Learn Violin your way with a TakeLessons expert

When it comes to violin for kids, how can you tell if your investment and energy is worth it? Here, San Francisco, CA violin teacher Carol Beth L. shares her advice...   It can be difficult to measure the success of your child’s violin lessons. You may be wondering if they are progressing as quickly as they should be, or if they are enjoying their lessons.  Here are a few ways to gauge your child’s success in violin lessons. Is Violin Easy to Learn for Kids? Is violin easy

Reducing tension while playing the violin is extremely important. After all, relaxing your muscles is one of the keys to producing a smooth sound. Below, violin teacher Carol Beth L. shares five exercises for helping reduce tension while playing the violin.  Are you having a difficult time perfecting your violin playing? Very often, violin students have trouble producing a good sound when they aren't properly relaxed. High-level players learn, among other things, to eliminate te

Gifted musicians don't appear from nowhere fully-formed and ready to take to the concert platform.  For every 45-minute concerto or 90-minute recital you hear, hours of hard work have gone into every note, every phrase, and even how the music is approached, learned, and memorized! It may seem strange to say that proper practice is the most nerve-wracking element of mastering your violin, but if you don't know how to structure the session, how can you ever be sure that you're working on the rig

So you've decided to take violin lessons, and you couldn't be any more excited! You have decided on the violin and bow that you want to purchase, and will be taking violin lessons with a private teacher; you're well on your way. But aren't there other things that you need too? Here are some violin accessories that will help both your playing and enjoyment of the violin: Case:  Every violin needs a durable case to prevent dents and dings no matter where you go. You can purchase softer case

Have you been looking for violin warmups that will get you ready for your daily practice sessions, and help you improve your skills in the long run? Want to make sure you enter your violin lessons all ready to go, with your violin in tune and your body limber? It is important to get a good warmup in before diving into a productive practice session or performance. Feeling good and comfortable on your instrument on any given day will depend on this. Your violin is affected differently each day

Are you looking for more information about the Suzuki violin method? Below, we’ll go into detail about everything you need to know about the Suzuki method, including its pros, cons, and everything in between for students and their families. The Suzuki violin method can be a polarizing topic in the music world, as there are many different opinions surrounding it. While some argue that the method helps children develop a high level of playing ability, others say it doesn’t teach student

Whether you’re a violinist looking to get ready for a wedding performance or you’re the one saying ‘I do’ and you want to find the best violin wedding songs, you’re in the right place! Below, violin teacher Julie P. shares violin wedding music and helpful tips for preparing and performing... Wedding season is both an exciting and stressful time for violinists and the couple tying the knot. There are many weddings, high demand, planning the perfect day, and so much more.  Whether

Tablature is a form of musical notation that makes reading music easier for fretted and string instruments like guitar, bass, and violin. The premise is operationally-based, meaning that rather than showing rhythm, duration, and pitch, violin tabs will show the player where and when to place their fingers on the instrument. For an improvising musician, tabs allow you to improvise while staying within the chord structure of a song. We most often use tablature-style notation when notating pop m

As much as every budding violinist would love to pick up their instrument and begin playing beautiful music, the work required to get there is much more mundane – every breathtaking performance requires strategic and focused warm up exercises beforehand. These routines help you develop and maintain your basic violin skills as well as gear up for more advanced techniques, too. For beginners, it may be difficult to know even where to start; after all, everything seems to need work. However, us

When you’re just starting out on the violin, it’s important that you have some easy violin songs to help you stay motivated and maximize your fun. Simple violin music can be just as beautiful as its complicated counterparts, and you don’t have to be Paganini to play some expressive and rewarding melodies. Knowing just a handful of notes, you can play tunes from a variety of styles. If you’re new to violin lessons, your teacher can help you learn some of these beginner violin songs wi