Violin

Hello! My name is Tatyana and I’m the violin teacher at leading tone music studio. If you’re interested in starting up violin lessons, here is a rundown on what I do with my students.

Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher, I believe that students are most successful when they feel comfortable to try new things and learn from their mistakes. This is why I strive to connect with each student, whether that is through telling each other about our day, learning about their other interests, or simply creating a friendly environment where they can feel safe and supported. 

I also believe that students should have input in their learning, which is why I love to hear their opinion on parts of their playing they think they did great on, as well as the parts they think they need to work on. This allows me to understand better the issues students are finding, and helps me find a solution that is tailored to them. 

Finally, I believe the best way to get better at something is practice! Violin can be such a tedious instrument to learn, but put the practice in, and students will find that the results are so rewarding!

Technique

One of the most important parts about learning the violin is building strong technique. I like to use the Suzuki method for beginner students, as it provides step by step guidance that is easy to follow for students and parents. In my class, we will work on building right and left hand strength, as well as learning proper stance and position to set students up with a strong foundation for playing. 

Intonation

One thing that makes the violin challenging is the fact that it has no frets or marks to tell you where to place your fingers on the string! This is why developing muscle memory and an ear to hear intonation is essential in playing violin. To start, finger tapes are placed on the violin to give new students a visual marking. As students progress through exercises, drills, and practice, they will develop an ear to hear when notes are in tune, as well as muscle memory that will allow them to eventually play without any finger tapes. 

Sound Quality

The violin is such an amazing instrument in that it can produce a wide variety of sound quality through different techniques. In my class, I like to have the students explore different types of sound they can make with their bows and violins. As they continue to progress, students will learn bow strokes, pressures, and speeds which they can use to create different qualities of sounds, as well as develop their own unique tone.