First of all, thanks to the folks here. This is a great place to find professionals who dedicate their precious time to giving feedback, tips, and insights that are often worth gold.

When I wrote about my violin addiction — I've been studying for 5 years now — I noticed a lot of people didn't get one thing I shared: at 2–3 years of study I felt intermediate, and today, at 5 years, I'm sure I'm a beginner. Sometimes beginner+... lol. Let me explain.
When you're learning the violin, it takes a long time before you can play even simple songs. The intonation challenge is intense, and then there's coordinating everything at once: rhythm, bow pressure, left-hand fingers landing in the right spots, keeping the bow perpendicular to the violin, relaxing dozens of points in your body, breathing... and plenty of other things I've forgotten — or haven't even realized I need to improve yet.

In my case, about 2 years in, I managed to minimally coordinate all of that, to the point of playing popular melodies that sounded pleasant — to my own ears, of course, but I'm an easy audience. So I thought: I've made it, I'm intermediate. I remember mentioning this to my teacher. He elegantly changed the subject.
It was only a year and a half ago that we started shifting, a bowing book, and vibrato. That's when the map of the territory opened up, and I understood the size of what's still ahead.

For those who like more objective milestones, my teacher works through these books in parallel, weekly:

Sitt – 100 Violin Etudes Op. 32 (complete edition): I'm on etude 6
Sevcik Op. 8 (shifting): still grinding on page 1
Sevcik Op. 3 (bowing strokes): I'm on lesson 13
We finished a duet book, and now we pick individual pieces

The journey is incredible and really engaging. My only regret is not having more time: I play about 1 hour a day, always sticking to the practice program my teacher assigns.

What about you? Have you been through this cycle of thinking you're intermediate and then "going back" to beginner? At what point did you feel you truly leveled up?

Seems to be made in 1972 by a student model maker, I am not completely sure it is authentic, but seeing as there is many, many tiny scratches, that I don't believe is actual cracks, it seems authentic in my eyes, but I am not a violinist.

Karl Herrmann Stradivarius

It also seems to be a 4/4 size, but I am uncertain.

I understand, violins under 300 are bad news, but this is an used violin, I believe that it justifys the means.

The fingerboard seems to be made out of ebony which is a must, from what I can see with some closer pictures of the bridge, not painted, but stained. But I may be wrong, as an amatuear.

Would this be not acceptable, but barely OK for a musical backgrounded student?

I also have a personal teacher that may be able to help me with my journey within violinism.

Your call. I am unable to rent a violin, my household is cheap, so I buy all my instruments alone. (Guitars, saxophones, etc).

I hope to be awaited with good news, but I indeed understand why violins are so expensive, which is why I have dreaded buying one for such an lonesome amount of time.

Dear r/violin community,

I am pleased to announce the publication of my new book, which may be of particular interest to violinists curious about the history of the instrument, its repertoire, and the French violin school:

Les classes de violon du Conservatoire de Paris. Histoire du répertoire d’étude et de concours (1795–1994)

Paperback, 488 pages, 15.8 × 24 cm, ISBN: 978-2-9564338-1-1

Copies can be shipped worldwide.

Please note that the book is written in French. I thought there might be some French speakers/readers here?

The book is the result of more than ten years of research based on previously unpublished archival sources, including examination and final examination programs, concert programs, administrative records, press materials and personal accounts. This volume offers the first comprehensive historical study of the repertoire taught in the violin classes of the Paris Conservatoire, from its founding in 1795 to the end of the twentieth century.

It provides:

• a detailed survey of works studied for examinations and final examinations;
• an analysis of the role of professors in shaping the repertoire;
• a long-term perspective on aesthetic and pedagogical developments over nearly two centuries.

Testimonies from four generations of professors, from Eugène Sauzay to Olivier Charlier, offer rare insights into the transmission of the French violin school.

Great violinists such as Henryk Wieniawski, Fritz Kreisler, Carl Flesch, Jacques Thibaud, Georges Enesco and Ivry Gitlis were once students at the Paris Conservatoire. As part of my research, I was able to consult their teachers’ reports — offering a fascinating glimpse into what they were like as students. Wieniawski, for instance, was described as incredibly gifted, but apparently not particularly fond of discipline!

QR codes throughout the book provide direct access to selected musical examples, allowing readers to hear some of the repertoire discussed in the book.
The volume also includes a substantial and fully documented set of appendices.

I hope the book will be of interest to violinists, teachers, students, researchers, and anyone curious about how violin repertoire and teaching evolved at one of Europe's most important conservatoires.

A detailed presentation is available here, including the table of contents and a sample extract.

I was a student at the Paris Conservatoire and am now a violin teacher at another conservatoire in Paris. I also studied musicology at Sorbonne University.

I'll be happy to answer any questions or share some insights into the book, the research process, the repertoire, or anything else you may be curious about.

I'd like to thank the mods for allowing me to post this announcement here!

What is your opinion of using Violin Tablature to sharpen ones skills and learn new songs. I know some teachers frown on tabs, but not everyone can learn via a 1 on 1 teacher.

Je suis musicienne classique professionnelle, avec une carrière internationale et plusieurs prix dans de grands concours. Après une dizaine d’années à l’étranger, je reviens à Paris et je développe des cours particuliers à domicile, plutôt haut de gamme. Je pense que ma clientèle sera plutôt des élèves de très haut niveau (cnsm) pour la préparation des concours et des adultes amateurs qui veulent travailler avec un professeur de très haut niveau. Je suis d'accord pour baisser un peu mes prix pour les étudiants (pour info).

J’ai commencé il y a un mois et j’ai déjà 4 élèves malgré le mois d’août. Mon objectif serait d’arriver à une vingtaine.

Je pensais faire imprimer des flyers A5 et les distribuer moi-même dans les boîtes aux lettres des quartiers aisés de Paris (16e, 7e, 8e, Neuilly, Boulogne), en respectant les Stop Pub, et éventuellement en laisser chez certains commerçants, cabinets, clubs de sport, etc.
J'ai déjà fait un peu de pub Meta Ads. Je pensais aussi à des journaux, magazines (La lettre du musicien ? Le Monde ? haha bon...on va pas rêver)

Est-ce que certains ont déjà testé ? Quel taux de retour avez-vous eu ? Est-ce que ça vaut réellement les heures passées à distribuer, ou les flyers finissent-ils presque tous à la poubelle ?

Je suis déjà présente sur Superprof et plusieurs sites d’annonces, je suis bien classée. Mon objectif est surtout de trouver un moyen d'avoir une classe complète rapidement pour m'installer sur Paris sereinement et en faire réellement mon métier. Sinon...ben je repars à l'étranger.

Je suis surtout intéressée par des retours d'expériences.

Point out my mistakes! And please anyone who's good at it and wants to do a charity...... please please reach me??? I swear I'll be your best student

Any insights/info would be appreciated

My sister gifted me a Charles P. Coolidge violin. I can find nothing on the Internet about it. The neck has separated from the body, but the seams are all good and there does not appear to be any structural cracks or damage on the body. Anyone know anything about this maker?

¡Hola!
Soy violinista principiante con un violín Gliga Gems I. Actualmente uso cuerdas Thomastik Alphayue (set completo instalado de fábrica).
El sonido en los agudos es cálido y dulce y me encanta, pero los graves (más G que D) me suenan un poco metálicos.
¿Me podríais recomendar unas cuerdas para mejorar el sonido de los graves?
Había considerado las cuerdas Pirastro Tonica. Específicamente algunos de los set que incluyen E Gold pero he encontrado dos variantes, una con D en plata y otra en aluminio y estoy un poco perdida la verdad.
Gracias y un saludo

I think the label inside says Stradivarius and there is the little emblem. The rest is scratched off- but the second word starts with “F” and then I think an “a” so I’m guessing it might be “Faciebat.” I’m aware that it is most likely a copy, but can you provide me any more information on its quality?

Hi all! I am a string teacher and one of my students brought me a piece she is doing for an orchestra retreat. I will preface this by saying my main instrument is cello, but I have taught violin for years and had this student for about half of that time. We both constantly learn new things from each other! We both are stumped as to how to play this passage. It is from Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 1, op. 43, 4. Marche Miniature for symphony orchestra. Their group hasn't played it together yet, and they won't play it until they get to the retreat in a couple of weeks. I assume it is some sort of harmonic (sons harmoniques), but the only way to get this note (that isn't with my fingers off the fingerboard) is by doing artificial harmonics, and even those don't sound as clear as they do in recordings. It sounds almost like a piccolo. Any help or advice for where to find it would be appreciated! I've been scouring the Internet for videos, fingerings, forums, etc and haven't found anything useful. Thank you in advance for any insight you have to offer!

I tried so hard still couldn't produce a clean sound this shit is going to be hard

Hi!

I went on this reddit sometime back to ask for piece suggestions and got a lot of advice saying that Bruch 1 and Mendelssohn in E were two important stepping stones, however my teacher said that the piece I'm finishing right now (Spohr 8) is similar difficulty to Bruch, and I want to advance to more difficult pieces, so I was wondering if skipping Bruch 1 altogether and going back to it later as a secondary piece down the line would be possible at all for me?

My current situation and plan:
Spohr 8 + Beethoven Romance in F (secondary piece) –> Mendelssohn in E and I hope to work on Paganini Caprice No. 4 –> Saint-Saens 3 –> Vieuxtemps 5 + here is where I feel like I would probably come back to Bruch 1

What do you guys think?

Thanks~

Hi all!
I’m in the process of sorting my setup and am looking for a well-built tall chinrest to attach to my viola. At the moment I have this DIY job glued to my old chinrest which has done the job well, but it’s quite unprofessional and is definitely a short-term measure.
I’ve seen various brands like The Wave and Kreddle suggested before, but being UK-based they cost a bit of a fortune here! Does anyone have any experience with these, or especially other manufacturers?
Keen to have all your opinions and experiences and thanks in advance for your help!! :)

so we aren't playing anything too difficult right now, but we are playing pieces with quite a few slurs and I keep adding them in notes that aren’t slurred which causes me to mess up really bad :(

i feel like my sound is scratchy instead of full and my vibrato sucks, if anyone has any tips or exercises to make my playing sound better pls lmk! ty

I feel like my violin bow it not tight enough but when I make it tight it loses its curve but if a make it lose enough to bring back its curve the hair touches the stick when I'm playing what am I doing wrong

(More info below incase it matters)

My violin and bow is 5 years old but I only actually started playing a month ago 5 years ago some of the Stings came louse so I cut it off I'm not even in grade i don't know what I'm doing please help