Welcome to Violin Lessons NYC

Our exercises focus on honing students’ short-term musical memories to allow them to read ahead while playing a piece so that they play it correctly when they get to that section. Often highly skilled musicians can sight-read silently, meaning they can look at printed music and hear it in their heads without playing or singing it. All musicians are required to have good sight-reading skills as this makes learning new pieces much easier and quicker. As a result students are more likely to try learning new pieces of music by themselves, making them stronger and more well-rounded performers.

These skills include playing in the same tempo and style with others without a metronome or a conductor, listening to more than one musical line at once, and being able to express ideas and make decisions with another musician. The skill of playing chamber music helps a student become more well-rounded and independent. Students also develop problem solving and communication skills that are necessary in becoming a strong musician.

Learning to improvise involves knowledge of music theory, listening skills, and confidence in expressing one’s ideas on the spot. It is a fun and different way to play the violin and also is a great way to branch out into other musical genres, such as pop, jazz, and folk music. In our violin lessons, students will learn how to improvise over chords and learn how to develop their own musical ideas and be able to articulate them on the violin.

Having good technique from the beginning ensures progress, success, and allows students to reach their musical and creative goals on the instrument. Different methods such as the Paul Rolland method and the Suzuki method are taught. The ideas and materials of the great pedagogues from the past such as Ivan Galamian, Karl Flesch, and Korgouf will be used, as well as new innovators in teaching including Mimi Zweig, Sally O’ Reilly, and Alice Kanack. This combination of methods ensures that the student understands technical issues on the instrument and can approach new discoveries or problems from several different angles.

Prior to any upcoming examination we help our students choose suitable pieces for the exam and make sure they have selected the right combination from the correct syllabus. We also incorporate at least a few minutes’ aural training and sight-reading into every violin lesson as well as giving them a mock exam well before the actual event. Our students are also encouraged to perform the pieces to their family, relatives, and friends and to work through several sample papers before the exam so that they get used to the sort of questions that will be asked while staying within the time limit. Finally, we help students to develop their confidence in themselves and their abilities through practicing walking into a room and setting up to perform, as these are often the most nerve-wrecking moments before the actual exam.