Articles in Home | Buying Guide

Violin Accessories and Products

by Mark Landson, Editor in Chief

Is there a product that has help your playing and you want to review it? Have you tried different metronomes to find the best? Post your reviews and recommendations here!

In this first edition of the Violin Space, I have written an article on shoulder rests, and how I come to recommend one over another for a certain player. Many things about playing the violin or viola are personal, in the sense that everybody is built differently. However, there are certain laws of physics that playing the violin just can't defy. I believe that when you try to use the laws of physics in your favor, instead of trying to fight against them, then you are usually better off!

Gimmicks and tricks

There are some accessories that I have used in my teaching that don't require a load of money. Some of the most important accessories that I've used have been pencils and rubber bands. Never the less, there are sometimes cool things you can get to actually help you practice and improve your playing. One thing that everybody should be using is a metronome. When Beethoven first found out about the invention of the metronome, he was thrilled and obsessed with the possibilities of this tool. Today, we shouldn't take that for granted! Now we have a host of things from computers to new methods and games that help us to attain our full potential. In the end, though, it is really the development of our hearing and skills of perception that makes the most difference in advancement. Just the same things that were important 200 years ago during Beethoven's time.