hi, i'm new at this forum. and a real beginner in playing the violin. i just finished a 12-session violin lesson days ago. it was an hour per session and was held thrice a week. now, i really am at a loss on how to proceed in my learning. i'm starting class in a couple of weeks, so advancing the lessons isn't really a choice for me. i'm thinking of continuing it during the sem break five months from now. but i don't know what to do so as not to drop my interest in playing during that hiatus. should i continue playing? and if so, what? btw, during my lessons, i finished Suzuki Violin Volume 1 and my teacher says that my next step would be the early beginner level of Volume 2. should I self-teach myself Volume 2 already? i really need some advice.

thanks a million.

KEEP PLAYING!! =)

by all means keep playing.

every day play what you ALREADY know. play the songs you learned, play the scales you've learned (knowing your scales and arpeggios well will be a life saver as you become more advanced)

i say go and get yourself the second volume. try out the first couple of songs. they're still rather easy and i personally think that some of the songs towards the end of the first volume are actually a bit harder than the first couple of songs at the beginning of the second book.

you can also go to your local music store and get easy violin sheet music or books.

that's what i used to do during periods of time when i wouldn't have lessons. just play music you enjoy and just keep practicing! =)

hey! oh, thanks a ton for your advice. i'll certainly follow what you say.

Wow, twelve sessions to finish the first book! my teacher made me play for a year on that one! i think you should keep playing, there are some good esy songs on this site that you might like. and practice the songs you've got. and yes you probably can play the first couple of songs in suzuki 2. the main thing you will have to worry about though is your technique, with no one to keep you on track it might deteriorate, so keep on it!
you'll be fine!

you're right. in fact, that's what I'm worrying about. my teacher always tells things like always relax, and keep your wrist this, and your fingers that. I'm afraid I'll get unpleasant playing habits without having someone supervising. But I guess that's part of the learning. I'll follow your advice. thanks!

P.S. I have a problem with tuning, though. I have a pitch pipe, but I just don't have the ear for it yet, I think. what do you suggest?

i used to have a HORRIBLE time tuning my violin when i was younger. i used to have my teacher fully properly tune each week at my lesson and then at home during the week my mom used to have to tune it for me because i just wasn't able to manage it myself.

there were times when i would spend over an HOUR trying to tune my violin but it just wouldn't stick. I would up in tears at the end of it and not even end up practicing that day because i was so exhausted! lol. also, i was very young at this time. like under 10 years old. but i was stubborn and really wanted to learn to tune it myself.


the BEST thing that helped me learn to properly tune my violin (and as you know it's extremely important to play an instrument that's properly in tune)

my mom had bought me an electric tuner! this SAVED MY LIFE! lol.

i don't recall the make/brand of the first one i got when i was younger.

but you can find some great ones online. i needed a new metronome this past year and was hoping for another electric tuner as well. so for Christmas my boyfriend got me the Cherub WMT - 220 (in black, but they come in many colors!)

http://store.musicbasics.com/t-wmt-220-jade.html

go to that link to check it out.

it has a little display screen that will show the note you're playing. for example when you play your A string, it'll show an A.

in the image on that link you can see a little red light, if the light is below the middle mark. you're flat. if it's above the middle mark, you're sharp.

if you're perfectly in tune, the light will be in the middle and be green.


i found this extremely helpful as i could visually SEE if i was in tune or not. from that i was able to properly train my ear as to what the correct note truly is.

i think that the Cherub is a good priced item. i don't recall exactly how much my boyfriend bought it for, but he got it from an online store off of ebay (i think anyway lol)

google around and see what you're able to find. there are so many different tuners that you can look into


the cherub has other features that you may be interested in as well such as a metronome, and voice counting (i don't use that function, but i believe it's a voice counting "1, 2, 3, 4")


you can also go to your local music store and see what kind of tuners they have in stock.


best of luck!!


keep practicing!
and DO keep an eye on how your technique is as you don't want to develop bad habits. if you're able to. record yourself playing with a video recorder so you can look at it after to see if your bow is straight and how your wrist is.

i used to play in front of a mirror as well. though i found this made feel a bit backwards and i didn't use this "trick" often as i didn't feel it worked to well for me personally

here's another link with the Cherub WMT - 220

on this site it looks like it's roughly about $25

http://jacksmusicstore.com/catalog/miscellaneous/metronomes/msc-mtn-p~wmt-220

A million thanks! I thought at first that getting a digital tuner as a beginner was a no-no. But turns out I can learn to tune by ear once I know the right pitch, huh? oh, I hope. ) thanks, thanks!

The first time I tried tuning I ended up snapping the G; been terrified of it ever since :D

snapping a string really can be rather startling!

I've had strings break while tuning but thankfully never while playing! though I've had pegs completely slip and lose all tuning while playing. that was with my old violin though. not that great lol

lol.. for some reason i read that completely wrong and thought you said you snapped your G while playing.

I'm trying to multi task so I'm a little scatter brained right now lol.

'lol.. for some reason i read that completely wrong and thought you said you snapped your G while playing.

I'm trying to multi task so I'm a little scatter brained right now lol.'

Lol, I don't think I'd be able to touch my violin for a month if it snapped while I was playing

haha yeah that would be a little intimidating.

like I said, I'm glad that hasn't happened to me.

but then again. I do have to admit that I don't play as much as I should. so the chances of me wearing down a string that much isn't very likely.

I don't think there is much wrong with having a tuner when you are a beginner. i had trouble tuning when i first started with a piano because i couldn't really equate the sound of the piano to the sound of the violin, so i would tune using the tuner, listen to the sound of the correct note on the violin and then to the same note on the (hopefully in tune) piano. you could do the same with your pitch pipe. also, the third finger on g string is the same note as the open d (as it is d!) so the same goes for all the others, third on d is a third on a is e. that is a quick way while playing to see if you are out of tune. it takes practice so buy a tuner if you wan't, just don't become reliant on it.

yeah, I'm always really afraid when I try tuning my instrument. I read somewhere here that violin strings are in great tension so they're more likely to snap than those on other string instruments.

and yep, I'm getting myself a tuner asap.