brain went on auto-pilot and you were just going through the motions, which is something we definitely do not want to do during practice! In order to make progress, your mind must be engaged during your practice session. I like to think of it as my mind going ahead of my fingers. Additionally, be sure that you are using the correct practice techniques for the issue you’re trying to fix. Practicing with a metronome won’t help your intonation, but practicing with a tuner or a drone will. I highly recommend the book The Practice Revolution for practice techniques and when to use them.
Feedback. In order to get better at the violin, feedback is vital. You need to understand what you’re doing well, and what you need to improve. Feedback can come from a wide variety of places, such as a teacher, an online program such as the Online Violin Academy, or a friend. You can also give yourself feedback, but please be wary of doing so, especially if you’re not a trained musician. It’s likely that you will not catch everything, and even if there are things you do notice, you might not be sure how to improve them.
Patience. Learning the violin (or any instrument) is a long journey. I’ve been playing for over 20 years and I still feel like there is room for improvement. I’ve seen many adult students get frustrated and want to give up right before they hit a breakthrough. It’s easy to get caught up in where you think you should be, or how you think you should sound…instead of embracing where you are right now. Breakthroughs are the result of trial and error, lots of practice, consistency, and time. As long as you don’t give up, you’ll get there. I promise. ❤
