Violin Lesson - Learn To Read Music On The A String

A. Let’s prepare

• You will use the fingers on your left hand to press the string down and play different notes
• REMEMBER! Don’t press. Just relax and stay loose.
• Use your tapes to help you place your fingers
• When you come to an open string, you will see the string name in your music. No fingers should be down at that point
• Remember that your index finger is your first finger (1), your middle finger the second finger (2), and so on…

B. These are the notes on the A string:

C. Play the lines below.

    1. Little Steps to Start

    2. Up the Mountainside

    3. Down the Mountainside

    4. Back and Forth

    5. Reach for it!

    6. A Beautiful Song for You!



 

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Violin Lesson - Learn To Read Music Using The Open Strings

A. How many beats does each note receive?

• This is a “Quarter Note.” It receives 1 beat of sound:

 

• This is a “Half Note.” It receives 2 beats of sound:


• This is a “Whole Note.” It receives 4 beats of sound:


B. These are the open strings:

C. Play each line. Count the beats as you play.


    1. Hello to the A String



    2. Hello to the D String



    3. Hello to the E String



    4. Hello to the G String



D. Play the following lines. Change strings where indicated.



   1. In The Middle



   2. Hi-Lo!



   3. Around The World



   4. Around The World II



   5. Bells Are Ringing

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Focus On The Left Hand: Holding The Instrument

A. THE HAND: you should hold the violin at the end of the fingerboard near the pegs, between the fleshy upper half of the thumb and first finger between the first and second knuckles. Holding the violin in this way will keep your fingers nimble and dexterous.

B. THE FINGERS: the fingers on your left hand should extend up from the big knuckles and curve downwards to meet the fingerboard. You must avoid placing your fingers flat on the fingerboard. Curved fingers are essential to manoeuvring around the fingerboard and playing your notes in tune.

C. THE WRIST: the left wrist should remain straight as it supports the violin. Keeping your left wrist straight stabilizes the left hand and allows the fingers to move freely. A bent left wrist will flatten the fingers as they come down onto the fingerboard. This will result in bad intonation and a serious lack of finger dexterity.

D. THE ELBOW: the left elbow should be sufficiently elevated to hold the violin parallel with the floor. It should not be at your side. The left elbow should also stay parallel with the right edge of the violin. Keeping the left elbow at this angle provides your hand and fingers with leverage necessary to maintain a useful hold on the violin. A sagging elbow will cause the violin to droop. Allowing your violin to

droop will greatly diminish your ability to play the violin.

E. THE SHOULDER: the shoulder should be at rest and situated normally. The left shoulder should not be raised to pinch the violin under the chin. Rather, place the chin down to the chinrest to steady the violin. If this feels uncomfortable, use a shoulder rest or a sponge to help secure the violin.

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Setting Up The Fingerboard

Now you are ready to intensify your violin experience through the use of the fingers on your left hand. You will use these fingers to press the strings to the fingerboard and change the pitch your violin creates. Your left hand will allow you to play your favourite melodies and add complexity to your accompaniments. Combined with your substantial bow skills, the wide world of music will now be open to you.

Using your fingers to change tones can be a significant challenge. Skilfully placing your fingers on the right spot on the fingerboard is critical. If your fingers go to the wrong spot, you will play out of tune. Placing your fingers correctly on the violin is much more challenging than on a guitar, because the violin does not have frets. While you can look and see exactly where each finger goes on the guitar, you must essentially use your ear to do so on the violin. However, we are going to mitigate this challenge with a little help. You will place strips of tape at precise points on your fingerboard. 

These tapes will be a visual aid to help you place your fingers. Once you feel certain about where to place your fingers, you can remove the tapes. Colourful tape as recommended is the best option for taping the fingerboard. However, basic masking tape will do the trick well enough. Each strip should be roughly ¼ to ½ inch wide. Apply the strip of tape across the fingerboard and around the neck of the instrument. Be sure that each strip is fashioned as securely as possible to prevent slippage. Unlike colourful tape, masking tape will deteriorate and must be replaced regularly. 

• The first tape should be 1 inch from the end of the violin
• The second tape should be 2 inches from the end of the violin
• The third tape should be 2.5 inches from the end of the violin
• 
  

From now on, I will make references to the various fingers on your left hand. “First finger” (1) refers to your pointer finger. “Second finger” (2) refers to your middle finger. “Third finger” (3) refers to your ring finger. “Fourth finger” (4) refers to your pinky finger.

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Motor Rhythms: Bowing + Articulation

A) What are “Motor Rhythms?”

Motor rhythms are rhythmic patterns that repeat over and over again throughout the course of any piece of music. Motor rhythms are the engines that drive the pulse of the music forward and help the music groove. Motor rhythms also help to determine the form of the music. For instance, a specific motor rhythm may be played during the verse of a song, but not the chorus.When you hear the motor rhythm, you know where you are in the song.Specific motor rhythms are often closely associated with the musical cultures from which they come. Learning to listen for motor rhythms and then to differentiate between them is an important step in the development of your musical understanding. Every musical tradition utilizes a set of rhythmic building blocks that helps make it unique. From great national traditions to regional, ethnic, religious and other traditions, you will find this to be the case.

B) SAY IT, THEN PLAY IT

Music teachers often say, “If you can say it, you can play it.” Learning to verbalize the rhythm you are playing can be very helpful when you need to communicate with another musician or when you are simply trying to better understand the music yourself. There are many rhythmically descriptive languages already in existence that you might know already. However, I want you to invent your own rhythmic language.By using combinations of fragments and words, you can create your own rhythmic language. The combinations you use to describe your rhythms can change every time. What is absolutely vital is that rhythms you spell out verbally are said “in time.” What does that mean? That means that every motor rhythm you say or play is created within the context of a steady beat.The pulse, the 1-2-3-4 that makes up the rhythmic foundation of all music,must stay steady. If you can’t feel the beat, your motor rhythm and your musical language will not make sense.Here are some sample combinations you might choose to employ to help you verbally communicate rhythm:

Boom Bot Bee Bah Doom Dot Dee Dah Fee Fay Foo Fig, Etc… You get the picture…

C) PRACTICE: Motor Rhythms from around the world

• Say these rhythms several times using the syllables I have provided below. Or feel free to create your own … After saying each rhythm several times, play it on your violin.

1. Afro-Cuban- 3/2 Clave- (Dot-Dot-Dot/ Boom Boom)
2. Afro-Cuban- 2/3 Clave- (Bee Bee/ Bah-Bah-Bah)
3. Brazilian- (Doom-Bot Doom Bot)
4. Hip Hop- (Zooooom- Zat-Zat-Zat)
5. Bluegrass- (Wah wic-ka)
6. Reggae- (Um keh-keh)
7. Delta Blues- (Dot-Dot Dot-Dot Dot-Dot we-dull-we)

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Articulation: The Long and Short of Bowing

A. What is ARTICULATION?

Articulation describes the length of each musical note and the silence, if any, between musical notes. The length of each note and the space between notes is dictated by the bow. Some notes are long and are played with much of the bow. Some notes are short and played with very little bow. Some notes are connected to the notes around them. Other notes are disconnected. When we describe the notes we play in this way- long notes and short notes, connected notes and disconnected notes- we are talking about articulation.

B. IMPORTANT TERMS

Legato: bow stroke that is totally connected, without interruption.

Staccato: bow stroke that features short, totally disconnected notes.

Détaché: broad, vigorous bow stroke in which notes of equal length are slightly disconnected

Martelé: A “hammered” stroke obtained by releasing each stroke forcefully and suddenly.

Spiccato: a bouncing stroke obtained by bouncing the bow back and forth.

Flautando: A “flutelike” sound produced by bowing over the fingerboard.

Ponticello: a pinched, nasal sound produced by bowing over the bridge.

Tremolo: mostly an orchestral effect created by moving the bow backand forth in extremely short and rapid strokes.

C. PRACTICE:  Listen to each of the following clips carefully and then play along.

Legato: bow stroke that is totally connected, without interruption.

Staccato: bow stroke that features short, totally disconnected notes.

Détaché: broad, vigorous bow stroke in which notes of equal length areslightly disconnected

Martelé: A “hammered” stroke obtained by releasing each stroke forcefully and suddenly.

Spiccato: a bouncing stroke obtained by bouncing the bow back and forth.

Flautando: A “flutelike” sound produced by bowing over thefingerboard.

Ponticello: a pinched, nasal sound produced by bowing over the bridge.

Tremolo: mostly an orchestral effect created by moving the bow backb and forth in extremely short and rapid strokes

D. PRACTICE- Listen to each combination of articulations carefully and then play along.

• Legato + Staccato
• REVERSE: Staccato + Legato
• Staccato + Flautando
• REVERSE: Flautando + Staccato
• Legato + Spiccato
• REVERSE: Spiccato + Legato
• Martele + Legato
• REVERSE: Legato + Martele

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Using Your Bow

A. REVIEW- How do you hold your violin and bow?

1. Practise moving from REST POSITION to READY POSITION in one smooth motion.
2. Practise creating your bow hold.

B. DOWN BOW, UP BOW- The directions of the bow

1. Down bow- Move your bow from the FROG to the TIP
2. Up bow- Move your bow from the TIP to the FROG
   

C. DRAWING A SOUND- step-by-step instruction

1. Put your violin in ready position with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Create a loose, fluid bow hold.
3. Place the middle of the bow on the string half way between the bridge and the fingerboard. This is your contact point.
4. Make sure your right elbow is parallel with your right hand to begin.
5. Make sure the bow is parallel to the bridge.
6. Pull the bow back and forth across the open strings. Bow all the way from the frog to the tip and back again.
   

D. DRAWING A SOUND- the physical factors

There are many things to consider when drawing a sound with the bow. However, understanding a few basic ideas about the physical factors of drawing a sound will make everything easier and you will sound better right away.

1. Pull a straight bow: To draw a nice sound, it is important to draw a straight bow. To draw a straight bow, your bow must maintain a path that is parallel to the bridge as it travels back and forth from the frog to the tip. Be sure to pay close attention to the path of your bow stroke.
2. Check your contact point: Contact point refers to the spot between the bridge and the fingerboard on which you place your bow. Your contact point has a dramatic effect on the sound your violin creates. As the bow travels closer and then onto the fingerboard, the sound will grow increasingly dull. As the bow travels closer to the bridge, the sound becomes much brighter. You may find that the extremes of the contact point (bowing over the fingerboard and on the bridge) have an unpleasant quality. However, be sure to experiment with the full spectrum of contact points. In doing so, you will know better where to place your bow as you draw a sound.
3. Consider your bow pressure: Bow pressure refers to the amount of pressure you apply to the bow when drawing your sound. You can make a light sound by placing no pressure whatsoever while bowing.And the more pressure you place on the bow, the louder and more intense the sound will become. You may find that, as with bow placement, the extremes of bow pressure (as much pressure as possible, or none at all) make for an unpleasant sound. But experimenting with the full spectrum is vital to understanding what the limits of bow pressure are, and how you might use bow pressure to change the sound you create.
4. Consider your bow speed: Bow speed refers to how fast you move your bow across the strings. Bow speed greatly influences the volume and intensity of your sound. You can increase the volume of your sound with increased bow speed and vice versa.
   

E. DRAWING A SOUND- understanding the dimensions

Bow speed is purely horizontal. It concerns only how fast the bow goes from tip to frog. Bow pressure is purely vertical. It concerns only how much pressure you are applying onto the string from top to bottom. Every time your draw a sound, you use some combination of these factors. You might
use lots of pressure and a very slow bow, or lots of speed and no pressure.Usually, your sound will be produced from somewhere within those two extremes. Bow speed and pressure are two-dimensional factors. These factors create the basic dimensions of your sound.Contact point adds another dimension. While bow pressure is a vertical factor (height) and bow speed is horizontal factor (width), contact point is a depth factor. Can you visualise how this might be? Contact point creates the third dimension of bowing. When you think about your contact point, when you consider the range of its possibilities and how you then employ a combination of bow speed and pressure within it, you have created a three
dimensional space in your mind. In that space, you can contemplate possibilities of your sound.

Now you can visualise the three dimensions of bowing, the three dimensions of drawing a sound on the violin. By changing the dimensions of your sound,you create expressive shapes. You DRAW a sound. You might make an angular, bold sound by applying lots of pressure and slowing the bow while  utilising a contact point very near to the bridge. You might make a softer,rounder sound by using lots of bow speed, light pressure and a contact point closer to the fingerboard. Do you understand how we employ the three dimensions of bowing to create the sound? Visualise these ideas as you practise drawing a sound.

E. PRACTICE:

1. Experiment with the bow. Find the parameters of your sound by completing the following exercises. Interpret the exercises below by using the following symbols. Using this set of combinations will provide you with an advanced template from which to bow the violin.

• CONTACT POINT: Bridge (B), Middle (M), Fingerboard (F)
• PRESSURE: Light (L), Average (A), Heavy (H)
• SPEED: Slow (s), Moderate (m), Fast (f)

     2.  Draw a sound using each of the following combinations on any open string:

                           BLs    BLm    BLf     BAs    BAm    BAf     BHs   BHm    BHf
                          MLs    MLm    MLf   MAs   MAm   MAf    MHs   MHm   MHf
                           FLs    FLm    FLf      FAs     FAm     FAf     FHs    FHm     FHf

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How To Hold The Violin's Bow

A. THE BOW HOLD- finger-by-finger

holding the bow

• Step 1- Prepare: Grab the middle of your bow with your left hand. Make sure the frog is pointing to the right as you look at the bow. Hold the bow parallel to the ground comfortably in front of you. Take care to avoid touching the bow hair.
• Step 2- Thumb: Curve your thumb (on the right hand!) and place its tip on the bow so that it rests comfortably against the raised part of the frog. The thumb joint should be roughly 1/4 inch from the bow hair.
• Step 3- First finger: Curve your first finger and place it over the stick at the first joint (the big knuckle).
• Step 4- Middle fingers: The middle fingers should curve around the bow and rest gently next to one another opposite the thumb.
• Step 5- Pinky finger: Curve the pinky finger and place it on top of the bow.

B. THE BOW HOLD- an explanation

The thumb centers the hand on the bow and stabilizes the bow hold from the bottom. Keeping your thumb curved is vital because it allows your bow hand to be loose and fluid. If your thumb is locked straight as is common with beginning violin students, your bow hand will become rigid and in responsive.
A loose, fluid bow hand is absolutely vital to the production of a beautiful sound.

The first finger directs the path of the bow and helps apply the appropriate amount of bow pressure onto the string. Keeping the first finger curved around the bow will help maintain a straight line as you bow from frog to tip  and back. Weight applied to the string from the arm and shoulder should be directed through the first finger.

The middle fingers should rest easily over the stick (or bow) opposite the thumb. The middle fingers should be totally devoid of tension. Use your middle fingers as a barometer of hand tension! If you sense tension in your middle fingers, there is too much tension in your bow hold.

The pinky finger provides balance to the bow hold from the top of the bow. As with the thumb, a curved pinky finger is vital to a loose, fluid bow hand. A straight pinky locks the bow hand in place and obstructs the smooth movement of the bow. A curved pinky will be immensely helpful as you strive to control the bow and make a beautiful sound.

C. THE BOW HOLD- a deeper explanation

Have you noticed the emphasis placed on creating a loose, fluid bow hold in the explanation of the bow hold above? Why might this be? To answer this question, you must begin to understand the relationship that exists between the bow and the violin.The bow hair vibrates the violin strings, which in turn creates the sound your violin makes. A deep and undeniable connection between the bow and violin is evident as you bow back and forth. And as you play more and more you will find that you develop an intuition for changing that connection- the source of the sound you make- to suit your musical needs in the moment. The longer you play the violin, the more it will become obvious to you that changing your bow stroke in small ways- whether by varying bow speed and pressure or changing the placement of the bow on the string- can lead to big changes in sound production.

Thanks to the ingenious design of the violin, there is a breadth of nuance possible on the violin like on almost no other instrument. The expressive possibilities that come from mastering the nuances of the bow is very likely the technical explanation behind why it is you love the violin and want to play it. Consider the following paragraphs as you contemplate your bow hold.

• A loose, fluid bow hold allows you to change the various aspects of the sound your violin creates. When considering the various aspects of sound production like bow speed, weight and placement, the possibilities on the violin are practically infinite. But when you lock your bow hold, when you permanently straighten your pinky or your thumb, you remove the ability of the bow hand to react and change. When the bow hold is locked, no matter how, you can hardly change at all. Your sound will be essentially the same no matter what you do. Contemplate the implications of this statement!It may feel more comfortable to play with a locked pinky or thumb.
  
  It may feel like you are able to assert more control over the bow. But believe this: you are not gaining control. You are losing control! When your bow hold is locked in place, your hand is literally stuck. It cannot move. It cannot react.When the music changes, your sound will not be able to change with it.But this dire situation can be easily avoided! Focus on achieving the loosest bow hold possible. Focus on eliminating tension from your hand and from your mind. Find that fine line between a loose, fluid bow hold and dropping the bow. Seriously! When you can find that line and stay near it, you will understand much of what it takes to play the violin. Your bow will enable you to turn your music into metaphor, into a living musical translation of whatever is inside you.

D. PRACTICE:

1. Execute the bow hold step-by-step as directed in Section A of this chapter. Take care to place each finger individually, reminding yourself of the precise positioning and shape of each individual finger. 
2. Once you feel comfortable with creating your bow hold finger-by finger,practice creating your bow hold in one smooth motion.
   REMEMBER! Focus on a loose, fluid feeling. Relax your hand!
3. Experiment with the balancing your bow hold. Move your bow arm up and down, left and right, clockwise and counter-clockwise (Wax on,wax off!). Feel how each finger (especially the thumb and pinky!)

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How To Hold The Violin

A. REST POSITION:

1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and the left foot lightly in front of the right.
2. Grab your violin at the fingerboard with your left hand, and place it under your right arm with the strings facing away from your body. Use this position when you need to walk with the violin or when you are taking a break from your practicing.

B. READY POSITION:

1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and the left foot slightly in front of the right.
2. Using your left hand, grab the violin securely by the fingerboard.
3. Using the right hand to guide the violin, place the violin on your left collarbone. The violin should be parallel to the floor.
4. Turn the head gently to the left and place the chin on the chin rest.
5. Once the violin is steady, let your right hand fall down to your side.
6. The violin should rest securely when placed between your shoulder and your chin.
7. Hold your violin using your left hand between the thumb and knuckle on your 1st finger.
8. Your left elbow should come well underneath the violin, so that the tip of your elbow is parallel to the corners of the violin on the right side.

C. IMPORTANT POINTERS: 

• RELAX! Your left shoulder should feel relaxed and in its naturalposition. Try not to elevate the shoulder to stabilize the violin. If you find yourself doing so, secure the violin with a sponge or a shoulder
• POSTURE! The violin should be parallel to the floor and your leftelbow out and away from the side of your body. Stand up straight. Don’t slouch!

D. PRACTICE:

• Move step-by-step from REST POSITION to READY POSITION asinstructed above. Take great care to execute each move separately,carefully and as instructed. Practice these moves slowly at first toform good habits! Once you feel comfortable with moving step-by-step from REST POSITION to READY POSITION, execute the process fluidly, in one smooth motion. Feel everything fall into place as youmove slowly into the READY POSITION. PRACTICE TIP- Practice infront of a mirror!

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Parts of the Violin and Bow

For you to play the violin, it is important to know and be well acquainted with the different parts of the violin and the specific functions of those parts. Similar to the human body, the parts of the violin consist of a neck, belly (front of the violin), back and ribs (the sides of the violin).

A. Study the parts of the violin

Parts of the violin

1. Scroll - Located at the top of the violin. It is a decorative part, mostly hand carved.
2. Pegbox - This is where the tuning pegs are inserted. The pegs are adjusted to tune the violin.
3. Nut - Helps keep the distance of the strings and supports the strings so that it has a good height from the fingerboard.
4. Strings - It has 4 strings that are tuned a fifth apart.
5. Bridge - The position of the bridge is essential as it directly relates to the quality of sound produced by the violin. The bridge is held in place by the strings' tension. When the string vibrates, the bridge also vibrates.
6. Fingerboard - It is a strip of wood on the neck of the violin where the strings are. When a violinist plays, he presses down the strings on the fingerboard, thus changing the pitch.
7. Sounding Post - Located under the bridge, it supports the pressure inside the violin. The bridge and sounding post are directly related, when the violin vibrates, the bridge, body and sounding post vibrates as well.
8. F Holes - Is located in the middle of the violin. It is called F Hole because it is shaped like an F in Italics. It allows sound to come out of the violin. Altering the F Hole, such as its length, can affect the sound of the violin.
9. Tailpiece - Holds the strings so that it has a good distance from the bridge.
10. Chin Rest - It helps the violinist hold the instrument in place. While playing, the violinist can use his chin to hold the violin, thus freeing up his hands.

B. Study the parts of the bow

parts of the bow

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Setting Up Before Playing The Violin

Violin is the most difficult instrument to learn but it is one of the most rewarding and beautiful instruments to play when mastered. There are several things that you need to know before buying, learn, and play the violin.

REQUIRED ITEMS:

1. Violin 
2. Violin and Bow
3. Violin Case
4. Bow Rosin

RECOMMENDED ITEMS:

1. Shoulder rest
2. Instrument Tuner
3. Colored Fingerboard Tapes 
4. Cleaning Cloth (a non-abrasive cloth)

PROTECTING YOUR VIOLIN: 

Your violin should be stored safely in its case when not in use. This is the surest way to insure the safety of your violin. Do not leave your violin lying around where it might be disturbed byyour dog, a small child or anything else. Taking care to protect your violin from falling to the floor, excessive or prolonged exposure to heat or cold, and exposure to direct sunlight is vital to the longevity and good health of your instrument. Violins can be used for centuries if maintained and protected properly. At the same time, they are relatively fragile and can be easily broken or damaged. Use your common sense in regards to protecting your violin, and your violin will be just fine.

MAINTENANCE OF YOUR VIOLIN: 

You should gently wipe off the top of your violin after each use using a soft, non-abrasive cloth. A cloth baby diaper, for instance, is a perfect example. An abrasive cloth will destroy the varnish (the coating on the wood that gives the violin its color and shine), damaging your violin and lowering its value. Instrument polish may be used to shine the violin on occasion. Do not substitute furniture polish or any other such cleaning product. You must purchase polish designed for wood instruments. Again, use a very soft cloth when applying polish to the instrument.

Close up of rosin grains on violin's arm

From time to time, you will need to remove the inevitable build-up of rosin from your strings. To do so, moisten a cotton ball or a soft fabric with rubbing alcohol and rub it across your strings. This will instantly remove the rosin build-up. Take great care to avoid touching the wood of the violin with rubbing alcohol. The bridge should stand straight up and down, precisely perpendicular to the top of the violin, and parallel to the fingerboard. If you need to adjust your bridge for some reason, loosen the strings and then carefully move the bridge.

MAINTENANCE OF THE BOW: 

To tighten the bow, turn the screw above the frog clockwise. To loosen the bow, turn the screw counter-clockwise. You must tighten the bow when you want to play the violin. When you finish playing, you should loosen it again. Do not tighten the bow too much! If the bow becomes straight as a result of tightening, the bow is too tight and in danger of being damaged. Be sure that the bow retains its natural curve when tightened. The precise amount of tightness within this range is up to you.

You must rosin your bow from time to time to enable your bow to make a sound on the violin. Rosin is a sticky substance made from pine sap that helps your bow grab and vibrate the string. Without rosin, your bow will skate across the string and you won’t be able to make a sound. To apply rosin to your bow, tighten it and then rub the rosin cake up and down the bow hair. Rosin your bow every other time you play, or to your liking. If your bow is new, it probably has no rosin at all, so you will need to apply a much more significant amount to start.


P/S: Download the fingering chart to help you practice your violin

MFV violin fingering chart(click on what format you want to download it)

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