Play the Violin Fluently and Comfortably
Learn to have a relaxed posture, so you can play the violin beautifully for hours
Choose a comfortable chinrest and shoulder rest that ensure a good violin hold, train a flexible bow hold and learn a healthy way of violin playing
How to Reach all Notes on a Large Viola | Violin Lounge TV #256
Large viola's have a full and deep sound, but it might be difficult to reach all notes with your left hand. This video teaches you how to position your left hand and thumb, so you can easily place your fingers on the right spots. Don't worry that your arms or hands...
![[Video] How to Train a Relaxed Bow Hold | Violin Lounge TV #246](https://violinlounge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/How-to-Train-a-Relaxed-Bow-Hold-Violin-Lounge-TV-246-400x250.jpg)
[Video] How to Train a Relaxed Bow Hold | Violin Lounge TV #246
This episode is all about how to have a relaxed and flexible bow hold and bow smoothly with a beautiful tone.
How to Move your Left Arm when Crossing Strings | Violin Lounge TV #228
For your left hand fingers to be able to reach the spots on the string easily, you need to move your left elbow a bit. The default position of your left elbow is to drop it under the violin. Your elbow points to the floor and your left arm is relaxed.
3 Checks to Know if You Should Use a Shoulder Rest on the Violin or NOT | Violin & Viola TV #214
I’m giving my opinion in a very dangerous discussion here: whether to use or not to use a shoulder rest. Some people think you can’t play the violin comfortably without a shoulder rest. Others say that shoulder rests ruined violin playing. The discussions around this topic can be very heated. People are very secure about their own opinion.
How to Release the Tension in your Neck when Playing the Violin? | Violin & Viola TV #210
Some people spend fortunes and a lot of time and frustration on trying out new chinrests and shoulder rests. The important thing to realize here is that it’s not all in the material. No shoulder rest or chinrest can compensate a bad hold or balance.
How to Bow Comfortably and Fluently (with Arthritis or Fibromyalgia) | Violin & Viola TV #205
The bow hold that is optimal for your sound and playing technique, is a very strange hold. If you do this in a tensed way, your muscles can’t do it very long. Every beginner, certainly if you have arthritis or fibromyalgia, should work on the movement in the bow hold instead of focussing on keeping a strained hold.
In the video I demonstrate the effortless movement of using your wrist and fingers as a spring system. Violin playing shouldn’t cost a lot of effort in a short time. It should be refined, fluent and relaxed. In the end of the video I show you a jellyfish exercise.
How to Get a Clean Sound Without Tension in Your Left Hand
You need to hold your violin or viola in a relaxed way. You need to keep your left arm under the violin or viola in a relaxed way.
Your left hand fingers however need to be very strong and sporty. In this way your left hand will be relaxed, your finger tips won’t hurt and your intonation (playing in tune) will be more accurate.
Viola Size Guide: What Size Viola is Ideal for You?
It can be really confusing what size viola to choose. This video will help you find out which size viola is ideal for you.
How To Position Your Left Thumb and Relax Your Hand on the Violin and Viola
Do you get cramps in your left thumb while playing the violin or viola? Here’s a really simple solution!
Should You Stand Up or Sit Down when Playing the Violin or Viola?
Should you ALWAYS stand up straight when practicing the violin or viola? Is it bad to practice sitting down?
Can You Over-Drop Your Right Elbow or Shoulder while Bowing?
I recommend making a nice square with your elbow slightly below that. This is very comfortable for your arm and produces a nice tone from your violin or viola. Here’s how to do that.
How To Hold Your Arm (left and right) when Playing on the G String
In this episode I’m answering a question from one of my viewers. I’m Thiago, 31 years old and from Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, I play the violin for about 5 months. My question is about playing on the G string. What’s the best arm position to play on it? See you on the...
Should You Lift or Rotate Your Shoulder when Bowing on the G String
In this episode of Violin Lounge TV I answer a question from a viewer. Mike Pearson writes as a comment on my video ‘What to do if your shoulder hurts when playing on the G string': How important is it to rotate your shoulder forward when playing on the G string? My...
How to ‘Twist’ Your Arm around the Violin Without Pain
This episode of Violin Lounge TV is about the pain your can experience when you ‘twist’ your arm around the violin. People try to twist their arm to reach the positions on the string with your fingers. I’ve received a very vulnerable e-mail from Dot. I admire her...
How to Play ‘In the String’ with Weight and without Tension
Rae-Ann writes... Dear Zlata, I am a subscriber to your violinloungetv program. As an adult beginner on the violin, with no previous musical experience, I have now been studying for about 10 years. For the past 3 years, I have been taking lessons from a wonderful...
How to Breathe while Playing the Violin or Viola
Valyncia asks in a comment on my video '5 exercises to learn vibrato’ (click here to watch)... Little by little I am practicing vibrato - but I notice if I don't breathe I tense up in my back and shoulder... At least when I notice this I can stop and focus and start...
How to Have a Comfortable Violin Hold when You Have a Long Neck
Phung asks: Dear Ms Zlata Brouwer, I watched the video of yours about bow straight a couple days ago and i would like to consult your advices about playing violin. The most frustuating problem that i dont know how to deal with is: although i've play violin for 3...
How to Stop Your Bow from Jumping
What to do if your bow jumps or shakes when you don’t want it to? Our viewer Michael writes: I'm having problens bowing. The bow is jumping just a little and the sound vibrate too. I tried diferent bows, and breu quantities, the intenssity of the jump chagues but i...
What To Do if Your Shoulder Hurts When Playing on the G String
Do you have pain in you shoulder when you are playing on the G string on the violin a lot (C string in case you play the viola)? What can you do about this? How can you play on the G string without hurting your shoulder? Is this video useful to you? Please let me know...
What To Do When Your Left Thumb Hurts When Playing Violin or Viola?
Harold asks: My left thumb hurts after playing. Especially with the viola. What should I do? I've been playing violin for almost 2 years and viola for six months. In this video I will share 4 tips to solve this issue and play without pain: 1) Check the size of your...