Effective practice involves numerous components for musicians of any instrument.
From the framework of your practice to tactics, detecting difficulties, and what state of mind you’re in, I have got you covered.
We are all aware that playing the violin is a sophisticated and challenging endeavour. That is also why it is beneficial. 

You’d assume that the more time you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it, and to some level, you’d be right.  

However, the quality of your violin practice is determined not only by the number of hours you practice but also by how deliberate you can be.  

Determine where you need to improve and devise a methodical approach to making changes. 

In this article, we go over an easy 15-minute violin beginner violin practice routine that anyone can implement and also give you some tips on how to practice for better sessions.  This is best for those that do not have time for practice. However, even a consistent 15-minutes a day can have a significant positive effect on your violin skills.

Easy 15-Minute Violin Practice Routine

Step 1. Warm-Up in the first minute 

If you’re someone that works out in a gym, you might know how important it is to do some warm-ups before lifting weights. The same principle can be applied to practising your violin. Begin your practice by warming up in an appropriate posture, which can help you play better and avoid injury. Using a music stand might help you practice good posture even more.  

Once your body is in the proper posture, do a quick warm-up activity to prepare your arms, fingers, and ears. It could be some stretching, massaging your hands and playing along with a steady rhythm, such as a metronome.   

Step 2. Tune your Instrument for a Minute or 2 

As with many other instruments, you should ensure that your violin is in tune at the start of each session.  As I usually say, you do not want to play with an out of tune violin. You can check out how step-by-step guide to tuning the violin here.

Step 3. Working on Scales for 3 Minutes 

Playing scales is very important for your violin development. Slow scales may help improve your intonation. You can choose any major or minor song you like. Even better, if you choose the scale associated with the key of the song you want to practice.

Finish three-minute scales with lengthy entire bows, keeping frog to tip in mind to get a good tone. Before going on to the next scale or etude, practice each in a certain posture. You might find it boring at times to practise scales which is why In Rimma Strings Academy, you have access to many backing tracks to make your scale practice more enjoyable.

Step 4. Choose a Song of 2-3 Minutes to Play  

You must now select a song to play all the way through.  When you play a song that is fast, start to play it slower. If there are slurs, you can ignore them initially and play the notes separately before coming back to play them with slurs.

You can find several tunes that are excellent for beginner violin practice.  

Some of them are –  

• Can can by Offenbach
• London bridge is falling down  
• Marmotte by Beethoven 
• Happy birthday and more

Step 5. Spend the Next 2 Minutes Focusing on Trouble Spots  

In most songs or pieces, there is always that part that you struggle with. Find any trouble portions you may have during the song by listening to your performance or just noting the challenging portions as you go.  You can spend more time on it than the other part that you’re well versed in.

Step 6. Play the Piece from Top to Bottom for Another 3 Minutes 

Finally, play the full song from beginning to end. You aim to perform the complete song properly. 

And by the way, If you want to go from holding a bow to creating a beautiful tone in just 3 days then you can also check out my Free Online Violin Course here

7 Tips for Better Violin Practice Sessions  

1. Consider Your Goals  

Understanding your flaws and talents might help you create objectives for improving your performance. Consider your immediate and long-term objectives for learning to play the violin.  

2. Record Your Session  

Recording your sessions helps you to listen to your performance afterward and pinpoint areas where you may improve.  

Simply utilizing a recording device, such as your smartphone, may help you learn more effectively.  

3. Maintain Rosin Balance  

You’re undoubtedly aware of how crucial it is to perform regular maintenance on your violin bow.   

However, one of the most important pieces of maintenance knowledge that novices overlook is how to use rosin with caution. I have covered how to apply rosin in this video.

4. Work with a Friend  

Everything is more enjoyable when done with a buddy! Enlist a friend to help you with your violin practice.   

You’ll have someone to play music with, and you can even try out some entertaining duets. Choose music that you can both play reasonably easily and have some fun with.  You can also make friends by joining violin communities. Rimma Strings Academy is one of those avenues.

5. Play with Accompaniment  

Do you know someone who can play the violin?   

You may also accompany yourself with an accompaniment or someone who plays another instrument.   

Playing the violin in this manner teaches you new abilities such as dynamics, rhythm, and synchronizing pace. It also enables you to learn to play the violin more quickly, intuitively, and with more pleasure.  All Rimma Strings Academy members have access to a huge number of backing tracks to use for practising the violin.

6. Draw for a Song  

You’re not sure what music you want to play?   

On scraps of paper, write down all the entertaining beginning tunes you know how to play. Place them in a jar after folding them up.   

Later, shake the jar and choose three of five pieces of paper to choose which songs to rehearse.  

7. Longer Sessions  

Simply expand the aforementioned practice if you wish to devote more than 15 to 30 minutes. Change the three minutes you spend holding each scale to six minutes and repeat the song.  

Other Tips

Rather than performing a whole song, consider practicing techniques and song components.  

Begin practicing your open strings with detached strokes on the full bow, alternating between rapid and slow bows.  

For the greatest results, use the three distinct factors of tone creation, such as bow speed, sounding point, and pressure.  

Then, practice a scale that you plan to improve on each week. Because scales are the foundation of music, there are several arpeggios and modes to select from, including blues, jazz, full, minor, and others.  

Next, practice etudes, repertoire, and a few melodies by ear. Find riffs from different genres to mix up your routine and develop well-rounded skills. 

Conclusion

The way you practise your violin is much more important than the hours you spent. Practising efficiently will not only help improve your skill but will also get you a better result than a random routine. And more so when you do not have all the time in the world, having a good violin practice routine will certainly help you make the most of your time. This article has outlined an easy-to-follow beginner violin practice routine you need to improve your violin skills.

Hope this article was useful for you. You can let me know your thoughts/opinions in the comment sections.

PS: If you’re serious about learning violin with a similar-minded community then you can also check out Rimma Strings Academy here.