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No, seriously, you *need* a teacher. I don't care how good you are, you will be a hundred times better within just a few weeks. If there is any way you can find one AT ALL, get one.

Of course... if you're not planning on being a professional violinist, then don't pay a whole bunch of money for a teacher; you can get by just fine without one. But I'm telling you, it makes an amazing amount of difference. Again, I taught myself how to tune, vibrato, string an instrument, shift into third position... everything I really needed to know at the time. My teacher hasn't really even taught me anything. I learned how to shift past third position because I was working with him on an audition piece with really high notes, and he assumed I already could shift. He told me to play it, and to get it in tune, and it never occurred to me to tell him I didn't know how.

So a teacher probably won't make any shocking relavations to your life. Mine never explains anything. But I've improved so much... everyone, my teachers, my friends, my stand partner have all commented on how much better I sound. Just by having a 45-minute lesson once a week.


*end long, pointless ramble* sweatdrop

Well, like I said, it's probably not worth getting a teacher even in the best of circumstances if you're not planning on going proffessional. That's what I meant by "you can get by just fine without one." You probably won't become a virtuoso, but that doesn't really matter if your violin is not going to be your main source of income.

What I meant when I said that my teacher never explains anything is that I'm not even sure why a teacher is so much help... I guess it's just something about having someone's whole attention for however long your lesson is. With my teacher, the learning process happens without me really noticing it. Maybe I'm just not observant enough, or maybe he's sneaky in his teaching methods. Those sneaky Bulgarians!
xd I mean absolutely no offense to anyone of Bulgarian nationality, ancestry, or descent. Ivo, my teacher, is Bulgarian; speaks with a thick accent, and is a wonderful violinist. I love Bulgarians.

Just to put it simply, I just don't think a teacher is neccessary. I don't think everyone shouldn't have one. I just don't think everone has to have one. That's all. ^^



What about mirrors? xp

Lol, well, at least you get vibrato out of the deal. xd

Oom! Meditation! whee whee whee Hehe, thanks, that slapping hand thingy sounds cool. whee heart

Heh. I almost started crying in the middle of my most recent jury... I thought I had gotten over my stage fright somewhat, and I knew that I was really prepared and psyched up and stuff, but my legs started shaking and I seriously almost cried in front of the whole class... vibrato was ok, but my hand wasn't strong enough to control the bow. What a fiasco... it's not like Mozart's Third is even that difficult. domokun

Hand slapping... interesting. I'll have to try that.
My orchestra teacher had an odd tip for sweaty hands: she told us to use antiperspirant! She said that we'd have to experiment, because too little doesn't work and too much makes your hands over dry and screws you up. But you're supposed to put antiperspirant all over your hands up to the forearms and wash it off. Then enough will stay to make your hands not sweat, but not be all powdery when you play.

I'm not sure that I would take her word for it... she's a hopelessly incompetent teacher. Then again, she's a great violinist... she's not in the Las Vegas Philharmonic, but only because she's too busy being hired by hotels to regularly make it to practices. So maybe... try at your own risk, though. neutral

Well your left hand should be shaking in the first place...that's vibrato. But if your right hand is shaky, then change your bow speed. You're probably moving the bow too slowly. Don't be afraid to speed up the bow and put more pressure on it, because there are ways of doing that without making the sound louder. Keep the muscles of your right arm more relaxed, too, because that will make it easier to keep control.

If you're shaking because you're performing and nervous, then make sure you go to the bathroom beforehand. And also practice in front of people more, because then you'll be more used to other people listening. I used to get stomachaches when I was little, usually starting a couple minutes before I was on stage, but once I started performing every week I don't even get nervous anymore.

Also, if your hands are sweaty, but baking soda on them. They use it a lot in deodorants to stop sweating. Putting deodorant on your hands can work, but in my case it makes my hands kinda slimy once I've been playing for 5 minutes.