Reading music is a valuable skill and allows you to play a wide variety of instruments with a basic understanding of musical pattern sequences, tempos, and so on. However, many musical instruments are unique enough to require additional notation to explain certain playing techniques. The violin is such a musical instrument. Reading music for the violin requires knowledge of finger and hand positions, bow movements, and other techniques to produce a unique and beautiful violin sound.
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Method 1 of 4: Learning the Basics
Step 1. Recognize the stave and key marks
A stave is an arrangement of 5 parallel lines on the page where the notes are affixed. The key mark is the first mark on the stave, which is located on the left side of the first line of the stave. It shows the range of notes you are playing.
The violin is only played in the treble clef. This is a sign that resembles the & sign
Step 2. Learn the notes
Each note is a circular circle on a line or a space on the stave. The notes that lie on the stave, from bottom to top in order, are F, A, C, and E. The notes that lie on the stave, from bottom to top in order, are E, G, B, D, and F.
- The notes below or above the stave are indicated by a circular circle and a horizontal line that extends to the center of the note.
- If there is a mole (b) or sharp (#) scale, this can be listed next to the note. This mark can also be listed next to the treble clef. For example, if the sharp is placed on the F line, this means that every F note played in a piece of music will be played as F#.
Step 3. Learn which notes correspond to the open strings
Open strings mean they are not pressed by your fingers when played. There are 4 exposed strings on the violin, namely: G, D, A, and E. These strings are in order from thickest to thinnest, or from left to right when you hold the violin in playing position.
On sheet music, these notes are often marked with a 0
Step 4. Adjust the numbers with each of your fingers
To be able to play more notes than just G, D, A, and E, you need to press the strings with your fingers. The fingers on your left hand are numbered 1 through 4. Your index finger is 1, your middle finger is 2, your ring finger is 3, and your little finger is 4.
When a note is shown at the beginning of a violin score, the note is accompanied by a number, from 0 to 4. 0 is an open note, while the rest of the numbers correspond to the fingers pressing on the strings
Step 5. Learn finger placement on the strings
The notes on each string will sound higher and higher as you place your finger on the next string.
- Start by swiping your bow down along the D string without pressing it. This will result in a D note.
- Place your index finger on the D string and play. You are now playing a higher note on the D, or C# scale.
- Play the next three notes on the D scale by placing your middle finger, then your ring finger, then your little finger on the strings.
- After placing your little finger on the D string and playing that note, move to the next string (A string) to play the next note on this scale. Start playing the open A string (without your finger pressing on the string). The next notes should be played by pressing the strings with your index finger, then your middle finger, and so on.
- As you practice pressing the strings with your fingers in succession, memorize the fingers that correspond to the notes in the music. So for example, when you see a D note, you'll know it's an open D string. When you see an F#, you'll know you have to press your middle finger on the D string.
Step 6. Move your hands up and down the neck of the violin as Roman numerals appear on the score
When playing the violin, one hand will hold the neck of the violin to press the strings with your fingers. The strings can be played closer to the pegbox, usually called the 1st position, or closer to the violin bridge (3rd, 4th, or even 5th position). These positions are marked on the violin score with Roman numerals at the bottom of the notes. Move your hand under the fingerboard of the violin to adjust the position with the numbers. First position, or I, means your hand will play close to the peg box on the neck of the violin.
- These positions may also be marked as “1st position” or “3rd position” instead of using Roman numerals.
- Most violin music for beginners is written in the 1st position.
Step 7. Play two notes stacked as a double stop
A double stop is when you play two notes at the same time. On the violin, that means you have to play two strings at the same time. Double stops are marked on the stave with two notes overlapping each other at their corresponding note positions.
- Notes cannot be directly stacked on top of each other. Instead, there is a space between them, but one note is above the other.
- Advanced violin music may contain three or even four stops, meaning you have to play three or four notes at a time.
Method 2 of 4: Reading the Movement of the Bow
Step 1. Play the bow pointing up for the V notation
There are a number of symbols to show how to play the violin using a violin bow. The V-shaped mark under the note indicates an upward movement of the arc.
Step 2. Play the bow pointing downwards for a notation that resembles a table shape
The table-like shape (a rectangle with two legs sticking out at the bottom) is the notation for playing a bow pointing downwards.
Step 3. Play the angle brackets by reinforcing the game
There may be accents, indicated by the angle bracket symbol (>), above or below the note. This means you have to play the notes loudly
Step 4. Play the notation by lifting the bow
A mark shaped like a thick comma indicates that the bow must be lifted. When you see this symbol listed above a note, raise your bow and bring it back to the starting point.
Step 5. Look at the initials to find out which part of the bow to use
Sometimes, violin scores will have initials, requiring the player to identify which part of the bow to use for a particular note or piece of music. The following are the initials commonly used to describe the part of the bow used:
- WB: Whole bow
- LH: Lower half of the bow
- UH: Upper half of the bow
- MB: Middle of the bow
Step 6. Know the meaning of other arc notations
There are a variety of other bow notations, especially when you're reading more advanced violin scores or older scores. These notations demonstrate advanced techniques for producing certain sounds, such as:
- Col legno: This term means “with wood”. Use the wand, not the hair, to play the strings. This can damage the wood of the bow, so many musicians use other bows for this piece of music.
- Sul ponticello: The position of the bow is placed on the violin bridge (on the body of the violin) to produce a whispering tone.
- Au talon: This term refers to the piece of music played by placing a bow on the nut of the violin (the part between the fingerboard and the peg box).
- Martelé: This means “stricken”, and indicates that you should apply pressure to the strings with a bow and then slide the bow down along the strings with great force. Release arc pressure almost suddenly from the strings.
Method 3 of 4: Reading Dynamics and Style Signs
Step 1. Play “Vibr” as vibrato
Vibrato is a note effect like chirping when you play the violin. Vibrato is produced by bending and releasing your fingers as you play the strings. These dynamics are usually written with a " Vibr " sign at the bottom of the notes to be played vibrato.
Step 2. Play “pizz” as pizzicato
Pizzicato is a technique that is usually written with a " pizz " sign or sometimes in its entirety, indicating that you should play the notes by strumming the strings of the violin with your finger.
If there is no clearly written “pizz” or “pizzicato” sign. So suppose the piece should be played “arco”, which means using a bow to play notes
Step 3. Play Bartok pizzicato
Pizzicato may also be written as Bartok pizzicato, which is also called "snap pizzicato". This symbol, which is a circle with a vertical line running along the top, will appear above the notes to be strummed. This type of pizzicato produces an additional snapping effect on the strings by pressing the strings with two fingers and snapping them against the fingerboard.
Step 4. Play tremolo
Tremolo is a style of playing a very fast, moving sound when the bow is pointed up and down along the strings. Tremolo is characterized by thick and short diagonal lines drawn through the notes or note bars. It can contain bars or not.
- One diagonal line means 1/8th of a tremolo note (with a measure).
- The two diagonal lines have 1/16th of a tremolo note (with a measure).
- The three diagonal lines have the meaning of a tremolo that does not contain a measure.
Step 5. Understand style markings
Style markings give you an indication of what nuances are used in playing a piece of music. These are usually marked in Italian. Some of the words you will see are usually:
- Con: With
- Poco a poco: Little by little
- Meno mosso: A little movement
- Dolce: Sweet
- Allegro: Fast and passionate
Step 6. Pay attention to the dynamic sign
The dynamics of sheet music indicates how fast or slow you play the violin. This is usually indicated at the bottom of the stave and will change as you play your music. Written in Italian, this sign consists of very low (pianissimo) to medium (mezzo), then very strong (fortissimo).
- The dynamic sign is usually written in lower case, for example p (piano), mf (mezzo forte), ff (fortissimo) and so on.
- Crescendo and diminuendo are also used, indicating that your play should gradually get louder or slower. Both are usually indicated by a long, thin caret or accent mark.
Method 4 of 4: Reading the Violin Tabs
Step 1. Understand what is explained in the tabulation
Tabulation, or “tab”, is a shorthand way of showing where and when to place your finger on the strings to play a note. But this format often doesn't tell you the duration of the note. The tab has 4 lines, with each line representing the strings on the violin.
The lines are written from bottom to top, in order, namely G, D, A, and E
Step 2. Mark the frets on your violin
tabs will tell you which finger to place on a note, and if you have marked the placement, it will be easier for you to read the tab. The marks can be made of adhesive tape, a little paint, or correction fluid on the violin's fingerboard. Measure its placement from the nut, or the link between the fingerboard and the tuning peg.
- 1st fret: 3, 5 cm from the nut
- 2nd fret: 6 cm from the nut
- 3rd fret: 8 cm from the nut
- 4th fret: 10 cm from the nut
Step 3. Match each finger on the left hand to the fret
Each finger (except the thumb) on your left hand will have a number corresponding to a fret. The index finger is the number 1, the middle finger is the number 2, the ring finger is the number 3, and the little finger is the number 4. The number 0 indicates the string is open (no finger is pressing the string).
Step 4. Read the notes on the tab
Each note will be marked with a number on a specific string line in the tab. For example, if there is a 0 above the tab line, this means you have to play an open E string (no finger pressing on the string). If there is a 1 above the tab line, you need to press the first fret with your index finger on the E string. If there is a 3 on the third tab line, you should press the third fret with your ring finger on the A string.
Step 5. Download the violin tabs to practice
There are a wide variety of songs written on violin tabs available online. Type “violin tablature” into a search engine to search for songs of varying difficulty.
