Mastering the Violin: Essential Exercises and Practice Methods

Many students like to start playing the violin directly from the music, and are unwilling to work hard on the exercises. Although they can play a lot of songs, the things they play always fail to achieve a certain effect.

Exercises include all the factors of the music, melody, rhythm, strength, musical expression, etc. Each exercise has its own unique emphasis. Technical exercises are mainly to practice playing skills, focusing on skills. This type of exercise includes finger exercises, legato exercises, staccato exercises, glissando exercises, tremolo exercises, ornament exercises, various special rhythm division exercises, etc. This type of exercise mainly involves finger movement, breath, speed, strength, sight reading, rhythm and other aspects of technology, which is an important technical foundation for playing music. Therefore, practicing this type of exercise well will lay an important technical foundation for solving technical problems in music and accurately and naturally expressing music, so it must be taken seriously! The most commonly used violin exercises include:

Wohlfahrt Etude Op. 45 – Wolfhart "60 Violin Exercises"

The first half is a relatively shallow, elementary-level violin textbook, while the second half is more advanced and can be practiced in conjunction with "Kayser".

Kayser Etudes Op. 20 – Kayser "36 Violin Exercises" Op. 20

Commonly known as "Ketzeler's Preparatory Exercises". The first 12 pieces are basic position exercises, the 13th to 24th pieces are mixed exercises of the basic position and the third position, and the 25th to 36th pieces are high position exercises. It is a medium-level violin textbook.

Dont Etude op 37 & op 35 – Dont Etudes

Dont Op. 37 (commonly known as "Little Dont") and Op. 35 (commonly known as "Big Dont") are effective in training modern fingering techniques and improving the flexibility of the left hand.

Mazas Etude Op. 36 – Mazas "75 Melodic Etudes and Advanced Etudes"

This is an excellent textbook for intermediate and advanced levels, divided into three volumes.

The first volume, 1-30, is also called "Special Etudes", which are usually practiced together with "Little Tonte";

The second volume, 31-57, is called "Gorgeous Etudes", which are usually practiced together with "Kreutzer Etudes";

The third volume, 58-75, is called "Etudes for Artists", which are usually practiced together with "Paganini's 24 Caprices".

Rode etude op.22 – Rode's "24 Caprices"

Written in 24 major and minor keys, it is a required textbook for strict training of violinists.

Kreutzer Etude – Kreutzer’s 42 Violin Etudes

This is a famous advanced violin etude.

Paganini 24 Caprice for Solo Violin – Paganini’s 24 Caprice

This textbook has greatly developed the violin playing skills. It is a required course for violinists with advanced and difficult technical requirements and is also played in concerts.

And how do you practice these violin etudes? Slow practice is like a magnifying glass that can magnify all the details in the music, so that the performer can pay careful attention to every detail of the music, so as to solve the problems one by one. Take some time to strengthen the training of key points, and practice them several times in a purposeful and standard way. It is much more efficient than practicing them repeatedly from beginning to end dozens of times. Learn to analyze and think, resolve the difficulties one by one, and practice from multiple angles.