r/violinist

My daughter asked. I didn't know. Neither did her teacher. Neither did Wikipedia

If you teach string instruments students, what are the biggest physical roadblocks or bad habits your students struggle with most? 

Hello! This is Tobiah Murphy from Murphy Music Academy. I just wanted to let you know that my YouTube channel has been hacked and I don’t currently have access to it, so anything posted there is not from me.

So far nothing new has been posted, thankfully, but this is a heads up. Hopefully I’ll get it resolved soon.

Hello!

Hoping to get some recommendations on some pieces that would fit the description above!

For context, I started playing the violin when I was 7 and played consistently until I was around 18. I am 28 now, and my mother is turning 60 later this summer. I want to surprise her with a duet performed by my neighbor and I. My neighbor is a retired music teacher and can pretty much play anything. Mostly looking for a classical duet fit for a nice, quiet summer evening, but I am open to any and all recommendations, thank you! :-)

TLDR; what piece would you learn and practice when testing out a new instrument before purchase as a professional?

I (33M) been teaching private violin and piano lessons for the past few years and want to get my foot back into audition for some professional orchestra. My background is mostly focused in classical piano, but have always continued playing my violin during my undergrad years with the university symphony.

My current main violin is a student violin I have since late high school. (I think it cost around $1200 usd at the time). Last time I took my violin into a shop for a repair, the owner let me try out one of their professional violin (it was a 90k usd violin, with a 30k usd bow). I was wow of the difference of what I can do with it vs the violin I have.

I tested the violin with some of these audition excerpts I was preparing at the time. Included:
Mendelssohn midsummer night's dream scherzo
Brahms Symphony 4
Strauss Don Juan
Tchaikovsky Symphony 4
Debussy La Mer

Is there other pieces or excerpts you think would be a good one learn to test a violin?

Edited: Not able to afford that expensive of violin yet. What price range of a violin would gives me a good enough step up from my current one?

I'm thinking about getting one, but...

The price is obviously a deterrent. I've tried one that a colleague has and it clearly sounds way better than my current Wolf Forte Secondo to everyone that heard it. It didn't feel horrible on my body but I'm also not sure if I'll love it, and for the price I definitely need to love it and use it for a long time.

My shoulders are very sloping and not broad at all. Since my body is basically a hill going down my shoulders and a hill going down my chest, I've found traditional shoulder rests (kun style) to be quite unstable and put the violin at a downward angle (unless I make the feet ungodly high, which I don't like because it takes the violin off my collarbonebone so it basically just wobbles in midair). A similar fitment to a kun-style rest is my chief worry with the korfkerrest.

I played without a shoulder rest for many years, since I found that it felt more stable to me to put the violin on my collarbone, hold it up with my arm, and just let the space between my shoulder and the back of the violin be empty.

A year or two ago I discovered the Wolf Secondo and it solved the problems I had with the kun-style rests because of its crescent shape - it contacts me more on the top of my body's "hills" rather than on the "slopes" so it feels more stable, I can still feel the violin on my collarbone, and it doesn't force the violin into a downward angle. It's just large and heavy, and the Korfkerrest sounds so much better. I did buy a Luna a while ago and ended up selling it for about half price because it didn't fit me at all.

Anyone with a similar body type use the wooden Korfkerrest 2 and have a good experience?

For any violinist who uses earplugs, which would you recommend and how do they feel/sound?

I find myself getting really fatigued by my current practicing routine. I'm curious what all of you do to maybe give me some ideas to shake it up a little! How do you structure your typical practice day?

I haven't found any requirements for audition material but its at a community college . Im thinking of playing the dying swan from swan lake cuz i think ballet music is so pretty. Is it a good idea? If not what is a good one? Just so you know ive avoided learning vibrato so uhmm..yeah

Hi, I’m coming back to playing the violin after a long hiatus and struggling a bit with my setup.

For some reason, when I was younger, I played without a shoulder rest and this was never a problem, but now when I try to do it it’s extremely painful.

After much trial and error I finally managed to set up my traditional shoulder rest (came with my instrument) in a comfortable position, but it keeps falling off while I’m playing. I’ve had enough!

Does anyone have a not terrible shoulder rest that they recommend? Maybe there’s been some miraculous inventions while I’ve been away? My neck is a bit long so I need something that gives me height so I’m not scrunching my instrument.

If it’s relevant, my skill level is probably college level but not quite pro - I could have gone to a conservatory but I had to take time off for medical issues (unrelated to violin) right when I graduated high school, so now I’m trying to catch up. I’m open to pricier equipment as long as it’s good quality.

https://preview.redd.it/8exg2jft5a2h1.png?width=1078&format=png&auto=webp&s=52d8068b6cbd1237eb08e108f282eaed61c7b632

This is a passage from Beethoven's Waldstein sonata. It's marked Allegro Moderato, 110 beats/minute or so. Is this passage playable by a violin section? What level of orchestra? Professional, Semi-pro, college, high school?

Curiosity