I love to teach and play violin!

I  have opportunity to play more and more venues.  I am so happy!  Now I have violin students that I teach.  I so like my students.  There is such satisfaction in seeing the progress my students are making.  Some are young, eager and just starting to learn.  Others have been playing awhile or are older and want to learn to play correctly and at higher level.

Each group has their own challenges.  I first teach them the proper way to hold bow and violin.  It is foundation for becoming a good violinist.  If you do not have good bow technique, you will never advance beyond beginner status!  Next is how to get good sound from your instrument.  My students who practice and play like I teach them, can quickly see progress.

I am proud to say that my students that were taught before, are surprized at what they can now accomplish with a few adjustments and practice, practice, practice.  I am proud of my students and I think they so appreciate me.

Practice makes perfect: Start with 15 minutes everyday and work up to at least an hour of play or more.

During practice, focus on improving and playing musically.  Play a small segment of music, then ask yourself: “What can I do to make that sound better?”. Then play the segment again while trying to implement your ideas.

Practice is critical.  A violin has no frets or marks to help place the fingers. A student that wants to be a good player will practice every day to prevent losing the feel of the right position for the hand and fingers.

Be Patient!  Be sure not to rush ahead and try things that are too difficult; you have to crawl before you can walk. Go Step by Step. First, learn the simple things like learning how to use a bow. Before you know it, you’ll be ready for more difficult things.  Even very gifted musicians must practice hard and may struggle when learning something new. Patience is the key!,

Practice hard fast parts slowly, then work up to tempo.  It is not important to be able to play fast at first. More important to play correctly and get the best sound from your violin. Besides, some of the most beautiful violin music is played slowly, like Ava Maria played here. Do not expect to play something well the first time, or even the first twenty times!

Have fun!  Violin playing should not feel like a chore. While you should practice the music you need to for your teacher or orchestra, leave time at the end for your favorite music.

Cole Payne:  Feb 16, 2013