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Art of Practising the Violin: With Useful Hints for All String Players
There is no shortage of books on how to play the violin, but the aim of Robert Gerle, one of America s most distinguished teachers and soloists, is specifically to suggest ways of planning a violin student s practice. The hints given by the author will in many cases be useful for all string players, particularly on sight-reading and memorizing.
- GenresMusic
110 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 12, 2026
This isn’t a book merely for the violinist. Nor the musician. But for learners.
February 6, 2017
The purpose of the book is to show the way toward better practice habits, to serve as a guide in the better use of time alone with the instrument, to help learning more thoroughly, and to retain more lastingly. (p.9)
There is a steadily diminishing amount of time instrumentalists can spend practicing due to a dramatic expansion of the mass media and telecommunications like TV, movies, computers, etc. (p.11)
Good practicing Basic rules
1. Always know exactly what you need to practice and why- 3 minutes spent thinking about your practicing before you start are worth three hours spent in aimless repetition, during which you only learn the bad better.
2. Organize practice time to suit circumstances
3. Repetition is the moth of knowledge only if the perfected passage is repeated more often than the faulty one
4. Practice fast as well as slowly- an effective way to practicing problematic passages is to combine slow and fast practice, adding the advantage of practicing the crucial motions in tempo to the one of having time to think. The key to accurate and effortless fast playing is the realization that while the velocity of motion of the fingers and bow arm increases in faster tempos, the mind should retain a relatively even pace in sending out the commands of execution to the playing mechanism (p.15).
If the muscles receive orders from the mind belatedly, they react to the emergency in a panicky and jerky manner (p.16)
5. Give equal attention to the bow arm: Don't practice only the left hand
6. Separate the problems and solve them one by one
7. Practice difficult passages in context
8. Practice performing: Don't only practice practicing- take time to practice in your performing attire. What you wear at the concert can add another unfamiliar or restricting element. (p.22)
9. Practice also without the instrument
10. Do not neglect the "easy" sections: they tend to take revenge on you
The complete range of the violin is about 4(1/2) octaves, or 54 semitones. (p.25) The range of the four strings, for practical purposes, is about two octaves, or 25 semitones. (p.26)
'Good' intonation is a compromise within very narrow limits, according to the prevalent key and harmonic structure of the piece. It has to conform to the 'ensemble' of every note within a single instrument and must relate to every other instrument in an ensemble. A note is 'in tune' if its melodic, harmonic and expressive function is clear an in accord with all other notes, harmonies and chordal structures of the work as a whole. (p.36)
Too much vibrato, or too wide a vibrato, especially in higher positions, tends to obscure the intonation and cover up imperfections, making it harder to hear and correct them. "When you do, later, use vibrato, remember that the extent of its range is from slightly below the pitch and up to the pitch but NOT ABOVE it. (p.53)
Make one large shift,rather than two small, in fast passages. Sudden or too frequent changes of position prevent the hand from settling in any one position. (p.54)
In practicing scales, do not always start on the lowest note. Start at the top, or begin on any other note. (p.55)
The faster the bow, the shorter the arm used. The right hand fingers are to react. (p.61)
There is often a choice between using an open string or the fourth finger. Avoid crossing strings for a single note in a (fast) passage otherwise on the same string. (p.62)
Sight Reading
A large number of the problems in sight reading stem from not understand, and therefore overestimating, the difficulties. (.63) The literature of classical music is full of works built almost entirely from the simplest musical element scales, broken thirds and triads, and arpeggios; so practice and memorize scales, arpeggios, broken thirds, octaves,etc. Familiarity with a composer's style helps fluent sight reading as well. (p.64)
Sight reading has to be practiced with the same care as any other area of instrumental technique. Read and play a great deal of new or unfamiliar music at first sight. (p.65)
Before playing, note the problematic rhythmical passages and take a moment to hum them correctly in your mind. While playing, do not stop even if you have to miss notes or play a few wrong ones. Keep playing. (P.66) Also, read groups of notes, note-clusters, or whole passages at a glance, not just single notes. (p.67)
Reading the "8ve" sign is a form of transposing . Towards improving reading above the stave, practice scales and other material an octave higher than written, reading the music under an imaginary 8ve sign. Then practice the same in various different keys. Try using Kreuzter Studies.
It is essential for sight reading, and string playing in general, that the music is sung before playing (at first aloud, later mentally)(p.68).
First and foremost, you must learn to maintain a steady tempo regardless of technical difficulty, rhythmic complexity, or emotional excitement. (p.69)
See p. 69 for rhythm diagram
In memory, it is not that you forget what comes next; it is that you did not know well enough, in practice, what comes next. Inadequate initial observation, insufficient technical information, and superficial understanding all add up to faulty recall. (p.76) Since the brain retains everything it experiences, memory problems simply mean that we are not using our given capabilities fully or correctly. (p.77)
Anticipation is the ability of the mind to foresee actions, motions, events, feelings, and impressions based on previous experience, and project them into the future. (p.80) Hearing the pitch of every note ahead, singly and in groups (p.81).
A piece should be practiced in the posture in which it is to be performed. Keep the upper body in the same posture as when playing standing; the only difference is that the legs are bent and the weight of the body is on the seat instead of on the heels. Do not lean back int he chair, sit forward; the muscles of your back must be free to participate in your movements together with the other muscles of the upper body. Slouching, even if a temporary relief, is a sure cause of future back problems by bending the column of vertebrae too far out of alignment.
When playing standing, the music stand should be high enough so that the middle of the page can be at eye level. (p.86)
Do not forget that the audience begins to judge you as a performer, whether consciously or not, from the moment you enter the stage and before you ever play a note (p.88).
Technical shifts should be articulated as cleanly as possible: the slide connecting the positions should be inaudible, the motion itself made relatively quickly and adjusted to the speed of the passage itself.
Expressive shifts try to approximate to the quality of the singing human voice and bring out the lyric and emotional quality of both the instrument and the music itself. (p.96)
There is a steadily diminishing amount of time instrumentalists can spend practicing due to a dramatic expansion of the mass media and telecommunications like TV, movies, computers, etc. (p.11)
Good practicing Basic rules
1. Always know exactly what you need to practice and why- 3 minutes spent thinking about your practicing before you start are worth three hours spent in aimless repetition, during which you only learn the bad better.
2. Organize practice time to suit circumstances
3. Repetition is the moth of knowledge only if the perfected passage is repeated more often than the faulty one
4. Practice fast as well as slowly- an effective way to practicing problematic passages is to combine slow and fast practice, adding the advantage of practicing the crucial motions in tempo to the one of having time to think. The key to accurate and effortless fast playing is the realization that while the velocity of motion of the fingers and bow arm increases in faster tempos, the mind should retain a relatively even pace in sending out the commands of execution to the playing mechanism (p.15).
If the muscles receive orders from the mind belatedly, they react to the emergency in a panicky and jerky manner (p.16)
5. Give equal attention to the bow arm: Don't practice only the left hand
6. Separate the problems and solve them one by one
7. Practice difficult passages in context
8. Practice performing: Don't only practice practicing- take time to practice in your performing attire. What you wear at the concert can add another unfamiliar or restricting element. (p.22)
9. Practice also without the instrument
10. Do not neglect the "easy" sections: they tend to take revenge on you
The complete range of the violin is about 4(1/2) octaves, or 54 semitones. (p.25) The range of the four strings, for practical purposes, is about two octaves, or 25 semitones. (p.26)
'Good' intonation is a compromise within very narrow limits, according to the prevalent key and harmonic structure of the piece. It has to conform to the 'ensemble' of every note within a single instrument and must relate to every other instrument in an ensemble. A note is 'in tune' if its melodic, harmonic and expressive function is clear an in accord with all other notes, harmonies and chordal structures of the work as a whole. (p.36)
Too much vibrato, or too wide a vibrato, especially in higher positions, tends to obscure the intonation and cover up imperfections, making it harder to hear and correct them. "When you do, later, use vibrato, remember that the extent of its range is from slightly below the pitch and up to the pitch but NOT ABOVE it. (p.53)
Make one large shift,rather than two small, in fast passages. Sudden or too frequent changes of position prevent the hand from settling in any one position. (p.54)
In practicing scales, do not always start on the lowest note. Start at the top, or begin on any other note. (p.55)
The faster the bow, the shorter the arm used. The right hand fingers are to react. (p.61)
There is often a choice between using an open string or the fourth finger. Avoid crossing strings for a single note in a (fast) passage otherwise on the same string. (p.62)
Sight Reading
A large number of the problems in sight reading stem from not understand, and therefore overestimating, the difficulties. (.63) The literature of classical music is full of works built almost entirely from the simplest musical element scales, broken thirds and triads, and arpeggios; so practice and memorize scales, arpeggios, broken thirds, octaves,etc. Familiarity with a composer's style helps fluent sight reading as well. (p.64)
Sight reading has to be practiced with the same care as any other area of instrumental technique. Read and play a great deal of new or unfamiliar music at first sight. (p.65)
Before playing, note the problematic rhythmical passages and take a moment to hum them correctly in your mind. While playing, do not stop even if you have to miss notes or play a few wrong ones. Keep playing. (P.66) Also, read groups of notes, note-clusters, or whole passages at a glance, not just single notes. (p.67)
Reading the "8ve" sign is a form of transposing . Towards improving reading above the stave, practice scales and other material an octave higher than written, reading the music under an imaginary 8ve sign. Then practice the same in various different keys. Try using Kreuzter Studies.
It is essential for sight reading, and string playing in general, that the music is sung before playing (at first aloud, later mentally)(p.68).
First and foremost, you must learn to maintain a steady tempo regardless of technical difficulty, rhythmic complexity, or emotional excitement. (p.69)
See p. 69 for rhythm diagram
In memory, it is not that you forget what comes next; it is that you did not know well enough, in practice, what comes next. Inadequate initial observation, insufficient technical information, and superficial understanding all add up to faulty recall. (p.76) Since the brain retains everything it experiences, memory problems simply mean that we are not using our given capabilities fully or correctly. (p.77)
Anticipation is the ability of the mind to foresee actions, motions, events, feelings, and impressions based on previous experience, and project them into the future. (p.80) Hearing the pitch of every note ahead, singly and in groups (p.81).
A piece should be practiced in the posture in which it is to be performed. Keep the upper body in the same posture as when playing standing; the only difference is that the legs are bent and the weight of the body is on the seat instead of on the heels. Do not lean back int he chair, sit forward; the muscles of your back must be free to participate in your movements together with the other muscles of the upper body. Slouching, even if a temporary relief, is a sure cause of future back problems by bending the column of vertebrae too far out of alignment.
When playing standing, the music stand should be high enough so that the middle of the page can be at eye level. (p.86)
Do not forget that the audience begins to judge you as a performer, whether consciously or not, from the moment you enter the stage and before you ever play a note (p.88).
Technical shifts should be articulated as cleanly as possible: the slide connecting the positions should be inaudible, the motion itself made relatively quickly and adjusted to the speed of the passage itself.
Expressive shifts try to approximate to the quality of the singing human voice and bring out the lyric and emotional quality of both the instrument and the music itself. (p.96)
January 17, 2022
Helpful ideas and practice tips about the relationship between memory and mental practice, as well as a couple of helpful checklists for sight reading.
December 30, 2009
This book was rather technical for my current skill level. I was unfamiliar with nearly all of the theoretical and practical concepts that the author discussed. Only one chapter was really of much help for my practice at the moment.
With that said, there is a TON of information in this little book and I hope that my practice will eventually grow in to its skill level. I also hope to be able to use it as a tool of skills to work towards in my lessons.
With that said, there is a TON of information in this little book and I hope that my practice will eventually grow in to its skill level. I also hope to be able to use it as a tool of skills to work towards in my lessons.
April 25, 2021
"With useful hints for all string players" probably gave it away - I found this to be a hotchpotch of technique, music theory and "how to practise". For those looking for a "how-to" guide to practise the violin, in the hope that one could use one's practise time more effectively, would surely be disappointed. Don't get me wrong - I'm sure that everything in this slim volume is gold, it's just not that easy to pull out the right bits to help one practise effectively.
Early in the book, there's some suggested good habits as well as a few examples on how to break down a specific passage into specific components for practise. (But bear in mind that the examples are advanced stuff: Paganini Caprices, Brahms Concerto, Mendelssohn Concerto, you get the drift...) But apart from that, the rest are focused on finger patterns (with equally advanced examples), sight-reading and memorisation principles. All are important of course but you would be better off grabbing the standard scales books (Galamian scales, Carl Flesch's scales, Simon Fisher etc) than relying on the examples in this little book.
Overall, if you're below diploma level, there's probably easier books than this one to help you practise.
Early in the book, there's some suggested good habits as well as a few examples on how to break down a specific passage into specific components for practise. (But bear in mind that the examples are advanced stuff: Paganini Caprices, Brahms Concerto, Mendelssohn Concerto, you get the drift...) But apart from that, the rest are focused on finger patterns (with equally advanced examples), sight-reading and memorisation principles. All are important of course but you would be better off grabbing the standard scales books (Galamian scales, Carl Flesch's scales, Simon Fisher etc) than relying on the examples in this little book.
Overall, if you're below diploma level, there's probably easier books than this one to help you practise.
October 10, 2018
I learned so much from this book, many things that I want to remember, and many things I want to pass on to my students. The only thing that was hard for me about this book was the extreme detail. But at the same time, it is what was needed to get the point across. Now to incorporate what I learned!
December 31, 2010
Some good information. Now if only I were inspired to practice.
October 3, 2011
Brilliant !!
August 17, 2011
Good, compact, precise reference. Now to be able to do all that he describes…
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews