The Ultimate Violin Lesson Plan for Beginners

At The Musicians Woodshed we teach several violin lessons in Cedar Park. Taking violin lessons in person or online is a great way to improve coordination, build self-confidence, and meet new people! We spoke with our instructor Sarah Lynn and these are her helpful tips for students that are starting violin lessons for beginners. But before you start practicing, there are a few things you should know about playing the violin.

VIOLIN IS HARD- BUT DON’T GET DISCOURAGED!

Violin is one of the toughest instruments in the beginning, but is absolutely worth the hard work! It requires a LOT of practice and attention to detail. Violin is not for students that want immediate satisfaction, Violin is a slow and steady process to a lifetime of playing!

THE FOUNDATION FOR PLAYING VIOLIN WELL IS TECHNIQUE

The first few months of lessons will focus on learning the parts of the violin and technique: violin posture, how to hold the bow, how to hold the violin with your chin and left hand, how to apply the bow to the strings, and proper left-hand technique.

VIOLIN POSTURE

Proper violin posture will enable a player to:

• Play in tune
• Maintain eye contact with the conductor and other musicians
• Be able to read a score while playing
• Promote healthy habits that will prevent long-term injuries

Here are some steps to obtain the perfect violin posture:

Start with your feet positioned, heels together in a “V” shape; then pick your right foot up and step it slightly back. Your left foot becomes a guide for how you will angle your violin.

1. Sitting up straight, turn your head enough that your nose lines up with the left foot. Drop your chin and place the violin so that it’s also aligned with your left foot.
2. Hold your spine straight and relax into this position; you should be able to keep the violin steady using only your chin.
3. Lift your left arm and align the elbow with the left foot and the violin. Your hand should be curved loosely around the fingerboard. If you find yourself getting too stiff at this point, drop your hands, shake them out and start again.
4. Finally, practice lifting your right arm and dropping your wrist to allow the fingers to hang in a relaxed, slightly curled position. This is how you will hold the bow.

PARTS OF THE VIOLIN

HOLD THE BOW

For a proper bow hold, you’ll need to make sure the bow is clasped between your thumb, middle finger and ring finger. “A structured bow hold will improve the quality of your tone, as well as reduce tension in the right hand. In order to promote a consistent structure, you must remember that each finger of the right hand has a role to play in supporting the bow.” according to Stringsmagazine.com. Our friends at Violinspiration have a great in-depth article on how to properly hold a bow for violin lessons.

HOLD THE VIOLIN WITH YOUR CHIN AND LEFT HAND

We recommend all of our students who take violin lessons in Cedar Park to use a shoulder rest for their violins. It’s not only easier to use a chin rest but it is beneficial for your posture and a great way to avoid any cramps or injury while playing. We found this PDF via Simon Fischer Online to be remarkably helpful displaying the proper way to hold a violin.

HOW TO PROPERLY APPLY THE BOW TO THE STRINGS OF A VIOLIN

You can bow your strings properly by following these steps:

1. Hold the bow correctly
2. Maintain a right angle with your right elbow
3. Aim for the middle of the bow and the middle of the violin to meet
4. Keep the bow Flat on the Strings.

For more info on how to do this properly check out this video.

PROPER LEFT HAND TECHNIQUE

Your left hand is what applies pressure to the strings in order for different notes to sound. Common mistakes are to press down too tightly, affecting the pitch of the instrument. You also want to make sure that you are not clutching the side of the neck or that your palm touches the violin during shifts. More info on proper left-handed technique check out this fantastic article by Violinspiration.

FINAL NOTES

The first few months will feel slow and there will be little instant gratification, unlike the piano where you will learn an easy song in your first lesson – Violin requires more practice time than any of the other instruments that I personally teach; and a lot of that practice time is spent simply working on your bow hold or other small-scale technical practices.

Once the first few months of intensive technical work have passed, the violin will feel so much more intuitive and gratifying as you learn how to play lots of fun songs!