In this short course for beginners, Stuart will talk you through the fundamentals of how to hold and play your violin.
By the end of this course, you will:
- learn how to hold the violin
- know how to pluck the strings (“pizzicato”)
- learn how to hold the bow
- find how to get the correct contact between bow and strings when bowing (“arco”)
- discover how to switch between pizzicato and arco without putting down your bow
Stuart also has some very simple exercises that you can play along with to practise your techniques.
You can use this course on your own, but it is designed to act as a “reference manual” alongside lessons with your teacher. When your teacher covers some of these core techniques, you can use the lessons in this course to practise at home and remind yourself of the details.
About your teacher
Stuart MacQuarrie is a professional musician, performing in many areas of music, but predominantly as a folk violinist. He can be found (amongst other places) performing in folk duo “MacQuarrie and Toms” in folk festivals such as Lowender Perran and the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, or winning the International Pan Celtic Instrumental Duo competition in Ireland. They have also featured on BBC Introducing.
Stuart is an experienced teacher and also runs folk ensembles. But for a taste of his performing, have a listen to the concert below recorded in a disused underground water reservoir (with an amazing acoustic!) as part of the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in 2017.
Course Instructor
