Friday, December 26, 2008

Violin Accessories For Beginners Learning To Play Violin

As a beginner on the violin, knowing what violin accessories are essential for your learning process is important. One must also know which accessories are important and what to look for. For example, one might wonder if a shoulder rest is important when playing the violin, and how to determine which one is best, and also how it influences which violin you end up buying to improve your own playing.

Perhaps the only moment violin accessories become important to the beginner violinist is when one needs to buy new violin strings for the first time. But it should be something that is learned or taught from the moment one starts to look for his or her first new violin. From the types of violin strings being used, to the violin cases that are most suitable for the first instrument, to even the position of the shoulder rest relative to your chin and neck, those are the things that are equally important to what lessons one takes from either a personal violin instructor, online lessons or from a violin DVD and traditional instructional materials like sheet music.

Other than a new violin for the budding student of the instrument, the most attention must be paid to its strings, violin bow and chalk that is applied on the bow. Violin strings are the most important accessory for the instrument, as without it, there is no music to be created, played or learned. Imagine what else you can do with a six stringed instrument without strings? Perhaps tap on it like a drum.

Violin strings can often be found on discount or from large sales, if one wishes to save some money. It does not matter too greatly if the prices are low, as long as you know what quality the violin strings provide. Make sure only the highest quality within budget is used, or it could harm your instrument more than it helps your wallet. There is a lot of news about Dominant violin strings at the moment, and they do indeed to provide a number of benefits and could be worth the investment to ascertain if they provide the quality of sound one prefers.

Violin strings will also need to prevent further wear and tear on the instrument. If the string quality is poor, they could break frequently, which actually hurts your violin in the long run. It creates undue pressure on the neck and might lead to warping.

Even with strings properly wound and fixed, you cannot create beautiful music unless you intend to pluck them with your fingers. If so, sell the violin and buy a harp instead. But if you intend to stay with the violin, then treat yourself to a good quality bow. The grip, weight, flow and quality of the bow hair is of paramount importance. Violin bows from Eastman Strings might be a good start, but there are also others which boast excellent value for money. Choosing the right bow could mean a huge difference in the quality of sound and playability of a complete violin experience.

The violin bow should also be taken care of, if you wish for strings longevity and greater playability. While most claim that ordinary chalk will be good enough to keep the bow smooth for playing, the right kind of chalk used should also be taken into consideration. Poor quality chalk will not only damage the bow, but also cause faster wear and tear on your strings. The end result is more money spent buying new strings and even a new bow.

Violin lessons online are also a form of accessory for any beginner. These can sometimes allow students to save both time and money, and that is an incredible benefit for those who face a tight budget but wish to absorb as much information about their passion as possible. These online teaching materials can be used at your own pace and are perfectly transportable, as some allow you to download onto your computer or MP3 player. You can then bring the lessons along with you anytime, anywhere, and still learn the instrument while performing other tasks.

With the various violin accessories available now for discount and cheap low prices, it is difficult to separate the quality from bad. It does not mean that sales of violin accessories will not put up anything worth buying though. On the contrary, they are always great for finding great bargain new accessories for the violin and your experience of learning how to play the violin. From tunes, stocking up of backup strings, to even new violin cases or a better adjusted shoulder rest, finding discount violin accessories will also save you a lot of money and pain in the end.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Violin DVD Lessons Use To Learn To Play Violin Yourself

Wondering if it's possible to use violin DVD lessons to learn to play the violin yourself, especially if you are a beginner? This is a tough question and can apply differently to different aspiring young or beginner violinists. But by applying some of the same tried and tested techniques, it can end with the same results for most. A violin dvd can act as your personal teacher and might even be handy for you to learn to use the violin, but at worst, a supplement to your own learning.
Make sure that your violin DVD lesson disc is something that is easy to follow and understand, which means that the tutorials and lessons taught and described must be perfectly understood by anyone hoping to learn violin for beginners or whichever level you are at. There are many on the market and recommended in online violin lessons. Reviews are often provided and it is important to recognise who the violin teacher or coach is in the DVD. If it's someone you already know who is a reputable teacher, it will be a plus. And chances are, you will not regret picking it up.

Even if the instructor on the violin DVD is not someone you know or have heard of, it might still be very useful for your attempts to learn to play the violin on your own. Find out more about the violin teaching background of the instructor featured on the DVD. If things point to a history of being a personal tutor of the six stringed instrument, the DVD might be a good investment for your own music education.

It is also good to find out what the violin DVD lessons include. What does it teach? Is there a comprehensive lesson structure and plan, and do they make sure to cover the basics of playing violin well? Learning any musical instrument is always important in terms of building a strong foundation from the start. Good or bad habits are developed from the start. If the lessons taught on the DVD provides sound advice on good practices for a beginner violinist, it is definitely an excellent start.

Violin DVD lessons should also be more than one disc. There should be a series of lessons spread over a structured learning methodology, especially for budding musicians. While exploring your musical talent is essential, starting via rote learning is the best way to achieve basic proficiency on the instrument. The DVDs should also promote disciplined practice and learning, and stress on the importance of dedication and commitment.

There are also violin DVDs that feature professional musicians, such as performing classical or rock violinists. These are great for a proficient violinist who is looking to add a few new intermediate or advanced skills to his or her arsenal. They also sometimes provide great insights to playing violin professionally. But for beginners, it might be overwhelming. These DVDs will also distract the basic violinist from what he or she needs to concentrate first from the start. This is similar to many individuals who, in wishing to emulate their musical heroes, resort to finding an online lesson violin professional to teach them or provide materials that purportedly gives them the same skills in the shortest possible time. Instead of spending too much time trying to finding the best violin learning DVD, do not forget that there is no substitute for hard work, so keep practising those chops and you might one day be as good as the best violinists on the planet.
The best violin DVDs are the ones that ensure good habits for violinists are developed from the start, and that keen discipline is practised. These online lessons must also encourage beginners to explore what they are most comfortable with in terms of musical development. Teaching them how to play basic violin pieces instead of difficult concertos from the start will be crucial in giving a positive headstart instead of discouraging the student as a result of not being able to play anything after weeks of practise. In order to find out which ones are best suited for someone starting out, or a violinist who has already reached intermediate or advanced levels in their learning, make sure to read up on the many beginner violin lesson reviews that are published to guide potential purchasers of the instructional DVDs.

For those who are trying to pick up the electric violin, it might become a bit more complicated. It is true that being taught on the acoustic version will be transferable to whatever you play on the electric version. But even since the days when Mark Wood first set the scene alight with his debut album that featured him on the instrument, looking for instructors in this category still brings up lesser numbers and results compared to the more popular form of the bow and fiddle. There are the usual options such as finding an electric violin dvd tutor or related materials, but it can still be a relatively large mountain to climb.

Learning more about the instrument beyond playing it, such as what violin accessories to use, look out for and what each and every one does, is a must for any violinist. No one will help to take care of your instrument, change the strings, clean the fingerboards and all for you. A good violin DVD will include some of these fundamentals in their lessons and is a perfect guide for someone hoping to learn violin for beginners.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Learn To Play Violin For Beginners

Learning how to play violin for beginners can be a daunting task. But it can also be fun, and extremely fulfilling. If you are just starting out in the world of music, choosing a stringed instrument, in particularly the violin, can only be praised as making the right choice. It also shows how learned you are as a budding musician, as it is not often mentioned enough that the violin can be one of the most entertaining instruments anyone, and not just a beginner, can pick up.

So how can one learn how to play the violin? Do you need any musical background or experience prior to understanding and mastering the instrument? Even the musical geniuses started out from ground zero. It would help if you knew musical theory or have previous knowledge of another musical instrument. But it will not hurt if you have never even held a recorder. Trying to master the violin can be a lifelong process, but the stress should be on the fun of learning and playing the stringed instrument itself.

And it is certainly not a boring instrument! In case you have never heard or seen the electric violin, it probably means that you've been stuck out in the woods for too long...

Getting over the fear of zilch musical background, the next most important thing on an aspiring violinist's agenda will be to get hold of a violin itself. No one would start with an electric violin, unless he or she wanted to be in a rock band. But trying to figure out which violin model to buy and what accessories to get along with it must be thought over properly. Even knowing what violin strings to use can be an artform in itself. This whole process will be spoken about in due process and further detail later on.

Skip forward a few steps and assuming you now have a violin both for having hours of fun with as well as actually trying to figure out how to play a song on it. How can you do that? How does one even start taking the first few strokes and bows of the violin and becoming a musical maestro?

What should one do to start playing the violin. Well, if you are one of the more adventurous types, there is always the first option of being self-taught. Wait a minute, didn't I just say that the violin is one of the most difficult instruments to learn? How can anyone then learn how to play it without proper or professional instruction? Can it be mastered without a violin teacher? If you're dead broke and cannot afford violin lessons, then teaching yourself will have to be the best and only option.

So how can one learn how to play the violin yourself, without a teacher, lessons and no money? There are of course hundreds of violin lessons that are online which provide some good instruction and tips. While these online violin lessons can offer adequate starting points for beginners, it might not be sufficient for everyone. Especially the curious ones. It will also be good to keep an eye out for the best online violin lessons that are reviewed to be great for beginners, since they will teach a lot of the basics and fundamentals that must be mastered from the start or many bad habits will develop. There are also many violin instructional software programs that can be used and are quite good, and do not cost too much. Certainly not more than engaging a teacher or taking up proper lessons.

Consider looking for one of the many how to play violin dvd beginner that is available for students of the instrument. These new media instructional material are very good in guiding anyone interested in learning a new musical instrument, be it the guitar, violin or even drums. They provide both visual and audio aids which are crucial in providing the maximum benefits in an environment that promotes knowledge gathering.

In case anyone thinks that beginners will never be able to learn how to play the violin properly by themselves, they only need to look at the thousands and millions of self-taught guitarists worldwide. If any individual applies the same dedication and discipline as these guitarists, there can certainly be just as many violinists all across the world who have managed to teach themselves the instrument for a large part of their education.

The numerous online tools for violinists can also be used for such purposes. They will even enhance the learning experience and perhaps more innovation could result. Online resources for violins and their practitioners are also plentiful, from violin fingering charts, to finding cheap violin accessories ranging from violin strings, bows to the shoulder rest which is so crucial to providing proper posture and comfort. The convenience provided by such resources often outweigh even the benefits of violin DVD lessons.

At the end of the day, everything will also come down to the beginning violinist's commitment and dedication to his or her art and music. Discipline is of utmost importance. Spending hours practising the violin is essential, and learning more about the instrument, the various methods of playing it, and the background and musical history of the instrument and major music compositions that feature the violin. These will all add up and come together to make one master, cherish and learn more about the violin over the years.