Are you sick and tired of reviews from people who NEVER EVEN BOUGHT the product?
So am I and that’s why this review of Violin Master Pro will be different. I bought it and am using it myself so I can share with you the good, the bad and the ugly …
Learning to play the violin is not as easy as other instruments like the piano or the guitar. You don’t have fixed positions for your fingers ( keys or frets ) so your sound can start off really ugly, like your cat being hit by a bike.
That’s why a video course like Violin Master Pro by Eric Lewis is the next best thing to having a private teacher. I couldn’t afford one but if you can … go for it!
Who is Eric Lewis?
He is Professor of Music and Director of Chamber Music and Orchestral Studies at Western Connecticut State University and he also coaches young professional chamber ensembles wherever he travels and gives training to young violinists for performing careers. He is an experienced violinist with regular gigs all over the world with The Manhattan String Quartet
You can find out more about him and a link to their calendar of upcoming concerts on his site.
What does the online video package contain?
- online video lessons
- music theory for beginners
- violin playing textbooks
- jam tracks collection (the ugly)
Online Video Lessons
Most important are the video lessons. You want to be shown how to play like a master and Eric Lewis is pretty good at explaining the how and why of his techniques.
The video quality is good and you can easily watch them full screen. Better than some videos from a competing product that look awful full size.
They are a bit slow to load so instead of watching them on the site you better download them and watch them later. Especially since you will want to get back to most of them quite often.
He starts with the basics, like the parts of the violin and how to hold the bow, no real surprises here.
Then you continue with fingering and scales, proper posture , chords, different music styles etc.
Music Theory for Beginners
The next part of the package is a simple introduction to music theory for people who are scared of music books. No it’s not boring and it is short but you will want to know what music is. (hint: organized sounds)
Violin Playing Textbooks
This is followed with an ebook or call it a set of 29 PDF files that cover everything in the videos and some more. This makes it easy to review the stuff you learned and will get you ready to practice the scales and arpeggio’s that are also included.
Yes you will have to practice, there are no real shortcuts to making your brain and hands work together in eh … harmony.
You will find a collection of violin songs (music sheets) ranging from bluegrass to Irish folk music so you should find something to your taste you‘d like to learn. After all, at the end of the course you should be ready to pick up any violin song (OK, maybe not Paganini’s fastest pieces) and learn it by yourself.
Jam Tracks Collection
Finally the Jam Track Collection is a membership to a collection of beats and ‘sounds’ that I found no real use for. There are better ways to play along with other musicians.
How about the price?
$29.95 seems fair, considering the hours you will spend watching the videos and the books are packed with clearly structured lessons as well. And it come with a money back guarantee.
One last thing.
When you buy this package you will have the option to upgrade to Platinum membership. This will teach you 10 popular songs with step by step videos. This makes it a lot easier to learn than sitting in front of your sheet music by yourself. But that is a personal choice.
Hope this Violin Master Pro review was helpful. Now go and check out what Eric Lewis has to say about his course.
Tags: online violin lessons, violin lessons online, Violin Master Pro review