Vena Johnson 
Many people who are familiar with the guitar often compare it with the violin and wonder, “Are there tabs for violin? What chords can the violin play? How many positions are there on a violin?” While the guitar is often … Read More
An often daunting task for any beginning and intermediate student is tuning the violin in preparation for practice. It can be all too easy to rely on your teacher (or your child’s teacher) as a crutch for tuning the violin … Read More
Buying a violin bow can be as dizzying as buying a violin itself. There are so many options and so many price ranges, it’s hard to know where to begin and what’s reasonable. Luckily, the process doesn’t have to be … Read More
When learning the violin, you might feel like you spend all of your time learning technique and “academic” music – scales, etudes, and formal pieces. While these are absolutely essential building blocks to your foundation as a violinist, it is … Read More
Could you imagine a baseball player who only practiced in a batting cage but never played a game? What about a musician who practices diligently but rarely performs and plays with others? Does this sound familiar to you? It’s so … Read More
Tone is basically the quality of sound that you produce. “Bad tone” is all too familiar – the scratchy, dull violin sound that is, as some would say, not unlike a cat dying. Good tone is the sweet, resonant sound … Read More
Nothing could be more frustrating than being told by teachers and peers that you “need to improve intonation,” without really being taught how to do this. Hearing proper intonation is something that is developed over many years of practice, but … Read More
Sure, it’s easy to be motivated to practice in the beginning stages of learning a new instrument or piece of music. The freshness of the new frontier has enough intrigue to keep you engaged – for a while. Then, motivation … Read More
When shopping for a new violin, it can be overwhelming to make a decision with so many options amongst so many price ranges. There are so many factors to consider, including the quality of the violin, where you buy the … Read More
These days, it’s easy to find a Stradivarius sticker slapped inside any violin and this may seem like an indicator of good quality. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most violins you come across on the market are only … Read More