Learn the Violin - No Music Experience Necessary!

After this lecture you will be able to name all the different parts of the violin and bow. Knowing these will come in handy for future lectures.

We will learn how to tune the violin using both the tuning pegs and the fine tuners. Having an instrument tuner handy would be helpful for this lecture. After completing the lecture, you will be able to tune your own violin before each time you practice.

I will cover where to put the tape lines on the violin. An instrument tuner would be helpful for this lecture. After adding tape lines to the violin, you will be able to place their fingers down in the correct position for different notes with a visual guide. It will be as if we are adding frets to your violin, much like a guitar has. Have four strips of tape cut about 3" long and about 2mm wide ready! Electrical tape, car detailing tape, and paper tape all work well.

This lecture will cover the correct way to hold the violin. It also covers the positioning of the body for practicing or performing. Both of these skill will help to make a big difference in the quality of sound you get while playing.

I will cover the numbers associated with each finger on the left hand, and how to notate these in music if you are reading music. I will teach you how to do both up bows and down bows and which is which. I'll also let you know how these are written in music.

After this lecture, you will know the proper way to hold the bow with the right hand. This is something that takes practice, so I will cover ways for you to practice this skill until you have it mastered.

This lecture covers how to place your fingers on the violin in order to play different notes, and the best way to do so.

You will learn finger placement in the first position. We will cover the use of the tape lines and you will begin to get used to playing with them.

This will teach you the technique of playing without the bow. We will cover the proper way to pluck the strings and where to place your hands while doing so.

After this lecture you will know the best way to practice in order to get a straight bow. You will learn the technique that results in a straight bow. This will allow you to have the best possible sound when playing.

This lecture covers the most basic bow stroke. You will learn the bow stroke that is most commonly used when playing the violin. We will cover ways to practice getting your bow to be straight while playing. This will have a huge impact on your sound quality.

This lecture covers a bow stroke that we will be using later on in some of the songs. It's a fun one!

This covers the definition of a scale and how scales are used. You will learn what octaves are. We will also go over why scales are necessary and how they are used in music.

I will demonstrate the single lower octave G Major scale and instruct you in how to play it. You will learn where to place your fingers and what strings to play on.

I will demonstrate the single lower octave D Major scale and instruct you in playing it. You will learn where to place your fingers and what strings to play on.

I will demonstrate the single middle octave A Major scale and instruct you in playing it. You will learn where to place your fingers and what strings to play on.

I will demonstrate the single lower octave C Major scale and instruct you in how to play it. You will learn where to place your fingers and what strings to play on.

You will learn the definition of dynamics, how they are used in music, and how they are written. Knowing how dynamics are written will help if you learn to read music.

We will cover the different methods of playing loudly. These are using more pressure with the bow, playing closer to the bridge, playing towards the frog, and using more bow.

We will cover the different methods of playing softly. These are using less pressure with the bow, playing over the fingerboard, playing towards the tip, and using less bow.

You will learn Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and will learn variations of the song by using different scales.

You will learn the first half of the ever popular Ode to Joy theme by Beethoven.

You will learn the second half of the Ode to Joy theme by Beethoven, and be able to put the whole song together.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to play the Happy Birthday song. Birthday parties will never be the same!

After this lecture you will be able to play this great children's classic.

You will learn Itsy Bitsy Spider using the Portato bow stroke.

After this lecture you will be able to play this popular song.

You will learn this song that comes from the Suzuki Method.

Conratulations on completeing the course! You should now have a basic understanding of how to play the violin and know how to play some scales and songs. Keep practicing on your own and review with these lectures.