Help me pick up the violin after 40 years!
January 6, 2021 8:54 AM Subscribe
I decided that I can't let the pandemic end without furthering some artistic pursuits. I've managed to make good progress on my stained glass work, but I would love to start playing the violin again after giving it up in 9th grade! So, I'm reaching out to you fine folks to help me with a few things.
1. There are so many YouTube videos for this sort of thing that it is hard to find useful ones. Since I already somewhat know how to read music and work a violin, could you recommend videos or websites that will help me?
2. Is there a good source for some free solo violin sheet music for beginners? I will have no problem paying for music when I get going a bit, but I'd prefer to get the ultra-beginner stuff for free.
3. I would appreciate any other advice you can give for practicing or enjoying the activity.
p.s. If it matters, I would like to play music like Brahms Hungarian Dances or other central European folk music.
Thanks!
1. There are so many YouTube videos for this sort of thing that it is hard to find useful ones. Since I already somewhat know how to read music and work a violin, could you recommend videos or websites that will help me?
2. Is there a good source for some free solo violin sheet music for beginners? I will have no problem paying for music when I get going a bit, but I'd prefer to get the ultra-beginner stuff for free.
3. I would appreciate any other advice you can give for practicing or enjoying the activity.
p.s. If it matters, I would like to play music like Brahms Hungarian Dances or other central European folk music.
Thanks!
I am also a returning violin player! For the past few months I have been working on a Suzuki book (level 2) which is excerpts from real works, not just exercises, and it's been pretty good. I did start looking on IMSLP but I find I can't fit enough music in a pdf on my laptop screen to make it easily playable, so I purchased a book.
I would highly recommend getting a metronome and tuner - either as separate devices or as apps on your phone. Use them to help you stay in rhythm and in tune. (Playing in tune is the hardest part for me, so I slow everything waaaay down, like eighth note=32, and play while looking at my tuner and making adjustments.) And trying to set up a regular practice schedule, so you have space carved out in your life for this work, at least every other day.
And go ahead and try to play the works you want to play - there's an arrangement of Hungarian Dances on IMSLP here and the first two lines look manageable, at least. It will help remind you of your goal, so you can feel better about slogging through scales and exercises to get good enough to play the stuff you really want to play.
posted by phlox at 10:04 AM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
I would highly recommend getting a metronome and tuner - either as separate devices or as apps on your phone. Use them to help you stay in rhythm and in tune. (Playing in tune is the hardest part for me, so I slow everything waaaay down, like eighth note=32, and play while looking at my tuner and making adjustments.) And trying to set up a regular practice schedule, so you have space carved out in your life for this work, at least every other day.
And go ahead and try to play the works you want to play - there's an arrangement of Hungarian Dances on IMSLP here and the first two lines look manageable, at least. It will help remind you of your goal, so you can feel better about slogging through scales and exercises to get good enough to play the stuff you really want to play.
posted by phlox at 10:04 AM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
You might try Joanne May’s YouTube channel for a lot of little violin technique refreshers; they might sound basic but everybody needs good technique and reminders, and if you’re doing this without a teacher I bet doing one or two a day would help.
Music- I have a website for my orchestra students with a list of places for free or cheap music. Not free, but you might also consider an $80 Performer subscription to Smart Music for the year; there’s a ton of sheet music there in a whole bunch of genres. You can hear your part played at any tempo you want, click for fingerings, and record and have it assess you and and show you where you are wrong. It’s a little clunky but once you figure it out there’s a lot there (including 3-4 method books to try, all the Suzuki books, etc.).
I’m teaching today but if anything else that’s a good starter floats to top of mind I’ll check back in.
posted by charmedimsure at 10:32 AM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]
Music- I have a website for my orchestra students with a list of places for free or cheap music. Not free, but you might also consider an $80 Performer subscription to Smart Music for the year; there’s a ton of sheet music there in a whole bunch of genres. You can hear your part played at any tempo you want, click for fingerings, and record and have it assess you and and show you where you are wrong. It’s a little clunky but once you figure it out there’s a lot there (including 3-4 method books to try, all the Suzuki books, etc.).
I’m teaching today but if anything else that’s a good starter floats to top of mind I’ll check back in.
posted by charmedimsure at 10:32 AM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]
I’m just here to encourage you! I re-started piano after 20 years and found I was back to level after 3-6 months of solid practice. Just try not to overdo it at first and let your muscles re-adapt to playing slowly.
posted by newsomz at 10:34 AM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by newsomz at 10:34 AM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Wow, great stuff! Just a quick note to phlox that the pdfs on the IMSLP site are downloadable and printable from a pdf reader. I was able to print the sheet music for the piano and violin arrangement of the Hungarian Dances. Thanks!
posted by Don_K at 10:38 AM on January 6, 2021
posted by Don_K at 10:38 AM on January 6, 2021
Response by poster: Also, thank you for the links, @charmedimsure.
posted by Don_K at 3:10 PM on January 6, 2021
posted by Don_K at 3:10 PM on January 6, 2021
Don't be averse to looking for a teacher if you can swing it financially. I just started working with a voice teacher for the first time in decades and I have answers to technical questions about voice production that have plagued me for years.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021
posted by Sheydem-tants at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021
Eddie Chen from TwoSetViolin has a bunch of really useful technique videos on YouTube.
In case you're interested in not quiiite central European folk music, thesession.org has a huge repository of Irish, Scottish, English folk tunes.
Here is a great collection of Scandinavian folk tunes: https://spillefolk.dk/nodesamlingen/?lang=en
For klezmer tunes: https://www.schoellerfamily.org/scores/
posted by starfishprime at 8:32 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]
In case you're interested in not quiiite central European folk music, thesession.org has a huge repository of Irish, Scottish, English folk tunes.
Here is a great collection of Scandinavian folk tunes: https://spillefolk.dk/nodesamlingen/?lang=en
For klezmer tunes: https://www.schoellerfamily.org/scores/
posted by starfishprime at 8:32 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]
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