Dr. Tracy's Violin Master Learning

31/07/2025

🎻 Should You Buy or Rent a Violin?

A hard lesson I learned, and what I now tell every parent.

I saw a post recently and gasped.
All I could think was, “So it really is still happening.”

About a year ago, I had just returned to New Zealand and was still getting settled. During that time, I took on a substitute violin teaching job at a local public school.

Honestly? It was a painful experience.

The school’s resident violin teacher had no clue what they were doing. The students were wasting their time, and frankly, that was only part of my frustration.

What really got to me was the state of violin itself.

In New Zealand, for the past 20 years or more, it's been standard practice to tell families: “Go buy a violin.”
I’m not sure if things have improved now, but this system reminded me a lot of how things used to be in Taiwan too.

So let me say this clearly:

If you—or your child—are just starting the violin, my number one piece of advice is: start with a rental.

I say this with personal experience.

Years ago, my parents—completely unfamiliar with violins—got talked into buying one by a well-known (now retired) violin teacher.

To be fair, he wasn’t scamming anyone. But he did say something like this:
“Buying a fine violin is an investment—not just in your child, but in the instrument itself. A good violin will double in value after a few decades.”

Honestly? That’s complete nonsense.

Years later, after I had studied violin seriously and met real professionals—teachers, luthiers, appraisers—I found out that the violin we bought back then wasn’t even close to the value we paid.

Eventually, we had to sell it at a loss—for half the price we paid.

That was over 30 years ago. And even though it’s been that long, I still remember how much my parents sacrificed to afford that violin. It cost us XX hundred thousand NT dollars, which was a lot for our family at the time.

And yes, I’ve carried that guilt and frustration with me for years.

That’s why I always tell my students’ families:

Start with a rental. Always.

But later on, I realized that the violins available for rent at local music shops were... honestly, not great. Many were cheap, poorly maintained, and not even affordable for the quality you were getting.

So I started going to instrument exhibitions myself, handpicking violins with my own money, and renting them out to my students directly.

Eventually, I even spent time training at a violin-making school—just so I could learn how to maintain and repair instruments properly.

So… should you rent or buy a violin?
As someone who has been a violin teacher, a student, and even a once-deceived parent... here's what I can tell you from the heart:

If you don't truly understand violins yet, please don’t drop thousands on an instrument right away.

Don’t assume that you’ll “resell it later at a good price.”
That’s not how it works.

If you want to invest in violins, you first need to:
** Learn what a good violin actually is,
** Understand market value,
** Know how not to get fooled.

Only then should you consider spending real money on a violin “investment.”

And to be honest, unless you’re buying a six-figure professional or antique instrument, violin-buying is not an investment. It’s a purchase—and most of the time, it depreciates.

I wish someone had told my parents this when I was growing up.
It would’ve saved them a lot of money—and spared us the heartache of learning the hard way from a teacher who had a big name, but very little integrity.

28/07/2025

Recently, one of the parents I work with brought up something during our conversation that really resonated with me:

When a child first starts learning an instrument, and the parent has zero musical background, it's easy to feel a little panicked.

You might think:
“I’ve never studied music—how am I supposed to help with practice?”
“The teacher says I need to be involved, but I can’t even read sheet music…”

Learning an instrument feels like stepping into a whole new world.
It’s unfamiliar and overwhelming… but since the child seems interested, most parents just think, “Let’s give it a try.”

Then as time goes on, they slowly realize—just sending the child to lessons isn’t enough.

1️⃣ When your child first starts, you need to attend lessons with them

It doesn’t matter if the teacher is famous or new to teaching—
If your child is just starting, or switching to a new teacher, I always tell parents:
You have to be in the room.

In the Suzuki method, the teacher, parent, and child form a triangle—
three roles that are equally important and inseparable.

Especially at the beginning, parents need to know how the teacher teaches,
so they can help their child practice at home—without accidentally creating confusion.

You don’t have to attend every lesson forever, but you do need to understand what your child is learning.

Paying for lessons isn’t just about showing up.
It’s about entering into the learning process with your child.

2️⃣ Learning an instrument is a bit like raising a newborn
At first, it feels complicated. But in reality, the beginning is the most straightforward part.

The more lessons you observe, the more you chat with the teacher,
the clearer it becomes:
What are the key practice points? What should you focus on?

Don’t be scared just because you’ve never studied music.
The fact that you're willing to be present is already incredibly powerful for your child.

3️⃣ I actually encourage parents to learn the instrument too!
Is your child learning piano? Try playing for 15 minutes a day yourself.
Learning violin? Join them for a short practice.

Not because you want to take an exam—
but because you want to understand what your child is experiencing.

You’ll be amazed at how much more you “get” their struggles.
Even how you talk to them will shift.
You might say something like:
“Wow, I just tried that hand position too—it's tough! But we can figure it out together.”

Some parents really do learn alongside their kids.
Others don’t actually play, but just by attending lessons and being present,
they start picking things up—and suddenly, they get it.

So what about you?
How have you been supporting your child’s music journey?

Have you tried learning alongside them?
Or is there something you’re still unsure about?

Let me know—I’d love to hear your experience. 🎻💬

20/07/2025

Learning the violin is really a process of constant debugging.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve gradually started taking on new students.

Funny enough, it all started happening just as I thought to myself,
“Looks like it’s time to get back to work!”
And then—students began appearing one after another.

Some are adults, some are children.
Some are total beginners, and some have been learning for a while but want to adjust the way they learned before.

Whenever a new student joins, I always schedule an introductory interview.
I call it a “interview,” but really, it’s just a relaxed chat to get to know each other better and build a sense of ease.

During this first session, I always tell them:
“Learning the violin means constantly balancing new learning with old corrections.
You’ll find yourself in a loop of understanding → practicing → correcting → and practicing again.”

To be honest, I’m also reminding myself when I say this.

Even now, when I practice, I still find myself putting new wine into old bottles:
The piece may be the same, but each time I interpret or practice it, I discover a new approach or perspective.

—

That’s why I truly believe violin is a beautiful instrument for both adults and children to explore.

It’s not just about playing music or mastering technique.
It’s about progressing through the act of debugging.

You’ll discover that the joy of performing and the joy of refining are two completely different kinds of fulfillment.
And in the process of correcting posture, sound, and habits,
We’re also training our body memory and rewiring the brain.

—

Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love teaching violin so much.

I enjoy observing each student’s tone, their hand movements, their reactions.

Then thinking:
“How can I explain this in a way that helps them unlock what’s currently blocking them?”

—

How about you?
What insights have you had on your own violin journey?
Besides debugging, have you started unlearning and relearning anything?

17/07/2025

Let’s talk about learning the violin as an adult.

First things first:
How long should you practice?

Learning the violin is a serious commitment—yes, commitment is the word. It’s true for kids, but even more so for adults.

Kids live in a relatively simple world. If their parents tell them to practice, they usually have the time to do it. Time, for children, is something they can afford to spend.

But for adults? It’s a different story.
There’s always something going on. Just opening the case and getting started can already feel like a huge task. And if you're a parent? Multiply that challenge by ten.

Still, if you truly enjoy the violin—and especially if your child is also learning—I absolutely encourage you to start.

When I was 17, I taught a senior manager from a well-known international bank in Taiwan. He once told me:
"Learning the violin is something I do for myself. It’s a personal skill that’s completely mine, and it's also something I get to share with my child."

That message stayed with me.

So, how much practice is enough?

Here’s what I suggest:
If your time is limited, aim for 20 minutes a day, five days a week.
This is far more effective than practicing once a week for 90 minutes straight.

Consistency beats intensity. Focus on quality over quantity.

But how should adults start learning the violin?

Honestly, the same way children do: start with the basics.

I know some people might say, “But that sounds boring!”

Think of it this way: learning violin is like learning a new language. You don’t memorize the entire dictionary on day one. You learn bit by bit, and you gradually build your understanding through practice.

It’s the same with violin. Start with the A string. Learn how each note connects to the next, and then move on to the next string.

Is this a slow process?
Not at all. We’re not aiming to be prodigies. What we’re aiming for is progress that’s steady and sustainable.

14/08/2021

We are now doing face to face lesson.

But to protect our students and the teacher, we require your kids to wear masks and sanitize hands before entering the studio.

Thanks.

25/08/2020

在學習小提琴的過程中，怎麼練習握弓，是很多家長覺得困擾的一件事。
通常學生會在一團混亂之下，『好像』學會了握弓。
但是在多年之後，才發現自己方法錯誤，要再更改卻已經不容易。

Tracy 老師在這個影片裡，教學生跟家長，用幾個步驟，學會握小提琴弓。

如果有疑問，歡迎留言。


#小提琴弓
#握弓
#篠崎小提琴
#小提琴初學



小提琴教學｜初學｜怎麼樣練習握好小提琴弓｜鈴木教學小提琴教室 https://youtu.be/ZtqNatTSmx

小練習讓握弓更正確。

01/08/2020

Learning how to hold the bow step by step. This is part 2 of the bow holding practice.

Learn how to hold the violin properly through this video. Suzuki Music Master Learning: http://www.planoviolinlessons.com

28/07/2020

Hope we can go through this dark 2020..

Cremona has long been known for its fine stringed instruments. But now, after the Italian city became a virus hotspot, its craftsmen face tough times. Sergio Colombo reports.

26/07/2020

Made this for one of my students. A simple way to practice holding the bow.

25/07/2020

Look at what I found today!

This is a recital video back in 2014. Good old performance and practice days.

It’s a shame that I only got chances to keep two of videos in this recital, but I’m glad that I found those!!

24/07/2020

It's an art work! Anyone?

Build the first-ever playable LEGO® Grand Piano!

22/07/2020

Practice with me!

#篠崎小提琴教本

Play violin with Dr. Tracy and have fun. I will go through how to practice violin using violin method. 篠崎小提琴教本教學