3 Violin Practise Tips - be more efficient!

[@TheOnlineViolinTutor]

3 practise tips to help you be more efficient when practising your violin ...and yes, I'm British, so it is spelt 'practise' with an S and not a C. It is also 'spelt' and not 'spelled' for the British term 🤣

[@liamderosa2157]

I'm American but have visited London and seen those kinds of terms spelled that way and I kept thinking "why is everything spelled incorrectly?", So thanks for the clarification 😂

[@1Inked4Heart3]

I had no clue !!

[@christophertsiliacos8958]

@@liamderosa2157 It’s not that the words are spelled or "spelt" incorrectly; it’s just that the English language has variant spellings for many words, such as “learned” and “learnt” and “vittles” and victuals” Then there are words that sound the same, yet have different meanings and are spelled differently, such as “bough” and “bow” and “aisle” and “isle” and dew” and “do” and "won" and "one." English is among the least phonetic of languages; unlike Spanish which is probably among the most phonetic of languages. In other words, one can be an excellent speller in Spanish and yet a very poor speller in English. BTW: Have you noticed that there are English words that sound as though one is speaking Chinese? Take the words "We sing - one long toy cow." 👍 😂

[@HoldenJulian]

@@liamderosa2157 There was this crazy American called Noah Webster who decided to write a dictionary. Possibly he was dyslexic, although that concept hadn't been invented then, maybe he just wanted to simplify English - which is a complex language constructed from Anglo-Saxon, Norman French and Latin - into something has compatriots could learn more easily, either way US English is the poor relation of its mother-tongue.

[@lindaj5492]

Here’s a link to help: www.future-perfect.co.uk/grammar-tips/easy-mistakes/is-it-practise-or-practice

[@willali9944]

You are incredible, I wish I could have you as my actual tutor.

[@kathymcgrath5450]

This video is a wonderful reminder, in your first tip, to just have fun warming up! I'm still a new beginner and I tend to be so serious about learning and trying to get everything right, that sometimes I get frustrated. Most importantly, I want to play for enjoyment! Thank you for this reminder.

[@codeNameMoose907]

Yep, again, another exceedingly helpful video, Alison. Well, I'm honored to say that Alison Sparrow is now 100% my violin instructor--I just purchased her (your) ULTIMATE VIOLIN PACKAGE which in my not so humble opinion is absolutely a bargain! And now I can practice (practise 😊 )/ learn from Ms Sparrow at any time of the day with all courses I downloaded. "THANK YOU, ALISON" does not seem to be enough, but thank you!😊 💜 (You're make up is flawless, BTW!)

[@Michelle-Smith]

"What are you going to do in those two hours?" LOL!!!!!!! I literally felt that because being totally a newbie (finally moved to the first string after over a month), I was like thinking, "how many times can I play these darn exercises?" LOL now I'm struggling with first finger. I mean it's only 3/4 days and my brain is starting to connect. I just have to go slower than the actual tempo is supposed to be. I remember trying to practice the open strings.. 2 hours. Lord, my neck hurt and I was like nah this is for the birds I'm done. Frustrated? Yep. So now, I learned I will just do about 30 minutes, I know my struggles and then I say ok we're done and I try harder the next day

[@Ehdkejrvsbsjiiehwbsbs]

Great advice! I just started playing during this 2021 journey. Got your 3 lesson books :) wish me luck and thanks for what you do!

[@GlenChundemigod]

Something to consider as well is yourself. Sounds weird but what I mean is consider your physical state. For me I no longer practise when I'm tired. I used to and it never went as well. I would bugger things up that I normally wouldn't and my playing wouldn't be crisp at all and faster play would be terrible. It would feel like playing with a handbrake on. Like my mind is sending the signals to the fingers to move but they just don't get the message in time. All of that can hurt confidence and then the fatal over thinking starts. Happened with my singing as well. When I was tired it was so hard to get a nice sounding tune out. But when I was wide awake I would be fine. And everything would start moving in the right direction again. It all of a sudden would feel more effortless. I'm only just over two years of experience with a lot to work on technique and fundamental wise but thought it was something worth considering that will make you more productive and hopefully not destructive.

[@patriciasmith9050]

Hi Alison- I am not a violin player but I still love to listen to your videos as you always give good advice for everyone what ever they play. Please keep them coming!! Perhaps a piano one !!!!! Anyway have a great Christmas and New Year despite the times. From Patricia Smith - Northumberland.

[@Jonny4384]

Great advice and I have learned plenty from your videos so thank you for your hard work and tutorials!....One thing that I do is keep a practice journal for each session so I can see what I did and what needs improvements; this has been quite helpful!

[@amandashinners1932]

Just started your courses!!! Got my violin yesterday, tuned it, and got to lesson 5. I'm only as far as the 3rd exercise out of the 6 but having lots of fun already!

[@eddesroches6833]

You really have a natural sense to teach violin (likely both a lot of teaching experience and a lot of natural sense!) I have been practicing lesson 5 through firelight everyday now...still helps to warm up. Also moving on to songs 1-4....with various degrees of mastery. Yes using the lesson 5-10 practice exercise is a great way to warm up. Also I have found being able to read notes from playing piano and organ is a big plus. Seems like one should start by learning the notes on the piano. Very difficult to play the violin without knowing the notes first.

[@caringheartsforhorsesoutre8516]

Great job with all the wonderful content. However, I can't find your pdfs. I am specifically looking for the practice notes pdf you said had gone from youtube to patreon. I tried looking on patreon and couldn't find any pdfs. Then went to your website and nothing. HELP. I just do not have the time to invest in searching for things lol PS I am 58 have no ability to use my 2nd finger. But, I'm stretching 😆

[@throngcleaver]

I LOVE your books! You did such a fantastic job on them. Top notch tutorials! None better. Not sure why all the commas, butt hay, to each her own. Keep up the great work, Aleswoon!

[@osp8490]

Wan to come my hse now i got i rm.550-504.

[@im-killian]

I just bought an old German violin for £40 from FB marketplace, love your channel so far. The vids are so watchable and engaging. I wish you were my music teacher when I was in school 🔥👌🙌

[@f0nziewashere]

8:05 i practice daily 3-5 hours daily never had music teachers, books or anything of that sort i do finger warm ups and then start playing songs i listen to on a regular basis. ihave no idea what level iam tbh.

[@iggyzorro2406]

Dear Allie, What a fantastic video! This is the hardest I have ever hit the mouse over the 'like' icon! I am a (long term) beginner and can read through pieces in beginner books, but have messed myself up by paying attention to everything on the score: notes and fingering (obviously) but also all the things you mentioned around 17:30 - up bow, down bow, slurring, accents, etc. What an eye opener to be told to just play the notes and disregard everything else (for now). I'm still working on keeping the bow straight while reading the music.haha. Thank you so much. This is going to help me a great deal. p.s. - do you ever read comments on old videos? I have a question regarding tuning.

[@TheOnlineViolinTutor]

Fire away :)

[@iggyzorro2406]

​@@TheOnlineViolinTutor Thank you. when I'm tuning an open string, sometimes It will hold right at 440 for the note then fade very slightly off or, conversely, be slightly off then stop at the perfect frequency (pitch). As cents are extremely tiny amounts of tonal difference, how many cents off is acceptable to be considered 'in tune?' (because when I'm playing and watching the tuner, I am sometimes only 2 to 5 cents off.) p.s., you were the first violin teacher I discovered when I thought to see if youtube had anything about violin playing (oh boy, there sure is plenty) but I've learned so much from you that I always return to ​The Online Piano & Violin Tutor. - I have your Book Two and other learning materials. Thanks again.

[@Mr.TitoRon]

You are a beautiful teacher

[@cassandraloki2846]

Im in book 3, harmonics exercises. Thank you so much for your knowledge you teach so well

[@Zxouf873]

Appreciated 😊

[@eddesroches6833]

There I added a link on my desktop to this lesson for quick referral. There is plenty of value in seeing this more than once!!!

[@toadie48]

Wow this is the earliest I have been.

[@beckham7rick]

I am currently in lesson number 7. I think I have improved a lot (let’s consider that a month ago I didn’t even own a violin). Now I can identify the notes, but I find really hard to read them and play them at the same time. Instead of that, first I understand the notes, go a piece at the time, and then eventually I’m able to memorize the whole exercise. Am I doing it right? Or should I focus a 100% on playing while reading.? I’m very happy with this course. I’m training at least 1 hour every day. Thank you very much

[@nawafamjadr]

i literally do the same way as you do

[@deadmanswife3625]

I think you are doing it right

[@eddesroches6833]

I learned to read on the piano and organ. Yes! It really helps to be able to read the notes before trying the violin. I practiced intensely (know how to read the notes) 2-3 hours a day for a month or two until I could play the first music piece (Ode to Joy). My goal was to be able to play a song before I backed down to less practice. I now practice about 1/2 hour a day. Consistency in practice is important and I do see improvement and confidence. Now much less hitting wrong strings. I have a range of the first 4 songs in the first song book.

[@alluminitionms8647]

That melodies of life sheet music is what's likely gonna make me pledge to your patreon later on when I'm better lol.. funny that's the one song I want to learn the most!

[@alluminitionms8647]

Also as a beginner I'm averaging about 2-3 hours but taking 15-30minute breaks, going back to it and repeating with the goal in mind of building muscle memory, it's working for me as I significantly improved in the first 2 days of doing so (still sound like arse of course lol)

[@christophertsiliacos8958]

Thirty minutes (!) is hardly enough time for me to set up my stand, get my sheet music in order - of which I have thousands from which to choose, and rosin my bow if needed. If I can't get in at least two hours of practice per session with my violin, it's not worth my time. And that's only playing the violin in the first position. 👍 😉 For me, two hours of playing feels just like 20 minutes anyway, especially when one plays with "feeling, phrasing, vibrato and all that good stuff" as the Fiddlerman would say. BTW: I try to allocate at least two hours of practice regardless of the instrument I play, be it brass, woodwind or string. Happy Holidays! 😊 🎻🎸🎺 🎷 et al 🎶🎵

[@timwhitemedic]

By the way, BRAVO on the new hair..... Very pretty.

[@ronaldoadriani2711]

Excelent! 🇧🇷😘

[@mostafamax2081]

Some people say to beginner violinist go easy on strings when you play in order not to cut them ...is that right ?? Are they that flexible to be cut???

[@cassandraloki2846]

What do you think about playing 2 instruments? I play violin and would love to learn piano too

[@belkacem5600]

I don't have access for good violins in my country. Is it fine to start practicing with a bad violin ?

[@etherealttv]

I love your videos! I have just recently found your channel and I am glad! I am considering getting into learning the violin. Do you recommend the stentor II student violin for a complete begginer? I need something affordable and to try out to see if violin is something for me but do not have a lot of money to get a high end beginner one.

[@TheOnlineViolinTutor]

Stentors are ok, but they are not as good as they used to be. I dont know if you are in the US or not, but I can fully recommend Fiddlerman violins: bit.ly/2TCgWk1

[@margobrouwer8229]

Hi Allison, greetings from 🇨🇦. I’m working on the 2nd book, and have the feeling that I am stuck. I think lesson 13? Do you have tips what to do?

[@TheOnlineViolinTutor]

Lesson 13 is the 2nd finger. In a nutshell, it goes in 2 places; close to 1st finger and close to 3rd finger. Depending on what the music says (what key it is in) will determine where the 2nd finger goes. If you learn and know your scales, you will learn and start to know this. Example, with the scale of G major, on the G string, the 2nd goes next to 3rd. On the D string, it goes next to 3rd. On the A string it goes next to 1st and on the E string, it goes next to 1st. So, when you play a piece of music in the key of G major (onn sharp at the start), then you know exactly where to put your second finger (and all other fingers for that matter) as you will have learned your G major scale. The key is all in the scales....

[@alishacuddy2473]

Woo hoo first to comment!

[@fsuberca]

Grats!

[@eddesroches6833]

Allison for you: I know you play the organ. You may want to construct a pc (or mac) computer powered software organ (hauptwerk.com). With your talent you will be able to figure out how to construct an organ (with full pedal board). I have built the one I am practicing on now. The initial software organ is free...you can try it out on your current computer. To build a large...or small console It will take buying the computer/hardware/software and integrating it together (buying one is an option ...but you have the mental horsepower to build it yourself). Checkout also how to build one on youtube also. If you have a small apartment you can build the size of the instrument to fit. The Hauptwork software organ plays actual digital sounds looped recordings of the famous organs around the world...sounds very real, quite different from the pathetic electronic synthesized sound organs available.

[@phoenixclairsentientempath2119]

When will you issue the book 4 and song book 4 to learn the advanced level?

[@TheOnlineViolinTutor]

My course is complete at lesson 30 with books 3. This course will take you to a satisfactory level where you will have no problem play anything you want to. You may then after lesson 30 seek more professional advice in the form of a local teacher if you want to take your skills to a more professional lebel, but this would be for those who want to use it as more of a career for example.

[@EudoraPrice]

Thank you so much You look even more Beautiful and Amazing with this Hair Color Thank you for All that you do Youre Fiddlerman reviews also great Have a great Holiday 🎄🎄🎄🌹😘♥️ I will be after Christmas ordering some things My Concerts were christmas cancelled due to Corona 😪 Ich am glad for online Teachers and Tutorials we are not allowed to go to music Teachers Lockdowns Distance etc😪 Love and Peace