What To Look For In a Violin Teacher
In this blog post, I will discuss some of my own ideas of what a person should look for when searching for a violin teacher. This article may be used in searching for an online teacher, an in-person teacher, or even a teacher who has a video course.
Because every individual is different, every teacher also brings his or her unique gifts and qualities to the table. Also, keep in mind that NOT every great performer is also a great teacher. They could be very famous, but maybe not the most charitable person. They could even be rude or not interested in putting forth the effort to fix your violin playing issues.
There are many great teachers who no longer play professionally or even publicly. Don’t overlook these teachers. They may have a special gift for teaching, but perhaps have had an injury or another issue that keeps them from performing. Maybe they have just discovered that their gifts are in teaching more than in performing, as there are so many performers vying for a few openings per year. At the time of this writing (2020), most orchestras are either shut down or operating on a very limited basis via reduced orchestras and audiences or live streaming performances. There are also those who have decided to be with their families more instead of having an intense performing and rehearsal schedule.
I have decided not to spend evenings away from my family while my children are young. Most rehearsals for semi-professional and regional orchestras take place on weekday evenings with performances on Saturday nights. I miss performing and rehearsing, but I would not give up that time with my family for the world.
As for the personality qualities and traits, this is largely dependent on your own needs as an individual and violinist. Personally, I would look for honesty, integrity, patience, a certain level of organization and follow-through, and genuine interest in helping you become the best violinist that you want to be. Someone who believes in you and your potential more than you believe in yourself and is willing to cheer you on when you get discouraged is really helpful. Playing the violin is a very rewarding but sometimes difficult journey. It is human nature to get discouraged when encountering difficulties. As the saying goes, everything worth doing in life requires a lot of effort. Perhaps I just paraphrased that, but you get the point.
As for other traits, ask yourself if you need someone who is picky with proper set-up and technique, or someone who is just going to show you how to play a lot of different pieces. If you are not concerned with sounding exactly in tune or having a gorgeous sound, be up front with the teacher and say you would just like to focus on sight reading or playing by ear (whichever you prefer). If you want to play with others in an ensemble, then a certain amount of intonation (playing the notes exactly in tune) work will be required, so having a teacher who is picky with that is a good bet. Learning how to play rhythm accurately is another thing that is a must for ensemble playing; otherwise, you will never be playing at the right moment with your colleagues.
If you are an adult beginner, I believe that patience and experience teaching adult beginners are required. Your teacher should be willing to encourage you, and encourage you often. I understand very well the limitations of adult beginners, such as having a full-time job, having children, having sick family members counting on them for their time and assistance, etc.
As a teacher and parent myself, I understand this and try to encourage adults to learn to study things during the lesson, even if they had a super busy week (or month). We all have weeks that have been more stressful than others.
I am certainly not advocating that you never practice outside of the lesson. Practice is essential in learning almost anything, but especially a musical instrument. I just know how difficult life can be at times. Ask your potential teacher (or their students) what they work on during their lesson with their adult students who have not had time to practice that week because of important adult responsibilities. If they seem very offended by this question, then perhaps that person is not the right teacher for you.
As a general rule, I try to make sure that a student can always get something out of the lesson even when he or she has not practiced that week. Also, I am more forgiving with this when it comes to adults who are learning for enjoyment rather than a possible career. That is not to say that I don’t push them to be their best. I always do this, but with encouragement and understanding. Thank you, and happy practicing!
Here is a wonderful violin teacher with some online courses of her own. She specializes in teaching bowing technique, which is where your beautiful sound will come from! Her name is Zlata Brouwer, and her YouTube channel is called Violin Lounge. Below, you can find links to her free and paid courses. I am an affiliate for her courses, so if you click on the links below, I will also benefit monetarily from this as well, at no extra cost to you! (If you are just starting the violin at the beginning, I would watch her beginning tutorials on YouTube or on her website: Violin Lounge
Here are two free mini-courses by Zlata:
Learn a Beautiful Vibrato on the Violin
5 Bowing Secrets to Create a Professional Sound on the Violin
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If you like the above lessons and want more in-depth video lessons from Zlata, check out the links below. (I am an affiliate for Violin Lounge. That means that I receive a commission if you use these links to purchase her programs, at no extra cost to you. By using these links, you will help support my blog and website. Thank you!)
Thank you! Happy Practicing!
Best,
Dr. Ana Maria
