Great to hear! I hope you will have a successful return to violin. Go slow, but be consistent! (don't try to do 6 hours in one day....that's something I would do.....and it backfires!) Welcome back!
Thanks! I've slogged through so many "ok" stretching videos, but y'all's is the best. As a middle-aged beginner I need it more than most, and as an expat, my avenues are limited.
Stephen Johnson Thanks, Stephen! Yes, I have gathered these exercises from all my friends who are performers and teachers....so it's the top 10 for sure!
Thanks for watching. Yes, we violinists need to remember that violin is a whole-body activity, and we need to remember to incorporate larger muscle groups. Thanks for being a good violin coach for your daughter!
Thanks for this. As an adult learning the violin, I was really worried when I wasn't able to touch the middle of my back without great pain (for some strange reason while practicing wolfhart #18). Your videos on warm ups and stretches really helped removed the fear of going back to practice again.
+Felsinhaus LOL....yes, but would you have DONE them? I think its MOST important for those age 20 and up to faithfully do these exercises. I wish I had started doing them way back then, instead of waiting until problems started to develop. sigh....such is human nature.
love this! i have so many tension problems and i try to stretch before I practice each day but its usually only my shoulders and neck. love the arm and finger exercises!
@rockyjohnstone Yes, these stretches are even more important for adults than they are for children, what with our stiff joints and all the fun stuff that comes with the 40's!!! I hope you have found my blog for adult beginners. You can find it by visiting reddesertviolin.
@rockyjohnstone Yes, these stretches are even more important for adults than they are for children, what with our stiff joints and all the fun stuff that comes with the 40's!!! I hope you have found my blog for adult beginners at RedDesertViolin.
@Kirkseyyang NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. I am guilty of abusing my body. However, I do some sort of gently stretch before any rehearsal, and I stretch after every rehearsal. But when I start practicing each day.....I don't always stretch....I just warm up with a nice slow scale, some vibrato, then some arpeggios, then maybe Meditation or Paganini M, focusing on relaxation. I'm just being honest.....but I really really think we should warm up AND before EVERY practice session, and stretch AFTER playing.
Thanks so much for this advice. I am currently being harassed by tennis elbow and I have had to reduce my playing. - from Adelaide, same city as Robyn who I understand you have been teaching.
Hi Leigh, yes! Tell Robyn hello for me! Tennis elbow is such a pestilence. It is completely disabling. I had it for two years. But it DOES go away. Make sure you do the stretches and exercises given to you, and be vigilant! Good luck!
I really needed all of these exercises! I haven’t seen any other on you tube. My major problem is a fully torn left shoulder rotater cuff tear, and a partial right shoulder rotater cuff tear. They are healing without surgery, and PT exercises with the wide band. I’m going to add yours on too! Thank you for helping me!
Terry, my shoulder hurts just READING your comment. I agree....I will try EVERYTHING before I'd try surgery. I have had severe shoulder problems too. (supposedly frozen shoulder which I thought would NEVER go away.....but it has.....and I have to do these exercises to keep it from coming back) Best of luck to you!
Red Desert Violin Oh my! Frozen shoulder not a good violin player to have either. Probably PT exercises like me. Another player had my prob, and was playing a 3/4 violin that helped her until her shoulder healed. There is a book about playing the violin, and what to do if injured, or disabled, etc.
@muddy19fnq Yes. First of all, make sure your shoulder rest/chin rest is doing the job of holding your violin nice and level. (if you don't use this equipment, are you sure that you don't need it?) Secondly, the best "cure" for this problem is to play scales and etudes with NO THUMB AT ALL! In other words, don't let your thumb touch the neck at all, so there can be no "opposable" action. This is torture, and it makes you sound kinda crappy, but it really helps.
@jfesmire Glad you found it helpful! As we age, it becomes more important to stretch and warm up, or we really lose flexibility fast! (even zombies!) My blog has even more helpful info for keeping our bodies primed for violin, and also assistance for people like you, returning to the violin. (reddesertviolin)
@muddy19fnq After you spend a good solid week or more with NO THUMB, re-introduce the thumb with "light as a feather" contact. You do this by stroking, or petting the violin neck with your thumb as you play. Do this CONSTANTLY at first. (it's hard to play in tune) Then, start stroking the side of the neck every 30 seconds, ever minute, every 5 minutes, etc. If you thumb is ever STUCK, you will quickly realize it, and may have to back up to previous steps. Good Luck! --Lora
@Kirkseyyang NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. I am guilty of abusing my body. However, I do some sort of gentle stretch before any rehearsal, and I stretch after every rehearsal. But when I start practicing each day.....I don't always stretch....I just warm up with a nice slow scale, some vibrato, then some arpeggios, then maybe Meditation or Paganini M, focusing on relaxation. I'm just being honest.....but I really really think we should warm up AND before EVERY practice session, and stretch AFTER playing.
Hi, i just wanted to say "Thanks", I'm getting back into playing after 2 years off. These really work!
Great to hear! I hope you will have a successful return to violin. Go slow, but be consistent! (don't try to do 6 hours in one day....that's something I would do.....and it backfires!) Welcome back!
Thanks! I've slogged through so many "ok" stretching videos, but y'all's is the best. As a middle-aged beginner I need it more than most, and as an expat, my avenues are limited.
Stephen Johnson Thanks, Stephen! Yes, I have gathered these exercises from all my friends who are performers and teachers....so it's the top 10 for sure!
This really helped my daughter that plays 🎻 vilon. Thank you for making this video!!
Thanks for watching. Yes, we violinists need to remember that violin is a whole-body activity, and we need to remember to incorporate larger muscle groups. Thanks for being a good violin coach for your daughter!
These are good. As an adult beginner, these will help for sure.
Thanks for this. As an adult learning the violin, I was really worried when I wasn't able to touch the middle of my back without great pain (for some strange reason while practicing wolfhart #18). Your videos on warm ups and stretches really helped removed the fear of going back to practice again.
Hi. I'm glad this lesson helped remove your fears! We have to be gentle to our bodies, work within our limitations and expand from there.
Thank you! I wish I'd known some of these when I was doing Suzuki training as a kid. Now it's a matter of undoing the damage from a lot of bad habits.
+Felsinhaus LOL....yes, but would you have DONE them? I think its MOST important for those age 20 and up to faithfully do these exercises. I wish I had started doing them way back then, instead of waiting until problems started to develop. sigh....such is human nature.
love this! i have so many tension problems and i try to stretch before I practice each day but its usually only my shoulders and neck. love the arm and finger exercises!
@rockyjohnstone Yes, these stretches are even more important for adults than they are for children, what with our stiff joints and all the fun stuff that comes with the 40's!!! I hope you have found my blog for adult beginners. You can find it by visiting reddesertviolin.
@rockyjohnstone Yes, these stretches are even more important for adults than they are for children, what with our stiff joints and all the fun stuff that comes with the 40's!!! I hope you have found my blog for adult beginners at RedDesertViolin.
I'm glad they felt good to you. They sure feel good to me. Mandy and the Bandits...is that your band?
This really helped!
I'm glad, Craig. We all need to incorporate large muscle groups into our violin playing, and these stretches help to do that.
Yes, I need to practice what I preach.....I'm starting to get a sore shoulder! (and I know it's because I'm not warming up or stretching)
@Kirkseyyang NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. I am guilty of abusing my body. However, I do some sort of gently stretch before any rehearsal, and I stretch after every rehearsal. But when I start practicing each day.....I don't always stretch....I just warm up with a nice slow scale, some vibrato, then some arpeggios, then maybe Meditation or Paganini M, focusing on relaxation.
I'm just being honest.....but I really really think we should warm up AND before EVERY practice session, and stretch AFTER playing.
thanks a lot
Thank you very much.
You are a heartfulled teacher.
Thanks, Quan!
Very helpful - thank you so much.
Hope it helps!
Thanks so much for this advice. I am currently being harassed by tennis elbow and I have had to reduce my playing. - from Adelaide, same city as Robyn who I understand you have been teaching.
Hi Leigh, yes! Tell Robyn hello for me! Tennis elbow is such a pestilence. It is completely disabling. I had it for two years. But it DOES go away. Make sure you do the stretches and exercises given to you, and be vigilant! Good luck!
I really needed all of these exercises! I haven’t seen any other on you tube. My major problem is a fully torn left shoulder rotater cuff tear, and a partial right shoulder rotater cuff tear. They are healing without surgery, and PT exercises with the wide band. I’m going to add yours on too! Thank you for helping me!
Terry, my shoulder hurts just READING your comment. I agree....I will try EVERYTHING before I'd try surgery. I have had severe shoulder problems too. (supposedly frozen shoulder which I thought would NEVER go away.....but it has.....and I have to do these exercises to keep it from coming back) Best of luck to you!
Red Desert Violin Oh my! Frozen shoulder not a good violin player to have either. Probably PT exercises like me. Another player had my prob, and was playing a 3/4 violin that helped her until her shoulder healed. There is a book about playing the violin, and what to do if injured, or disabled, etc.
What is the book? "Things Every Violinist Should Know About the Body"?
Thank you so much for posting this video you helped me so much after along week of lots of violin playing!! Tyty
@muddy19fnq
Yes. First of all, make sure your shoulder rest/chin rest is doing the job of holding your violin nice and level. (if you don't use this equipment, are you sure that you don't need it?) Secondly, the best "cure" for this problem is to play scales and etudes with NO THUMB AT ALL! In other words, don't let your thumb touch the neck at all, so there can be no "opposable" action. This is torture, and it makes you sound kinda crappy, but it really helps.
@jfesmire Glad you found it helpful! As we age, it becomes more important to stretch and warm up, or we really lose flexibility fast! (even zombies!) My blog has even more helpful info for keeping our bodies primed for violin, and also assistance for people like you, returning to the violin. (reddesertviolin)
That is GREAT news!!! Take care of that arm!
Thanks sooo much!
You are welcome! They are life-savers!
love it
@muddy19fnq
After you spend a good solid week or more with NO THUMB, re-introduce the thumb with "light as a feather" contact. You do this by stroking, or petting the violin neck with your thumb as you play. Do this CONSTANTLY at first. (it's hard to play in tune) Then, start stroking the side of the neck every 30 seconds, ever minute, every 5 minutes, etc. If you thumb is ever STUCK, you will quickly realize it, and may have to back up to previous steps. Good Luck! --Lora
Super great vids! u seem to be a very sweet lady , thx for sharing .
@Kirkseyyang NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. I am guilty of abusing my body. However, I do some sort of gentle stretch before any rehearsal, and I stretch after every rehearsal. But when I start practicing each day.....I don't always stretch....I just warm up with a nice slow scale, some vibrato, then some arpeggios, then maybe Meditation or Paganini M, focusing on relaxation.
I'm just being honest.....but I really really think we should warm up AND before EVERY practice session, and stretch AFTER playing.