Though mastering the art of violin playing is a quite difficult task, with genuine passion and hard work, you can improve your performance tremendously.
Violin is one of the toughest instruments to play; it takes a lot of talent and effort to play it. People practice for years and still are not able to learn more than the basics. There are not many people who can say they have mastered it. But, why is it so hard to learn and play the violin? And why does it take so long to become proficient in playing the violin? Let’s talk about the challenges of playing the violin and what you can do to become a good violinist?
Violins do not have keys or frets
Violin itself is a complicated instrument in terms of its structure. There are several technical aspects that one must understand and get familiarized with such as bowing techniques, positions, and movements of the finger, scales, counting and reading music, and more. These components can be intense for the learners.
What makes violins different and overwhelming to play is that they don’t have keys, frets, or buttons. To play the instrument properly, you have to find the right notes with your touch on the fingerboard. The slightest change in the position of the finger will alter the tune that you intended to play. It is because of the short length of the violin strings. Cello is a lot similar to the violin but due to its long length, there is more spacing between the notes. So, it is easier to position your fingers. With much longer strings there is not much change in the tunes when you place the fingers a little bit incorrectly. The players need to develop accurate muscle memory to place their fingers correctly on the fingerboard when they are playing the violin.
The distance between the notes on the fingerboard
The second challenge that a violin player must conquer is the different spacing between the notes. You need to keep changing the position of your fingers on the fingerboard as the distance varies between the notes. At the place of the scroll, the distance between the notes is wider and to the bridge, the tones are much closer to each other. On the highest pitches, the distance between the tones can be 0.1 inches. It gets a lot difficult to position the fingers correctly when the notes are placed so closely. You have to train your brain and fingers hard to hit the correct notes each time.
Bowing technique
Handling the bow is quite difficult for a violin player. The stores of the bow have to be made with precision to generate the perfect tunes. The violinists must have to control the bow angle and the pressure to their hair to master the instrument. A little bit more or less pressure can alter the tune or sound entirely ruining your symphony completely. This is one of the aspects where most beginners struggle.
Tuning
Violins need to be tuned just like any other instrument. Tuning your violin before every performance can be quite hectic due to how difficult it is to tune the violin. You have to work with two elements: the fine tuner and pegs to tune your violin correctly. One mistake at tuning with the pegs and the strings can easily break. Tuning a violin can be very challenging for players, especially for beginners.
How can you improve your efficiency?
Playing the violin is quite a difficult task. But the sound a violin produces attracts many to learn and master the art. Here are some tips that can help you get better at playing violins.
Relax
The difficulty level of violin playing can get the players stressed easily. The anxiety can create more problems for you in the process of learning. You need to relax both body and mind to play the instrument to perfection. While doing a vibrato, you need to wiggle your fingers on the left hand subtly to create the perfect tune. You need to relax your left hand completely to perfect the technique.
Attention to details
There are several small details that you need to keep in check to maintain the right flow of your music.
- Placing your finger even 0.1 inches off can change the sound completely.
- Placing the fingers even a second late can alter the tune.
- Applying a bit too much pressure can make you out of tune.
- Your elbows must be in the right position to reach the right strings.
- Handling the bow matters a lot in your performance.
Be patient
The final thing you have to understand is that mastering the art of violin playing takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of time to even make a simple tune sound good. You need to have a lot of patience while learning it. Do not get stressed, try to enjoy playing the violin, and practice hard to improve your performance.