This is a time of year when many potential new orchestra students asking themselves: Should I sign up for orchestra at school next year? What instrument should I choose? To help answer these questions, last spring we shared a post on choosing a stringed instrument. It has received many views, and so we are providing a quick link to that post below. https://www.orchestramentor.org/post/how-to-choose-an-instrument-for-orchestra

In our last post, the question was, how do you play something like this?   In this post, the question becomes, how do you play something like this? (Image source: https://violinspiration.com/violin-double-stops/ )   We are now looking at three notes at once (called a “triple stop”) and four notes at once (called a “quadruple stop”). When you look at a violin or cello bridge (the piece of wood that holds up the strings), you’ll notice that it forms an arch—it’s not flat. With

In an orchestra setting, usually you are asked to play one note at time. But how do you play something like this? It’s two notes at once, which string musicians call a “double stop.” In some solo pieces, you may be asked to play three or even four notes at once – called “triple stops” and “quadruple stops.” Three or more notes usually form a “chord” like a G-major chord or an A-minor chord. (Music theorists will say that just two notes “suggest” a chord but that you need thre

Orchestra is not just about technique, practice, and repetition. You get to have fun playing great music with friends!   Here are a few of our favorite holiday orchestral pieces. There are lots of different arrangements available. Some are a little more at the intermediate level, but many high school and youth orchestras get to perform these. 1. Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson https://youtu.be/DZ98oN9LN98?si=t7hsYeaoHKa7Qejb 2. A Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson https://you

Practicing at home is essential for improving. Having an appropriate space for practice can make a difference in terms of motivation (a comfortable space is inviting) and effectiveness (make practice time count). What are some good essentials? You don’t need anything fancy. A few solid choices for your practice space, can make practice more enjoyable and productive at home. 1. Choose a Quiet Place Find an area where you won’t be distracted by noise or other people’s activitie

Becoming a better musician isn’t just about talent. Regular practice is essential for development and improvement. You can be the most musically talented person in the world, but without regular practice, you will not improve. Here are some suggestions for daily practice. Regular Practice is Best Practicing 20 minutes every day, is better than practicing for 3 hours once a week. Start with something simple like 5 minutes of scales first. Work on playing slowly and accuratel

Joining orchestra can be fun and exciting. You get to perform with a group of people and create beautiful music together. But how are orchestra members expected to behave? Just like other teams and groups where you do things together, there are rules every member should follow to make the experience as positive for everyone as possible. Good rehearsal and performance habits enable everyone to sound their best and enjoy making music together.   Arrive Prepared and Ready to Pla

In a previous post (Posture - Part 2), we talked about a proper bow hold. But even after seeing pictures and watching videos, holding a bow can be physically difficult (even painful). Are there ways to make holding a bow easier? Absolutely yes! Learning how to hold a bow properly and consistently can be made easier with some gadgets and tools. Padding for Your Thumb First, here is a picture once again of where the right thumb should go. You place your thumb in between the str

If you are just starting out with orchestra, the first choice you have to make is choosing an instrument. There are four main stringed instruments that make up an orchestra. Which instrument is right for you? In this post, we’ll go over some of the reasons for choosing a violin, viola, cello, or double bass. Violin The violin is the most popular stringed instrument because of its expressive and beautiful "soprano" sound. It also normally carries the melody because of its high

If you have the basics of shifting down and you want to refine your skills, use these pointers to start working on polishing your...

If you read Part 1 of our series of posts on shifting, you saw the video about basic shifting. That post talked only about shifting...

Maybe you are now good at playing simple melodies with notes on the lower range of your violin or viola. How do you play those really...

Continuing our discussion about posture, let’s talk about the right hand and arm. You hold the bow with your right hand. To have proper...

There are many techniques that contribute to how well you play a musical instrument. Did you know that posture is one of those key...

Need to tune your instrument but don’t have a tuner? Or need a metronome to help you practice? Here are a few online tuners and...