hello every one
does any one hav any tips on how to improve the accuracy of the ear? like example, i do have markings on my violin and i do follow them but sometimes im off by that little bit and i cant hear he difference and my teacher really cares about it
hope someone can help
zippy(jes)

Hi, I know exactly what you mean. I think it comes with practise. Do you have a tuner? At the moment I have some difficulty in separatign F# from G in the 5th position, I learning G maj 3 octives and in the 5th position they are so close together.

I started by playing a scale and listening to each note, I still do so, when your finger is placed on the finger board and you do not hear the sound you expect you move you finger backwards or forwards until you hear the sound you expected to hear. I hope this helps

hey there everyone
thanx amati i think that should help
i am learning grade three violin right now and have two MORE technical problems that i cant get ryt (i always have dont i?)
the two are (i) when i play, i usually go onto other strings whether its up bow or down bow (especially the hard pieces) and (ii) when i play, my bow goes on the strings diagonally and is not straight. i think they both come from practice but could you guys tell me some tips on how to practice these things?

Hiya,
I had those two problems too and apart from practising the only way I got rid of them was to playopen strings over and over, do it carefully before you practise, just play them concentrating on staying on the string and keeping your bow straight. Eventually it will have an impact on your playing, you just have to keep doing it until it becomes automatic i think. Thats my experience anyway.
Good luck!!

[QUOTE](ii) when i play, my bow goes on the strings diagonally and is not straight.

Play in front of a mirror to make sure your bow is straight.

Also try to play with whole bow while praticing on the open string.

Yep, playing infront of a mirror is the best way!



(lots)

Whilst we are on the subject - sorry to gate crash !, when I do certain scales on violin (not sure which without trying right now) I end up moving into another scale

I can hear it happening (sometimes) but I do start on one scale and end in another ! Help !!!

Is this common ?

Thanks,

Fiona

thanks for the tips, guys!

I tried out the one of standing in front of the mirror and playing, but I don't seem to be able to do two things at once...i play in front of the mirror but i cant see whether or not the bow is straight. Any tips?

QUOTE

just play them concentrating on staying on the string

the problem is, when i start playing harder pieces, it goes bad again (i go onto other strings)...especially when the song is fast and you need to move your bow really fast from one string to another...i cant control it like that. Any other ideas?

And Fiona, no it is not common for me to do that because i hav only learned five scales and five arpeggios so far...the few easy ones
Maybe you should listen very carefully to how you start and end and figure out where you made you made the mistake. Also, maybe you should remember what sharps or flats the scale has and also sing the scale before you play it.

And now that we're talking about scales....i also hav problems in arpeggios, i know that i hav put up a forum in Geceral Discussion Fourm but i don't think it was too successful...so ill ask again. you see, for arpeggios right, my teacher tells me to remember the notes not the fingering. but then i realize, if i learn the notes not the fingering, then i dont know how to transform the notes to fingerings..but if i learn the fingering...for each arpeggio there is a different fingering pattern... so i dont know what to do...hope someone can help

Anyways....thanks for all the tips once again..ill try to get things straight the best i can
Zippy

Zippy - you can sort out your arpeggio problems by singing an arpeggio and internalising its shape in your mind, because every major arpeggio has the same shape, as does every minor arpeggio.

You're right - trying to learn them by the fingerings is just too complicated by far, but if you internalise the SOUND of an arpeggio you will get them right every time.

Another thing that can help is to recognise that an arpeggio is the 1st, 3rd and 5th note of the scale.

But try singing them - it's better. Play your starting note and then sing a major scale. Call the notes 12345678 or doh re mi so fah lah ti doh.

Then sing the 1,3 and the 5 or the doh, mi and the soh and the top doh.

Then do the same thing with a different starting note. The more you do this the more you will internalise the sound of a major arpeggio.

Then try playing it from your internalised arpeggio sound. There may be a bit of hit and miss at first but once you get the feel for the intervals between the 1,3, 5 or the doh, me, soh your fingers will begin to find them naturally.

Give this time - it'll be well worth it, and you'll never forget how an arpeggio goes again!

Violinia