My Violin Life: Benefits from playing piano/guitar hero?

July 29, 2012 at 5:14 PM

I'll be dropping 'violin life' and starting a new series after this last post.

When I started middle school, I started learning piano from my daily piano class. We had a book filled with easy, little pieces that we had to perform every friday for a grade. That was never a problem for me because piano comes some naturally to me.

By the time I began to learn violin I was already pretty good at piano and descent at guitar. I was also (and still am) very good at guitar hero which I believe is responsible for my fast hands,shifting,and hand eye coordination. Playing piano was great for right and left hand coordination,right hand strength (I'm left handed) and speed. No wonder violin comes so easily!

I've always wondered why everything about violin came so naturally to me while others struggle on them. Well,I know for a fact that the instruments I've learned previous to violin had a positive effect. My 2-3 years of guitar hero playing has helped me way more than I ever thought possible.

If you have any interest in guitar hero I'd advise that you do your best to master the hardest songs on it as they are GREAT finger exercises that I use all the time. Sometimes I warm up on guitar hero before playing my scales! For those of you that are more 'normal' than I,try taking up a different instrument. I suggest piano,viola,cello,or guitar.If you take them seriously you can take your playing to a higher level,you'll understand more about stringed instruments in general,and hey! You learned a new instrument! Now you can enjoy music just that much more.

If you wonder about how all this will turn out,look at me. I'm not perfect (yet) seeing as how I've only been playing for a year and a half,but I was concert master of the intermediate orchestra at my high school and I'm preparing for chair placement audition for the school's Chamber (advanced) orchestra in the fall.I'm in Suzuki book 5-6 and I'm working on completing Kayer's op.20 by the end of the year! Good fortune to anyone who tries! :D
*NEW SERIES ON THE WAY!*

From George Mitrou
Posted on July 30, 2012 at 7:05 AM

Good for you! :D Well, I play piano and helps me with the violin as well (Although I have been taking lessons for a month, I am pretty good for a beginner!) So yeah, I believe it helps a lot to play other instruments! Especially you, you are playing three :)

This entry has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.

My Violin Life: Benefits from playing piano/guitar hero?

Laurie's Books

Subscribe