How not to make your neighbor go insane.

I often hear from my students how difficult to practice without annoying some people around them, their families, roommates or their neighbors. Even if the student didn't get the actual complaints, he/she is still dealing with the fear of disturbing some people, makes him/her less want to practice.

A simple solution, use a practice mute.

Here is what I use.

The metal one is heavier, so it reduces the sound quite more than the rubber one. Just be careful when you use the metal one. If the violin is tilted when you're holding the violin (when not playing), it could come off and damage the top plate of your violin. I had a similar situation and it almost made a scratch mark on my violin.

I use the rubber one for my 5-string violin (I cut one more slit by myself). It reduces the volume, but not too much, if you prefer to hear more sound.

They also sell the one that combines the metal and rubber which seems quite nice, having the good features from both.

Both are pretty inexpensive to get and will certainly let you practice anytime you want without disturbing anyone.

Enjoy your practice!

Great practice tips from D. C. Dounis

There was a great violinist and a teacher whose name was Demetrius Constantine Dounis (1886-1954).  He studied violin privately in Vienna with Frantisek Ondricek and also was a medical student at the University of Vienna. He was a touring violinist after the graduation in Europe and Russia, then after World War I, he became a professor of violin at the Salonika Conservatory in Greece. It was then he devoted all his energy to violin pedagogy and the publication of his famous violin studies.

His books are pretty challenging for beginners and it can be overwhelming even for the advanced students. But if you're a serious learner (and not an absolute beginner), I would recommend to pick a few exercise from this book everyday and spend about 15~30 minutes the most.

On his book, "The Artist's Technique of Violin Playing" op. 12, he states his philosophy about practicing as Foreword and I would like to share it here:

 ***

"TO KNOW HOW TO PRACTICE IS AN ART."

This is a well-known fact.

Most violinists believe that the 

solution of the problem of "HOW TO PRACTICE"

lies in repeating, everyday, various finger exercises,

scales, arpeggios, bow exercises, etc.

But this supposition is a fallacy.

No one will ever learn how to practice by

repeating day in, day out, finger exercises, scales, or,

in fact, 

the whole compendium of daily exercises for the violin.

The result of such monotonous and arid study

is usually worthless.

This procedure explains why after years of intensive study, 

there are few violinists, very few indeed,

who acquire an infallible technique.

The oblect of this work is to indicate a method of

solving all the problems of higher technique of both hands,

with the least possible expenditure of time and energy,

and to provide definite suggestions for

mastering all technical difficulties.

In other words,

this book aim to teach

THE TRUE METHOD OF

PRACTICING.

-D. C. Dounis

*If you would like to download his book, "The Artist's Technique of Violin Playing" op. 12, you can download from the link. You can purchase the whole book (like the photo above) online, too.

It is very inspiring to just read his words in between these exercises. I highly recommend it!

Have fun,

How to enjoy practicing violin when it seems impossible.

 Have you ever been discouraged from practicing violin, thinking that, "Oh jeez..., I have a long way to go. Am I ever gonna be able to play this song?" or even, "I'm just not good at this. I'm not meant to be playing the violin." and etc...? and end up being reluctant to even pick up the violin to start practicing?

Well, don't worry! You're not alone. Especially in this highly competitive, fast paced society, it's very easy to get into this self-defeating mindset. These overwhelming feelings are poison that can kill your motivation and enjoyment. But what's the antidote?

Here's what I would suggest:

1.) Set achievable goals.  

Nobody would be able to play like Heifetz tomorrow,
but you might be able to memorize the song that you're working on by the weekend.

2.) Be patient. Progress is slow and steady.
As slow as a turtle - a happy turtle.

3.) Don't push yourself TOO hard.  

Be kind to yourself.

4. ) Make a little step each time. 

 As little step as possible.

5.) Never compare yourself to your icon or higher level players and judge yourself based on it.

Always focus on YOUR OWN development. 

6.) Be creative, experiment as much as you can. 

There's no single way to play violin.

7.) Make lots of mistakes, noises.

Beware of what you learn from them.

8.)  Rest when you're tired.

You wouldn't progress much  anyway when you're exhausted.

 And here's a good quote:

Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person's capacity to act.

-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Happy Easter,

Happy practicing!