Here’s what’s new at ViolinSchool!
Summer 2017 Webcast & Concert featuring The Violin Orchestra
We’re pleased to announce that ViolinSchool’s annual Summer Webcast will take place live from London at 2pm (London time) on Saturday 1st July. The Violin Orchestra will be performing at Whitefield’s Tabernacle on Tottenham Court Road, in the main hall of the American Church in London. The concert will feature a selection of solo performances by members […]
Two Finger Scales
Our awesome Two Finger Scales provide a serious workout for your left hand! Each of these super-shifting-scales will help you get your left hand moving smoothly between different positions – in the key of your choice. The 3rd and 4th fingers of the left hand benefit particularly strongly… once you get the muscles moving, you’ll feel […]
5 Minute Workouts
We’re pleased to introduce an all-new feature on ViolinSchool.com – Five Minute Workouts! These great little exercises came about when one of our London learners kept running out of practice time each week because his crazy-busy job in the City of London meant that he barely had any time to practice each day! He tried to […]
Why do YOU play the violin?
There are many reasons that people have for wanting to play the violin. Here are some of the reasons we hear most often: “I just love the sound” “It helps me to relax” “I want to be able to express myself” Regardless of where the initial inspiration for playing the violin comes from, if you drill down far […]
The Practice Menu
One of the most important skills any violinist can have is knowing how to practise! This one single skill can transform your progress, because if you always know how to improve then you’ll always be getting better and better! A big part of knowing how to practice is being able to create a useful structure for each practice session that […]
Which Finger? Use a Grid!
When you’re learning violin for the first time, it can be difficult to remember which finger goes where. It also takes a long time to think about where to put each finger – especially if you’re playing a new piece of music. A good way around this is to get used to playing scales before […]
The Devil’s In The Detail
The learning process never stops because there are so many layers of complexity in violin-playing. Each layer reveals more, and richer possibilities for musical expression. At the same time, you don’t want to get so wrapped up in the detail of one particular technique or that you lose sight of your overall music-making! Make sure you […]
VIDEO: Join the Violin Orchestra!
The Violin Orchestra starts this Saturday in London, UK. Check out our new video by Setareh Mood, to learn all about the project!
Shifting Down Exercises (3rd to 1st Position)
Here are some really useful exercises for shifting down from 3rd position. What goes down must go up! Click here for the shifting up version!
Shifting Up Exercises (1st to 3rd Position)
Here are some really useful exercises for shifting up to 3rd position. What comes up must go down! Click here for the shifting down version!
Staccato Spritzer!
Staccato Spritzer! is not just a great study for practising staccato strokes, it’s also a delightful piece of music … with a very cheeky ending! Hone your ability to play staccato eighth notes (quavers) and staccato quarter notes (crotchets), all the while negotiating single, double and triple string crossings! Top tip: keeping your bow as […]
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is surely one of the most popular melodies on earth … especially in America! In this ViolinSchool partition we’ve got the main version of the melody at the top of the page, then another version that’s been slightly embellished. Embellishing a melody is like putting ornaments on the mantlepiece, decorating it and elaborating on […]