is having a violin teacher really necessary when learning how to play the violin?
kimmie asked:
what i mean is, what things do violin teachers teach that you cannot teach to yourself?
what i mean is, what things do violin teachers teach that you cannot teach to yourself?
thanks for the help!
The very fact that you have to ask the question shows that you can’t think of everything that a teacher might possibly pass on to you. So, yes, a teacher is necessary – at least at some point if you want to get very good.
lol. I suppose if you just want to learn how to play the violin poorly by yourself and possibly unknowingly
using the bow and using the fingerboard incorrectly.
Then sure you don’t have to get a violin teacher to teach yourself playing the violin that way.
There are a lot of things that a violin teacher can correct you and help you that you can’t possibly do it by yourself.
finding the notes, physical positioning, knowing how to do vibrato, then playing more than 1 note at a time, and getting rid of the eeking/scratching sound.
A teacher is really good because they will correct you if you do something wrong and physically move you hand/finger/arm so you know what to do. But just reading a book or watching a video won’t correct you. You have to read, try to imitate and do it yoruself.
Yes of course. Hello?
A teacher is essential, even if you follow a book precisely you can never get the specific criticism a teacher can give you. Especially on an instrument like the violin where the sound is so important. Also a teacher can give you an alternative musical interpretation which is essential.
More than any other instrument I’ve ever studied, the violin requires holding the instrument in a certain position and holding the bow in a certain position. Both arms, both wrists, and every finger has to be just exactly right.
I would say that you can fly solo when it comes to learning to play the recorder, harmonica, or ocarina, but don’t try it with the violin.
First of all you might be playing incorrectly, elbow too high, wrong balance of stance, improper height of shoulder rest – usually you are not aware of what you are doing when you play so an outside observer can point out your errors immediately.
Also, it may not sound like much but I think “bowing” is one thing a teacher can guide you through, and I mean the markings on the sheet music since not everything starts with a “down bow.” In classical music bowing technique can become very intricate!
If you just want to play the “fiddle” as an amateur then you could possibly work through the basics of violin playing on your own. However, if you want to play professionally you’d need a teacher to get you started on the right track and thus avoid all the pitfalls there are for beginners.
The action of violin playing is one situation but the interpretation of music is quite another matter. If you are not familiar with the music then an experienced violinist can instruct you in how it’s done, and this is invaluable guidance.
A saying: “Oh, to see ourselves as others see us!” – wise advice from Robbie Burns.
I’m a music teacher and I can tell you from first hand experience that a teacher will be necessary at some point. I picked up the violin a few years ago and have since dabbled a little bit. I’ve worked through some Suzuki books and various other methods books to learn some of the basic techniques, but I knew within minutes that while I could teach myself a lot (and remember, I have a very strong music background — multiple degrees in music), there are some things that you just can’t teach yourself.
you may be holding the bow to tight to loose. not enough resin to much . To much pressure on the strings not enough. My father was a violinist for a philharmonic orchestra and I’ll tell you ,that man was fussy . He wanted me to learn the violin but I broke my wrist and that ended that. A teacher can only show you then its up to you to learn and come back next week and play the score for him. I play drums , not rock but marching which is more difficult , and my instructors used to hand us a drum score and say,heres you music , next week know it by memory. Now if a mistake was made he showed us where and we corrected it. that is what an instructor is for.
They teach you how to recognize when you are out of tune and the CORRECT finger positions. Just because it sounds and looks right doesn’t mean it is.