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Beginning Violin Foundations: First Skills and Songs for a Great Sound
Class experience
Beginner Level
Do you want to learn to play the violin, and get right to the good stuff - how to play a real song and get a good sound - right away? That's what this class is all about! This class is ideal for students who have no prior violin experience or who have a little experience and would like to learn how to play with a better sound. In this 6-week class, students will learn how to care for and tune their instrument, hold the violin comfortably, develop the bow hold and technique to produce a...
27 lessons//6 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1Parts of your violinThis lesson covers all the main parts of your violin, which parts are more delicate than others, and the functions of each part.Lesson 2Violin accessoriesThis lesson covers the most common violin accessories, including those that are absolutely necessary, those that are often recommended, and some that often come with beginner violin outfits.Lesson 3Tuning your violinThis lesson will teach you how to tune your violin and how to avoid breaking a string when you are tuning. While this is a big task in the beginning, it is also essential to having all your songs sound right when you start playing!Lesson 4Violin playing holdThis lesson teaches the proper form for a secure violin hold that will set you up for success with your future playing.Week 2Lesson 5Bow maintentanceThis lesson is about maintaining your bow and getting it ready to play, including tightening and loosening your bow the correct amount.Lesson 6Bow holdThis lesson is all about how to properly hold your bow. Your bow is how you produce a good sound on your violin, so this is very important all through violin studies.Lesson 7Open strings with the bowThis lesson is about how to get a good sound with your bow on your violin, using a quick rhythm with short bow strokes.Lesson 8Open string crossingThis lesson builds on the open string rhythm and introduces the proper technique for string crossing, or changing strings, with your bow.Lesson 9Troubleshooting violin toneThis lesson is about the most common reasons students struggle with getting a good sound on their violins, and provides tips to figure out which one is happening and how to correct it to get the best sound.Week 3Lesson 10Left hand ready to goThis lesson introduces the placement and form of the left hand in preparation for adding fingers on the fingerboard.Lesson 11Adding the first fingerThis lesson introduces adding the first finger on the fingerboard with good form, intonation, and the right pressure to get a good sound.Lesson 12Stickers for your left handThis lesson provides guidance on placing finger tapes (or stickers) on the fingerboard if the student would like a visual guide to placing the fingers correctly.Lesson 13Putting it all togetherThis lesson combines everything learned so far into the beginning of your very first real song!Lesson 14Playing in tuneThis lesson covers intonation in depth, including how to tell if you are playing out of tune or in tune and basic tips and techniques to improve intonation.Week 4Lesson 15Checking for readinessThis lesson reviews the beginning of the song students learned in the previous week, and discusses what it looks and sounds like when they are ready to go on to the rest of the song.Lesson 16Beginner finger patternThis lesson introduces the finger pattern for 3 fingers on the A string, often called the beginner finger pattern since it is the pattern used in almost every beginning violin song.Lesson 17Playing with three fingers downThis lesson is about proper form when adding all 3 fingers and the things to check for to get the best sound.Lesson 18Three, two, one, zero!This lesson introduces the rest of the melody for the song, starting with 3 fingers and subtracting. This lesson also covers how to subtract the fingers correctly to get the right notes.Lesson 19Putting it all togetherThis lesson combines all the skills learned up to this point and introduces the complete first song, plus working towards seamless transitions between finger changes.Week 5Lesson 20Slow bows into TwinkleThis lesson builds on all the previous lessons, converting the first song into Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and introducing slow bowing and troubleshooting sound with slower bowing.Lesson 21Bow directionThis lesson introduces the correct bowing for Twinkle and the new skill of "as it comes" bowing even during transitions from no fingers to 3 fingers and string crossings, which sets students up to be able to play all future music.Lesson 22Beautiful toneThis lesson goes more in depth on producing a beautiful tone on your violin, especially with slower bow strokes, covering the most common things to troubleshoot and the quickest fixes for tone.Lesson 23The rest of TwinkleThis lesson builds on previous lessons and introduces the rest of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, with some tips for managing the trickier middle section.Week 6Lesson 24Ascending A major scaleThis lesson introduces the concept of scales, including why they are important in music, plus how to play the A major scale on the violin ascending (or going up).Lesson 25Complete A major scaleThis lesson introduces the full one-octave A major scale, both ascending and descending, with some tips for practicing it and using it to further your technique.Lesson 26Intro to improvisationThis lesson introduces improvising on the violin, within the bounds of the A major scale and with some pre-planning to explore melodies and ease into improvisation.Lesson 27Improvisation tipsThis lesson further develops some basic tools and tips for improvising on the violin so that students can continue to create their own music.
Students will learn: - Main parts and basic care of the violin and bow - Rest position with the violin - Proper violin hold and left hand position - Proper bow hold and movement of right arm - Bow exercises to improve dexterity and form - Techniques for producing a good sound with the bow - Technique for string crossing - Proper form for left hand fingering - What intonation is and why it's important - How to play a rhythmic variation of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - How to play the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star theme - How to play a scale - How to improvise or compose their own violin music using the notes of the scale
Homework Offered
Students should practice the assigned exercises and music for 5-10 minutes per day, 4-6 days per week. Practice is most effective when it is spread out over the week.0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Grades Offered
Students will need to have their own violin and bow in their correct size (and in good working condition), rosin, a small soft cloth, and a shoulder rest or foam pad in place of a shoulder rest. Violins are made in fractional sizes so that children can play successfully. Common fractional sizes for students in the 8-11 year old range include 1/4 size, 1/2 size, and 3/4 size. A full-size (4/4) violin is usually too large for children in this age range. If you are not sure what size violin your child needs or how to select a good beginner instrument, please send me a message - I am happy to provide information about this! In the third week of class, learners will need a small sticker (flat, not raised, around 1/4 inch wide or less - little star stickers often work well for this) or finger tapes (which are long stickers) designed for violins. Adult assistance with tuning the instrument may be required, especially if the violin is brand new or has not been tuned in a long time. It is recommended to have an extra set of strings in case a string is broken while learning how to tune the instrument.
I teach violin, viola, general music, and music theory - sometimes all at once! I have been playing the violin for 30 years and teaching music for over 20 years. I learned how to play a variety of other instruments in college through my college...
Self-Paced Class
$10
weekly or $60 for all content27 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks of teacher feedback
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 6 learners
Ages: 8-12