You get multiple choices in a string instrument. But you can still fall in love with the violin for its music and pitch. Even after learning that it is not an easy instrument, you may want to give it the best try. While it can be comparatively tricky than others, playing the violin is a different thing. You can get lost in its harmony. However, you have to reach that level first. Like any other instrument, the violin also requires commitment and practice. You have to pay attention to multiple factors to refine your talent. Here are a few suggestions in this regard to help you going.
Continuous practice
When you sign up for a violin lesson after searching for string instrument classes near me on Google, your real journey begins. A few days in the course can be about techniques. Then, slowly, you will get into the playing mode. When it happens, you would need to practice more. It would help if you repeated your musical pieces to build your muscle memory. However, make sure you don’t rush. Playing new motions slowly and continuously can yield better results. There is another benefit also when you play slowly. You can visualize all the details of what you want to play. The more you imagine, the more your subconscious memory will develop. As a consequence, you can witness improvement in your speed.
It can be challenging to stick to this, but you can improve if you ensure playing slowly. Each motion gets etched in your mind. At the same time, you can focus on details that need to change. Essentially, you have to become aware of what you play and how.
Rhythm and bowing techniques
Suppose you learned a complex technique recently. To retain that, you have to awaken your physical memory as it enables you to follow one movement after the other flawlessly. You don’t have to pause or slow down in between. Some believe that adding complex activities can prove helpful in this goal. Your technical skill and mental ability will feel challenged, and your muscle memory will get kicked in when you train. It can also be a tactic to test how well you can perform under stress. To acquire this skill, you need to use different rhythms and bowing patterns.
To be precise, you usually play two or three-octave scale isolating quarter notes through bows. Instead, you can practice the same scale differently. For example, you can attempt dotted rhythms where you change your bow after every three notes.
Nevertheless, this type of practice should not be far away from your existing capability. You have to leave your comfort zone than going too far ahead with trying something unique. The change in bowing techniques and rhythm can reflect well on complex pieces that you play eventually.
Metronome
Correct timing is everything in music. The pitches have to be there in proper balance. You can achieve this if you use the right rhythm as per the musical pulse. To be precise, practice and keep an eye on a metronome. You will be able to identify where you go wrong with the timing. But don’t let it become your weakness.
Exploration
While technique forms a vital role in music playing, you cannot ignore the significance of emotions, style, and character. People learn this string instrument to communicate their expressions, and technique serves as a means to accomplish it. That’s why you must explore different methods of playing the music on the violin. Learn about more styles and characters to add depth. It will come in handy in improving your perspective too.
Breaking down or isolating
Performing on the violin or playing any musical piece at speed becomes easy when you naturally get into the flow. It is a skill that develops with training. You don’t have to worry about it if you are familiar with the music. But a new piece can suddenly look difficult because your muscle memory is not so awake at this time. Hence, it can feel a little overwhelming to play effortlessly. You can avoid this by segmenting your musical pieces. Practice a small part slowly, and allow it to remain with you as you keep a tab on every movement of yours. When you nurture this, you learn to play various musical pieces out of habit.
Having a fascination for an instrument and being serious about it, too, can take your learning journey to a different level. Still, it would be best to have proper guidance to avoid unnecessary distractions and make progress in your ultimate goal. Violin playing may take some time. But you have to focus on your skill enhancement and techniques. Once you master basics, you can graduate to intermediate and advanced levels smoothly. Some complex movements can still bewilder you. However, your foundation and teacher’s guidance will allow you to cross that too.