Learning The Viola
The viola looks like a large violin. It is similar to a violin but is tuned one fifth lower. It is somewhat easier to play -- especially for people with large hands. It has been a favorite instrument of many famous composers, including Beethoven and Mozart. Learning to play the viola well is a lifelong pursuit that starts with learning to read music on the alto clef -- a clef that is between the treble and bass clefs, and one that is unfamiliar to most people. The viola is tuned one octave above the cello.
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Instructions
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Learn to read the alto clef. This clef looks like two backwards letter Cs – it is also called the C clef. The center line of the clef is middle C on the piano, and one octave below this is the lowest note on the viola.
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Correlate the notes on the alto clef and the notes on the viola. Learning where each note on the staff corresponds to each note on the viola – even before you start lessons or learning tunes – will save you time and effort. Learning songs and techniques will be difficult enough without wondering exactly where the notes are.
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Get a “method” book. These books will tell you all the information you will need to understand viola technique and the special symbols particular to viola music. They will also provide songs and exercises of gradually increasing difficulty so you can practice your skills as they are accruing.
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Find a teacher. This is especially important in the early stages. A teacher can correct bad habits before they become ingrained. Teachers can also answer the questions that always come up and that are not addressed in the method books.
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Practice regularly. You will make more progress practicing one hour a day than you will practicing 10 hours every Saturday. Short sessions also help you build up the strength and flexibility you need and avoid injuries.
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Tips & Warnings
Learn a tune you like as soon as possible and make it a point to practice the tune until you can play it well. Your best tune drives the quality of everything you do, so you should always have “repertory” pieces that you can play well – without sheet music – should the occasion arise. Study, analyze and practice the hard parts of any composition until they become the easiest parts. The sure sign of an amateur is always playing every tune all the way through and always stumbling over the hard parts. You do not need to practice the easy parts.
Although you should push yourself to progress – a teacher can help with this – never play when it hurts. If you damage something, your progress could come to a complete and even permanent stop.
References
Resources
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