Just yesterday I had a private student. She started to play violin at the age of three and was pressured from the very first lesson.

As she was talented and worked hard she managed to become a student at a conservatory. Here she had to study about twelve hours a day (according to herself, I wonder if it’s possible) and was pressured in a very negative manner.

At the age of nineteen she put her violin aside and stopped playing… at all… the pressure had ruined her fun in violin playing. Now, five years later, she thought she should find a way to able to play again in a relaxing way.

Her technique was very good, but all the tension and insecurity she felt could be heard in her tone. Yup, you can’t hide anything playing violin. Everything you think, feel and are are represented in the tone your violin will produce when you play.

Violin play requires a lot of work, time and effort, but at the same time it requires you to release all tension so you can release the tone.

A good vibrato requires you to loose the tension in your wrist and fingers, not to fixate them (so you can combine arm, wrist and finger vibrato or use it separately).

A good tone requires you to let the bow float through the strings from a relaxed weight in your arm, not to push in it.

To use weight, not pressure…

Your assignment…

Next time you encounter a problem in violin play… or you just want to make your tone more beautiful…

Don’t think about what more you can do…

Thank about what less you can do…

Have a nice Sunday!

Love,

Zlata