THE INTERMEDIATE
VIOLIN COURSE
BUILD AND DEVELOP YOUR PLAYING BEYOND THE BEGINNER LEVEL
January to March 2021
in London!
Term begins on Saturday 16th January.
Late enrolments are available until Monday 25th January.
Any Questions? Call us on +44 (0) 20 3051 0080 or email [email protected]!
Booking Now Open for Course D!
In-person classes begin 16th January in Pimlico
The new version of Courses A, B, C and D have been completely updated during Summer 2020 by Simon and Caroline. Simon and David will be introducing these new lessons weekly during Autumn 2020.
As the course is new, we have not yet printed a Course D Coursebook, therefore we will be giving all participants a printed copy of the Course C coursebook, in addition to the weekly Course D material (which will be distributed via PDF, or printed sheets for in-person participants. This will also bring you completely up to date with the new lessons from the previous course!
All ViolinSchool courses are fully guaranteed - if after the first week of the course you decide that it is not right for you, we will make it right or refund you in full!
Coursebook & Guarantee
Course Fee
Term registration for Intermediate Course D is £350 (instalment payments are available). This fully inclusive term fee includes:
For in-person learners in London, your enrolment also gives you unlimited access to all ViolinHub Sessions including the Ensembles, Workshops, Events and the Violin Orchestra.
Ensembles sessions run from 4pm to 6pm every Saturday, after the Course D class, with Simon Hewitt Jones and David Worswick. There is no extra course fee - when you register for Course D, access to all Ensembles and events is automatically included.
Registration
Please click here to register for the Intermediate Course D, or contact us on [email protected] or +44 (0) 20 3051 0080 if you have any questions!
Like all ViolinSchool courses, Course D is holistic in approach, and as well as core technique and repertoire, will cover the skills of sight-reading, music theory and note-reading, improvisation, and group playing.
Each session begins with a brief warm up, to include a wide variety of scales and arpeggio exercises, we'll study any new technical concepts that are needed for the pieces that we are going to learn.
In Course D, the Topics and Repertoire that we learn will be drawn mostly from Level 2 (and a bit of Level 3) of the ViolinSchool Curriculum.
What You'll Learn
You've got the hang of the basics, you can play fluently in first position with a good sound, and you're more or less in tune... most of the time!
So, what comes next?
On the one hand, you want to keep improving what you can already do... to make it more accurate, and more consistent. On the other hand, you want to forge ahead and learn new repertoire, new styles, new techniques, and new musical experiences.
Without a map, it's easy to get lost along the way. And the gradient has to be right. If you tackle repertoire that's too hard too soon, then you'll get frustrated... and lose motivation. And if you don't move quickly enough through new challenges, then you'll become bored... and lose motivation too!
A Smooth Sequence
As our Beginner Violin Courses have become established over the past few years, we've helped increasing numbers of people master the basics of violin-playing through carefully structured courses that provide a step-by-step sequence of skill acquisition.
It's now become obvious that we need to offer a similarly smooth sequence to help players who already have 1-3 years of experience, to work towards an advanced level!
For this reason, we're delighted to introduce Intermediate Course D on Saturday afternoons in London (with an additional Zoom practice session on Thursdays at 9pm).
Experience & Consistency
Intermediate Course D builds on the topics covered in the Beginner Course sequences (Course A, B and C), but also revises much of the knowledge you've already learnt.
Although we move sequentially through the material each term, every class is different, so if you're exploring a topic for the second or third time you'll come across new perspectives and insights, and become even more familiar with topics that you already know well.
It's extremely important to be exposed to different topics multiple times. Some violin techniques are complex, so although a one-off class might be enough to gather information, it's not enough to truly understand, implement and internalise ideas so that you can play freely.
So Course D carefully consolidates what you know, as well as introducing big new topics, such as shifting and positions.
Comprehensive Training For Violinists Serious About Growth and Development
Weekly on Saturdays - from 2.15pm - in Central London
ALL CLASSES ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE VIA ZOOM
Topics will Include:
The Intermediate Violin Course D leads on directly from our A, B and C Beginner Violin courses. If you haven't already learned with ViolinSchool, then to join the Intermediate Courses D, you'll need to be able to read music and play fluently in the first position.
If you're unsure, consult the ViolinSchool Curriculum (or see below), and compare it to your current experience. And then if you're still unsure, contact us for advice!
Visit us in person, or join via Webcam (Zoom)
If you are new to ViolinSchool, but you've been playing for a while and our Beginner options are too basic for you, then we can offer you a complementary one day pass for one of our Saturday ViolinHub sessions, which includes Courses D.
You can then come along to listen, meet everyone, have a cup of tea, and try taking part if you wish! If you're not already ready to commit to a course, then it's the best way to find out if the level is right for you.
If you're not in London, ask us for a free day pass and join in via the Zoom videolink!
Is This Right For Me?
Course Structure
The new version of Intermediate Course D runs on a 10-Week schedule at the following times (all times are LONDON time):
Thursdays 9pm to 10pm: Practice Session - online via Zoom (you are welcome to join in earlier for Course C at 8pm as well!)
Saturdays 2.15pm to 3.45pm: In-person class in Pimlico (London), or via Zoom.
For the New Year Term 2021, dates run as follows:
Practice sessions (Thursdays): Weekly every Thursday from 7th January onwards. You'll find the Zoom link in the Calendar section of the website (make sure to log in to see the zoom link!)
Tutorial sessions (Saturdays): Weekly on Saturdays, on the following dates:
Week 1: Saturday 16th January
Week 2: Saturday 23rd January
Week 3: Saturday 30th January
Week 4: Saturday 6th February
Week 5: Saturday 13th February
Half Term - No classes! - Ensembles session only (time tbc) on Saturday 20th February
Week 6: Saturday 27th February
Week 7: Saturday 6th March
Week 8: Saturday 13th March
Week 9: Saturday 20th March
Week 10: Saturday 27th March
End of Term Livestream: Saturday 27th March 2021 - Live on YouTube
This will be a live webcast, and remote participants will be able to interact with the livestream... details to follow!
Course Structure
Repertoire Includes:
Repertoire will include many classic pieces from the Violin repertoire, as well as famous melodies and original music. The repertoire is continually refreshed, so if there's a piece you particularly want to learn, then please request it ... then we can be sure it is programmed for the class that you are definitely attending!
Here's a selection of the music that is likely to be included in Course D (subject to change!)
Bach Minuet - Devil Among The Tailors - Fiddler on the Loose - Shenandoah - Trumpet Minuet - Oh Susannah - Bring Me Sunshine - La Réjouissance - Greensleeves - Gavotte ... and many more!
This is the London version of this Course, but it's also available via remote learning to learners anywhere in the world.