Important Points to Consider When Practising the Violin — 1

Learning any instrument takes effort. Like everything learned from scratch, instrumental training brings challenges. Regular, disciplined practice will certainly help, but let us add some tips on the points that deserve particular attention. These simple suggestions will guide your practice and help you set priorities.

To establish a sound foundation, it is essential to learn and apply the techniques of the violin and all other instruments thoroughly. I know many of you think the violin is difficult. Let us challenge that assumption: it is no harder than other instruments. With a disciplined practice plan and at least fifteen minutes a day devoted to your instrument, you can make this journey rewarding.

Expanding on the title brings us to several topics: posture, holding the violin and bow, technical practice and more. The first is posture. Let us look together at how we should stand or sit when practising the violin.

1. What Is Posture?

Posture is the alignment of our skeletal system. It can be static or dynamic. The body's position while sitting, standing or lying down is static posture; its position during movement is dynamic posture.

The posture used for violin practice is static. When standing, the legs and feet support our body weight. Placing the feet about shoulder-width apart creates a balanced stance that allows us to practise without tiring quickly. Putting all our weight on one leg can soon cause numbness in that leg and then lower-back pain. We should therefore distribute weight evenly and stand firmly. The lower back and back should remain upright; otherwise the shoulders tense involuntarily and practice time is affected. Position the left arm holding the violin at an appropriate angle, neither too far from the torso nor resting against the waist for support. This helps keep the violin parallel to the floor without lifting it upwards.

A tense body and poor posture can tire you before you have completed even half your planned practice time. With correct posture and a body kept as relaxed as possible, you can practise for longer using sound technique.

Zeynep Fuçucuoğlu
Rekor Sanat – Violin Teacher