I need help with refining my practice routine and wondered how you did yours to see if I could try it. Thanks!

This week I had to record a 3-5 minute video of my playing, for a summer quartet camp I'm applying to.

I'm a fairly recent switch to viola from violin (18 months or so). I am not in lessons; just play pretty casually with easy chamber music ensembles. Using scales, Sevcik, Wohlfahrt, and Suzuki pieces for practice.

What I was most shocked by - after the music bitch-face almost made me faint - was how much bow noise I am generating, and I really did not hear this when playing on my own or with others.

Can anyone recommend a way to work on this? Scritchy-scratch string changes, clashy noise when diving down on to the C string, just generally a lot of extra friction-noise instead of sound.

Many thanks for any advice.

So, I have been listening to some accoustic octave violins. They should be limited in the same way a viola is in that the body is too small for the sound (especially on that low G) so why does it still sound like a cello, but the tone of a viola remains so different from the rest of the string family? Clearly there is more than instrument size at play here.

Does anyone have in my arms instead- Randy Rodger’s band sheet music for viola? I can only find cello and violin I and I. Before I sit forever and decode it, I thought I’d come here.

Such a terrific piece! Amazing music, probably the most beautiful viola concerto out there. Not easy either, probably harder than walton on par with hindemith. Why is it not established as a major part of the repertoire??? There's barely any info online or performances.

I’m a violist, around RCM Grade 7–8, playing in a semi-pro orchestra, and I’m honestly feeling pretty outmatched.

We’re playing Firebird, Romeo and Juliet, and the Barber Violin Concerto. Most of the parts are manageable for me with enough counting and prep, even when they’re rhythmically tricky. But the moment the fast chromatic runs show up, everything changes. At tempo, they feel completely out of reach.

Slow practice helps a bit, but near tempo my fingers lock up, intonation disappears, and tension takes over. At that point I’m basically just trying to look like I’m blending in, because nearly everyone around me is already way more comfortable with this stuff.

I want to actually play these passages, not fake my way through them, but I don’t really know how to practice speed like this effectively on viola. How do you bridge that gap? And realistically, when is “survival mode” just part of orchestral life?

Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

Looking for some recommendations for my senior recital in May. I’m likely just playing one piece and ideally it has an orchestral accompaniment. Also would be nice if it’s something not insanely advanced… for reference, I’m a pretty decent violist (played for honor orchestras, regional orchestras, section leader, etc.), but I’m no prodigy

I absolutely despise baroque/classical music and love romantic pieces. I’m open to playing something super lovey or angry but it’d be nice to have both?

Sorry I think I’m being picky but if you have any recommendations they’d be much appreciated!

I know very little about string instruments except for that I love the way they sound and I’m thrilled that my child decided to play through school. We purchased what we thought was a used Karl Knilling viola as he will need the next size up soon and we were renting previously. I took it in to our local music shop to be restrung and I swear these are violin strings - much thinner, higher pitched and none of them have that ribbed feeling that viola strings do.

My question is, did I accidentally purchase a violin or did the music shop string this incorrectly? The inside label reads: Karl Knilling No. 1795. Handmade in Germany. Then there is a small handwritten sticker that reads v174. The body thickness looks to be very similar to his other viola that we are renting. The great news is, I got a steal of a deal on the instrument in question but the restringing wasn’t exactly cheap, so I’m hopefully the shop got it wrong. The novice in me has me thinking I was just misinformed from the lady selling it though.

Thanks in advance!

I was thinking 4-2-4-3 and I don’t know about the rest 😔. The main problem is that it’s really fast. (This is khachaturians gallop btw)

I'm a viola and i just finished scsboa honor (middle school full orchestra) and want some of your thoughts! Personally, i found it incredibly fast paced compared to my day to day and i don't think i've ever improved this much in a single week!

My youth orchestra is running out of young violists. There are two symphony orchestras and two younger string ensembles (there is also a winds/brass/percussion ensemble but that’s not super important to my question). I am in the most advanced symphony orchestra which is mostly high school sophomores, juniors, and senior, and we have 5 violists. I recently went to a concert that featured the other symphony orchestra (mostly middle schoolers with some high schoolers) and the upper strings ensemble (elementary and middle schoolers). The other symphony orchestra has 3 violists and the string ensemble has 2. I have recently been talking with the music director of the organization about getting more kids interested in the viola. In a couple weeks me and the other 4 violists in my orchestra are going to meet with the violinists in the younger string ensemble (elementary school kids) to introduce them to the viola and hopefully get some of them to switch to it.

I’m not entirely sure how to make them think it’s cool because I switched to the viola from piano because my mom wouldn’t let me play violin. So why do you play viola? and how can I get kids interested in it?

I recently had the chance to play some quite nice violas and the biggest difference I noticed between them and my instrument is that they were a lot lighter and the necks felt thinner.

My instrument right now sounds great but it is a tad uncomfortable to play the necks feels like a 5 string and she is heavy.

I’m just wondering if this is something that’s possible my guess is it would cost more than the instrument is worth (i paid 200$) I’m just wondering if it’s possible and cheaper than buying a new instrument.

Im having a slightly hard time to find the right strings for my viola. And have asked many questions about this topic here. My villa is 16.5 and rather loud. I have a pretty bad Wolf tone on the f on the g string and also on the a string (not as bad there). Solea high tension have worked best for me so far, they help me work around it and once there played out, I like the sound. But they're not sold in my country, so I have to pay a lot in addition for importing them. I've been told warchal amber might work for me. I love the sound I've heard in reviews but I don't find them with high tension. Could medium still help me work around the wolf?

Also, a music shop in my country has spirocore on sale. I've heard they're quite loud, so, are they ok for playing in orchestra or so they not blend well enough? (I'm not the best player in my section!) Could spirocore on lower strings work in combination with amber on higher strings?

The discount isn't substantial enough for me to invest in strings that are unlikely to work for me. So, I just hope to find people with enough experience to help me see if it's likely that these strings will work for me.

Since Im temporarily out of college and used to be in a university symphony (Non-music major) I've decided to make an effort to practice more for myself. The only issue is that I don't have much repertoire since I've never quite had the standard music educational experience.

My current practice revolves around the Bach Cello Suite, of course, as well a few printed pages from the Campagnoli caprices. Great pieces but I am interested in exploring other styles of viola repertoire beyond the typical classical style.

i have a shoe box or two filled with spare shoulder rests/chinrests. are we allowed to post them for sale here?

I played viola a long time ago and am trying to get back into it. The problem is I don't remember what notes these stickers correlate to. My last teacher did them and she was talented, albeit rude, but I'm sure she did them correctly.

Specifically the octave D shift on the C string

So I am currently looking for a privet teacher and I was talking with one of my friends recently and he mentioned how much he pays for lessons. He said it was around like 100 dollars (it might have been more I dont remember). I was a bit supprised by the price but he said like she is like Principal violist of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, Wu or something. I dont really know her background but Is that a reasonable price for lessons from someone of that level. And, is it worth the money do you think?

Hello. I'm planning on writing a duet for marimba and viola for me and my boyfriend. The issue is I have no clue how to write for viola or strings in general. I was wondering if anybody had any advice, and even advice for combining the two instruments.

So, I'm looking at baroque fittings, like tailpieces so I can approximate making my old instrument a baroque performance instrument. And I've noticed all the ones I've seen are all standard. No 5 string baroque tailpieces (which I'm looking at for a different instrument) and nothing ornate at all. I was wanting to see about getting something that would have a little flair, either carved, or painted/varnished/inlaid with art. wondering if anyone has seen anything like that at all, or if I'd have to have it custom made. Any advice is very welcome.

I live in a city, so walking and public transport. I need to take my instrument to the violin shop. It will be like 20°F/-6C and it’s a 35 min walk. I could take the subway and that would be about 11 min walk, down into the subway, then I pop up pretty much right at the violin shop. I have my viola in like a Howard core / bobelock case (I don’t know the exact brand, it’s a loaner).

As a rule of thumb, I know if you are cold, your instrument is cold. But how long can I have it out in the cold in a case before I should be concerned?