How to practice the violin more effectively

Do you want to make the most of your violin practice time? Read on to learn some great dos and don’ts about practicing efficiently and effectively.

Let’s start with a do. Do search for inspiration. Just like athletes have their heroes, so should musicians. “Listen to recordings — play along with them. Attend concerts. Watch old videos of the greats — Menuhin, Heifetz, Oistrakh — you can even find clips of them on YouTube,” advises Tina Molly Lang, a Yahoo! contributor. ”There is nothing like a little inspiration to get you going.”

OK, now let’s consider a big-time don’t. “Whatever you do, do NOT practice in your room,” Lang writes. “Your room is a time-sucking black hole. With the computer, internet, TV, and phone, it is far too tempting to procrastinate.” Instead, find a room with few distractions, preferably with a window and lots of lighting. It’s also great if you can find a room with a large mirror so you can monitor your posture and hand positions.

Here’s another do. Isolate the elements. If you tackle a concerto all at once, you’ll likely get overwhelmed trying to remember everything your teacher taught you. “Pick one skill or passage you want to perfect and spend a little time doing just that,” Lang said. “Spend 20 minutes working on just intonation — listen to each note carefully and don’t move onto the next one until that note is perfectly in tune.”

For more tips and tricks, don’t miss Lang’s full article.