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Hello! Thank you very much and you've got very interesting violins on your channel...Mary❤

Hello Alice, I know exactly what you mean about these large intervals that are straining your hand. Your teacher is trying to create an ideal hand frame for you, but your hand gets locked and is unable to be flexible. Why not have a chat with your teacher about your first finger and how locked and rigid your hand feels when playing larger intervals? For example, you should be doing plenty of exercises to increase flexibility and relaxation as well as examining with your teacher the basic mechanics of your left hand. Anyway, I will try to make a video soon about fingers crossing crossing back and forth across the strings. Meantime, try your best to have an open discussion with your teacher about what you need and want. Please let me know how you get on. Take care Alice! Mary❤

Hello! It's a bit difficult to understand exactly what's going on with your tuner...so you start by tuning the A to 440. Then you tune the D, but the tuner sounds too low for you? It's hard to understand what you mean when you say ;'I find the tuner shows the D a little lower than perfect pitch on the tuner.' By 'perfect pitch' do you mean it sounds in tune to you? Or you tune the A and D using the tuner but the violin doesn't sound in tune when you play both strings together? Is it possible you're relying too much on your tuner? It's great to use it to tune the A string to 440, but after that intonation isn't about matching single notes with a tuner. Intonation is a comparative judgement between notes that is one of the most important violin techniques to learn. We need to set about training and developing our sense of intonation by comparing all our notes to the open strings in the way I've described in the video. The tuner can be used occasionally, but not for absolutely everything because we have to make our own notes on the violin and we need to train our ears to know by comparison what's in tune or not. Over-reliance on the tuner doesn't give us that essential comparative judgement that only working with our open strings gives us. Mary❤

@violinstudiowithmaryv when I tune the D string to the A string it is in tune. But when I check the D string on the tuner, if I were to tune it to exact pitch according to the tuner, it would be out of pitch to the A string. I'm in full agreement with your technique. It is just that my question is: why is it when I tune the D to the A and there is no warboling but when I check the D string by the tuner it looks a little flat. Nonetheless it is in tune with the a string.

because most tuners are tempered and when you tune your perfect fifth it will have a difference of 2 cents, meaning in A440 0cent you got E +2cent, D-2cent and G-4 cents. on cello and viola the C goes to -6 cents when you tune with doble stops, which makes the open C from those instrument not be in tune with the open E of the violin.

@kamikan22 thank you. Why don't they make tuners account for these differences?

@@TNungesser You may know there's something called 'equal temperament' and then there's 'tempered pitch'. Centuries ago it was realised that tuning all notes equally throughout instruments led to larger and larger discrepancies between intervals, so tuning had to be 'tempered,' meaning that it needs to be adjusted very slightly to 'sound in tune.' So the 'feel' of the key is important for violinists as we adjust musically to making the notes 'pleasing' and in tune. There are plenty of technicalities involved with tuners, but for violinists it comes down to the feel of the basic open strings and the feel of the key. I'm particularly pleased that you are able to 'know' when your strings are in tune! It's a crucial fundamental skill that develops enormously as we progress. We develop our ability to feel and hear our violin's frequencies based on the 5ths of the open strings and the violin telling us what is open and 'right.' That's ear training! Mary❤

Hello! I love your gift with words - extremely well expressed. I'm glad you liked the video and I hope it helps. Take care. Mary❤

Hello, I' delighted you liked the video - thank you! Mary❤

Hello Lola! Thank you very much for your lovely words...you know, it's very interesting about the head moving. I really learned about it when in various positions in orchestras. Depending where I was sitting in a large orchestra, I realised I could hear various sections of the orchestra much better depending on how I placed my head and it became second nature. But out of orchestra, say when playing with a piano, the sound isn't coming from only your violin, but another source and the head again must use the advantage of movement to highlight different sounds into our two ears - it's fascinating how we learn to balance the difference between our ears... I'm very interested in your observations on this aspect Lola. You must join an orchestra!!! A huge hug and much love, Mary❤

Hello there! Thank you very much, I'm delighted you liked the video and it's so nice to hear from you in wonderful Iran! Take care. Mary❤

Hello Melissa! Thank you for saying you've got hope - it's incredibly important to have faith, stay calm, get into the spirit of experimentation and never give up! Most of us end up using a variety of methods to produce vibrato. But the most important thing at the beginning is understanding the mechanics of what moves in the hand, wrist and arm. Later we can concentrate on 'feel' and developing a semi automatic action that we're aware of but don't always have to think about directly. Stay open and enjoy your experiments. Always associate hope, enjoyment and calmness with your violin learning for the best results. Mary❤

Hello Lola! Thank you for what you said about tuning. I certainly suffer a lot about tuning especially because of my lack of a truly stable hand frame because my pinkie is so short...but there's much more to it, isn't there? Tuning usually isn't so great at the beginning of practice because we need to be incredibly warmed up before our 'touch' appears, and usually we just don't warm up properly. Just think about how our hands feel at the end of a session compared to the beginning. Another thing that really affects out tuning is not taking time to tune in true 5ths to allow our ears to really wake up and tune in to our violin. Something a tuner can't give us is a sense of key, and it can sound good and feel right when some notes are played a tiny bit higher or lower within the sense of the key... The other day I was playing with a piano accompaniment, but I couldn't for the life of me get in tune with the piano. My head is still a bit stuffy because I've had a terrible cold and I realised that my ears were hearing everything slightly sharp.😒 Your teacher was right about hidden corrections. We've all heard recordings of great violinists playing with their own signature tuning that's so persuasive that we accept it. But violinists like Hilary Hahn and Chloe Chua actually seem to play perfectly in tune all the time. Look at their hands on the violin; long fingers, wonderful hand frames, masterful technique and perfect pitch - it's kind of inhuman, isn't it? Let's just keep going and do our best, shall we? Thank you Lola! Mary❤

​@@violinstudiowithmaryv Gracias por todos los comentarios Mary! Te expresas con tanta convicción y pasión hacia el violín que me animas mucho y me inspiras a seguir en esta aventura tan maravillosa! Cuídate mucho!💜🎶💚🎻

@@lolamas3042 Oh thank you so much for your lovely words! And Lola, we're on this wonderful journey together!! Take care. Mary❤

Hello, I'm so sorry you're in pain. When you went back to playing, although your muscles had a chance to rest, presumably you had not changed anything technically and so the pain came straight back. So we have to examine the causes. Do you use a shoulder rest? Most people do not set up their shoulder rest properly, turning it into an instrument of torture. And it takes quite a bit of knowledge to play the violin properly without a shoulder rest... Watch these videos to get some ideas; czcams.com/video/WgVPEJEK0fY/video.html czcams.com/video/EMJDa3tNn_Y/video.html czcams.com/video/pHrZAd2uPjs/video.html czcams.com/video/bmnGdGx8090/video.html czcams.com/video/RVZLhSl_YEQ/video.html I have helped violinists who are in a lot of pain and I do hope you will find a way to change what you are doing on the violin. Stay calm. There is always a solution. Mary❤

​@@violinstudiowithmaryv Thanks for your comment! I will watch the recommend videos. Yes, I use a shoulder rest and i experimented a little bit how high I should set it. <3

@@xXDieRoseXx You described quite severe pain, but have you had your shoulder/neck checked out? There are all kind of things around the shoulder that can be incredibly painful that could benefit from a specialist massage or therapeutic treatment. Take care. Mary❤

Hello! It's a really good idea if you've been using a tuner most of the time to give it a break and try tuning and playing just using your ears. See if your ears are awake and able to make judgements on their own. Intonation is based on any note's relation to the open string. A single note being perfectly in tune according to the tuner does not develop our listening skills to judge that note's relationship with the open string... Similarly, when we tune, we should always tune two strings at a time so we can learn to hear the perfect fifth until you can really hear the frequencies in the violin incredibly clearly. That's real ear training. I'm glad you took on board about mindset - we and our violins respond most to encouragement! Take care. Mary❤

Thanks very much! Mary❤

Thank you very much; I'm delighted you found the video useful! Mary❤

Hello! Great observations! I'd forgotten to mention how breaking things down really helps us to memorise the piece, which in turn frees us enormously to really explore more deeply our techniques and the piece itself. Take care. Mary❤

Hello Nickie! Thanks for those fascinating musings...You know, I'm not really sure, but I feel it's two! Of course the violin and bow are interdependent , but knowledge about the bow itself is so endless and deep that it certainly takes on a life of its own. Have you ever had the feeling when you've tried different bows that some are much more 'alive' than others? I love when violinists explore the qualities of the bow itself and discover how clever and ingenious the design is and instead of always trying to control them, discover just how much we can work sympathetically with our bows...Mary❤

@@violinstudiowithmaryv well, I’ve only tried one other bow besides my unbranded carbon fiber. It was a Wooden bow, owned by my personal violin teacher, that was valued at $1500. I fell in love with it immediately. I can see spending as much or more on a violin bow, as compared to the violin itself. A good bow makes any violin easier to play, IMHO opinion. Don’t you agree?

@@nickiemcnichols5397 Yes, I agree, a good bow makes all the difference, and it helps us to produce a quality sound much more easily...although a rehair can also give a bow a new lease of life. I've never tried a carbon fibre bow and wonder if it's got as much flexibility as a traditional wooden one. Mary❤

Hello. I'm afraid that I don't agree with your advice; 'You should be able to hold the violin with your chin and nothing else' No, that's not right...the true aim of the violin hold is a balance between the head and the left hand. You see, the hand helps the head not to clutch and the head helps the hand not to clutch. People who have been told they should use only the chin to hold the violin are hampered by rigidity in the head and shoulder and cannot move their head around naturally when playing. I do agree with your encouragement to search for comfort above all on the violin! Mary❤

Hello, Thank you very much; I hope your thumb starts behaving...I love your enthusiasm. Take care. Mary❤

Thanks, I've been searching for a great accompaniment for Czardas for a while! Take care. Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤

Hello there! I'm delighted you found the video helpful...I had a look at your channel; congratulations on your playing, it's really nice and full of wonderful potential. Thanks for the suggestion about 'Meditation' Take care. Mary❤

Hello! Thanks for that fascinating topic...bows can be a mystery really. I've tried ordinary priced and very expensive bows over the years, and the ones that work best for me are not the expensive ones, but simply the ones that feel almost exactly like my own bow! If the balance point and weight of the bow are very similar to what's familiar to you, then you feel you can handle the bow more skillfully. My bow is very slightly lighter and slimmer than some I've tried. And of course if a bow needs a rehair it can be detrimental to a bow's performance and negates the price. You mention 'firmness' in your two favourite bows, not an attribute that comes to mind with bows, I must say, rather, I'd look for 'flexibility' Perhaps you mean they give a clearer, more dependable sound - we could all do with that! Heifitz once demonstrated what could be done with a cheaper bow, if you've seen that footage, but for us mere mortals, we can only dream of that beautiful and innate mastery...sigh... Thanks again and take care! Mary❤️

Thank you! Mary❤️

Hello! Thank you very much. I'm delighted you found the video helpful - good luck with your vibrato! Mary❤️

Hello Katarina! I'm delighted you find it helpful - thank you! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤

Hello Lola! I love that you play on open strings every day - so good! Our violins love this and it really helps us to get right to the heart of our violin playing and nurture our sound.🎻 As well as transmitting from the arm to the bow, when we can also receive what is transmitted from the bow to the arm, we then develop a beautiful, subtle touch and play with much greater variety, security, beauty and expertise. Isn't it amazing how some of the more simple exercises, if done with the right intentions and mindset, can yield the greatest results? Thank you so much and take care Lola! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤️

Hello! I'm delighted you found the video helpful and thanks for letting me know! Mary❤

Thanks willy! Mary❤

Hello! Thank you very much for your insights. I know it feels very 'naughty' to lift the fingers to help a short 4th finger, but it's really necessary for us to do what's right for the size of our hands and fingers by using these special techniques. Every violinist must find a comfortable way to play. Taking some modern violinists, look at the incredibly long 4th fingers of Hilary Hahn and James Ehnes which gives them enormous advantages in their hand frame. People with short pinkies must find a different route to comfort and ease of playing. One of the major reasons our teachers tell us to leave our fingers down on the strings is to help us create a good hand frame and to play fast. Well, if we keep our fingers as close to the strings as possible that's a good substitute. I wish you very well and I hope your violin playing goes from strength to strength! Mary❤

Dear Mary, I'm so glad you like the exercises! It's great to go to the heart of our violin playing, simple open strings and a lovely smooth bow! Our violin loves being played so clearly too and responds with all its heart...Take care and enjoy your playing! Mary❤

Hello Elle! Well, I'm delighted you have already improved your bowing and I love the clear and helpful way you have set out your intentions before playing. You are very clever to set things up this way for yourself, because often we pick up our violins and play without clear intentions. We form our muscle memory in two ways. One is hit and miss and forms from muscle repetition. The second way includes intention and when the mind and muscles work together the results are crystal clear. Obviously awareness, close listening and knowledge give the best and fastest results for us violinists and it's very exciting when we discover that magic formula! ps. I'm sure in no.4 you meant 'bow' rather than 'fingers'😊 Thank you very much for your wonderful, clear and helpful words - and keep going! Mary❤

@@violinstudiowithmaryv Thank you for your words of Wisdom, Mary! I specified no. 4 a little better, as I meant fingers, though placing the bow on the strings for a split second before playing is another one of the great tips I learnt from your videos!

@@Shikabuki Thanks and I know you'll do well! Mary❤

Hello Chris! Thank you very much for your very interesting comments. I'm glad your frustration led you to do something about your sound. Dissatisfaction is actually a huge part of improvement on the violin if it leads to awareness and insight. No need to get frustrated - just follow your awareness and do something about it, like you have done. Most violin playing is experimental. Positively taking charge of something you become aware of on the violin is a wonderful thing and something we repeat over and over again as our awareness increases. I congratulate you - very well done indeed!! Salutations from Scotland! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤

Hello Lola! What naughty sounds you describe in those first minutes - hisses and squeaks! We try to be fully aware when we play, but sometimes we're not really awake! Thank goodness things improves as we focus in and our violin can breathe a sigh of relief when we finally tune in. What our violins have to put up with!🙂😉🎻 I hope you really enjoy the beautiful sound your open strings want to make Lola! Mary❤

Hello Hannah, Yes, your little boat is your violin and you're on a journey together. But you don't need a quick mind to 'catch' the holes that keep appearing, rather just take care of yourself and your violin by doing some very fundamental things that will calm the waters and let you see further ahead... We need to touch base very often on the violin and come back again and again to these fundamental things; being comfortable, our sound, the open strings, simple scales, intonation and our bowing action. Everything else is built on those vital elements and we do ourselves an enormous favour by taking care of them lovingly over and over. 'Lovingly' is the chosen word because included in the fundamentals is determination and enjoyment. That mindset is just as vital as all the others and perhaps the most vital of all. Hannah, I wish you all the best! Mary❤

@@violinstudiowithmaryv oh, you're so right. I know how much easier practice is when I start with some fundamental things, open strings, scales, and recently I've felt a bit stressed and like I didn't have enough time for that. And, surprise, skipping it hasn't had me make the best of the time that I had. My teacher once told me the violin is my friend and wants to do what I want, but that "she" (in German, violins are female) is also very sensitive. It's fine, I'm usually also a sensitive person who likes subtle things, but being stressed makes it less so. I will come back to being more careful and intentional.

@@hannahschneyder6651 Good for you Hannah! You're quite right, being stressed certainly comes out on the sensitive violin for sure! As for us, many of the effects of stress are not so easy to spot. Please take great care of yourself! Mary❤

Your not alone Hannah, I've been playing this magical instrument 18 months now and have trouble getting a good sound, I've taken a few steps back and am working on perfecting the basics rather than just doing the basics before I move on, I've also gone back to nearly the start of suzuki book 1and just trying to perfect all the easy songs, where as I raced through them before, where I live there aren't any violin teachers unfortunately so with people like Mary it's a great help, good luck with your learning, best wishes from Australia

Hello Marta! The more long slow beautiful bows on open strings you can do the better your sound will be and the easier it is to play long slow notes in your piece. Do you have the patience?😅 Enjoy your experiments! Mary❤

@@violinstudiowithmaryv 🤣

Hello Alice, If you know what to look out for and how to practice bowing you really can clear up your sound and let your violin sing out clearly. To spend time doing this on open strings is gold in the bank and all violinists who devote time to their sound are rewarded by feeling incredibly encouraged! We can often feel a bit discouraged about our scratchy sound so it's really important to develop a mindset of patience, determination and enjoyment of experimenting. You can do this! Mary❤

By the way, I love your word 'frumply'☺ Mary❤

Enjoy your experiments! Mary❤

Thank you! Mary❤️

Hello Mario, Most violinists find that turning their head to the left while slightly tilting it to the right helps playing on the g string enormously...Sometimes the elbow can be brought far too close to the body on the g string until the position is unnatural and painful, so the head movement I described compensates for any excessive inward elbow position. There are two trains of thought about the hand and fingers high on the g string, and they both depend on the shape and size of hand you have. The first is to raise your hand position higher so your fingers have more 'weight.' You will see Hilary Hahn and James Ehnes employ this technique on all strings in high positions. The other is to reach out to the high positions with straighter, flatter fingers, which is used by many violinists with smaller hands and narrower shoulders like Cloe Chua and Ida Haendel. (Violinist with short 4th fingers have to employ alternative fingerings in high positions.) As usual on violin, the ultimate decision after much experimentation is to go with what works and what is comfortable for you. What can feel awkward at first, if it's right for you, will soon feel comfortable as your body accommodates to the technique in its own unique way. Take care Mario! Mary❤

@@violinstudiowithmaryv thank you so much for the reply. It illuminates my journey 🙏🙂

Hello Mario! Thank you very much, I'm so glad you found the video helpful. It's an enormous advantage that you are aware of tensions that can build up when we're concentrating very hard on certain techniques. Violin technique is all about balancing all tensions in the body and making the movements as easy and efficient as possible. A good teacher can spot tensions and give advice to ease them, but when the student has his own awareness and makes that awareness a vital part of his practice, that is best. That and a positive, loving attitude towards the violin is the great key to progress and success! Take care Mario! Mary❤

Thank you Lesley! We're just about to look at vibrato together, and I know you will do really well...Mary❤