No violin teacher when moving to university
Hi everyone!
I’ve been playing the violin for about 5 years, and I’ve always had lessons with the same teacher. I’m moving away for university for the next two years, so unfortunately I won’t be able to afford regular lessons with her anymore. She told me I could always message her if I have a specific question or get stuck on something, which I’m really appreciate, but for the most part I’ll be practicing on my own.
I’m looking for advice on how to structure my practice now that I won’t have a teacher. What should I be working on regularly to keep improving instead of just playing through pieces? Are there any exercises, études, scales, or routines that you think are essential for someone at my level?
How do you keep practicing when you don’t have to play for your teacher once a week?
One of my biggest goals is to improve my tone, especially my bow control. I’d love to develop a fuller, warmer sound instead of one that sometimes feels a bit thin. The only downside is that I’ll be living in a student residence, so I’ll probably have to practice with a practice mute most of the time and only rarely without one. Would that be a problem?
I’d also appreciate repertoire recommendations for my level since my teacher won’t be the one to pick the pieces for me. The last pieces I worked on were Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor and the 3rd movement of Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons. I’d love suggestions for pieces that would help me continue progressing while practicing independently.
Thanks a lot!