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Teaching Yourself

 
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ryanb
Junior Member


Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 2
Location: Myrtle Creek, OR

PostPosted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:03 pm    Post subject: Teaching Yourself Reply with quote

Hi, I'm 23 and would like to start learning the violin. The problem is I live in rural Southern Oregon, and I can't find a violin teacher in this area. Is the violin a difficult instrument to teach yourself? I currently play the piano and acoustic guitar. How hard is the violin to learn compared to these?

I plan to use all the resources I can find: books, videos, and the internet. Do you have any suggestions on what specific books/videos/sites to use?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks! Very Happy
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Gizmo
Member


Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:32 pm    Post subject: Good luck Reply with quote

One of the best places for learning information is

Michael Hopkins String Pedagogy Notebook ( Goggle it.) Or
www.UVM.EDU might also get you to the right place. ( I would give you URL but my mouse is busted.) It all has to do with the U. of Vermont and is worth finding.

Perhaps the best book for an adult learner is Mel Bay VIOLIN METHOD by Frank Zucco. ( Mel Bay MB93474 )

And please don't let anyone tell you that you "gotta" have a teacher. Maybe you do or maybe you don't and expect the first year or so to be very challenging.

( Correction ....... you probably should have a teacher if you expect to apply to Juilliard and play on the concert stage ! )

Incidentally, you may already know it but a Goggle on "free violin lessons " will get you some very good info.

Good luck.
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I NEVER PRACTICE. I'M NOT FAMOUS YET.
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ryanb
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Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 2
Location: Myrtle Creek, OR

PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the resources Gizmo! You're right, the String Pedagogy Notebook has lots of good info. Here's the direct link if anyone wants.
http://www.uvm.edu/~mhopkins/string/

The Violin Method book also looks really good. I just ordered it. Very Happy
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Fiddledeedee
Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 39
Location: Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I started playing I didn't have a teacher. I went to the local music store and purchased beginner books. If you don't have a local music store you can get them online too. Amazon Ebay etc. I taught myself for the first 10 months. That way I knew wether or not I'd stick with it too. Soon after I started I got addicted ( I still can't put it down.) I then got to a point where I feel I needed a teacher and went from there. I pratice approx 2 to 3 hrs. a day and more on the weekends. My husband still thinks I hide one in bed with me Wink

You'll find it very rewarding. Have fun with it!!
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Fiddledeedee
Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 39
Location: Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I started playing I didn't have a teacher. I went to the local music store and purchased beginner books. If you don't have a local music store you can get them online too. Amazon Ebay etc. I taught myself for the first 10 months. That way I knew wether or not I'd stick with it too. Soon after I started I got addicted ( I still can't put it down.) I then got to a point where I feel I needed a teacher and went from there. I pratice approx 2 to 3 hrs. a day and more on the weekends. My husband still thinks I hide one in bed with me Wink

You'll find it very rewarding. Have fun with it!!
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She could sing nothing but "Fiddle cum fee
The mouse has married the humble-bee"
by Halliwell
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Gizmo
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:52 pm    Post subject: Materials Reply with quote

FiddleDD

Just curious. Which beginners books do you think were most valuable ?

Did you go to your teacher with any "horrible" habits that needed immediate attention ?
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ollieken
Super Member


Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 281
Location: New Brunswick Canada

PostPosted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:14 pm    Post subject: Have a Look at this guy playing Reply with quote

All it takes is determination This fellow must have put in a lot of hrs
to get to play again if he played before I know it is not Classical music
but you have to give this guy Credit Ken

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYmqC5XznEw&feature=related
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Fiddledeedee
Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 39
Location: Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Materials Reply with quote

Gizmo wrote:
FiddleDD

Just curious. Which beginners books do you think were most valuable ?

Did you go to your teacher with any "horrible" habits that needed immediate attention ?


I purchased
A Tune a Day,( for violin) Book 1 by C. Pual Herfurth
String builder (for class or individual instruction) Book 1 by Samuel Applebaum
Strictly Strings (a comprehensive string method) Book 1 by Jacquelyn Dillon, James Kjelland and John O'Reilly I guess they all played a part in it.

After I was through all those books I purchase the same books but in (book 2) there is a book 3 too. Once I got to book 2 I started to get a little confused so I got a teacher.
The teacher was rather impressed how well I taught myself. But there were a few things I missed.
Counting was a problem, there are different tempo's you need to learn and count your notes accordingly. I needed help with understaning that and then counting it. I played everything pretty fast. Took me a bit to slow it all down. Embarassed
I held the violin a little to forward, slight move back and that was fixed. More comfortable and I didn't really notice a difference in playing. Rolling Eyes
I never let myself tune by ear, so that was forced in pretty quickly. Shocked
It also took me a bit to get used to playing with good bow technique. I was used to sluring and not sluring when I wanted to. But when your playing in a orcastra, quartet, or really any other player you need to keep those bows moving together Ex. Both bows up both bows down. I never really wanted to play with an orcastra, my interest is bluegrass, celtic, oldtime fiddleing. But learning this I'm sure is very good too and will pay off in the end. Very Happy

Good Luck!!
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The mouse has married the humble-bee"
by Halliwell
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Gizmo
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 92
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:01 pm    Post subject: Up/down Reply with quote

Yes, bowing direction is one of the skills that probably suffers when one is self taught. However I am not too impressed with a convention where the arrow points down and the bow goes up !

And I'm glad to see that you have Applebaum in your collection. He died a few years ago but I bet tens of 1000's of learners benefited from his work.
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