Developing Your Tone
One of the most important things about playing the violin is learning to produce a good tone. If you listen to a professional violinist, they always make the music sound great, even if they are playing a very simple song.
A good way to improve your tone is to play only the open strings and listen carefully to the sound you are making. Experiment with more, or less pressure of the bow on the strings until you get a sound you like.
The following examples demonstrate some typical open string exercises for your bowing technique.
Although you probably enjoy playing songs more than these exercises, if you work on them regularly they will help you to play songs better too.
Listen carefully as you play each exercise and aim for a strong, even tone, as if the violin were singing the notes. To achieve this, you will need to keep your wrist loose, your bow speed consistent and use just the right amount of pressure. When working on bowing technique and tone exercises, it is important to work closely with your teacher so they can show you how to correct any mistakes in your technique.
