Violin and Viola Lessons
“Education is love” - this quote by the Japanese teacher Sichinichi Suzuki has accompanied me as a violin and viola teacher for almost 30 years. In my experience, successful teaching and learning can only happen in a healthy, respectful and warm teacher-pupil relationship that is free from fear. If you decide on an instrumental teacher, whether for yourself or for your child, it can become a connection lasting years, indeed, for some pupils it even last decades.
My violin and viola lessons are for people of any age and standard. Currently, my pupils are between 4 and 79 years old. I have a wealth of experience in teaching children, particularly the youngest (from about 4 years). It is very important to me that even the first skills learned culminate in ensemble playing.
I take part in regular supervision sessions and as a result am very sensitive to the needs of adult beginners, musicians changing instruments, or ingenious non-practicers, and know how to work successfully together with them.
If you can’t read music yet, I am very happy to help you learn how to do so as well as teach the basics in music theory.
I have almost 30 years of teaching practice in individual lessons, chamber music and orchestral playing. Pupils of mine interested in taking part in competitions have achieved success at the Jugend Musiziert (http://www.jugend-musiziert-berlin.de) or in the international ABRSM examinations (https://de.abrsm.org/en/). Your children are in safe hands with me!
Vor kurzem sagte meine Schülerin Alva (7):
"Hach, Cornelia! Ich möchte später auch mal Geigenlehrerin werden!"
I give 45 or 60 minute lessons per week for teenager and andults and 2 x 30 minutes per week for the youngest.
Informations
Can I learn the violin or viola as an adult?
Yes, of course!
It is said that it’s easier for children to learn an instrument. This is true, but only because they are in a state of constant learning. The human brain is actually capable of learning up to a very old age. With the right tuition and a certain amount of time invested, adults can really make good progress whilst enjoying their instruments and making music.
Can I learn violin or viola with a disability?
In my opinion, yes! It rather depends of the type and degree of the disability. It is definitely worth a try!
What happens in a beginner’s lesson?
First of all, it is necessary to learn how to hold the instrument, then how to play open strings “accident-free”. The next step is to learn the fingerings for the first few notes, then how they sound. At the same time, you (or your child) learn the names of the notes and how the rhythms work. Once you can do that you’re already able to learn your first short piece and play a duet with me!
What happens at the intermediate level?
Skills already learned are developed further and new positions are introduced. Bowing technique is developed in more detail. I encourage pupils to develop as interpreters of music. Expression, musical discussions and analysis are gradually introduced into lessons. I will also help you (or your child) to learn orchestral or chamber music parts.
How does it continue?
This very much depends on your ambitions! Generally, we leave the school literature behind and turn to works by well known composers. You can choose the pieces you would like to play. Technical requirements for those works will be learned through scales and specific studies and exercises. Orchestral playing or chamber music should be an integral part of your life by now!
What are the advantages of learning the violin or viola?
The musical aspects come first: your hearing and feeling for rhythm improve and develop. Then you’ll feel enjoyment and stimulation from making music, be able to understand art better, learn how to express feelings, or possibly oneself, in music and develop your creativity.
The motoric aspects (ie the finger dexterity required) demand and encourage intense work between the two halves of our brains. A manual agility, independence and sensitivity develop. It’s fun to accomplish complicated, highly dextrous tasks.
In addition, there is also a confrontation with and development of one’s own personality. Values such as patience, stamina and determination are trained. Playing in orchestras or chamber music groups encourages social competence.
Children, adults, pensioners and people with disabilities are all very welcome here!
