the:violinteacher

"Hi, my name is Nick. I'm currently a part time violin teacher at my local school.This blog discusses different topics I've come across while reading about and experiencing teaching people the violin. So please enjoy, absorb and most importantly feel free to comment :)

[theviolinteacher-blog]

Just read this post at violinist.com on the purpose of studying Sevcik and Schradiek which put forward an interesting way of thinking about the link between exercises, Druses and pieces. The address I found the post was http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=19656

"Sevcik is pure technique. It's like taking medicine for your hands. A healthy daily regimen of study includes pure technique (like Sevcik), scales, etudes, and repertoire (like a concerto and sonatas). Scales and Sevcik give you the pure technique, etudes give you a musical context to study that technique in further, and repertoire is how you bake all those ingredients intoa finished product that your audience can appreciate."

[theviolinteacher-blog]

I could not answer you post about the books but; I, being a teenager myself (and also playing the violin), think that special "teenage books" would actually feel quite degrading to work with, as with the books with pictures of young children. The best books are the one without pictures, they feel more professional.

Hi Nikatta! Thanks your reply :) I'm sorry my blog wasn't allowing you to post, ill have to change the settings.What violin books did your teacher use? I can see why having pictures would be degrading, I was thinking that it would be hard to keep someone who's started violin but who has a limited knowledge in music interested. What do you think?Thanks again for your reply :)

[theviolinteacher-blog]

Why are there no violin study books for teenagers?

When a student is starting to learn the violin they need a study book which has pictures of teenagers rather than of children, people who act as role model and encourage them to learn the violin. The abracadbra violin book has drawing of young people in hoodies but apart from this I haven't seen any other books possibly suitable for teenagers. Does anyone else have this problem?

[theviolinteacher-blog]

The importance of being able to count a steady beat.

So much hassle can be prevented on the teachers part by teaching their student how to count a steady beat/pulse in the early stages of learning their instrument. All rhythms are worked out by using the beat/pulse as a reference point and all rhythms are felt in relation to the beat. This skill is near essential to being a complete musiciqn. Simple tasks such as walking, clapping, conducting, even hopping to the beat of a well known piece can start the development of a steady beat/pulse. This can be followed by learning the sub-divisions of the different note values ( 1-and 2-and for quavers; 1-ee-and-ah 2-ee-and-ah for semiquavers) and then putting these into use on different time signatures. Being able to count these sub divisions out loud and write them down creates even more familiarity. More advance exercises involve saying sub divisions out loud while playing at the same time. The earlier all these processes start, the sooner counting becomes a natural task and the less lesson time is required correcting wrong rhythms, counting and tempos

[theviolinteacher-blog]

What is the purpose of teaching an instrument?

My aim of teaching is to pass on the knowledge that I have of the violin and of music to my pupils. By passing on this knowledge it ensures that the ability and knowledge of playing the violin and of understand and interpreting music remains for generations to come rather than dwindling out of society of becoming a rare skill held by some few fortunate people.

What do you think? Doesn't matter if your a musician or not.

[theviolinteacher-blog]

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my new blog, Theviolinteacher! My names Nicholas Frost, I’ve been teaching the violin for five months now to four students at my old secondary school. I’m no where near to what you would call a full time violin teacher however I’m using this one day a week of teaching to gain experience and learn about what it’s like to teach the violin with the hope of continuing to teach the violin whether it’s as a part or full time job.

I’m wanting to make this blog page a focal point for my research into topics to do with instrument teaching and make it a place where I can read back on what I’ve researched rather than forgetting the information making everything wasting my time. I hope the blog is interesting and useful for others, please feel free to add your own comments/links and even say hello.

Thanks for visiting

Nick

p.s. Have a look at my other blog: All things that are violin at http://allthingsviolin.tumblr.com/