What you need to know about purchasing a violin
December 30, 2006 at 7:41 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Ailshie, bow, education string, purchasing, shifting
Note: This article was not written to endorse any shop, but rather to commend the effort and honesty of those in the luthier business willing to explain and help the average person to buy a quality instrument.
Many people ask me where to buy a violin, and how much they need to spend to get a quality violin. Unfortunately, ther is no magical website where you can find “the deal of the century” on a violin, and you cannot in many cases, go to the music store down the street with your credit card an buy “the perfect violin” right off the shelf.
On the other hand, it does not have to be an arduous process either. The time you invest in finding a violin for yourself or for your son or daughter should be exciting! You are finding your new voice! You are searching for a musical companion that will be yours for years to come! You are aquiring a tool to help you earn a living in the music business.
A quote from Reed Bernstein:
“What makes a bowed instrument work well cannot easily be compared by the inexperienced person. They all look alike to some extent, and you can’t compare features like you do with other purchases, such as computer, car, stereo, etc. In the end it comes down to trusting the shop that you work with, and unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people selling instruments who are taking advantage of people, and these include many of the music stores where set-up is hardly addressed, most of the mail order companies where the low cost provider gets the business, and most definitely ebay which is where everything sold gets commoditized. Violins are not commodity items and when they are sold that way, the low cost providers can only provide you with junk.
People tell me that the player is “just a beginner” and I almost want to cry! The beginner needs a minimally well adjusted instrument to even have any idea of what the experience is going to be like. Giving a beginner one of these instruments is like giving them a pen to write with that has no ink in it!”
Please consider finding your violin at a reputable violin shop in your area. Go to a reputable violin shop not just to “support local business,” or “help the little guy.” Go to get the quality instrument you have been looking for set up by a professional who spends all his time doing just that. Go to get the one on one service owning a fine instrument demands.
For more onformation on exactly what to look for, please read this short article:
How to buy a violin, by Reed Bernstein
How to Spend Practice Time
December 5, 2006 at 9:29 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Practicing, students
Ever heard the expression, “Don’t spend it all in one place!” This applies not just to money, but also to practicing music. If you practice spend all your practice time on the bow arm, the left hand gets neglected. You can’t spend all your time on repertoire, and forget about scales and arpeggios. In fact, it takes a very careful “time” spender to have a productive and efficient practice session.
Young people especially need help spending their time. Think of what a young person might spend $20 on, if given the chance…
As a teacher or parent, you can help the young musician to learn to “budget” their time by using careful planning. Although this will take a couple of weeks to initiate, once the ground work is laid, the habit pattern of successful practicing will be established. In fact, once a routine is developed, it only takes minimal time to adjust it later.
Just like a working out, one day isn’t necessarily enough time to cover all the bases. A daily physical stretching routine musically equates to body warm-ups, bow hold exercises, left hand exercises, and slow bowing exersizes. Twenty-forty minutes of cardio daily can be compared to the one third time spent practicing scales, arpeggios and etudes. For strength training, many people alternate arms and back with abs and legs. In this manner, alternate repertoire pieces, ear-training and singing, composition and improvisation, and listening and theory.
Imperative elements to practice each day:
*Always stretch and warm up while deep breathing
Warm-ups: left and right hand, posture and body, slow bow
Calesthenics: scale/s, arpeggio/s and etude/s
Repertoire Performance: play for an audience, or record yourself
(Don’t stop for anything, and visualize a venue of your choice! Bow at the end!)
Important elements to practice at least 2-3 times per week:
Repertoire Practice: isolate areas needing improvement and drill correctly
Review Performance: play for an audience, or record yourself
(Don’t stop for anything, and visualize a venue of your choice! Bow at the end!)
Creative practice: improvise, arrange or compose with specific parameters
Ear Training: Sing with solfege, Practicing intervals, finger patterns and melodies
Ear Training: Learn, practice and play entirely by ear (start small!)
For a 30 minute practice, incorporate 2 of the important elements per day. Alternate elements each day, making sure to address each element at least 2-3 times per week.
Play slowly until you are sure you’ve mastered the material. Remember, practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.
By Paula Verdicchio Ailshie
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