Learning the Violin: An Overview of the Student Journey (With Video!)
In this post, I’ll describe the journey of a new student violinist, from the very first contact with the instrument through the advanced stages of a pre-professional player. Throughout the post, I’ve included videos demonstrating practice sessions that are typical for students at various stages of this journey.
I hope you will take the labelings and time estimates with a grain of salt; they are just meant to provide some rough expectations. The famous teacher Shinichi Suzuki recommended students begin studying the violin as early as 3–5 years old. This is certainly possible and can lead to high proficiency as early as the teenage years. However, it is never too late to begin the musical journey — patience, time, and commitment are the only requirements to begin learning. The purpose of the labeling used here is to highlight the progression starting from the basic mechanics of the instrument, to the methodical unlocking of expressive tools, and finally towards a broad mastery of technique and musicality.
The Early Beginner — Fundamental Mechanics
Time: Est. 3–6 months
Suzuki Books: Twinkle (First piece of Book 1)
Running Total: 50 hours played
Techniques: Violin hold, A Major fingering pattern on A/E Strings, bow hold, upper half detaché, on-the-beat rhythms.
A student starts at the beginner’s level with no experiencing holding or playing the violin. The first goal is to develop a comfortable and positive relationship between the body and the instrument. This includes learning how to hold the violin with correct posture (i.e. a posture that allows for full range of motion with minimum stress on the body) as well as the basic mechanics that will serve as foundation for everything to come.
For the youngest students, this period may take at least 3–6 months. First, the student learns how to balance the violin between the head, collarbone, and left arm and how to hold the bow with the right hand. Both these positions are somewhat unnatural to any new student and require many repetitions to achieve comfortably. Then, the student will learn the basic motions in each arm. In the left hand, they learn how to drop and lift their fingers over the fingerboard. In the right arm, they learn the simplest possible bow stroke — a detaché in the limited upper half of the bow. With correct guidance, the student will be able to produce an even, resonant tone.
At first, the student is only recommended to practice 15min-30min per day. Practice time is limited in order to avoid stress on the body; we never want to “push” the limits of the body, but rather let our muscle strength and stamina develop with our practice. In the Suzuki program, achievement of these skills are demonstrated when the student can perform the first piece in their repertoire, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” from Book 1.
The Continuing Beginner — Basic Techniques
Time: Est. 2–3 years
Suzuki Books: Book 1 to Book 2 or 3
Running Total: 500 hours played
Techniques: 1st position finger patterns across G/D/A/E Strings, full bow usage, staccato and martelé strokes, dotted and triplet rhythms.
Once the student can comfortably operate the violin and bow, the next goal is to reach a reasonable level of familiarity with the basic techniques. This includes learning how to play simple rhythmic patterns with the right arm along with basic fingering patterns of the left hand.
This period may last about 2–3 years. In the right arm, the student will begin using the entire bow and will learn a few basic strokes (detaché, martele, staccato). They will also begin learning how to control their bow in order to play a basic set of rhythms and articulations. In the left hand, the student will be able to play basic fingering patterns (i.e., 1st position, across all four strings, in the standard keys). Progress is approached sequentially, since each new step requires activating and learning additional motions of the body. Core techniques must feel natural and relaxed before continuing forward, otherwise bad habits may develop that will become very hard to unwind later on and may lead to injury.
A student will probably be practicing around 30min per day. Because techniques are learned in sequence, practice is limited to the specific technique being introduced at that time (plus review). A young student is likely also limited by attention span — though you might be surprised how quickly this can develop with consistent practice! In the Suzuki program, we can roughly think of this period as including Book 1 to Books 2 or 3.
The Intermediate Student — Expressive Tools
Time: Est. 4–5 years
Suzuki Books: Book 3 to Books 5 or 6
Running Total: 2,000 hours played
Techniques: Shifting, vibrato, double stops, dynamics, articulations, bow strokes (spicatto, collée, sautillé, brush stroke), phrasing, increased speed of playing.
Once a student has demonstrated comfort with the fundamental techniques, we will begin to gradually expand their skill-set beyond this starting point. The goal here is to learn a wider range of techniques which correspond to the range of expressive qualities available to the violin. In the right hand, this will include unlocking the entire fingerboard. In the left hand, this will mean learning how to control the bow in more expressive ways.
This period may last 4–5 years. The foundational mechanics we studied in the beginner period are now being developed in a range of directions. In the right arm, the student will continue adding the most commonly used bow strokes (spaccato, sautille, etc.) into their toolbox. They will also begin to master the relationship between bow speed and bow pressure in order to create dynamics, articulation, and increased expressiveness with the bow. In the left arm, the student will encounter the full capabilities of the instrument, including vibrato, shifting, and double stops. The student will also develop left and right hand speed, dexterity, and coordination.
A student here may be practicing 1–2 hours per day. At this stage, practice time can be increased because there is (a) less fear of developing bad foundational habits, (b) stronger stamina in the body and mind, and (c) a wider range of skills and pieces that can be studied simultaneously. In the Suzuki program, this period might last from Book 3 to Books 5 or 6.
The Advanced Student — Continued Mastery
Time: Est. 4–5 years
Suzuki Books: Book 6+ and beyond
Running Total: 5,000 hours played
Techniques: Extended positional and double stop passages, expressive shifting and vibratos, rarer techniques (harmonics, up-bow spiccato), mature and expressive sound production, increased speed of playing, deeper musicianship.
An advanced student is one who demonstrates comfort with most technical aspects of violin playing and is increasing their depth of skill in each domain. The goal here is to achieve a mastery of all the common techniques and accordingly to be able to perform the full standard repertoire. In the right hand, this will include increased strength, speed, and coordination. In the left hand, this will include increased control and expressiveness.
This period may last another 4–5 years. The student was already been exposed to most techniques in the intermediate stage and is now developing them to their full extent. Left hand work will include continued mastery of shifting, double-stops, and speed. Right hand work will include continued mastery of dynamics and articulation. For example, a student will learn to play entire passages in double-stops and will play pieces at higher speeds. Tools like vibrato and bow division become a form of personal expression, available for adjustment in different contexts. Though most of the repertoire uses variations of techniques seen as an intermediate student, there will still be some occasional new techniques to learn (like harmonic passages or up-bow spiccato).
A student here may be practicing 2+ hours per day. With so many mechanics operating simultaneously, a larger time investment is required to keep up progress at the same rate. Practice time can be increase as much as the student enjoys without injuring themselves; there is more than enough content at any level to fill up days of practice. At this stage, many students will follow a program of repertoire customized by their teachers, ordered in a methodical sequence to keep the student challenged and progressing steadily.
The Expert Player
Time: Lifetime!
Running Total: 10,000 hours, as they say…
Techniques: Comfortable tackling most standard repertoire, mature phrasing and sound production, pushing technical limits of speed/fingerings/bow strokes, ability to lead and follow in chamber groups.
Distinctions beyond the advanced stage are likely to be drawn at arbitrary levels of technical mastery. There is some repertoire that most violinists would consider standard for any “expert” player (e.g. Mozart concertos, Mendelssohn concerto). Then, there is some repertoire that expert players might not be expected to sight-read flawlessly but, with enough time, should probably be able to prepare to a reasonable level (e.g. some Paganini caprices, most Romantic concertos). And then, there is certainly a good chunk of the repertoire that we will put aside to categorize the highest level of technical mastery (e.g. Ernst, Paganini, some of the more demanding modern concertos).
However, what most clearly delineates players who have reached this stage is the maturity of their playing. Past the basic technical standards, we begin to look for qualities of artistry: the beauty and depth of sound; the ability to communicate stories and emotions; and, a sense of humanity speaking through the violin (reflecting both the composer and the performer of a work). This pursuit of artistry is the lifelong journey of the performing artist, and is developed not only by instrumental practice but by all of one’s life experience.
