What are the differences between viola and violin?
When it comes to obvious features like size or sound – everyone could easy spot the difference. Viola is bigger then violin, the sound it produces is deeper, also it has one string a 5th lower then the lowest one on violin, nevertheless in many cases it is still played like violin.
Holding viola might look the same like holding violin – but the technique of playing is much different! In order to produce deep sound on viola, the player needs to use his entire upper body – to transfer the weight of it into the instrument. In fact - in order to play the viola on a really high level, one has to have an excellent technique.
With many players though, the matter of sound productions is impossible to reach in their learning process. They struggle so much with accommodating the instrument, many times causing injuries to themselves – and as a result, they never reach the point where technique let them play freely and enables to express themselves on viola. Many times it happens because the teacher is a violinist – for whom, producing sound on violin was more successful and holding the instrument itself, was much easier – considering it smaller size.
In order to learn how to play viola - a student needs to find a teacher who is a violist himself. I believe that, knowing the issues of an instrument and overcoming those, can really give basis and required experience for one to teach others how to play.
The technique I teach reaches to the same roots together with Alexander Technique and Yoga - those techniques encourage you to use your body in the right way – making the most of its potential, but still working in a natural and free way.
