Now that I have a great quality violin and I’m 1 year into learning, there are several aspects of playing I’m focusing on for my second year. I’m continuing with the Suzuki method and doing my best to complete the first book. I also plan to focus on my number one set back – which is tension. A few months ago, I recovered from several injuries on my shoulders and neck. There are many reasons why I might have had those injuries. I know for sure that one reason was my over-tension and over playing violin. So my number one priority is to slow down and focus on my fundamentals for playing without any tension. Currently, I’m paying close attention to how I physically feel while playing. I now have physical warm ups and drills that I do away from the violin before every practice session. My practice drills really put emphasis on tension-free, relaxed playing.
Along with tension release, I’m also working on releasing my vibrato. I started a few drills – and I’m starting to feel a little more flexible and closer to getting a vibrato. I understand it’s a slow process, but with patience and persistence, I’m sure I will eventually play my favorite tunes using vibrato.
Overall, my new approach is to slow down and put emphasis in effortless playing and intonation. I prefer slowing down than getting injured and having to completely stop playing for several weeks.
