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Learning Violin Without A Teacher
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SanSkritA
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July 1, 2011 - 9:55 pm
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Readalot said:

SanSkritA

Thank you for creating this topic! Its been very helpfulthumbs-up!

You are so welcome! violin_girl

SanSkritA

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Robyn.fnq
Queensland, Australia

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Yes, my thanks also to SanSkritA, I am one of you … though I think Bob does take the prize for the newest learner.  I've been trying to learn violin for a year now, I live in a mining town where music comes in guitar and drum form, it has to be hard rock or nothing.

Ergo … no teachers within cooee of here, so I've used the internet and YouTube quite a bit for inspiration.  I agree that seeing and hearing something played helps to 'gel' the tune in my mind and makes it easier for me to practise.  I also have some basic instructional books, eg, 'Essential Elements', and though I've been playing piano and clarinet for about 5 years and I know a lot about the written music, I'm still taking one page at a time and making sure I'm comfortable with each lesson before moving on.  I was so pleased to find Fiddleman.com, I'll be checking out each and every video.

I heard an interesting answer to the question of differences of fiddle vs violin:

'A violin sings, a fiddle dances'.  Sounds good to me.

I think another advantage of learning via internet sites and forums such as this one, is that there are so many different styles to watch.  If I had a teacher who only played classical violin, I'd probably never get a chance to learn jazz and blues, or any other style of playing.

Hopefully I will continue to improve while teaching myself, thanks to the great resources I've found, and thanks to everyone for advice.

Robyn

ps:  Oliver, we used to have wandering cats here all the time, wonder where they've gone lately?

If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.

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Oliver
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July 8, 2011 - 7:52 am
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Cats are very fussy.  That's all I can tell you.

The "fiddle" has always been the music of the dance going from the modern hoedown back to the beginning.

"Violin" music was written mostly to agree with the prevailing aristocratic fashion and to satisfy the tastes and egos of financial sponsors. It was meant to be appreciated by relatively few and is appreciated by relatively fewer all the time.

(In the USA, classical music accounts for only about 1% of music sales.)

coffee2

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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SanSkritA
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July 9, 2011 - 10:26 am
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I find what you sat about the history of the violin interesting...  Many things started out this way.  There has been some change though. High society for sure were surrounded in a world of "superior" music, but up in the mountains, and prevalent in the gypsy caravans there indeed was fiddle tunes carrying their tunes through the nights around campfires. And old time cowboys plays the violin as a source of entertainment. But certainly there is a dif between the fiddle and the violin!!!! And there are snobby about that dif!

One of the reasons I like the fiddle is because I love to dance!!!! And I crave to play an instrument I can dance with :)

 

Cheers to you!     note

 

 

Oliver said:

Cats are very fussy.  That's all I can tell you.

The "fiddle" has always been the music of the dance going from the modern hoedown back to the beginning.

"Violin" music was written mostly to agree with the prevailing aristocratic fashion and to satisfy the tastes and egos of financial sponsors. It was meant to be appreciated by relatively few and is appreciated by relatively fewer all the time.

(In the USA, classical music accounts for only about 1% of music sales.)

coffee2

SanSkritA

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Tilly
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July 9, 2011 - 8:09 pm
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Thanks to all of you for a very interesting, funny and lively discussion. Enjoyed it very much...

From my most recent experiences of trying to learn violin without a teacher...

I benefited very much from just having a professional teacher show me how to hold the instrument. After that I practiced regularly and found it got easier over time (have to order those strings so I can start playing again).

I think maybe internet vids are a good middle path, but someday I hope I can take lessons. And it won't be like it was in my youth when Mom paid for it and I stubbornly refused to practice!!! No, I am sure I will take it much more seriously this time.

The rewards of hard work are usually the sweetest.1st-place

Love,

Tilly

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Robyn.fnq
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Well I'm still learning without a teacher, but I would so love someone to just grab my hand and say 'that's where it should be'.  Because it's easy to watch youtube, and watch yourself in a mirror, but it still doesn't sound correct.  And when you're watching the music score, all the other little things are forgotten.  I've searched for months and the nearest teacher to me is about 4 hours' drive away.

If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.

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pky
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i never thought one could learn to play a violin without a teacher, but now i think so. I just picked up a violin a week ago and have been practicing every night. I'm working on lightly row, twinkle twinkle, over the rainbow, and just started amazing grace. I have been watching Fiddlerman's video and i'm planning on learning along with my daughter. However, she is only five and she only had four lessons so far, so I think I am a little ahead of her for now. I have a colleague that used to play so i might ask her for her help e.g., if i held my violin right and if i bow right.  I agree with Bob and Robyn that if you knew the tune it's easier to play and to hear if it sounds right; it also helps if you could read music.

 

Robyn, have you thought of scheduling lesson with that teacher who lives far away, like once a month or once every other month? I am thinking about retaking my Chinese zither and the closest teacher is two hours away. however, I will have to buy a zither first :)

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Oliver
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August 13, 2011 - 8:17 am
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Most adults can learn to play a violin without a teacher.  There are volumes of learning material available on the internet as well as published methods, etc.

It depends on how good the adult wants to be.  Play what?  For whom?   Where?

And motivation comes into play.  Preparing a weekly lesson for a teacher will demand more attention.

About all the "bad habits" one can develop.  Mostly fiction or very avoidable with review of all the learning resources.  Learners are required to do some serious homework.

coffee2

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Oliver
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August 13, 2011 - 9:32 am
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I would like to add that "fiddle" music was the original music of folk dancing and was important to the popular story-telling songs of the era.  So all this combines tradition, history and entertainment. 

Classical music has a pedigree but "fiddle" has a soul violin-student

coffee2

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Huey142
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August 14, 2011 - 1:42 am
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I have a question. Will learning violin without a teacher be as good as learning violin with a teacher? I just want some opinions on this matter.

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Fiddlerman
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August 14, 2011 - 7:22 am
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This depends a lot on the student. I am a teacher for example, If you listen carefully to what I and other online teachers say and you are able to analyze yourself well you will learn very well. My advice here, is free and unlimited and you can use it on a daily basis whereas a teacher is usually someone that you meet once a week for up to 1 hour. I've had students come to me with a lot of bad habits because of bad teachers as well.

I know some violinists in KL but that may be a haul for you, plus they are probably not cheap. I give Skype lessons but I don't think you need live lessons yet. You can also post your progress here and get free advice. The better you get the more intense your advice will get too.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Oliver
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A teacher/lessons provides something special.  That is, a teacher becomes motivation if only in the weekly preparation of a lesson.  This becomes a game plan of sorts in contrast to just having a collection of etudes.  I think that the average student needs direction as much as technical education.

The internet is loaded with good learning material but one must do the necessary homework.  This can work but needs a lot of self discipline.

coffee2

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Fiddlerman
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August 14, 2011 - 10:13 am
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Oliver said:

The internet is loaded with good learning material but one must do the necessary homework.  This can work but needs a lot of self discipline.

coffee2

exactlyDiscipline is the key word.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Huey142
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August 14, 2011 - 10:14 am
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winkThank you. But actually I haven't start learning the violin yet, I just wanted to know because I don't think I can afford a teacher. :P

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Sofia Leo
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Huey142 said:

winkThank you. But actually I haven't start learning the violin yet, I just wanted to know because I don't think I can afford a teacher. :P

Once you start learning you will quickly realize how much there is to know, and how very little you do know smile It's called being conscious of your incompetence and once you reach that point you will have to decide if you need a "live" teacher or if Skype lessons will do, or if you just need to practice more.

A good teacher can point out a trouble spot (that maybe you didn't even know was a problem) and quickly get you back on track, often making learning easier (and faster!) because you aren't fighting what you don't yet know.

I've been studying with online lessons and have had two Skype lessons, but so far no "live" lessons. My teacher pointed things out in both Skype lessons that really made a huge impact on my playing, so it's well worth saving up for a lesson after you make it over the initial hurdle of getting a good sound out of your instrument.

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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Huey142
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Okay, thanks for telling me. I really appreciate it. In fact, I myself know that I have a lot to learn because I don't even know how to read the musical notes but I'm currently working on that with the internet but I still am confused so I decided to ask my friend, a pianist, to teach me some of that. Thanks again smile

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Mad_Wed
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October 7, 2011 - 12:53 pm
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Hi, maybe i'm too late for that topic, but i couldn't miss it. There is a lot of information, tutorials, videos and other helpful things in i-net. Maybe for somebody it's enough to have a self-education. I wasn't so lucky b-slap. So when i started to play violin by myself, i find out that i always meet walls on my way. I couldn't realise, where they come from and how to brake through. I watched online lessons, videos and other stuff, played in front the mirror and everything looked ok for me. AND WONDERED WHY IT DOES NOT WORK?? At last i've met a teacher, who told me ALL The TRUTH about my playing. dazed So instead of progress by my own, i've got bad habits, pain in neck and shoulder, and... i don't know how to literary express what my fingers were looking like..

Playing without a teacher is like make a lot of things in a time. You have to listen to yourself, watch your bow, arms, intonation, sound... How to take into account all of it and NOT TO MISS SOMETHING ? 

I guess, you people are very talented! But if you want have a faster progress, you have to get some life lessons. Actually whatever learning is happening, nobody can tell: "I learned by myself! cheerleader" because we all use someone's video, books, advices.. That way we have a lot of teachers! And of course, Fiddlerman is a great teacher! And all people here learning and teaching each other. And it's an option. But if you have an opportunity to visit a teacher maybe  once a week, or once a month (2 month whatever!), or JUST ONCE- USE IT! You won't regret money or time spent for! Because even if on-line teacher is greatest in the world he can't take your arm and put it in right position. This physical contact is very important if you are a beginner!! My teacher grabs my hand and shows bow movement for example. And it works much better for motor memory, then watch it!

So especially if you are so talented to teach yourself alone imagine, how it will go with a teacher!

 

P.S. Pardon my English. Don't have speaking or writing practice at all.

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greenrabbit
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November 18, 2011 - 9:08 pm
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Thank you SanSkritA for creating this kind of topic. I will also learn violin without a teacher coz I live abroad and I can't afford it here but I used to have a violin teacher back at home although it was only for a while. This topic helps me a lot. thumbs-up Oh and I got a Mel Bay's book so I will start to learn that first. laugh

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Kevin M.
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November 20, 2011 - 9:53 am
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When learning an instrument should you stay at one lesson until you are proficient at it or just until you can play the exercise and more on to the next lesson.  My thoughts are that you learn it well enough to play but not master because months later you can come back and find that same lesson extremly easy.  Am I wrong. Your thoughts on this will help.

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Mad_Wed
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I think you are right, Kevin. If you stuck on something and can't do it that well as you wish, you'll definitely fall in moodiness.. and playing will not be a joy anymore. I don't know how others build their learning, but i work on different things during every practice. And i know, that if i'm not satisfied of something, but have done enough for today, i go to the other part of lesson.. and so the parts that was bad became better day by day and you don't stuck on them and also imroved other things... Don't know if it is right, but it works... and remains funbirthday_balloon

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