How to Play Violin Expressively
Expressive violin playing makes the critical difference between beginners and intermediate players. It’s the difference between just playing the notes and making music. It is the subject of the resources listed here, and I focus heavily on it in my Suzuki book 3 online violin lessons course.
Videos on Expressive Playing >>>>>>>>>
My YouTube videos on expressive violin playing
The following three videos on expressive violin playing come from my Suzuki Book 3 class.
Expressive playing is one of the hallmarks of this exciting course.
Basic Actions to Aid Freedom of Movement
Private Video Exclusively for Members
Another Exclusive, Pure Expressive Gold!
A Private Peek at a Workshop on Expressive Playing!
Notes and Excerpts to the Workshop
Blog Posts on Expressive Playing (good stuff!)
50 Shades of Violin Vibrato
Free worksheet which helps violin students expand their vibrato palette by exploring 9 different combinations of vibrato speed and width.
Violin, Golf, and Driving: Some Things Must Be Learned By Doing
Learning “bow distribution” for phrase shaping and expressive playing needs to be an intuitive process. Start by using rhythmic values to guide you, and your intuition will grow from there.
Volume vs. Intensity on Violin
Playing loud doesn’t equal playing intensely. Playing soft doesn’t equal docile. Learning to make a soft, intense sound, or a loud warm sound really expands our expressive palate to help us convey more color and more emotion in our violin playing.
Expressive Violin Playing Part 5: The Left Hand
Read about two important left-hand elements in expressive violin playing: vibrato and shifting. Fifth post in a series.
Expressive Violin Playing Part 4: The Bow Hand
Learn how your bow hand contributes to expressive violin playing in this fourth post in a series on musical expression.
When Should I Learn Violin Vibrato?
When should I start vibrato is a very common question. I give guidance on the three things you should have first.
The Psychology of Expressive Violin Playing (Part 3)
Your own ability to be self aware is important to expressive violin playing. But so are the basics of dynamics, phrasing, and colle motion.
Expressive Violin Playing Part 2: Sing!
The secret to evoking that special expression from a violin is in tiny little inflections, or nuances of playing. They come from both the left hand and the right hand, but mostly the right.
Expressive Violin Playing Part 1: Listening
Can expressive violin playing be learned? Yes! Start here with my hints about how to listen to the masters.