5 Essential Warm-Ups for Violin

A good warm-up routine is essential to a good practice session. It all starts with the warm-up. If you rush through your warm-up or skip it all together, your practice session will suffer too.

Playing violin is a very physical instrument. There’s a lot of moving parts and coordination. A warm-up period is a time to get your muscles tuned up and ready to play. But it’s also a great time to get your mind in the right space as well. Turn off any distractions. Find a quiet place. Let your mind know it’s time to shift gears and focus on a new task.

Always start with some simple stretches. There are no necessary stretches. Since playing violin really involves the whole body, I like to do stretches that work all of the muscles, with a focus on neck, back, and arms.

After that, tune your violin. And then it’s time for some warm-ups! Watch the video below for 5 warm-ups that will get your left hand, right hand, and mind ready to play violin!

3 Tips for Better Double Stops on the Violin

A double stop on the violin occurs when we play two strings at once. While this may seem fairly simply on paper, there’s definitely a lot going on when we play on two strings.

If your double stops on the violin are sounding scratchy or sloppy, here are my top 3 tips for better double stops!

Think About Your Right Elbow Height!

Your right elbow height changes when you change to play on a different string (or it should). If you’re playing on two strings, you need to find an elbow height in between each of the strings. You can often think of playing on two strings as splitting the difference and playing on an imaginary string in between the two strings.

Use A Lot of Bow

When you’re playing double stops on the violin, there’s a lot to think about. It’s easy to focus entirely on intonation and getting those left hand fingers in tune. But this can cause you to ignore the bow and slow the bow speed down, which can actually make your problems worse. Yes, you can play double stops with slow bow speed, but when you are first learning to play double stops on the violin, use lots of bow and very fast bow speed. This will make it much easier!

Think About Your Left Elbow

Mastering double stops is really about understanding the role of the elbows in violin playing. Adjusting your left elbow forward and back changes the angle at which the finger contacts the string. Try placing a finger down on any string and keep it there as you swing the elbow forward and back. Watch how rotating the elbow brings the finger closer or further away from the adjacent strings.

If you’re playing on two strings, you want to make sure the fingers aren’t accidentally touching strings that they shouldn’t be touching. Bringing the elbow forward slightly can help rotate your hand so that you are playing more on the fingertips, which will help prevent accidentally touching the wrong string.

How to Shift Up to Third Position on the Violin + An Easy Song in Third Position!

Now that you know what third position is, let’s talk about how to shift up there and play in third position on the violin! I’ll show you how you can quickly shift to third position and then a simple song. Let’s get started!

How to Shift Up to Third Position on the Violin (In Less Than a Minute!)

Where to Place the First Finger in Third Position

Learning exactly where to place that first finger in third position can be tricky. The rest of the position hinges around that one finger. It’s your anchor point and your reference for the other fingers. If it’s sharp, the other fingers will be sharp. If it’s flat, your other fingers will be flat. So use this simple ear training technique to find the exact spot to place that first finger!

Hot Cross Buns in Third Position

Now that you know how to shift up to third position and how to get that first finger really in tune, it’s time to learn your first song in third position! Do this completely by ear, don’t worry about notes right now. In this lesson, I’ll show you how to play Hot Cross Buns in 3rd Position.

3 Rules of Violin Vibrato Practice

If you’re considering teaching yourself vibrato or if your violin teacher has finally deemed you ready, you may be wondering, “is there a wrong way to learn vibrato?” The answer to that question is a resounding yes. While there are lots of ways to get an oscillation in pitch (which is essentially what vibrato is) there are only a couple of movements that will result in that beautiful, natural, consistent vibrato.

So while there is definitely wrong ways to learn vibrato, I think the main reason people have trouble learning violin vibrato lies in how they practice it.

Practicing vibrato the wrong way can lead to frustration and creating bad habits. Learning violin vibrato takes time. It won’t happen overnight. It might take months or years, and that’s totally normal. So if you’re going to learn vibrato, you’re in this for the long haul, so make sure you are practicing for longevity!

Here are my 3 Rules for Effective Vibrato Practice!

Can Beginners Learn Violin Vibrato? Yes, kind of! A Violin Teacher's Opinion

Can a beginner on the violin learn vibrato? It’s not necessarily a question of can they, but should they?

Learning violin basics is tricky enough. You’re focused on where to put your fingers to play in tune, plus you’re trying to to make a decent tone with your bow. And if you’ve played violin for more than 5 minutes, you know I’m simplifying things quite a bit.

Vibrato gives the violin that beautiful, flowing quality, so it’s understandable why beginners want to learn it. However, learning violin vibrato too quickly can set beginners back or just make them frustrated. You need to have the time to dedicate to learning violin vibrato, and many beginners have enough on their plate already. Plus, it helps to have some technique and skills under your belt. And you want to make sure you aren’t doing any bad habits. If you want to learn more about how to prepare for learning violin vibrato, click here.

With all that said, I do think beginners can start the basic vibrato motion exercise. This is a simple exercise done without the bow, just to train your left hand. Incorporate of few minutes of this exercise into your daily warm-up and when it’s time to really learn vibrato, you’ll be ready!

Want more vibrato help?

Sign up for my studio and get access to my complete vibrato course!

Universal Scale Pattern for Violin: It works Anywhere on the Fingerboard!

With this simple universal scale finger pattern, you can play any scale anywhere on the violin fingerboard. D major or D# major, it doesn’t matter!

Simply memorize this easy pattern and you’ll see how sheet music and key signatures can often make it much harder to play in tune. Think in terms of finger patterns and free up your mind to play more in tune!

Thinking of Sounds as Wavelengths: How to Play More in Tune on the Violin

Ever wondered why some notes on your violin resonate longer than others? If you're having trouble with intonation or tuning, thinking in terms of wavelengths or frequencies can help you visualize the sounds you are producing and achieve a better sound. Learn about the fascinating world of sound physics and learn how thinking in terms of wavelengths can improve your tuning, intonation, and sound production.

Links: Helix Tuner: http://helixtuner.com

TUNIC Unisono: https://apple.co/3Oun8ph

This video is from my course, the Art of Tuning. To get access to the complete course, join my studio!

Do You Need a Shoulder Rest to Play Violin? Not Necessarily, But Here's Why You Should

If you’re starting to learn violin, or if you’ve been playing and struggling to get comfortable with your current shoulder rest, you may be wondering, “do I need a shoulder rest to play violin?”

The answer is…it depends.

If you are considering whether or not you should use a violin shoulder rest, you need to consider two things: your body type and your level of playing. We’ll talk about these in a moment, but first let’s discuss how holding the violin works and the pros and cons of playing with and without violin shoulder rests.

The Violin and the Shoulder: A Simple Machine

To hold the violin level and stable, you have to think of the violin as a simple machine: it’s a beam with a fulcrum, just like a see-saw.

Think about another lever: balancing a knife on the edge of your dinner plate. The knife is the beam and the plate is the fulcrum.

Take a look at the picture above and notice where the fulcrum (plate) is located. All the way at the edge of the knife handle. If the fulcrum (the dinner plate) is very close to one side of the knife, you create very lopsided lever. You’ve got to have a lot of weight on the side closest to the fulcrum to balance it out. This is how holding up your violin works. The knife is your violin, the fulcrum is your shoulder, and the force your thumb exerts on the knife is the force your jaw exerts on the chinrest.

What if we had something to help support the weight at the tip of the knife? Then we wouldn’t have to use so much force with our thumb! This represents what it’s like to hold the violin without a shoulder rest, using both the left hand and the jaw to keep the violin stable and balanced.

HOlding your violin without a shoulder rest requires left hand support and jaw weight

Take a look at our lever diagrams again.

Holding the violin works the same way. The violin is the beam and your shoulder is the fulcrum. Try to hold the violin up on your shoulder, without a shoulder rest and without supporting the violin with your hands. You have to use quite a bit of force with your jaw to keep the violin from sliding off. Now take your left hand and place it where you normally do, to support the violin. Now you don’t have to use quite as much force with your jaw. Keeping the violin in the right place is a balancing act and balancing the violin on that pointy, bony, knobby fulcrum we call a shoulder can be tricky.

Let’s go back to our knife and dinner plate. The fulcrum in this case is the edge of the dinner plate. That edge is round and hard. Not ideal for keeping something steady.

 But what if we changed out our dinner plate for a little box? Tada! With our new fulcrum, the knife balances so much easier. I don’t need excessive force or anything else to help balance the tip. Actually, the knife can balance completely on its own, without any input from my finger or support at the tip.

Keeping a violin balanced with a shoulder rest

A shoulder rest functions the same way. It offers a bigger, more stable fulcrum to help keep the violin level and balanced with minimal input from our jaw or our left hands. That’s the idea at least. Achieving that sort of balance with a shoulder rest does take trial and error.

 How to Hold the Violin Without a Shoulder Rest

Now that you have an idea for how shoulder rests function, let’s take a look at many professional solo violinists, especially from the 20th century and you’ll discover that many of them don’t use a shoulder rest. How do they do it?

 They’ve simply become experts at the balancing act.

To play violin without a shoulder rest, the violin rests on the shoulder, the jaw keeps it gently in place on top of the chinrest and the left hand helps support the violin. Sounds simple enough, right? But there is a lot of nuance and some room for things to go wrong here.

Common Problems When Playing Without a Shoulder Rest

The violin with its smooth, curved back can be pretty slippery on your shoulder. This can cause people to inadvertently clamp down with the jaw to prevent the violin from slipping (like the painting above). A sponge or towel attached to the bottom of the violin can alleviate the slipping tendency and provide some traction to grip your shoulder. The sponge makes your fulcrum (your shoulder) not quite so pointy. However, you still need some pressure with the jaw or more support with your left hand to balance everything out.

One common issue I see with students playing without a shoulder rest is excessive tension in the jaw, neck, shoulders, and left hand. This can be a problem particularly for people with average to longer necks. Think about it: if your violin is on your shoulder and you have to bend your neck down to reach the chinrest, you’re going to cause a lot of pain and tension in your crooked neck. To compensate for that issue, some students hunch the shoulder to bring the violin up, but this will cause tension, pain, and fatigue in your left shoulder as well. Other students compensate by holding the violin and supporting it entirely with the left hand. Sometimes they even allow the neck of the violin to lay there in the crook between the left index finger and the thumb. Holding the violin this way will tire out your left hand and it virtually eliminates any possibility for flexibility, vibrato, or quick-moving fingers.

So can you play violin without a shoulder rest? Absolutely, but you have to know how to do it correctly and it helps iff you have the body type conducive to playing without a shoulder rest.

 What Body Types Need a Violin Shoulder Rest? 

If you have a normal or long neck, small shoulders, or bony shoulders, I would highly suggest playing with a shoulder rest.  

A taller chinrest can help

A shoulder rest can help bring the violin closer to your jaw, so you don’t have to crane your neck down to get to the chinrest. You can also use a taller chinrest, but often a combination of a taller chinrest and shoulder rest is what you need.

As someone who would typically be categorized as short (5’4”) I’ve always thought I must also have a short neck. But it doesn’t work that way. When I finally realized my normal size neck required a taller chinrest and a taller shoulder rest, I experienced a significant improvement in playing and a reduction in tension.  

Should brand new beginners use a violin shoulder rest? 

If you’re just starting to learn violin, you’re learning a million things at once. How to hold the bow, how to produce a decent tone, where to place the left hand fingers, etc. You don’t want to add to that mix by also struggling just to keep the violin level which is why I always recommend brand new beginners learn violin with a shoulder rest.

A shoulder rest might not be perfect, it might not be super comfortable, but it will help you keep the violin stable as you learn the basics. Remember, even if you are doing everything right and your shoulder rest is set-up perfectly,  it will still take time to get comfortable with the violin. So don’t be surprised if it just feels awkward for a few months.

As you continue playing, you’ll be able to become more aware of your body and what your specific needs are. Start experimenting with different set-ups. There are lots of different shoulder rests and lots of different ways to customize them. As you progress on the violin, continue experimenting with different settings with your shoulder rest or try different styles of violin shoulder rests. You can also experiment with different styles and heights of chinrests as well. And if you think you have to body type that would benefit from playing violin without a shoulder rest, try it out!

Common Shoulder Rest Questions

Is it better to play violin without a shoulder rest?

Not necessarily. It all depends on your body type and your specific needs. You will often hear that violins sound better without a shoulder rest since the shoulder rest reduces vibrations. While this may be true, the difference in sound quality will be very minimum if even detectable at all. If it’s easier for you to play violin with a shoulder rest, you’ll produce a better sound with a shoulder rest than if you were struggling to play without a shoulder rest.

What shoulder rests do you recommend?

Shoulder rests can be a very personal accessory. It might require trial and error to find the right one for you (if you need one at all). Here are the top 3 shoulder rests I recommend that fit most body types.

Happy Practicing!

I Just Got My Violin! Now What? A Guide to Unpacking Your New Violin!

Congratulations! After the somewhat overwhelming process of deciding what instrument to get, you now have your violin. Now what? Let’s talk through the process of getting your violin ready for the first step: tuning!

There’s usually a few steps you’ll tackle first!

Opening up Your Violin Case

If you were mailed a violin, let’s get it unboxed! Go ahead and open your violin and get the case or violin box out. Open it on a flat surface like a couch, bed, or table top.

As you open your case for the first time, just take a moment to enjoy the smells and the beautiful sight of your patiently waiting violin. It’s a moment that will always stick with you!

Parts of a Violin Case

We’ll get to the violin, but first let’s just talk about a few parts of the standard violin case since there are often some items you might have questions about!

First, there should be a soft violin cover. Keep this over your violin anytime you put the violin into its case.

You’ll often find the next three items in your case, although they aren’t in all cases.

• A hygrometer: This dial. tells the relative humidity. You want to store the violin between 40-60% humidity so this little dial is pretty important. To learn more about how to control the humidity level, visit How to Take Care of Your Violin.

• A case humidifier: If you have a small tube with some type of screw top, that is a violin case humidifier. Add water if your hygrometer is indicating low humidity.

• A clear string tube: If you have a long clear tube with cork stoppers at the top of you violin case, that is a spare string tube. This tube is for gut strings which are better stored elongated and not coiled up. With our modern day synthetic strings, you can keep your spare strings coiled in their packages.

A violin case Humdifier

A Violin String Tube

Hygrometer

Parts of the Violin

I’m going to be talking about some different parts of you violin, so let’s review those now.

How to Unpack Your Violin

Before your violin is ready to be tuned, there may be a few shipping wrappings and cushions you’ll have to remove. Every company does this a little bit differently. When I received a violin from Fiddlershop, it had a cardboard bridge protecter over the bridge. Simply remove or unscrew the little toothpicks and take the bridge protector off.

You may also have some sort of wrapping around the bridge or around another part of the violin. Carefully remove this.

Notice the violin is missing a bridge? See that little white package underneath the Tailpiece? Yep, that’s your bridge. Some assembly required. This is not how violins should be shipped! If you see this, you probably have a VSO on your hands.

*Note: the bridge should be upright and in place. There is an unlikely possibility that shipping could have knocked it loose. If that’s the case, get in touch with the company that sent you the violin. Most major violin retailers from respected violin shops know how to ship their violins so that it arrives in good conditions, but sometimes things happen.

Once people learn about VSOs (violin shaped objects) they immediately start to wonder if their violin is a VSO. Well, if you open the case and find the bridge neatly wrapped in its own wrapping waiting for YOU to install it…then you have a VSO. This is something that should be done by a luthier before being shipped to you. A luthier will know where to place the bridge for the best sound. A violin is not a “some assembly required” sort of item.

Let’s take a break from the violin for a moment and move on to the bow.

How to Take the Violin Bow out of the Case

Let’s talk about how the violin bow is stored in your case. When you first receive your violin, there may be a rubber band around the bow latches. This is to keep the bow in place during shipping. You can remove this and throw it away (or put it in your stash of rubber bands—they come in handy for various aspects of violin playing!)

The bows may be encased in plastic or some other type of wrapping. You can remove this and throw it away as well. There’s no need to put your bow back in this little plastic bag every time you put it away. The case will keep it well protected. Watch this quick video to see how to take your bow in and out of the case.

How long does it take for a new violin to settle?

The violin doesn’t need to settle before you can play it. If it has new strings, the strings will take a few days to settle into place. This simply means in may go out of tune more frequently. Keep tuning the strings and within a few days they will stay closer to being in tune.

New violins or violins that haven’t been played recently will open up more as you play them. So if your violin sounds a little stuffy, give it a few days of playing to let it open up.

It’s time to tune!

Now that you understand the parts of the violin case and have everything unwrapped, it’s time to tune!

Visit How to Tune Your Violin for the next steps.

How to Care for Your Violin: Ultimate Guide to Violin Maintenance

Now that you have your new violin, you may be wondering, “how do I care for the violin?”

You want to keep your violin looking new and in tip-top playing condition and violin maintenance plays a big part in how your violin sounds.

Before we get into my violin care tips, I want you to remember one thing. While the violin is a delicate instrument and does require some care and maintenance, don’t be afraid of the violin. Yes, you want to take good care of it, but don’t be so terrified of hurting it that you are afraid to use it. Aside from bashing your violin against the wall, any minor things that happen to your violin during daily use can be fixed!

Before we get into the details about violin maintenance, first let’s talk about some general violin care tips when handling the violin!

Violin Care Tips

How to Handle the Violin and Bow

• Always wash your hands before handling the violin

• Hold the violin by the neck when you can. This is the safest place to hold the violin and allows you a good grip around the instrument. Avoid placing your hands all over the body of the violin since the oils on your hand can eventually hurt the varnish. Now, you will occasionally have to touch the violin body. Don’t worry, it won’t disintegrate. Just don’t make a habit of rubbing your hands all over it.

• You also want to avoid touching the violin bow hair since the oils on your hand aren’t good for the hair. Again, don’t worry too much if you accidentally touch the hair.

• Don’t rest the violin upside down on its front. The bridge could crack!

Don’t rest the violin like this!

Understanding Affects of Temperature and Humidity on the Violin

Keep an eye on the Hygrometer in Your Violin Case

Your violin is made of wood and glue: two materials that don’t respond very well to excessive temperatures or drastic changes in temperature. So when considering violin maintenance, temperature and humidity should always be on your mind.

What does heat do to a violin? Excessive heat can make the glue melt. The wood will also expand, making the pegs swell, which means your pegs may stick and be hard to tune.

What do cold temperatures do to a violin? Cold temperatures will make the wood shrink. This can cause cracks to form in your violin. With cold weather, we often get drops in humidity, which is another important factor when it comes to violin care and maintenance.

How does humidity affect a violin? The violin needs to be kept in a place with a relative humidity between 40% and 60%. If it’s too dry, cracks can form. Too humid and mold can form. Neither of those things are good for violin care!

To control the humidity level around your violin, you can use in case humidifiers or humidifiers that fit into your violin body. I live in Arizona for a good part of the year so I use both! Here’s what I use:

You can also use humidifiers for the room where you keep your violin or dehumidifiers if it’s too humid.

The humidity level can also affect the bow which we’ll talk about when we discuss violin bow maintenance.

Do I Need to Keep the Violin in its Case?

While the case is safest place for your violin, as long as the temperature and humidity are in the correct ranges, I’m a big fan of leaving the violin out during the day. This makes it much easier to just pick up the violin and start playing. If you have pets or young children, make sure the violin is in a safe place. I love violin wall hooks for this reason.

Violin Storage, Temperature, and Humidity

• Avoid leaving the violin case or the violin itself in direct sunlight.

• Keep the violin in a temperature controlled room. If it’s too hot or cold for you, it’s too hot or cold for your violin.

• Make sure the humidity level stays between 40% and 60%

• Avoid leaving the violin in the car, especially if the temperatures are warm. Remember, however hot it is outside, it will be even hotter in your car. Now let’s face it, you will occasionally be somewhere where you just want to leave your violin in the car for a bit so let’s talk about that.

Can I Leave a Violin in a Car?

While many people say NEVER leave your violin in a car, let’s be practical and talk about when it’s okay and when it’s definitely not okay to leave your violin in a car. Over the course of playing violin for a few decades, I’ve definitely left my violin in a car a few times with no catastrophic results. So if you want to leave your violin in a car, there are a few things to consider.

• How expensive is the violin? I’ve got a lot of violins. If I’m carrying around Maria, my REALLY nice violin, I’m much more hesitant about leaving it in the car for any reason or for any amount of time. If I’ve got one of my $200 budget violins I use for traveling, I’ll be more likely to leave it in the car if the following factors look good.

• What’s the temperature? If I’m hot (around 90-95 degrees) the violin can only stay in the car for short trips. As in 5-10 minutes. If I’m in Phoenix in the summer (as in 95-115), the violin goes with me everywhere or just stays at home. If it’s comfortable but warm (80-90 degrees). I’ll be okay leaving the violin in the car for slightly longer periods, like eating a quick meal or doing some quick grocery shopping. If it’s cool and comfortable (55-70 degrees) I’m okay leaving the violin for a longer meal, a walk, or a little hike. If it’s getting colder (30-55 degrees), I’m back to just leaving it in the car for short amounts of time. If it’s really cold (30 and below), it’s going to go with me or stay at home.

• Is it a safe place to leave the violin in the car? Another reason you want to avoid leaving your violin in your car is theft. While you never know exactly if it’s safe or not to leave your violin in the car for this reason, if you do leave it, make sure it’s concealed or in the trunk.

Taking Your Violin With You

There’s really nothing wrong with taking your violin with you when running errands if for some reason you’ve got the violin in the car with you. If I stop to eat while on a road trip with my violin, I simply take it into the restaurant. No one ever says a thing. Just don’t forget to take your violin with you when you leave!

Violin Care After Playing

Now let’s talk about how to care for your violin and bow after you are finished playing.

Daily Violin Maintenance

If it looks like you’ve been eating powdered donuts over your violin, you’re probably using a little too much rosin. Just make sure you wipe all of that off!

A big part of daily violin maintenance and cleaning has to do with rosin. Rosin is sticky. It’s good for getting the bow hair to grab the string, not so good for the varnish. You always want to remove any rosin dust from the body of the violin. If left on, over time the rosin dust will harden and become more difficult to remove. Eventually rosin left on the violin can damage the actual varnish. So make sure you…

• Always wipe the rosin off of the violin with a microfiber towel. Make sure you get under the strings in between the bridge and the fingerboard, but also wipe the end of the fingerboard where rosin often collects. Simply thread the towel underneath the strings and use both hands to wipe the towel back and forth.

• Wipe the rosin off of the stick of the bow (note, this may be something I do once a week. There’s not always enough rosin on the bow stick to justify wiping it down every time. If you do find there’s a lot of rosin on the stick after you play every time, you’re probably using too much rosin.

• Always loosen your bow hair before storing the bow. There’s no need to unscrew the the hair, simply loosen the hair just enough so that the hair starts to touch the stick.

Weekly or Monthly Violin Maintenance Items

Every week or month, use a second towel (not your daily rosin towel) to wipe down the entire body of the violin, removing any dust that collects around the body and under the tailpiece.

If you have significant rosin build-up on the strings, you can use a small cotton pad with alcohol to remove the rosin for the strings. Just make sure the alcohol doesn’t get on your violin. If you’re worried, place a towel underneath the strings to catch any alcohol that might drip.

The type of towel you use for cleaning is very important.

I keep two cleaning microfiber towels for my violin. One is for wiping off rosin, and the other is for wiping off the body. Make sure you use an absorbent type of material like microfiber so the cloth actually picks up the rosin. For a while I was using some cotton cloths and cotton handkerchiefs. What I didn’t realize is that the cloth was just spreading the rosin up the fingerboard. So after a few months I had a very obvious rosin streak that my luthier had to clean off.

You may also want to vacuum your violin case every month to keep dust and debris at a minimum.

Yearly Violin Maintenance Items

At least once a year, replace the strings and get the bow repaired. You can replace the strings, but you’ll want to take the bow to a luthier to get it rehaired.

It’s also not a bad idea to get a yearly violin checkup at your local luthier once a year. The luthier can give your violin a deep clean and make it look like new. It’s also a great time to see if your violin needs any adjustments or fixes.

Violin Bow Care

• When you are finished playing, wipe the rosin off of the bow stick (the wooden part).

At some point, you’ll open your case and realized we never loosened the Bow hair.

• Always loosen the violin bow after playing. If you occasionally forget to loosen the bow hair, it’s not the end of the world. We’ve all done it from time to time. But if you keep the bow hair tight, it will reduce the life of the bow hair and cause the hair to stretch out over time.

Humidity can also play a part when it comes to the bow. When it’s humid, the bow hair is more elastic and it will take lots of turns to tighten the bow hair. Be careful if you take your violin and bow from a humid place (like outside) to a drier place (inside an air conditioned room). Make sure you loosen the bow hair, otherwise when the hair meets the drier air, it will tighten ever more. If the bow hair becomes to taunt, eventually it will start to snap.

How Much to Loosen Your Bow When you’re finished playing

About how much you want to tighten your bow to play

You may occasionally get single bow hairs that break or become loose. This is very common and totally normal. Simply take fingernail clippers and clip the hair as close to its base as possible. You can yank the hair out, and if you are in a performance setting, that’s usually your only option. It’s not the end of the world, but you could accidentally put too much force and yank all the hair out. So use clippers whenever possible.

Walking and Moving with a Violin in Hand

Last up in our discussion of violin maintenance: moving around with your violin. This isn’t topic that is often discussed when talking about how to care for your violin, but the closest my violins have ever come to complete destruction always involved me moving around. So here are my tips for keeping your violin and bow safe if you’re walking, climbing, or otherwise on the move with a violin in your hands.

Be wary of stairs

Recently I was walking up the TWO stairs in my RV with my violin. Somehow I tripped but luckily fell on my side. Meriwether, my violin was unharmed but it was a close call. My recommendation? If you have to go up and down stairs, no matter how few, put your violin in its case, ascend or descend, and then get the violin out.

Be wary of doors

Or rather, doorways. Doorways and bows are eternal enemies. When walking through a doorway with your violin bow, you may keep the violin close by your side, but you may forget the bow extends several feet from your body and then all the sudden...whack! Your bow gets snapped in two.

So a word to the wise, be mindful of doors and stairs!

How Can I Play Quieter on the Violin? A Guide to Playing Violin with Practice Mutes

If you’re learning to play violin, you might also be wondering, “how do I play violin quieter?”

The violin is meant to project. While that’s great for a concert hall, it’s not ideal when you’re playing violin in an apartment building or trying not to disturb a family member or neighbor.

Or maybe you’re practicing in a smaller space, and the violin is just too loud for your own ears. Is there a way to tone it down? Yes! While the violin doesn’t exactly have a volume button, you can reduce your volume greatly with mutes! 

What is a Violin Mute?

Sound waves travel from the vibrating strings, down the bridge, into the body of the violin, and then out the f-holes. You can’t keep your strings from vibrating, and you don’t really want to stuff a towel into your violin body, but you can put something over the bridge! That’s exactly how a violin mute works. It’s a material placed on the bridge to dampen the sound by reducing sound frequencies.

What kinds of violin mutes are there? 

An orchestral or Slide-On Mute

If you’re wondering how to use a violin mute to play quieter, you’ll want to be aware that there are several types of mutes and some work much better than others!  

First off, there are orchestral mutes also known as slide-on mutes. These are smaller mutes that don’t cover very much of the bridge. They are used in orchestral settings when a composer wants a more muted sound. The composer will denote this by writing con sordina (with a mute) in the music. Violinists usually keep orchestral mutes below the bridge where they don’t affect the sound. They can be easily moved on an off the bridge by sliding the mute up and down the strings below the bridge (hence the name “slide-on” mutes). While orchestral mutes dampen the sound, they are more for affect and aren’t very effective at turning down the volume of the violin.

If you want to turn the volume down on your violin and make it quieter for practicing, what you need is a practice mute. A practice mute is a piece of rubber or metal that covers the entire bridge and reduces the volume of the violin for quieter practicing. But there are different types of practice mutes as well!

Types of Violin Practice Mutes 

There are three types of violin practice mutes: metal mutes, metal mutes covered in rubber, and all-rubber mutes.

An all-metal practice mute will be the quietest option

The heavier the mute, the more it will dampen the sound. So all-metal mutes will give you the greatest reduction in volume. However, metal mutes can also damage your bridge and if you accidentally drop them and it hits your violin body? Eek! Some types of metal mutes are also quite tall, making it difficult to see over the bridge.

I use an all-rubber violin practice mute when I don’t want to be too loud. I actually use one of these quite often (hey, I live full time in an RV!) Sometimes you find yourself parked pretty close to another camper at a campground. Or maybe you want to play outside but you don’t want everyone in the campground to hear you practice. Or sometimes my ears just need a break from a really loud violin in a really small space. I’ve found that all-rubber mutes reduce the volume but don’t mute the violin so much that it’s not enjoyable to play. With an all-rubber mute, it still sounds like a violin, not a toy.

Metal mutes encased in rubber are a good go between all metal and all rubber violin practice mutes. You’ll be able to play quieter than an all-rubber mute, but it’s a little safer than all-metal practice mutes. If you’re nervous about sharing walls, waking up your neighbors or family members, this can be a good route to go.

Benefits of Playing Violin with a Practice Mute

Can playing with a practice mute help your playing? Actually, yes it can. The violin produces a lot of overtones. That means it’s very resonant and ringy. When you play one note, you’re not just hearing that one frequency, you’re hearing all of the overtone frequencies as well. That resonance can help when it comes to playing in tune, but sometimes it can make it more confusing.

I’ve had students say practicing with a practice mute helped their intonation immensely by cutting down on all those ringy overtones. That allows them to just hear more of the fundamental frequency and make adjustments as necessary.

Can Playing with a Violin Practice Mute Hurt My Playing? 

If you always have to play with a practice mute, you may struggle with learning all of the intricacies of tone production, dynamic contrast, and tonal shading. That’s really where the fun comes in when learning violin.

So if you find yourself in a situation that requires using a violin practice mute for months on end, I would also suggest finding a place where you can play without the mute occasionally.

If you don’t have a place where this is possible, I suggest calling around to local churches. Oftentimes churches are staffed and open during the week, but they don’t necessarily have something going on in all of the Sunday School rooms. Call around and explain your situation, it might take a few tries but you’ll probably find a church somewhere that doesn’t have an issue with someone practicing violin in one of their empty rooms. I’ve taught many a violin lesson in a church Sunday School room during the week myself!

Happy (Quiet) Practicing!

Is It a Good Idea to Buy a Used Violin? A Violin Teacher's Opinion

If you’re thinking about learning violin, you may be wondering if it’s better to buy a new or used violin? Are used violins cheaper? Will used violins sound any good? Are old violins better than new violins? Maybe you found a cheap violin at a thrift store and you’re wondering if you’ve discovered a treasure?

Let’s dive into the details when it comes to buying a used violin!

Where you should and should not buy used violins

 If you were to ask me, “should I buy a used violin,” the next question I would have for you would be, “where are you buying it from?”

If you are buying a used violin from a reputable violin shop or luthier, yes, it’s probably fine. If you are buying a used violin from the thrift store, an antique store, Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, or any other private seller, I would be wary of purchasing the violin unless you are really sure of what you’re getting. Keep reading to understand why it pays to be a little hesitant!

 Is it cheaper to buy a used violin?

To put it simply, probably not. A good, basic beginner violin will cost you around $250-$300. (Those cheap $60 violins you see on Amazon and Ebay aren’t really violins. They’re VSOs--violin shaped objects. So they don’t really count.) The issue with used violins is that even if the violin is in good condition, you will want to put on a new set of strings and get the bow rehaired (if it comes with a bow). Since you don’t know when the strings were replaced or how much playing the strings and the bow hair have endured, you’ll want to just put on a new set of strings and rehair the bow. Old strings and old hair can affect the sound and make playing downright frustrating. A new set of strings will cost you $40-60 for a good set and a bow rehair will be $50-75. When you are considering these replacement costs, it’s often cheaper just to buy a new violin with new strings and new bow hair.

If the violin is NOT in good condition, then you will have to pay a luthier to fix whatever issues are making the violin unplayable. While some things can be fixed, some things can’t.

 How do I know if a violin is in good condition?

We’re missing something here…I guess this is a do-it-yourself kind of violin set-up

If you aren’t familiar with violins, it will be very hard to know if the violin is in good condition. Even if it looks okay on the outside, there could be cracks or warping that aren’t always obvious.  

Violins do require some special care and attention. They need to be protected from extreme temperatures. If it’s too hot, glue will start to melt. Too cold and the wood will start to shrink and form cracks. They also need to be stored where the relative humidity is between 40%  and 60%. Too humid=mold. Too dry=cracks.

The problem with buying used violins is that you don’t know its history. Has it been stored in an attic for years? Is there mold hiding inside of the body?

Cracks and mold can be very expensive fixes, so make sure you purchase used violins from a reputable dealer to avoid hidden costly repairs.

Oftentimes, used violins will be missing some critical parts, like a bridge. Or maybe the soundpost inside is loose and rattling around (or gone completely). These will all equate with things that need to be fixed to make the violin playable.

Can I buy a used violin if I’m just starting to learn violin?

If you are brand new to the violin, I would encourage you to buy a new violin unless you are purchasing an older violin from a reputable string shop or luthier.

You can tell a lot about how a violin has been cared for based on the pictures. Please, don’t rest a violin upside down on its bridge!

Learning violin has its own set of challenges. You don’t want to be struggling with violin maintenance issues or make it harder on yourself by playing on substandard equipment. 

If you are purchasing the used violin from a reputable string shop, you know the violin has been checked over for any issues and probably had the strings replaced. In that case, it’s perfectly fine to buy a used violin. And it may even be cheaper than its new counterpart.  

Will used violins sound any good?

If it’s a good quality violin that has been well-cared for, yes, it will sound good. It will probably sound even better with a new set of strings. If it’s a poor quality violin to begin with, age won’t help it much.

The problem is knowing if the violin was good quality to begin with. If you are familiar with violins brands, it may be possible to know what’s a good deal and what isn’t. Nowadays, there are hundreds of cheap violins being sold on the internet. Even though they look new, that does not mean they are playable. Many “new” violins are VSOs (violin shaped objects). They may look like a violin, but the similarities stop there.

DOn’t be fooled by new-looking used violins. They may be VSOs (violin shaped objects) and poor quality to begin with

Are older violins better?

While some of the best sounding violins in the world are old, that doesn’t mean that a violin has to be old to sound good. Just because a violin is new doesn’t mean the wood is new. Even with new violins the woods has been aged for years before it is carved into a violin. (Unless of course, the “new” violin is a VSO, in which case all bets are off.)

Well made, new violins can have marvelous sounds (all of my violins have been new). Oftentimes new violins are cheaper than a similar sounding old violin. Old violins have a certain allure, and violin dealers know that and price their violins accordingly. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting a violin for its history and charm, always use sound as the primary comparison when purchasing violins!  

Be wary of deals too good to be true

A Strad I found on Facebook for $1,000! A bargain considering the going price is a few million.

Did you find a Stradivarius violin for $1,000? An old, antique violin for $399? Go ahead and pass. Thousands of student violins were produced in the nineteenth century with the label “Stradavarius.” This was a simple marketing ploy, so don’t fall for it now. The violin may or may not be worth something, but if the person you are buying it from believes it is a Stradivarius, it’s definitely not worth what they are asking.

I often see antique violins being sold on Ebay or Facebook Marketplace for exorbitant prices simply because they are “old.” These are often being sold by someone who has little to no understanding of violins and thinks that a violin has worth simply because it is old. It might be worth something, but rarely is it worth what they are asking.

So can you buy a used violin?

Yes if… 

• You are buying from a reputable dealer, violin shop, or luthier

• Have an eye for what you are buying and know how to look for things that will be costly to repair.

 I would be hesitant about buying a used violin if you are…

• A brand new player just learning violin (unless you purchase from a good string shop)

• Buying from an antique store, thrift store, or other private seller.

• Don’t know how the violin has been taken care of. 

Can You Find Good Violins at a Thrift Store?

I’m no stranger to antique stores, thrift stores, flea markets, and Goodwill. I love a good find. However, over the course of playing violin for around 20 years, I have yet to spot a violin I would pay more than $5 for. And I would NEVER pay for what people were asking.

A violin that has been…Well Loved or not loved at all?

While I’ve never found a good deal or anything even worth playing, I’ve had one student who found a great deal at a thrift store. She spotted a violin worth around $400-$500 in good condition for around $45. However, she had been playing for about a year and knew what to look for. The more you play, the more familiar you will become with violin. And just maybe, you’ll find a great violin at a bargain price!

While used violins may be a good deal if you can find them at string shops or luthiers, be wary of violins sold by private sellers unless you know what you are looking for.

If you’re just starting to learn violin and you just need your hands on an instrument, check out the following links to help you make a decision.

-Top 10 Violins for Beginners

-Should I Rent My First Violin? 

Happy Practicing!

25 Best Gifts for Violin Players (+3 to Avoid): A Violin Teacher's Gift Guide for REAL Violinists

Looking for good gifts for violin players, gifts for fiddlers, or violin teachers? Enough with the worthless knick knacks! Let’s talk about real gifts for violin players—gifts that violinists will actually love.

After years of giving violin gifts to friends and receiving gifts from students, I know exactly what gifts musicians love! If you aren’t a string player, your string-player friend will think you are if you purchase them something off this list. Whether you are looking for a gift for an orchestra partner, a fiddler, a music teacher, or a child, or maybe something for yourself, here is my ultimate guide to the top 25 gifts for violin players and teachers.

You can also visit the Meadowlark Violin Shop for all of my recommendations for violins, books, and accessories.

*Wait for the end to see my list of what gifts to NOT buy.

Best Gifts for Violin Players

1. Swanky Rosin

Don’t buy your violinists just any rosin. Get them swanky rosin. Expensive rosin. Posh rosin. Trust me. They will love you. Rosin is like candy for violinists. If you are looking for a nice gift that is also wallet-friendly, I recommend Sartory Rosin which comes in a beautiful wooden box.

My personal favorite rosin is Holstein Reserve Rosin. It produces a wonderful, clear, crisp tone and is relatively affordable.

The Jade L’Opera in a violin shaped box is always a big hit. Hurry though! It sells out early every Christmas.

If anyone of my special loved ones are looking for something to buy me for Christmas or birthday, I will gladly take this Cecilia Rosin or I will even settle for this Leatherwood Bespoke rosin….thank you!

2. Fun Rosin

No one is too young for Magic Rosin. Magic rosin comes in a variety of different styles like sparkles, glow in the dark, dragons, unicorns, and much more. If your child is always losing their rosin, giving the gift of Magic Rosin might just fix that!

Rosin makes for a great stocking stuffer too!

3. Practicing Mugs

These are essential tools for practicing, which is why I call them “practicing” mugs. Fuel your practice time with tea and coffee in a fun violin design.

4. Practicing Tumblers

For chilly mornings, a practicing tumbler will keep your beverage nice and warm. I call these "1 Hour Practice Tumblers” because they’ll last you an hour of practicing.

It’s great for when you’re on-the-go!

A practice tumbler and a violin is how I start every morning!

5. Violin Strings

Violinists should change their strings at least once a year, more if they play frequently. A good set of violin strings can be pricey, so any violinist will appreciate a gift of strings. Obligatos and Evah Pirazzis are some of the standards for top-quality violin strings.

If you are looking for gifts for violin teachers and you know what type of strings your teacher plays, I’m sure they would love a set of strings! Strings are a meaningful gift for violin teachers that they will use and appreciate!

(Best and Worst Strings for Beginners: A Violin Teacher’s Honest Review)

6. Violin Stands and Wall Mounts

You are much more likely to practice if your violin is out and easily accessible. Encourage your string player to practice more with a violin stand. This violin stand is wooden and velvet-lined, making it a perfect addition to any music room.

Keeping your violin out and visible makes it so much easier to pick up your violin and play. This wall mount keeps your violin away from pets or children. Your violin can also double as decoration when it’s hanging on your wall. This is one of the handiest violin accessories I have. I can’t believe it took me years to install them. If you want to subtly encourage your child to practice—this is the gift!

7. A Classy Metronome

All violinists practice with a metronome (or they should!) Make practicing with a metronome fun and classy with an old fashioned metronome. It’s also a great, sophisticated touch to your violin studio or music room!

8. Geared Pegs

Geared pegs are one the best upgrades you can do for your violin. These geared pegs look like traditional wooden pegs, but they work like the tuning pegs on guitars, making tuning a breeze. No more stuck or slipping pegs. No more loose strings from changes in weather. Once installed, tuning only takes a few seconds. You will rarely, if ever, need to use your fine tuners, even for your E string. A great gift for beginners or advanced players. I use geared pegs on all of my violins. I will never go back to traditional pegs! If you are handy, you can install these yourself. You’ll need this tool and some advice. Or, take your violin to a luthier and have them install the pegs.

Better yet, purchase a violin from Fiddlershop and ask to have Geared Pegs installed before your violin is shipped! Perfect solution.

9. String Cleaner

No more scrubbing away at that rosin with a handkerchief. Any violinist will be in awe of this nifty little tool to help you clean your strings.

10. Violin Apparel

Everyone loves a little something that is classy and fun that says, “I play violin!” Including me!

I personally love theses shirts because…I designed them.

For years I looked for a t-shirt with a simple violin design and I could never find exactly what I wanted. So I started making my own! I always get a ton of compliments.

You can also get these with any background color, in long sleeves, short sleeves, sweaters…

11. Stand Light

What a gift to actually be able to see your music! When I practice, I like to create the right atmosphere for creativity. That means a hot cup of tea, no overhead lights, and some soft lamps. While that makes it really cozy, it’s not ideal for reading your music.

That’s where a stand light comes in handy. I use mine every night. It’s also great for orchestras or gigs.

12. Music Book Holder

Most string players have to get creative with holding books open. Paper clips, clothespins….This music book holder will keep those pesky pages flat with style! It’s a great stocking stuffer for a violinist or a thoughtful gift.

They also come in a plainer version for you purists.

13. Music Stand Pencil Holder

You might think this is simple, but your violin friend will LOVE this gift. When you need to mark something down, you can never find a pencil. It’s either buried under piles of music, in your case, or in another room. This pencil holder is magnetic so it sticks to any metal stand. A great way to encourage violin students to write down what they’re learning. This is another great stocking stuffer for violinists. I wish all of my students had one of these!

14. Mozart Candies Violin Gift Box

Visit Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg, Austria and you’ll find these delicious candies in every shop window. They are made of almond and pistachio marzipan and hazelnut praline. They come in many boxes and varieties but this violin-shaped gift box is sure to be a hit for any of your violin friends. This would be a great gift for violin teachers—trust me, I know. And a perfect gift for any string player!

15. The Best Cleaning Cloth Ever

Normally microfiber violin cleaning cloths are itty bitty. It seems like in a few weeks of cleaning they’re saturated with rosin and just smudge it around your precious violin.

This cleaning cloth is massive and super soft! It’s by far the best I’ve ever owned. My violin is much cleaner and happier now!

16. Fiddle Books

For the fiddle players out there, or those violinists looking for something new and exciting to play, fiddle books are a great gift idea for violinists. From French fiddlers, to Appalachia, to Celtic jigs, check out my top picks for beginner and intermediate fiddle books.

17. Violin Case Tag

Violin cases can all start looking the same during orchestra rehearsals or jam sessions. Help your violinist always know where their case is with the gift of a personalized violin case tag.

You can customize these case tags with your name. And they also function as luggage tags for when you're traveling.

Another great stocking stuffer for violinists!

18. Musical Tote

Always lugging around music books? Is your case breaking under the strain? Give your violinist a helping hand with those endless scales and etude books, like this adorable violin tote.

19. New Violin Case

Instead of a case tag, how about a brand new violin case? Cases get worn-out quickly, making this a great gift for a violin player. For an ultra-lightweight, protective, modern, heavy-duty case, try BAM violin cases. BAM violin cases are some of the best in the industry. You can also opt for a budget model like the Fiddlerman’s Oblong Violin Case.

20. A Tuner/Metronome You Can Actually Hear

Using a drone (a pitch that keeps sounding) function on a metronome/tuner can be extremely helpful when learning to play in tune. However, most metronome/tuners and tuners on phone apps can be impossible to hear while you are playing violin. A good metronome/tuner combo like this Dr. Beat will last you forever.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly portable tuner metronome, my pick would be a Korg.

21. Music Stand

If your violinist is using a cheap wire stand (or no stand at all), then this lovely wooden stand would make a perfect gift. Brahms, Beethoven, and Bach deserve to be played on something beautifully crafted! (But please don’t place your violin on the music stand like this…)

For something not quite as decorative, a good quality stand like this will literally last a lifetime. Mine is still going strong after several decades of practice!

Bonus: Save your eyes and stop squinting! Gift your violinist a Mighty Bright Stand Light as well. Well-illuminated music is a gift that doesn’t get old.

22. A New Violin

If you are wondering what the best gift for a violin player is, well, it’s the best violin! If your violin player is playing on a cheap, budget violin, giving them a better quality violin will help their playing considerably. Whether your violinist is just starting or ready for an upgrade, check out my top picks for beginner and intermediate level violins.

23. A New Violin Bow

A better bow can make all the difference with playing. It will make difficult bow strokes easier to manage, it will be easier to produce a better tone or create different dynamics and tonal shading. It’s one of those things where you don’t know what you’re missing until you try a better bow. An upgraded bow would make a great gift for a violin student (or for yourself!)

I’ve reviewed several beginner and intermediate bows and you can find my recommendations below.

24. Admission to a Fiddle/Violin Camp

Some of my best musical memories are from musical festivals and camps I’ve attended. I made great friends, wonderful progress, and got motivation to last me the rest of the year. I’ve made a list of camps around the U.S. and the entire world that are great for adults or families. Styles range from fiddle to gypsy jazz and everything in between.

Sign yourself or that special someone up for a violin/fiddle camp and give them memories for a lifetime!

25. Violin Lessons

Give the gift of violin instruction with my online studio membership. No gift compares to knowing how to play your violin well!

I offer monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscriptions and you can also purchase gift certificates!

What Violin Gifts to Avoid

Now that you know what some of the best gifts for violin players are, let’s talk about some gifts to NOT buy.

Cheap, “Starter” Violins

Don’t buy a violin just to see if your special someone will like it. Trust me, no one likes VSOs. Spend a few more dollars and get a real violin instead.

Shoulder Rests

Shoulder rests come in many varieties and styles. This is a very personalized choice that is generally best left up to a violinist themselves. If you are a violinist looking for a better shoulder rest, check out my recommendations here.

Wire Stands

Portable wire stands can be very frustrating. Frustrating is too kind. Wire stands will make you have to wash your mouth out with soap. Skip the wire stand and buy a nice, stable stand.

Happy Practicing!

~Lora

Best Violin Bows: A Violin Teacher’s Guide to Choosing the Right Bow

Choosing the right violin bow is just as important, if not more important than the violin itself, especially for beginners. A good violin bow will make it easier for you to play multiple bow strokes, have smoother string changes, and produce a better tone. You might not realize how a cheaper violin bow is holding you back until you try out a better bow.

Picking out a violin is all about sound, but choosing the right violin bow is all about feel and ease of playing. You really can’t tell how a violin bow will play until you hold it, tighten up that hair, and play! Which is why I am only recommending beginner and intermediate violin bows that I have personally played and tested using my own Better Bow Analysis scoring system.

I’m not going to recommend a bow to you that I haven’t personally played!

In this ultimate guide to choosing the right violin bow, I’ll be discussing the following topics. Skip ahead if you like!

• My top 3 Violin Bow Picks for Beginner, Advancing Beginner, and Intermediate Players

• What is the difference between cheap and expensive violin bows?

• Can beginners play on advanced bows?

• How much should I spend on a violin bow?

• Carbon Fiber Vs. Wood. What’s the best material for a violin bow?

• Best Violin Bows for Beginners (My Recommendations and Reviews)

• Best Violin Bows for Intermediate Players

• Common Questions about Upgrading Your Violin Bow
  

My Top 3 Picks

Best Bow for Beginners

Holstein 2-star Sandalwood

• Easy to control

• Good tone

Best Bow for Advancing Beginners

Fiddlerman Performance Series Carbon Fiber

• Richer Tone

• Advanced bow strokes

Best Bow for Intermediate Players

Holstein 3-star Pernambuco

• Very responsive

• More finesse

Keep reading for more detailed reviews of all of these bows!

What is the difference between cheap and expensive violin bows?

As you go up in price, better violin bows will be made of better materials and will have better quality craftsmanship. While qualities vary, better bows will have quicker response as you pull the bow across the string. The weight will often feel more balanced in the hand, as opposed to being tip-heavy.  Better bows will also be much more responsive to your muscle inputs, which means you don’t have to make large muscle inputs to get a response. Kind of like a well-trained horse!

Can beginner violinists play on advanced bows?

When searching for the best violin bows for beginners, you might often see violins and bows divided into categories of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. As you go up in category, you’ll also go up in price!

But can a beginner violinist use an advanced bow?

When it comes to violins, a beginner can play an advanced (more expensive) violin. It will only make your life easier. However, with violin bows, it can go either way. Sometimes the more expensive bow will be harder to control, because it’s more responsive. If your muscles aren’t trained to make those fine adjustments, the violin bow might seem like a sports car with a mind of its own!

But this isn’t always the case. And this is where it comes down to feel. You just have to try out bows to see which ones are best for you. Don’t be afraid of bows that are very responsive. You will never learn those fine motor inputs if your bow is slow and unresponsive.

As I review beginner violin bows and intermediate violin bows, I’ll tell you which ones are good for beginners, and which ones might require a more advanced skill level.

How much should I spend on a violin bow?

Bows range in price from whatever bow-shaped-object you might find on the internet to $700,000 for a Tourté bow, the Stradivarius of bows!

I would avoid buying any bow cheaper than $50. A good beginner violin bow will cost anywhere from $70-$200. An intermediate bow will take you from $200-$500. I would consider $500-$1000 advanced and $1000+ will take you into a very advanced or professional quality violin bow.

Carbon Fiber Vs. Wood

What material is best for a violin bow? Carbon fiber or wood?

Bows are made out of different materials and the two big options are wood or carbon fiber.

Bows have been made out of wood for centuries and there are different hierarchies of wood with pernambuco being the most desirable. Other woods include brazilwood or sandalwood.

Now you might be wondering is carbon fiber better than wood. If you’re looking at bows under a hundred dollars, yes, I generally think carbon fiber is better. As you get into higher price ranges I don’t think you can say one is better than the other. It’s more of a case by case comparison and will vary depending on your needs.

Carbon fiber is more durable but that shouldn’t necessarily play a factor in your decision unless you’re buying for a child who’s going to be using the bow for sword fights at school. When it comes to sword fights, yes carbon fiber will beat out wood every time. So if you want your child to win that sword fight, go for carbon fiber.

Now if you’re not using your bow for sword-fighting then this isn’t a huge factor. The only reason you might want to side with carbon fiber for the durability factor is if you’re playing outside a lot or using it for camping and you want a good, sturdy back up bow.

Very cheap bows will be made of fiberglass and will feel very clunky and have a slow response on the strings. I would avoid fiberglass and instead go for a carbon fiber if you’re looking for a budget-friendly beginner violin bow.

Now that we’ve discussed the basics, let’s talk about the best violin bows for beginners!

Best Beginner Violin Bows

The Fiddlerman Carbon Fiber Bow

This bow comes standard for some of Fiddlershop’s violin outfits and it’s an upgrade option for some of their more budget-friendly violin outfits. I would definitely recommend upgrading to this bow as it is much better than standard violin bows that come with most beginner violin outfits.

This violin bow is great for beginners. It’s stable and will allow you to learn all of the basics well. As you get into the complexities of sustaining weight to produce a good tone, or if you are learning more advanced bow strokes, you may begin to outgrow this bow. While that’s expected for a bow under $100, this bow will still give you ample room to grow as a brand new beginner.

The Fiddlerman Carbon fiber bow also comes in “Noir.” It’s the same bow but with premium black Siberian horse hair for better grip and articulation.

You can also purchase this bow with the frog in snakewood (image below).

Pros

-Great for learning the basics

-Stable

-More responsive than standard beginner violin bows

Cons

-Slightly heavier at the tip

Holstein 2-Star Sandalwood Violin Bow

This bow is a fantastic beginner or early intermediate violin bow. It has a very balanced feel with a lot of power and control.There’s really no cons to this bow for its price range. It does all of the basic bow strokes and some of the more advanced ones well. It’s stable so it feels easy to control. If I were recommending a bow for someone just starting off, this would be my number one pick. It’s going to help you master all of the basics and allow you to get into intermediate and some advanced concepts without any issues.

Pros

-Best violin bow for brand new beginners

-Good for advanced beginners and early intermediate as well

-Great control and feel

Best Violin Bows for Intermediate Players

Holstein 1-Star Pernambuco Violin bow

If you want a little bit more finesse, the Holstein Pernambuco 1-star is a great option. This bow is really light, agile, and lively. It definitely has its own personality, making it a lot of fun to play! It can take more weight than the Holstein Sandalwood bow and it’s a little bit cleaner on bow strokes like staccato. When you really start to think about producing a good, solid tone, this bow will help you do it. Because it is so lively and responsive, it could be harder to control if you don’t already have some right hand skills. But it will be great for someone looking to upgrade to get more nuance and finesse.

Pros

-Very Light

-Lively

-Responsive

-Great for advancing beginners or intermediate players

Cons

-Extreme responsiveness might make it harder to control for brand new beginners.

Fiddlerman Performance Series Carbon Fiber Bow

This bow feels a little bit heavier than the 1 star and because of that it tends to feel more stable. It does beginner and advanced techniques really well and I feel like it keeps good contact with the string. This is a good option if you want a more stable bow as it will help you produce a good, clean, focused tone. If you actually wanted to start off with this bow, you definitely could. It’s beginner-friendly but it also has that intermediate and more advanced capability.

Pros

-Very stable

-Brand new beginner-friendly but also great for advancing players as well

Cons

-Not quite as responsive as the Holstein Pernambuco 1 Star

Holstein 2-star Pernambuco Violin Bow

This intermediate violin bow is definitely is a step up. It feels like the best of both worlds between the Holstein 1 Star Pernambuco and the Performance Carbon Fiber. It has the stability of the Performance Carbon Fiber even though it’s still light and responsive and has a more clear focused sound. It will take quite a bit of weight as well. It does string crossings a little bit better than the carbon fiber and overall it has more finesse. Out of all the bows I’ve talked about so far, this one did spiccato the best so if you’re getting into more advanced bow strokes this is a good bow for it. This bow would be great for you if you’re getting into more intermediate or advanced techniques or if you’re a beginner who wants to start off with a really good bow, this is a great pick.

Pros

-Combines stability of Performance Carbon Fiber with finesse of Pernambuco 1 star

-Suitable for beginners

-Great violin bow for intermediate or advancing players

-Does advanced bow stokes well

Holstein 3-Star Pernambuco Violin Bow

All of these bows were great for their prices but this Holstein 3 Star Pernambuco did outperform all of the other beginner and intermediate violin bows. It was very enjoyable to play and was actually comparable in many ways to my much more expensive German bow. I would be very happy using this bow on a daily basis. It’s actually a little easier to play than all of the other bows and that’s usually what you get when you spend more money. It’s very smooth, responsive, and it has good, crisp articulation when you want it. Any time you need fast bow speed with a rich, full sound, this bow delivers. It gives you good contact with the string and it will also take a lot of weight.

If you want a bow that you’re not going to need to upgrade for a really long time, if ever, this is a great bow. You could definitely play advanced techniques and advanced music with this bow and be very happy.

Pros

-Stable, but agile

-Very responsive but still easy to control

-Produces a wide variety of colors and dynamics very easily

-Creates a beautiful, rich tone

-Makes it easier to do advanced bow strokes

Common Questions About Upgrading Your Violin Bow

Here are some other common questions you might hav when shopping for the right violin bow.

Is a lighter or heavier bow better for violin?

This depends on your preference. A lighter violin bow will usually be very responsive and lively, although it might not produce as full of a tone. Heavier bows might feel more stable and make it easier to produce a full tone, but they may lose some responsiveness.

Regardless of whether a bow is heavy or light, it should feel balanced. Extremely heavy bows might also induce more tension or fatigue when playing for long periods of time.

Is a Round or Octagonal Violin Bow Better?

You may notice that the stick of the bow will sometimes be completely round, and other times it will be octagonally shaped. Which one is better?

You will hear violinists say that a round bow is more responsive. Then you might hear an equally accomplished violinist saying an octagonal bow is more responsive. Which one is it?

Personally, I think the differences you may be feeling between bows will be more of a factor of material and craftsmanship over round or octagonal sticks.

If you could find two bows, one round and one octagonal, made of the exact same material, crafted by the exact same maker, using the exact same bow hair and the same rosin, sure, you might be able to tell some differences between the round stick and the octagonal stick. But when you’re comparing bows across different brands and different materials and different price ranges, don’t get stuck on whether or not the stick is round or octagonal.

Just choose the bow that you like the best!

How many bows should a violinist have? Why do violinists have more than one bow?

Violinists have multiple bows because you always need to have a back up. You will need to get your bow rehaired every year. If you play frequently, you may need to get the bow rehaired two or three times a year. The rehair process might take a couple days or a week depending on your luthier. If you have to ship off your bow to get it rehaired, it could take even longer.

I don’t really want to resort to playing pizzicato for several weeks out of the year, which is why I have multiple bows!

Conclusion

Choosing the best student violin bow, or the best bow for intermediate and advancing players can be challenging. All of these bow options are good choices depending on your skill and preferences.

I hope this helps you make a decision when it comes to upgrading your violin bow!

Happy Practicing!

~Lora

How to Relax While Playing Violin: 6 Exercises for Tension-Free Playing

Whether you’ve been playing violin for 10 minutes or 10 years, you’ve probably realized that being tense is the ultimate enemy to playing the violin. Playing with tension can impact everything, from your tone, to your left hand finger action, to your overall joy of playing. These 6 exercises will help you relax while playing the violin.

But first…set-up!

Having a Comfortable Set-Up

Having a good set-up is essential to staying relaxed. So If you’re not comfortable with your shoulder rest or your chin rest, that’s the first thing you’ll want to investigate. I have several resources on adjusting that shoulder rest and getting more comfortable

• How to Adjust Your Shoulder Rest for Tension Free Playing

• 3 Best Shoulder Rests

Exercise #1

Our first exercise for tension-free playing is to play with your jaw open. It’s very common to hold tension in your jaw. That tension tends to trickle down throughs the neck to the rest of your body. So one way to practice is with your mouth open. Try it and you’ll realize that it’s actually hard to tense up your neck with your jaw open.

Exercise #2

Walk around while you play! It’s very easy for your body to be locked and stiff if you’re stuck in one place. So try walking around your practice room while playing to help you relax. Try it with simple things like open strings or scales. Alternatively you can also try swaying a little bit to help you unlock any tense muscles.

Exercise #3

While practicing and working hard on the violin, we often forget one vital element to our playing: breathing.

Consciously breathing in a certain way can not only help you to relax, it can also help your tone. During your warm-up period while you’re playing open strings, try inhaling on up bows and and exhaling on down bows. You can also try breathing in right before you play and then exhaling and relaxing as you play the first note of a song or scale.

Exercise #4

Try playing something and tense up every muscle you possibly can. While this may seem conutnerintinuitve, often times we tense up muscles without even realizing it. So play super tense for a scale or song, and then follow that up playing “normally.” You might be able to identify specific areas of your body that you didn’t even realize you were  tensing up. Your muscles will also enjoy relaxing when you resort to playing normally.

Exercise #5

This exercise is specifically for left hand tension. It’s important to remember that we have opposing hands. Whatever tension is present with the fingers, the thumb will try to oppose and mimic that tension and vice versa. So if you’re pressing the strings with excessive pressure, the thumb will have to oppose that pressure resulting in what I call the “death grip.” Try this exercise to get rid of the death grip on the violin.

• Play an easy scale or tetrachord with your fingers barely touching the string. It will sound bad.

• Add a little more pressure with the left hand. Imagine that you’re pressing the strings down halfway to the fingerboard. Play it again.

• Add just a little more pressure until you can lightly feel the fingerboard underneath your fingers. Play the passage again.

At this point, the passage probably sounds fine and hopefully you’ve noticed that you need a lot less finger pressure to depress the strings properly. Do this exercise anytime you’re experiencing tension or pain in your left hand.

Exercise #6

The last thing you can do to help you to relax is to think about your body and tension awareness when you’re not playing the violin. If you’re tense in other areas of your life, you can’t expect to pick up a violin and have that tension magically disappear. So become more aware of your body. When you’re driving the car, are there some muscles you could relax? When you’re waiting in line are you subconsciously tense somewhere in your body.

Learning to relax your body when you’re not playing the violin will help you relax when you are playing violin. Becoming more aware of subconconscious tension was actually the key for me when it came to getting rid of uncontrollable tension in my playing.

Happy Practicing!

Why Does My Violin E String Whistle? And How Do I Stop It?

Violin E strings are notorious for whistling occasionally. This whistling is common and can be extremely frustrating. But why do E strings whistle like that?

Normally, the bow causes the strings to vibrate side to side, but when the string vibrates abnormally in a torsional or twisting motion, you get an E string whistle. This whistle only occurs on the E string because E strings on the violin are normally unwound. Wound strings, like your G, D, and A strings are not as susceptible to this abnormal twisting motion of the string.

How can I stop my E string from whistling?

Anything that detracts from a clean start can cause the violin E string to whistle. Dirty bow hair or too much or too little rosin can contribute to the whistle.

However, I’ve noticed that the most common culprit is slurring and bow speed. You might notice the E string whistles more when slurring from the A string. This is often because the bow speed is too fast for the E string, resulting in a sloppy start to the vibrations, causing the twisting motion of the string.

Here are my recommendations for stopping your E string from whistling.

• Wipe off excess rosin off of the E string

• Slow the bow speed as you change over to the E string.

• Add more weight in the bow as you change to the E string (I imagine something pulling my right elbow down to help me add more weight).

• Play closer to the bridge with more weight to get a cleaner start.

• Change the bowing so you avoid slurs over to the open E string.

• Change the fingering so you avoid playing the open E string.

• Some strings tend to whistle more than others. You may also try changing your E string.

Happy Practicing!

Top 10 Best Apps for Violinists

As a violin teacher, there are several amazing apps for violinists that I always recommend to all of my students. From handy tuner/metronome apps to sheet music catalogues or backing tracks, these apps and websites make it so much easier to learn the violin.

I divide these great apps for the violin into a few different categories. Tuners and metronome apps, sheet music and accompaniment apps, practicing apps, and apps for learning to play violin.

While all of these violin apps are helpful, my personal favorites can be found in Sheet Music and Accompaniment Apps. You’ll find some apps and websites here to take your practicing to a whole new level (and make you have more fun while practicing too!)

Let’s get started with my favorite, must-have apps for violinists!

Tuning and Metronome Apps for Violin

While you definitely may want to purchase a dedicated metronome or tuner, having a tuning or metronome app on your phone is a great idea. There are so many tuning apps these days. Here are my favorites for the violin.

1. insTuner

insTuner has been my go-to tuning app ever since I first got a smart phone. It’s free, doesn’t have annoying ads, and is wonderfully simplistic. Many tuning apps for the violin are distracting with so many bells and whistles. As if tuning weren’t complicated enough!

That’s one reason why I love insTuner. It’s a simple tuner and a tone generator. Nothing fancy. Just what you need and nothing more.

Watch my tutorial on how to tune a violin using the insTuner.

Get insTuner here.

2. Helix Tuner

Here’s another free tuning app for the violin, but Helix Tuner is not your standard tuner, and you probably shouldn’t treat it that way. Helix Tuner displays sounds like a circular oscillograph. The more stable the image, the more in tune you are. When the image rotates clockwise, you are sharp. Counterclockwise equals flat.

Helix Tuner can be wonderfully mesmerizing. I don’t recommend using it all the time, or even as your primary tuner. I recommend Helix Tuner to help students hear sounds as frequencies. As violinists, the more you think of the sounds you are producing as wavelengths or frequencies, the better your sound production will be.

Get Helix Tuner here

3. Tunic Unisono

Like Helix Tuner, Tunic Unisono also produces sounds as images. It’s another fun app for seeing the tones you are producing as frequencies. It’s got a slightly higher price tag than the free Helix Tuner, but it’s definitely worth signing up for the free trial to play around and see if you like it.

Get Tunic Unisono here

I’ll show you how to use Helix Tuner and Tunic Unisono and how to hear sounds as wavelengths here.

4. Smart Metronome &Tuner

Now on to metronome apps for violinists. My favorite is Smart Metronome and Tuner. Again, it’s simple. Not too much on the screen to distract you. I like that it has a digital arm that swings instead of just a flashing light. There’s also a tuner and some other features like a timer and a practice log. I mainly use this app just for the metronome. It clicks and is easy to adjust…that’s all I need!

Get Smart Metronome and Tuner App here

5. Soundcorset

For an app that does it all, try Soundcorset. It’s a tuner, metronome, sheet music catalogue, and practice tracker. You can also record yourself through the app which is great for keeping track of your progress and seeing how far you’ve come1

Get Soundcorset here

Sheet Music And Accompaniment Apps For Violinists

Next up, my favorite violin apps for sheet music and accompaniment.

6. MuseScore

MuseScore has got to be one of the best repositories for sheet music of all kinds, whether it’s classical, fiddle, modern, or whatever. It’s like Youtube for sheet music because the majority of its catalogue has been uploaded by users. That means some music is hit or miss when it comes to quality, but it’s still a great place to get  sheet music.

There are two sides to MuseScore, one is the music catalogue uploaded by users and the other is the free notation software. I use MuseScore to create all of my sheet music. I also always recommend my students download the MuseScore notation software. If you’re a member of my studio, I upload the MuseScore files in addition to the printable sheet music so that you can download the MuseScore file and use MuseScore to play the tracks or change anything you want, like slurs, notes, key signature, etc.

It’s also worth nothing that you don’t have to pay for MuseScore to download the software or to browse the catalogue. Paying for MuseScore simply allows you to download the MuseScore files from other users or download and print the sheet music (plus other features as well).

The MuseScore notation software is only available for computers (not tablets or phones). The user-uploaded sheet music catalogue is available through the app or on your computer.

Download the MuseScore app from your App Store or visit the music catalogue online here.

Download the MuseScore free notation software here.

7. Strum Machine

If you love fiddling, Strum Machine is a must have app for fiddlers! Strum Machine has backing tracks for a long list of fiddle songs. Plus you can create your own chords if the song isn’t in the Strum Machine catalogue. You can speed up and slow down the accompaniment and adjust the playback and instruments. Best of all, it sounds like real instruments! Not some nasally computerized audio.

I use Strum Machine myself pretty much everyday. If you have to play fiddle by yourself, you want Strum Machine to back you up!

Strum Machine also exists as a website, so you can use the app or your computer.

Normally you can sign up for Strum Machine and get a 14 day free trial, but if you use this link you can get a 30 day free trial courtesy of Strum Machine.

8. TomPlay

TomPlay is like Strum Machine, but for classical pieces. There’s a massive collection of piano accompaniment for many of our standard violin pieces (including the Suzuki Books). You can speed up and slow down the play along tracks, loop measures, and choose to include or exclude the solo violin.

TomPlay can be used through the app on your phone or tablet, or on your computer through the website.

Search the App Store for TomPlay or access the website here.

Practicing Apps for Violinists

9. Drone Tone

I always recommend practicing with drones. Playing violin is all about developing your ear and if you’re trying work on intonation using a tuning app with its little flashing green light, you’re headed down the wrong path! Use a drone to help you play in tune. It’s more musically appealing than watching a light on your tuner, and it will help you develop your ear.

For instance, if you’re playing a D scale, have a D drone playing and compare and adjust all of your fingers to the D drone! Many tuners have tone generators, but I love drone generators that produce chords. It’s much more fun and enjoyable to listen to.

Drone Tone exists as an app and also as a website.

Get the Drone Tone App or access it on your computer here.

10. EarMaster

Since violinists don’t have frets, learning to play in tune is all about training your ear to tell your fingers where to go! I’m a big fan of EarMaster and recommend it to all of my studio members. EarMaster is an ear training software with great exercises to help build up your ear training skills. It’s great for beginners or advanced musicians.

EarMaster can be accessed by an app and as a website.

Get EarMaster here.

*Bonus* Best App for Learning to Play the Violin

11. The Meadowlark Violin Online Studio App

If you want to learn to play the violin using an app, I have to recommend….my app! My online studio includes over 800 lessons on how to play the violin (or fiddle) and you can get all that at the tip of your fingers with the app. You’ll also get access to my exclusive community where you can ask me questions anytime. There’s live events, monthly missions to keep you focused, recitals, studio hours, and so much I can’t even name it all.

If you’re interested learn more here!

(And by the way, it’s not just an app. It works great on a computer as well!)

I hope you enjoyed my best apps for violinists. What are your favorite violin apps? Comment and let me know!

How (Not) to Hold the Violin Bow: 5 Steps to Form a Natural, Relaxed Bow Hold

The way you hold the violin bow is directly correlated to the sound you are producing. A relaxed bow hold will help you produce a good tone, allow for smoother string crossings, and eventually give you the tools to play fast sections and do advanced bow strokes.

Whether you are learning a beginner bow hold, of if you’ve been playing violin a while, it’s a great idea to rethink how to hold the violin bow properly for the best control and relaxation. So if you’re not completely happy with that tone you’re producing it might be time to reevaluate your bow hold.

Let’s talk about how to hold the violin bow for beginners and the common mistakes I see with bow holds and how those mistakes can negatively affect your sound.

Also visit, How Much to Tighten Your Bow: The Ultimate Guide to Tightening and Loosening Your Bow

Is it a Bow Hold or a Bow Grip?

When learning how to hold the bow, you will hear both terms: bow hold and bow grip. I dislike the term bow grip because “grip” implies force and tension. You want to avoid tension at all costs when it comes to the bow, so I avoid calling it a bow grip. The term bow hold is better but even that has its negative connotations.

You really aren’t even holding the bow. Once you learn to form a relaxed bow hold, you will realize you’re just balancing the bow between the thumb and the fingers. So instead of a bow hold, it should be called a bow balance. But I’ll keep calling it a bow hold for traditions sake!

Is There a Correct Way to Hold a Violin Bow?

While there are many variations on the violin bow hold, there are many common mistakes people have when it comes to learning to hold the violin bow. Holding the bow incorrectly will negatively affect your sound. The way you were originally taught to hold your violin bow can have a lasting affect on your bow hold, even if you’ve matured beyond those beginning stages.

So before we get into how to hold your violin bow correctly, let’s talk about some approaches to holding the bow that don’t yield good results.

A lot of methods use what I call the “one finger at a time approach.” You put this finger here and this finger here and the pinky on top and curve your thumb underneath… And then you usually end up with something unnatural.

The one finger at a time approach doesn’t work because each finger in the bow hold has to work together as one cohesive unit.

Another method I’m not a huge fan of is the “bow hold bunny.” This method involves the middle two fingers touching the thumb like the bunny’s teeth and the pinky and index finger sticking up in the air like the ears. When you do this on the bow it’s like the bunny is eating the stick and then you flop the ears down on the stick. In my opinion this approach to holding the violin bow has a lot of different problems. For one, it’s going to make the middle two fingers be unnatural close to each other. It also tends to make people pinch the bow with the middle fingers. And then the pinky and the index finger are unnaturally spaced.

Avoid the dreaded, unnatural, bow hold bunny monster

This approach might be fine for very young children. But I think mature children and adults benefit from a different approach when it comes to beginner bow holds and learning how to hold the violin bow properly.

How to Hold the Violin Bow

This is how I teach students to hold the violin bow. And even if you’ve been playing for a long time, I think it’s always a good idea to revisit the basics of bow hold and see if there’s anything you could do differently to relax more and get a better tone.

Bow Hold Step 1: Get the Fingers Relaxed

The first step to learning to hold the violin bow is to put down the bow! We’ll get to that later.

Get your fingers relaxed

Next I like to have students hang their right hand by their side and relax the hand. Shake the hand if you want to get rid of any tension. Don’t think about anything. Overthinking how to hold the bow usually results in bad bow holds.

Now, bring the hand up until the arm is horizontal. Continue to let the fingers dangle. That’s usually a perfect beginner bow hold. The fingers are naturally spaced with a gentle curve. They’re not abnormally straight, nor are they abnormally curved. The thumb is gently curved as well. For the standard bow hold, you also want the elbow to be even with the wrist and the knuckles. You don’t ever want the knuckles or the fingers to be above the wrist for a standard, beginner, middle of the bow bow hold.

Now we just have to figure out where will the bow touch the fingers?

Bow Hold Step 2: Learning Where the Fingers Touch the Violin Bow

When learning how to hold the violin bow for beginners, always start with a pencil. I use a pencil to demonstrate where the fingers are placed in a perfect violin bow hold. 

If I keep my hand relaxed with the knuckles, wrist, and elbow even, all I have to do is bring my pencil up until the pinky can rest on the pencil.

Bring the pencil up to your pinky

make sure you have part of your fingers on top of the pencil

I bring my pencil up until the pinky comfortably rests on the stick and the middle knuckles or the area right below the middle knuckles are also resting on top of the stick.

Having fingers on top of the stick is very important because that’s how weight is going to be transferred into the stick and that’s how you produce and good tone.

Bow Hold Step 3: Place the Thumb

One of the most common questions I see when it comes to forming a beginner violin bow hold is where do I place the thumb?

Place the thumb underneath the pencil where ever it naturally falls, usually between the 1st and 2nd fingers. The important thing is to not overthink where the thumb is placed. Where does your thumb go to naturally balance the fingers that are on top of the stick?

One very important thing to remember when it comes to forming the bow hold is to gently curve the thumb. You never want a “hitchhiker’s thumb” that is unnatural bent backwards and locked.

Avoid the stiff, bent hitchhiker’s thumb

avoid bending your thumb back like this

Bow Hold Step 4: Slant the Fingers

You want to have a slight slant with the fingers so that everything is leaning just slightly towards the index finger.

Bow hold with no slant

bow hold with slight slant towards index finger

And that’s your beginner’s bow hold! Do you see how forming everything as one cohesive unit makes for a more natural and relaxed bow hold? Continue practicing your violin bow hold on a pencil wherever you are. But now let’s move on to forming the violin bow hold on the violin bow!

Violin Bow Hold Step 5: Forming the Violin Bow Hold With the Bow

When it comes to forming the violin bow hold on the bow, people tend to fall back into a “this finger goes here, this finger goes here approach.” Avoid this approach at all costs and try to always form the bow hold as one cohesive unit.

Start off by holding the bow horizontal with your left hand holding the bow at the tip.

Now, get your right hand relaxed again and place it on top of the stick right in the middle of the bow. That area is just like a pencil. Place your thumb, gently curved underneath the stick, wherever it naturally falls.

Then with your left hand, pull the bow and let your hand slide down to the frog until your thumb hits the tip of the frog. Your thumb will rest right at the tip of the frog, not inside that tempting little space inside the frog.

Form the bow hold in the middle of the bow

slide the bow hold down until your thumb hits the top of the frog

And that’s how you form a natural, relaxed bow hold.

Common Beginner Bow Hold Mistakes

When it comes to learning how to hold the violin bow, there are many mistakes beginners make that can negatively impact the sound and your joy of playing! Let’s talk through some common bow hold mistakes.

Bow Hold Mistake #1: Bending the Thumb Back

This locks the thumb and makes it unmovable and inflexible. You need that thumb to be relaxed to produce a lovely sound! So relax the thumb and let it naturally curve.

Bad thumb

good thumb

Bow Hold Mistake #2: Pinching the Stick with the Fingers

Don’t try to pinch the stick to hold the violin bow.

Let the fingers dangle over the stick. Remember, you aren’t really holding the bow and you’re definitely not gripping the bow! You’re really just balancing the bow between the fingers and the thumb.

Most people try to pinch the bow because they feel very uncomfortable balancing the bow on the thumb.

This is very understandable. Practice balancing the bow hold over a soft pillow or mattress if you are afraid of dropping the bow.

As you can see by the picture, pinching the bow with the tips of the fingers leads to a very straight pinky, and a bent back thumb.

All of the fingers are locked and inflexible which will contribute to a stiff sound. You need those fingers to move like little shock absorbers or springs, so loosen up and let those fingers drape over the stick!

Bow Hold Mistake #3: Not Curving the Pinky

Avoid locking the pinky straight

You also don’t want the pinky to be straight and locked (unless, you are playing in the upper half of the bow). Keep that pinky gently curved and on top of the stick.

Notice when your pinky is straight and locked how immovable it is. We need that pinky to flex just like all of the other fingers.

When the pinky locks on the violin bow, there’s a good chance it’s forcing the thumb to bend back and lock as well.

So relax all of the fingers. Practice holding your bow over something soft if you are afraid of dropping it.

And we’ve all dropped violin bows. It still happens to me sometimes and I’ll wonder what in the world just happened.

It’s not a bad idea to practice in a room with carpet, or place a rug in your practice area.

Bow Hold Mistake #4 Placing the Thumb Inside the Frog

It might be tempting to place your thumb inside that little dip in the frog, like the picture below. But don’t do it! Place your thumb at the tip of the frog, in between the tip of the frog and the leather grip.

Avoid placing the thumb inside the frog

place the thumb at the tip of the for and in between the frog and the leather grip

Do Fiddlers Hold the Violin Bow Differently?

A fiddler’s bow hold at the balance point

Is there a different way to hold the fiddle bow? While there is no difference between a violin bow and a fiddle bow, some fiddlers do hold the bow higher up on the stick. This facilities fast string crossings and easier double stops and compliments the style of playing.

If you are a beginner just starting to learn to play, I recommend holding the violin bow at the frog, even if you only want to fiddle. If you can hold the bow at the frog, you can hold it at the middle. But it’s harder to hold the bow in the middle and then transition to holding it at the frog.

Conclusion: Holding the Bow the Right Way

The bow hold is absolutely crucial to good tone production and advanced bow strokes. Having a natural, relaxed bow hold is not something you’ll be able to master in one day. It takes time to teach the muscles to relax and be in control of the stick. So give yourself time but reevaluate your bow hold often. Since the violin bow hold is so crucial to your sound, it’s a topic I talk a lot about in my online studio. I’ve got lots of lessons and workshops on the bow hold, so if you’re interested in seeing what my online studio has to offer, learn more here!

Happy Practicing!

Once you learn to hold the bow correctly, learn the secret to better bow control and relaxation!

How Tight Do You Tighten A Violin Bow?: The Ultimate Guide to Tightening and Loosening Your Violin Bow

When you first receive your violin bow, the hair will probably be touching the stick. You have to tighten the violin bow which forces the hair to stretch and move away from the stick in order to play. But a common question when it comes to learning how to tighten the violin bow is “how MUCH do I tighten the violin bow?”

Well, it depends.

When you are just beginning, you can learn to tighten the violin bow by sight. But as you become more comfortable playing, you will learn to tighten the violin bow based on feel.

When you are finished playing, you will want to loosen the hair on your violin bow to release the tension.

But first let’s talk about the mechanics of tightening and loosening a violin bow.

How to Tighten a Violin Bow

Hold the violin bow horizontally in front of you with the frog to the right. You’ll notice a silver screw at the very end of the frog. Turn the screw away from you and watch the middle of the bow. You’ll begin to see the bow hair moving away from the stick.

Also notice the frog. Do you see how the frog moves as well when tightening the violin bow? The more you tighten, the more space is created between the tip of the frog and the leather grip. This is the place where your thumb goes so if you find there’s not enough space for your thumb, tighten the bow a little more.

Notice how Tightening the bow changes the space between the frog and the leather grip

the looser the bow, the less space between the frog and the leather grip

The Rule for Tightening the Violin Bow

Eventually, you will tighten the bow based on sight and feel, but if you are a beginner here is a rule for tightening your violin bow by sight.

Notice the stick of the violin bow is curved with the stick dipping down towards the middle slightly.

To tell how much to tighten your bow, turn the screw until you can fit your pinky in between the violin stick and the hair at the middle of the bow.

Watch the middle of the bow as you tighten and continue turning the screw until you could fit your pinky in between the stick and the hair in the middle of the bow. You have to look at the middle of the bow because if you look at the ends, you will see the hair is further away from the stick. Use the middle as your gauge.

Now, the “pinky” rule is a good place to start. However, I notice that most people don’t tighten the bow enough when using this rule. So tighten the violin bow so that your pinky with a little bit of space on either side can fit in between the stick and the hair.

Tighten the bow until you can fit your pinky in between the hair and the stick in the middle of the bow

What Happens if You Tighten a Violin Bow Too Much?

Can you over tighten a violin bow? Yes! Over tightening a bow can damage the bow. When you over tighten the bow, the stick will be very straight without any of that natural curve. All that extra tension can warp or break the stick. You’ll also over stretch your hair which means you will have to continue over tightening your bow just to get to a “normal” tightness because the hair is too loose. You’ll have to get the bow rehaired sooner rather than later.

Over tightening the bow also makes it harder to play. The bow is too stiff when the hair is too tight resulting in unwanted bounces and scratches. The bow will be harder to control when the hair is too tight.

Can You Play if Your Violin Bow Hair is Too Loose?

When people learn that over tightening the violin bow can damage that expensive wooden stick, they tend to under tighten the bow.

While under tightening the bow will not damage it, it will make it harder to play. When the violin bow is too loose there is no resistance. You need a little give in the hair to be able to apply and release weight to get a good tone.

Just like Goldilocks, it’s all about getting it just right and that comes down to learning to tighten the violin bow based on feel.

How to Tighten the Violin Bow by Feel

Eventually, you will be able to feel if your violin bow is too tight or too loose as you play violin. The best way to learn to do this is to experiment. Try barely tightening your violin bow and then play something. You’ll notice there is no resistance or “give” in the violin bow. You can’t apply any weight into the string.

Now try slightly over tightening the violin bow (don’t worry, this will just be for a second). Play something now. Notice how the violin bow is too stiff and also looses some of its resistance and give. The bow is probably so stiff when it is overtightened that it is much easier to bounce the bow and get unwanted bounces.

Loosen the bow until you feel the correct amount of resistance.

How Much Do I Loosen the Violin Bow

When you are finished playing, you will want to loosen the hair on the violin bow. This will your hair to last longer and reduce the tension on the stick. But how much do you loosen the violin bow?

Most people tend to loosen the bow too much when they are finished playing. Simply loosen the screw until the hair is just touching the stick. That’s it! You can put your violin bow to bed now!

The correct amount to tighten the violin bow

The Correct amount to loosen the Violin Bow

Do I have to loosen the bow every time I finish playing?

If you’re just taking a short break, it’s fine to leave the violin bow hair tight. If you’re taking a longer break or if you are done for the day, it’s best to go ahead and loosen the bow hair.

What happens if you loosen the bow too much?

The hair will get very loose and floppy and eventually you will unscrew the screw completely. Don’t worry! You didn’t break your violin bow. Simply reinsert the screw and tighten it again. You may notice when you loosen your violin bow too much, the screw detaches and the frog detaches as well. Again, you didn’t break your bow. Reinsert the frog into the hole where it was attached, reinsert the screw and tighten.

if you loosen the bow too much, the screw may come out

and the frog may detach! don’t worry, reinsert the frog and the screw, retighten, and you’re good to go!

I forgot to loosen my bow hair! Is it okay?

That moment when you realize you forgot to loosen your bow hair last night

You close up your violin case and completely forget to loosen the bow hair. When you open up your case the next day, to your horror you see the violin bow is already tight! EEK! Is the bow damaged? Did you ruin that expensive stick?

Don’t worry, this happens to all of us at some time (sometimes multiple times…) Repeatedly forgetting to loosen the bow hair will not necessarily damage the bow, but you will have to rehair the bow sooner as the hair is getting stretched out more and more.

Can I replace the hair on my violin bow?

Yes, you can and you should! The bow hair wears out eventually and looses its “grippiness.” No matter how much rosin you apply, the bow will feel like it’s slipping across the strings. Simply take your bow to a local string shop or luthier and have them rehair the bow. This will cost anywhere from around $70 and up depending on your location.

You should rehair your bow at least once a year. Rehair your bow every 3-4 months if you play more regularly (2 hours a day and up).

Does weather and humidity affect violin bow hair?

Absolutely. Humid weather will make the violin bow hair stretch and lengthen, making it harder to get the correct amount of tension. You will tighten and tighten and tighten the screw and eventually the hair will have the correct amount of tension. The danger occurs if the humidity changes and turns drier, then the hair will constrict and your violin bow will be too tight.

This is particularly a problem when playing outside or going in between playing outside and inside. Keep an eye on the humidity and try to keep the humidity around 40%-60%.

Why won’t my violin bow tighten?

Hight humidity can make it harder to tighten the bow. If the bow hair is old, or if the bow hair has been overstretched, it will be hard to tighten the bow. Getting a bow rehair will fix this problem.

Sometimes there may be an issue with the screw. Cheap violins that come with cheap bows can often be difficult if not impossible to tighten due to the inferiority of the parts. If you’re playing a a very cheap bow (Under $50) and you’re violin bow won’t tighten, you may need to upgrade to a better bow.

I hope this helps you with all your questions when it comes to tightening and loosening the violin bow. If I didn’t cover something, let me know in the comments below.

Happy Practicing!

How to Tune a Violin (Without Breaking the Strings!) A Beginner's Ultimate Guide to Tuning

It’s vitally important to tune your violin every time before you start playing. But learning how to tune your violin as a beginner may seem intimidating. Once you understand a few things about tuning, you’ll see that tuning your violin is not as hard as it may seem.

Let’s talk about how to tune your violin and common tuning problems you may encounter (like the dreaded broken string!) Spoiler Alert: don’t worry, broken strings happen to everyone, but keeping a few things in mind will help you avoid breaking any strings!

Okay let’s get started by talking about a few music theory basics before we jump into learning how to tune the violin.

Important Musical Concepts for Better Violin Tuning

The musical alphabet consists of the notes A through G. If you started with an A and went up to a G and then kept going after that, the next note would be an A. It’s the same pitch as the first A you started on, just 8 steps higher. We call that an octave.

You can have lots of different As, they’re all the same note, just occurring at different frequencies or octaves. On your tuner, the octave in which that pitch occurs is notated by a little number next to the pitch.

So you see, if I play my open A, that tells me I’m playing an A4, if I play the A that’s an octave lower, that’s known as A3.

The names of your strings and the octaves that correspond with those pitches are:

How Tuners and Tuning Apps Work

Now let’s talk about how a tuner or a free tuning app works. I like to use the INS tuning app but most tuning apps work in a similar fashion. When you play a note, the name of the note and its octave number register on your screen. You’ll get a pitch and a number next to it. If the note is in tune, you’ll get a green light. You’ll notice there’s a bar that moves across the screen. In some tuners, this bar is depicted as a dial or a light on the left and the right of the pitch. If the note is too high or too sharp, the bar will be to the right on the sharp side. If the note is too low or too flat, the bar will be on the left side. The bar moves closer to the center as you get closer to being in tune.

How to Tune Your Violin Using the Fine Tuners

The fine tuners are the little screws on your violin tailpiece. They make small adjustments to the string.

(Why do some violin only have one fine tuner?)

A violin with 4 fine tuners on the tailpiece

You can hold your violin different ways when you’re first learning to tune, but I recommend starting off with the violin against your stomach. Pluck a string and then adjust the fine tuner. The fine tuner works just like a screw. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. So if you want the string to be more taught or higher in pitch, turn the fine tuner to the right or clockwise. If you’re too high or too sharp and you need to go lower, loosen the fine tuner by turning it left or counter clockwise.

Now tuners can be finicky because the microphone is picking up on other noises, so as long as it’s flashing green pretty regularly, that’s good. Now move on to the next string and repeat the process until you’re finished tuning.

You can also progress to tuning with the violin on your shoulder if you like. Pluck the strings with the left hand and tune with the right hand like this…

Tuning the violin using the fine tuners while playing pizzicato

Tuning the violin using the fine tuners and the bow

Now if your strings are close to being in tune, maybe a half step away or less. Use the fine tuners. If it’s really out of tune, for instance if your A string is registering as a G, then you’re going to have to use the pegs.

How to Tune the Violin Using Pegs

There’s a few tricks when it comes to learning how to tune the violin using the pegs. Let’s say my A string is registering as a G. The string is too low for the fine tuners to do anything so I’m going to have to tune the violin using the pegs. Trace the string up to its peg. The A string’s peg is the top peg on the right. Hold the violin neck firmly with the left hand and pinch the peg in between your fingers with the right hand. I always like to release the tension on the peg first by slightly turning it back or towards me. Keep a firm hold on the peg because you don’t want it to loosen completely. As the tension releases, you’ll feel a little click. Now if you let your hand go of the peg, that peg could possibly loosen completely so keep the pressure on it. Now turn the peg away from you as you apply a little bit of pressure towards the peg box to help that peg get wedged into the hole.

Once you’re relatively close, use the fine tuners to get the string perfectly in tune.
Now that’s the basics of how to tune the violin for beginners using pegs or fine tuners, but it’s not always that simple so lets talk about some issues you might run into when it comes to tuning the violin.

Possible Tuning Problems When Learning to Tune the Violin

We talked about the musical alphabet consisting of the notes A through G. Well, in between each of those notes (well in between almost all of the notes) there’s a half way point. So in between each note there’s a sharp or a flat note. In between A and B there’s an A#, It’s a half step higher than an A. Now sharps and flats are really 2 sides of the same coin. So a B flat is the same note as an A#. It’s a half step lower than a B which is the same as an A sharp. You’re just thinking about it in different ways.

So in between G and A, there’s a G sharp or an A flat.

Occasionally, your string may be so flat, the tuner will actually show an A with a a little flat sign next to it. Or if the A were too high, it might even register as a B flat which is the same thing as an A sharp.

It’s important to pay attention to see if there is a flat or sharp symbol next to the note name because you could accidentally tune your A to an A flat. I’ve had some students occasionally show up to lessons with their violin perfectly tuned to an A flat.  So as you’re tuning, make sure you’re not tuning to a sharp note or a flat note.

How to Tune the Violin Without Breaking A String

Why is the violin so hard to tune? a question of the ages

Every beginner’s nightmare is the possibility of breaking a string while tuning. We all accidentally breaks a string at some point, but I’m going to try to help you avoid that!

The easiest string to break on the violin is the E string since it is very thin. Because of its thin diameter, it’s easy to over tighten the string. At some point, the string will snap if you continue to tighten it too much. Anytime you are tuning the E string, especially if you are tuning using the peg, make very small adjustments and stop to check the pitch with the tuner very often.

We’ve all broken E strings so it’s a good idea to have some extras on hand. Here are my recommendations for the best violin strings!

To prevent breaking strings while tuning the violin on any of the other strings, always make small adjustments and avoid over tightening the string.

Why won’t my violin strings stay tight?

Sometimes you tune your violin and the strings continue to loosen. There are a couple of reasons why violin strings don’t stay tight.

• New Strings: new strings take time to stretch out. It may take a few days of frequent tuning before the strings settle out and stay tight.

• The pegs aren’t wedged in the peg hole. Remember when I said to apply a little pressure towards the peg box while tuning the violin using the pegs? This is to help wedge the peg into the whole to prevent the peg from slipping. Slipping pegs equal loose violin strings.

• Low Humidity. Dry air will make the wooden pegs shrink and slip. Try to maintain the ideal humidity level in between 40-60% humidity to prevent your violins strings from loosening.

• Low Quality Violins. If you are using a violin on the cheaper side, poor quality workmanship will contribute to pegs that continue to slip and strings that never stay tight.
  
  (Get my top 10 Recommendations for Good Quality Beginner and Intermediate Violins)
  

How often does a violin need to be tuned?

Tune your violin every time before you start playing. Be very precise with tuning and don't settle for “almost” in tune.

People have struggled with tuning for centuries

Getting a violin perfectly in tune is very important since we don’t have frets, keys, or stickers. Muscle memory is how you learn to always place your fingers in the right place. If the violin strings are always slightly different in pitch every time you play, you will never develop the correct muscle memory to be able to play in tune.

Another reason to tune your violin every time before you start playing has to do with sympathetic vibrations of the strings. When you play one string, the other strings are sympathetically vibrating. So make sure those vibrations are in tune!

Why do some violins only have one fine tuner?

More expensive, higher quality violins often only have one fine tuner on the E string. Fine tuners can affect the sound or be the source of buzzes and unwanted noises. If you are comfortable tuning using the pegs, there’s no need for that potential effect on the sound.

A violin with only one fine tuner

The advent of steel strings also plays a part in the use of fine tuners. Before steel strings, when all strings were gut, fine tuners weren’t necessary. Gut is stretchier than steel. However, it’s very hard to make small adjustments with steel strings, especially on the E string. When steel strings were introduced in 1919, fine tuners became a necessity and continued to be used for E strings up until today.

Learn more about why some violin have only one fine tuner here.

Do Professional Violinists Use Fine Tuners?

If more expensive violins usually come with only one fine tuner, you may be wondering if professionals use fine tuners? Many professional violinists don’t use fine tuners (except on the E string). This has to do with aesthetics and sound as more fine tuners may negatively affect the tone production.

However, I’ve seen several famous violinists and fiddlers with more than one fine tuner on their violin. So there is no judgment or shame when it comes to using fine tuners!

Why is tuning a violin so hard?

Tuning a violin is definitely harder than tuning a guitar or a mandolin. Why is tuning a violin so hard? Guitars have geared pegs whereas most violins use traditional pegs. A traditional peg is just a wooden peg inside of a hole. That means humidity and weather can make tuning a violin harder as the wooden peg swells or shrinks. Wood that hasn’t been properly dried will also contribute to difficulties tuning the violin. Poor workmanship and cheap violins is yet another contributor that makes it hard to tune the violin.

Geared pegs look the exact same as traditional ebony pegs

The nature of wooden pegs also makes it hard to tune the violin because it’s difficult to make small adjustments. This is especially frustrating for violins with only one fine tuner.

You can skip a lot of the tuning frustrations by installing geared pegs onto your violin. Geared pegs look just like traditional pegs, but they are geared much like guitar pegs making tuning much easier. Geared pegs have many names and brands like Perfection Pegs or Planetary Pegs. You can get geared pegs installed at your local luthier or violin shop. I have geared pegs and I will never go back to traditional pegs!

Learning to Tune Your Violin is an Art Form!

Tuning is definitely a skill and an art form in an of itself so if. And there’s more to it than just using a little machine and a flashing green light. You should be working on making progress in your tuning abilities the same way you work on getting better intonation or a better tone. Using a tuner is a great way to learn to tune the violin for beginners, but there are better ways to tune and learning more advanced tuning techniques will actually strengthen your ear, help your understanding of tone and sound production, and improve your playing overall.

If you’re ready to learn how to tune the violin by ear or how to tune the violin using double stops, check out my Art of Tuning Course which is included when you sign up for the Meadowlark Violin Online Studio. Happy Tuning!