Welcome to Online Violin Lessons
Note: If you leave this page and need to get back, or to access your lessons at any time, go to my.reddesertviolin.com and log in.
How It Works
Members can login any time to access their lessons, with three new units becoming available to you about every 30 days. You don’t have to do anything special to get the new material. Just log in to see your new lessons as long as you remain a member or until you finish the course.
How To Get the Most from Fabulous Fundamentals Book 1
Please follow these simple tips to make the best progress as you learn to play violin online:
- It is very important that you watch all of the videos with your instrument in hand. Pause the videos frequently and follow what I show you on the videos.
- DON’T RUSH! While some lessons might seem slow to you and you might want to skip ahead, do NOT do this. The lessons are in the order and at the pace that I have perfected over years of teaching beginning students. If you rush through, you will miss important concepts and skills that you will need to know later.
- Practice what you see in the videos. If you don’t practice you’re not really a violin student. You’re just watching online videos! If you haven’t already, make sure you download my Ultimate Practice Guide so that you can be sure you’re practicing smart, not just hard. You can find a link to the Guide in the Member Resources area. This link is at the top of each lesson page once you log in.
- Ask me questions! Use the comments area to ask questions and I will answer them.
Lesson Supplements and Tools
Each batch of lessons, or unit, includes a couple of valuable tools. They are self-explanatory for the most part, but I want to tell you how I would use them anyway.
The first tool is the printable PDF, “Summary and Practice Assignments” file that you will find at the top of each Unit. Print this sheet out and keep it where you can see it during your practice sessions.
Use the summary section of this document to jog your memory about the main points in each lesson, so that you don’t always have to re-watch every video. Although I would also suggest you watch each video numerous times, the summary tool will help you to stay on track and save time.
Use the “Practice Assignments” section of the document to plan your practice sessions and to really focus your concentration on mastering certain skills, rather than just putting in the time. This is key to your success! I have included a suggested number of repetitions in this document. This will help you to pace yourself and prevent you from moving too quickly. Skills must have time to take root and congeal.
The second tool is my fabulous “Practice Coach.” It will help you to practice effectively, efficiently, and to keep you focused. Before long, you will hardly even need the Practice Coach tool, but it will be there just in case!
Do I Need to Buy the Sheet Music for Book I?
Although you can get by without buying the Suzuki Book 1, (because you will be learning everything by ear) it’s a good reference and it makes a good cheat sheet if you get stuck on a particular song. It also helps to have it on the harder songs (#11 to the end), so if you don’t buy it now, you’ll probably want it later. I recommend that you buy it. Many online stores carry it, and although shopping locally is GREAT, we know Amazon reliably keeps it in stock.
However, you do not need the CD of Suzuki Book I because your membership in Fabulous Fundamentals includes MP3s of all of Lora playing the entire book with a professional pianist, PLUS tracks with piano only so that YOU can also play with a professional pianist when you are ready!
Now Get Your Sign-up Bonuses!
Suzuki Book 1 Audio Playalong Recordings
These files are audio recordings of Lora playing all of the songs in Suzuki Book 1 with a professional pianist. You can use them instead of the CD that some people buy with Suzuki Book 1.
- They are in a zip file, so you will need to download them and unzip them onto your computer. Download them here.
- To download MP3 files to play on a Mac, click here. (These files are smaller so will download faster.)
- These are the audio recordings of Lora playing the Twinkle variations, violin only. They are in a zip file, so you will need to download them and unzip them onto your computer. Download them here.
Piano Accompaniments (no violin)
As promised, I’m giving you professional pianist accompaniments of all the songs in Suzuki Book I. They are MP3 files bundled together in a zip file.
- Click here to download the zip file and then “unzip” them on your computer. Then you can load the accompaniments on a music player, play them on your computer, or burn them to a CD.
Your bonuses are also in the “Member Resources” area, which can be found at the beginning of each unit. If you lose your files, you can easily replace them.
Ready to get started?
If you are not logged in already, click here to access your first lessons!
(I’m posting this for the benefit of those who are maybe just starting here and wondering, “Is this for me?”, or “does this really work?”, or “what makes Lora better than EVERY other teacher on the net (there are a LOT!)?”:)
Loralynn, you are amazing. Your teaching method and attitude is better than anyone I’ve ever encountered, no matter the subject. I’ve tried live over the ‘net and face to face lessons, but YOUR system just works.
I started in 2014, got frustrated, because like you in your formative years, I overpracticed and rushed it, and started banging my head against the wall—things just wouldn’t come. I was used to it happening easily, given I have studied classical piano since I was a kid, and taught myself virtually every other instrument with relative ease.
But, I was determined and decided to come back to the violin recently. I’m so glad I did, because I have discovered that time off to “incubate and ruminate” bears rewards. I can do things I couldn’t do before: vibrato, hand/bow coordination, quick bowing—so much came so much more easily after giving my mind and body time to digest and process all the new muscle memory. DON’T RUSH.
Point to anyone starting this instrument is this: Take it SLOW! Lora means it when she says it. You cannot “make” it happen. It takes time and coordination, and development of said coordination cannot be forced, no matter how badly you “want it”. It simply will not happen quickly. Do some lessons, take some time, do some mental imaging without the instrument, but MOSTLY: LISTEN. JUST LISTEN. You cannot play what you cannot sing. It simply doesn’t work on the violin like that. It all helps. DON’T RUSH.
My wife says you are my “second wife”, Lora, since your videos are on my computer so often. Keep it up, and don’t ever stop! Thanks so much.
Hi Jason!
This is GREAT advice for all my students….I will try to figure out how to pin it to the top so all can read your words of wisdom. (plus the sweet kind words about me…thank you for that, Jason)
I’m so glad you are experiencing success, hats off to you and your hard work…..and your tolerant wife!
Keep up the great work!
Hi Loralyn,
Do I download book 1 lessons with my computer or my phone?
Tina,
I am going to have Beth contact you to help you get started.
The lessons are not “downloaded”, they are accessed through your member portal by entering your login information.
Beth will help you get that all set up!
Hi Lora,
Just a howdy am one of your seniors, 72 first time at music anything. In second month and enjoying your method of teaching. Only problem at moment is the thumb grip, just read your comments on it and will put them into practice.I look forward each day to get started. I have already decided I will never sing twinkle little star to any children in my life as I am already intimated by it. Heroes are Mark and Maggie O’connor duos and Papa John Cresch in the blues genre. My goal, to play a recognizable version of St Louis Blues. If I ever reach that point the effort will have been a success for me. Have a great day. Tom
Hi Tom!
It is GREAT to meet you! You have GREAT taste in music. I enjoy Mark O’Connor’s playing very much. Haven’t heard of Papa John Cresch! I’ll look him up!
And the St. Louis Blues is a GREAT tune to have as a motivator.
I bet you can do a really cool bluesey version of it in 2 years of work.
Keep working, and keep us all posted on your progress!
In 3. Under “How to get the most”, I think a link to the Ultimate Practice Guide would be helpful for new starters. I’m sure after a week I’ll never have trouble finding it, but it wasn’t as easy as I wanted and broke the flow of my reading. For something so key, I would have thought it would be highlighted at the top of Unit 1 with “Read me now” next to it.
Hi Tim
I agree. I’ll see what I can do to make the Ultimate Guide super-easy to find.