1. Educate Him On Playing Violin – Before you teach him how to use the bow, educate him about the history of violin and other violin facts. Make the education fun so that he is curious about it and is interested in leaning to play violin. Tell him about the various venues featuring violinists. He should understand the reason for learning to play this instrument and enjoy it. Don’t force it on him.
2. Avoid Lengthy Lessons – The easiest way to put off the child and turn off his interest is by giving him lengthy lessons. Keep the lessons short so that he can focus on it. If you feel that giving him lengthy lessons will make him learn faster, then you couldn’t be further from the truth.
Children have a very short attention span and having long lessons will bore them. Their attention will wander. Teach them not more than one musical piece every lesson. Also, explain the finer points of the piece and include interesting facts about it in the lesson. Teach him his favorite melodies and encourage him to play along with you.
3. Teach Your Child Finger Placement – Before handling the bow, the child should learn about finger placement.
He should know the finger positions for specific notes. This will make the bow movement easier. Also, teach him about the functions of each hand separately. Ensure that he is confident about the movement of one hand before he moves on to the other. This will result in coordinated movement of both hands when he starts playing the violin.
4. Keep Fun Endings – The end of each lesson should always be fun. This will be a kind of reward for the child’s hard work. Let him play something he enjoys and already knows how to play. Make the fun educational by teaching him techniques to play the piece in a better way. When you teach him this way, you will find that the child looks forward to the violin lessons. He will try out the techniques that you teach him with various pieces and will be encouraged to practice more.
Remember that you can only teach the child. The interest to practice and attain perfection can come only from within him. He has to be interested enough in the instrument and music to practice. Generate interest by making the classes as fun and interesting as you can. Talk to him about the various violinists and their history. Include facts that are not too well known. Finally, praise him for his efforts so that he keeps trying to do his best.