Returning to playing an instrument after a 2 decade break.
Discussion
I'm looking for advice on how I should go about returning to playing Violin/Fiddle after what basically amounts to 2 decades of a break. It would also be great if people could share their own journeys back into playing their instruments after a long break too.
I suppose for starters I'm mainly looking advice on what sort of books I should be buying to help get me back to a fairly decent standard and is it worth taking the odd lesson?
Background: Passed Grade 5 back when I was younger and from memory I had gotten to grips with the Grade 6 pieces. Vibrato was always poor but I was reasonably proficient with other techniques.
I have been back to playing now consistently for most of this year and for the past few years I had been playing every so often.
I have been practising a good few pieces/scales and I am getting better but the more I practice the more I realise how much I have forgotten about playing Violin proficiently and the musical theory that backs this up. Also, due to having two young children it's hard to get the time to really study properly.
Any advice would be greatly received, I'm finding that without the 1 to 1 tuition that I used to have at school I'm a bit lost on how to improve, I also feel that using Youtube etc as a resource would be far to overwhelming, I would rather that Violin playing remains a screen free hobby as much as possible.
I suppose for starters I'm mainly looking advice on what sort of books I should be buying to help get me back to a fairly decent standard and is it worth taking the odd lesson?
Background: Passed Grade 5 back when I was younger and from memory I had gotten to grips with the Grade 6 pieces. Vibrato was always poor but I was reasonably proficient with other techniques.
I have been back to playing now consistently for most of this year and for the past few years I had been playing every so often.
I have been practising a good few pieces/scales and I am getting better but the more I practice the more I realise how much I have forgotten about playing Violin proficiently and the musical theory that backs this up. Also, due to having two young children it's hard to get the time to really study properly.
Any advice would be greatly received, I'm finding that without the 1 to 1 tuition that I used to have at school I'm a bit lost on how to improve, I also feel that using Youtube etc as a resource would be far to overwhelming, I would rather that Violin playing remains a screen free hobby as much as possible.
Can't tell you much about strings as I'm a brass player but I had around a decade away from playing and went back to it in my thirties.
I played to a pretty high standard in my teens and then life took over as it tends to. When I went back to it, I played at home just for a little while, but what really pushed me on was joining a band. Weekly rehearsals and the motivation of playing in concerts to a high standard soon pushed me to get back into shape. I'm sure you will have a local orchestra looking for more violins, might be a good route for you
I've not had any lessons since I went back to it, but I do keep considering having some - always the best way to improve. I'm not convinced that books help you that much - you need somebody listening to you and telling you what you are doing right and wrong.
Enjoy!
I played to a pretty high standard in my teens and then life took over as it tends to. When I went back to it, I played at home just for a little while, but what really pushed me on was joining a band. Weekly rehearsals and the motivation of playing in concerts to a high standard soon pushed me to get back into shape. I'm sure you will have a local orchestra looking for more violins, might be a good route for you
I've not had any lessons since I went back to it, but I do keep considering having some - always the best way to improve. I'm not convinced that books help you that much - you need somebody listening to you and telling you what you are doing right and wrong.
Enjoy!
Just play for fun and see how it goes. Maybe use YT whenever rather than feeling that you HAVE to do something or stick to some kind of regular tuition. Life's too serious already.
It's been a while since I returned to the piano but I started with a cheap 5 octave home keyboard for about £100, then after 6 months proved that it wasn't just a passing fad for me so bought a 88(?) key weighted digital piano.
It's been a while since I returned to the piano but I started with a cheap 5 octave home keyboard for about £100, then after 6 months proved that it wasn't just a passing fad for me so bought a 88(?) key weighted digital piano.
Edited by Hoofy on Monday 24th August 12:17
As you’ve said, YT videos is too varied. They are also completely unstructured and do not follow any specific path.
I had piano lessons for a year or two in my late teens and then left playing for nearly 40 years. At 56 I decided I really wanted to play the piano and had the time to do so.
I had weekly lessons for about 6 years and passed my Grade 8 last year.
Now that have a much better grasp of the technical side of playing (scales etc) and my technique is sound I’m enrolling in various online courses which are similar to YT videos but are totally curated and make sense. For me it’s a move into Jazz.
So my suggestion is have 1:1 lessons (in person or online) until you reach a point where you’re more sure about where you want to go (you may already be there) and then check out the key online tutors who offer curated courses.
All imo of course.
Best of luck!
I had piano lessons for a year or two in my late teens and then left playing for nearly 40 years. At 56 I decided I really wanted to play the piano and had the time to do so.
I had weekly lessons for about 6 years and passed my Grade 8 last year.
Now that have a much better grasp of the technical side of playing (scales etc) and my technique is sound I’m enrolling in various online courses which are similar to YT videos but are totally curated and make sense. For me it’s a move into Jazz.
So my suggestion is have 1:1 lessons (in person or online) until you reach a point where you’re more sure about where you want to go (you may already be there) and then check out the key online tutors who offer curated courses.
All imo of course.
Best of luck!
46and2 said:
I'm looking for advice on how I should go about returning to playing Violin/Fiddle after what basically amounts to 2 decades of a break. It would also be great if people could share their own journeys back into playing their instruments after a long break too.
I suppose for starters I'm mainly looking advice on what sort of books I should be buying to help get me back to a fairly decent standard and is it worth taking the odd lesson?
Background: Passed Grade 5 back when I was younger and from memory I had gotten to grips with the Grade 6 pieces. Vibrato was always poor but I was reasonably proficient with other techniques.
I have been back to playing now consistently for most of this year and for the past few years I had been playing every so often.
I have been practising a good few pieces/scales and I am getting better but the more I practice the more I realise how much I have forgotten about playing Violin proficiently and the musical theory that backs this up. Also, due to having two young children it's hard to get the time to really study properly.
Any advice would be greatly received, I'm finding that without the 1 to 1 tuition that I used to have at school I'm a bit lost on how to improve, I also feel that using Youtube etc as a resource would be far to overwhelming, I would rather that Violin playing remains a screen free hobby as much as possible.
Violinist/violin teacher here-I suppose for starters I'm mainly looking advice on what sort of books I should be buying to help get me back to a fairly decent standard and is it worth taking the odd lesson?
Background: Passed Grade 5 back when I was younger and from memory I had gotten to grips with the Grade 6 pieces. Vibrato was always poor but I was reasonably proficient with other techniques.
I have been back to playing now consistently for most of this year and for the past few years I had been playing every so often.
I have been practising a good few pieces/scales and I am getting better but the more I practice the more I realise how much I have forgotten about playing Violin proficiently and the musical theory that backs this up. Also, due to having two young children it's hard to get the time to really study properly.
Any advice would be greatly received, I'm finding that without the 1 to 1 tuition that I used to have at school I'm a bit lost on how to improve, I also feel that using Youtube etc as a resource would be far to overwhelming, I would rather that Violin playing remains a screen free hobby as much as possible.
Get some lessons. Even if irregular or a one off. Nothing can replace having someone watch you play and advise. It’s so easy to pick up bad habits. Best to nip them in the bud now before they become too ingrained.
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