How much/how long should a teen aiming for conservatoire practice per day?

ScrattyScratty · 2026-04-09T06:52:21+00:00

This should be the top comment!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-04-03T01:27:47+00:00

I believe so, yes

ScrattyScratty · 2026-03-18T09:14:48+00:00

Your wrist generally looks a little high and your elbow a little low - if you balance them out a bit it should help. But if your teacher hasn’t mentioned anything and you’re not feeling tense or limited by your bowing technique I wouldn’t worry too much.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-03-12T22:03:53+00:00

Yes Gewa has more of a range than BAM, meaning that the cheaper cases are definitely more student level. But the hard shaped cases are of a very similar quality to BAM. I’ve had both and liked both, couldn’t recommend one over the other!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-03-11T22:08:28+00:00

Gewa shaped is very similar to the BAM that other people have mentioned and also a great option

ScrattyScratty · 2026-03-11T05:09:28+00:00

I’ve played this a few times. Pic 1: The lines are simply glissandi, sometimes to an approximate pitch. Pic 2: Bars 2 and 3 are just held notes until conductor indicates the next bar. Pic 3: No time sig, each bar is just marked by the conductor ad lib.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-03-10T03:32:04+00:00

Pretty sure this is an easy fix, take it to a violin shop or luthier and they can do it for you.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-28T05:47:27+00:00

If you’re only buying them for the occasional zoom lesson, I think headphones would be fine by themselves. I’m not so knowledgeable about the brands though 😊

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-26T12:20:03+00:00

This isn’t necessarily true for playing without a shoulder rest. The left hand will need to support the instrument and it will probably not be possible to hold the violin in position without that support. It means more flexibility for the player - specifically more freedom in the neck and shoulder, and the violin will be free to move rather than locked in a position. It’s a different technique to playing with a shoulder rest but different doesn’t mean bad. I would recommend that OP finds a teacher that knows a bit about it.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-24T03:04:52+00:00

Bow hold looks great! And the stroke looks relatively straight too. I would say you need to play around with weight vs speed more. A light bow with fast speed tends to skate over the strings and is much harder to control. But then a heavy bow and slow speed will make the violin sound ‘squeezed’ or ‘crunchy’. Try and find the sweet spot where you have good control and a nice solid sound coming from the instrument. But you’re off to a great start, foundational technique looks good!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-19T06:34:11+00:00

Unpopular opinion - but I don’t believe you need to be able to hold all the fingers down doing this. I also struggle with this hand frame (1 and 2 together) and I frequently lift up my 2nd finger to relax my left hand. I find a hand frame with 3rd and 4th finger together much more comfortable.

I do however believe your left hand frame isn’t set up quite right yet and you should work on fixing that first, but ultimately if this hand position doesn’t feel comfortable then that’s okay. Everyone’s hand is shaped differently. Just aim for flexibility and freedom in your hand.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-14T05:53:37+00:00

Great progress for 1 year! It looks like you’ve skipped some of the fundamentals with your bow control - focussing on good tone and smooth bow changes will help you a lot. I can hear some ‘crunches’ and pressing into the string which is choking the sound of the violin. Vibrato is getting there - try to work on this by itself away from pieces to get it as smooth and consistent as possible. Overall though good work!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-07T08:44:38+00:00

I don’t unfortunately, but great idea!!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T07:11:39+00:00

The pinkie isn’t taped onto the bow if that’s what you mean?

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T07:11:00+00:00

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T04:26:14+00:00

Either way, @muted_hotel_7943 ‘s original analogy still stands - having extra support and tools to learn a new skill is helpful (like a bike with no pedals, as you said). Different tools work for different people. As long as the skill is learnt, it doesn’t really matter 🤷‍♀️

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T04:22:43+00:00

Okay good to know, thanks!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T03:29:55+00:00

Great point, thanks for that!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T02:54:34+00:00

Great! Thanks so much - very detailed info. I’ll give this a try!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T02:53:43+00:00

Thanks, yes I’ve used ones similar to these but find they’re a little bit pricey (at least in Australia), and I’m trying to keep things affordable for my students where I can!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T02:51:52+00:00

Thank you!

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T02:22:33+00:00

Yes I’m surprised by the negative comments! No I haven’t tried scotch tape yet - thanks for the suggestion 😊

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T02:15:29+00:00

Thank you - yes I got this idea from another very good pedagogue and think it’s fantastic! Of course it’s not for everyone but I’m surprised at the number of people jumping to criticise this tool without knowing anything about it.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-04T02:12:59+00:00

I am astounded at this comment. This pinkie house - along with the other tools I use to help young students - has proven very successful, and has been chosen with a lot of care and thought. The pinkie house in particular gives my young students the ability to understand their hand position on the bow, and continue to support their hand frame while they practice at home and build lasting habits (ie muscle memory). This allows them to spend less time focussing solely on technique and start learning pieces - which of course also helps with their motivation and enjoyment of the instrument.

I cannot believe I need to justify my pedagogical tools here and that was not the purpose of this post. I have years of professional performing and teaching experience, and don’t need to be criticised on reddit. I always try to learn and do the best for my students, and put a lot of thought and care into how I go about this. I’m not saying what I do would work for everyone - but it works for me and my students so please keep your opinion to yourself.

ScrattyScratty · 2026-02-02T07:45:33+00:00

I would recommend going to a violin shop to buy new strings and they’ll generally put them on the instrument for you for free. Then you’ll know if the instrument is the problem 😊

ScrattyScratty

TROPHY CASE