Violin Lessons In Alexandria, VA

Violin Lessons For All Skill Levels and Goals

Beginner Violin Lessons in Alexandria, VA

I have years of experience working with beginning violinists, and I understand that each student has a unique set of talents and interests. We’ll focus on fundamentals like posture, hand position, and bowing technique, and we will also mix in musical rudiments like note reading on the staff, rhythm, key signatures, time signatures, and more. We will focus on playing with a beautiful tone, and you’ll be playing music that you genuinely enjoy before you know it!

I’m also happy to take each student’s goals into consideration. Some parents want their children to play holiday tunes sooner than later, whereas some adults have always wanted to play in a country fiddle style with slides and such. Let me know if you have specific goals - I’m happy to work with you.

Intermediate Violin Lessons

Some of my violin students come from the school system, other teachers, or even apps like Trala. I’m happy to build on your previous experience and help you reach the next level.

Intermediate violinists sometimes hit a “wall,” and that can be caused by technical gaps. Perhaps the violinist is deficient in their scales or arpeggios, or maybe their ear is not strong enough to play perfectly in tune. We will find gaps in your technique and fix them – this will allow you to play higher-end music. We can also help move you away from method book material into real intermediate-level music, like the Vivaldi RV310 Concerto in G Major, for instance.

Coaching and Lessons For Advanced Violinists

Audition preparation, recital material, college auditions - all require the ear of a professional teacher. I can help you choose skill level-appropriate “showcase” repertoire, and we’ll work on specific strategies for memorizing, interpreting, and performing your music. I’m also happy to share my experiences as a professional violist!

All Ages are Welcome

Violin Lessons For Kids in Alexandria

From choosing the right violin to creating exercises and drills that young children will want to practice at thome, I have a tremendous amount of experience teaching kids on the violin. Lessons are fun and engaging, and while I will also instill a strong sense of the fundamentals, I’m also focused on helping your child love and enjoy music. After all, that is the best motivation.

Violin Lessons For Adults and Teens

I help high school orchestra members, retired adult amateurs, and driven young professions play the violin at a high level. My more mature students enjoy our conversations about technique, music theory, and musical interpretation, and I’m also happy to hear about a student’s specific goals. I also create specific practice strategies for each student - you will know exactly what to practice at home to improve on a weekly basis.

Meet Your Violin Teacher

Dr. Adelya Shagidullina received her doctorate in Violin from the Temple University Boyer School of Music, and she has performed in Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center, the Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and many other world-class venues. She has also performed extensively with the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and other professional ensembles.

She has over a decade of comprehensive teaching experience both privately and in institutions, and she would love to share her experience with you!

To learn more about violin lessons in Alexandria with Dr. Shagidullina, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, please get in touch.

Specific Violin Techniques and Principles You May Learn

While I could never comprehensively list every violin technique here on one page, here are a few things my students learn.

Bowing techniques like spiccato (bouncing bow), staccato (short, detached bow strokes), legato (smooth and connected bowing), and more are introduced to create different musical expressions. This follows a deep focus in basic posture, hand position, and regular bowing, but it’s something to look forward to!

Vibrato, a hallmark of a beautiful violin sound, will also come into play.  Vibrato adds depth and emotion to violin playing – intermediate players begin to develop this technique, which involves oscillating the pitch of a sustained note. You will love how mature you sound once you start using vibrato.

Shifts and position changes are another fun technique we will learn in violin lessons. Shifting between positions on the fingerboard is essential for accessing higher or lower notes. Intermediate students learn to do this smoothly and accurately.

You will also learn all of the musical fundamentals. Staccato, pizzicato, forte and piano (loud and soft), musical form, chord progressions, and even music theory can become part of your weekly lessons. Rhythm also matters, even for violinists! Whole notes, half notes, dotted rhythms, key signatures, etc. — they enable you to play beautifully and in different genres.

Opportunities For Young Violinists In and Around Alexandria

If your child commits to learning the violin, he or she will have access to many performance opportunities, chances to make friends, and musically-enriching experiences. We can’t recommend joining a youth orchestra or chamber string ensemble enough. It can certainly be challenging when you balance these activities with sports, academics, and family life, but it’s absolutely worth it. Here are few opportunities, and if you’d like more information, please get in touch.

Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra

High schoolers (grades 9-12) may audition for the Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. There are two audition cycles, one prior to the beginning of the school year, and another in mid-November before preparations begin for the next concert.

There is a $32 fee to audition, and this is reasonable considering the fact that professionals will be listening to each audition tape and determining where your child belongs in an ensemble.

To audition, submit a recording with a solo (preferably something that “shows off” lyrical and technical playing), along with a major scale and a melodic minor scale. You’ll want the recording to be high quality enough to allow your child’s tone to shine through, but it doesn’t need to be done in a professional studio. An environment with good acoustics, like a church or band hall, would be fine.

Rehearsals are weekly, on Tuesdays, from 6:30PM-8:30PM at Holmes Middle School right here in Alexandria. You will need to attend all dress rehearsals – these are the formal rehearsals preceding a performance. Musicians are expected to practice their music at home! It holds the entire ensemble back when one instrumentalist is not prepared.

More information: https://www.wmpamusic.org/wmyoauditions.html 

American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras

AYPO has a number of age and skill-level appropriate ensembles for young string players in NOVA. Auditions are held in May, and parents can explore the Prelude Strings program for beginners, the Concert Orchestra for late intermediate and early advanced string players, or the American Youth Philharmonic for highly advanced high school musicians. Each ensemble has annual performances that friends and family can attend, and AYPO is focused on teaching, not just performance – your child will learn how to successfully learn orchestral repertoire, participate in ensembles, and play with peers.

More information: https://www.aypo.org/auditions

DC Youth Orchestra Program

This program has opportunities for young children through high school, and you can even enroll a beginning violin student starting at age 4 1/2. Notably, the DC Youth Orchestra Program has a wind ensemble, a highly advanced philharmonic opportunity for high schoolers and motivated middle schoolers, and other orchestral playing opportunities. 

More Information: https://www.dcyop.org/about/about-us/

The Value of a Holistic Music Experience For Violinists

Violinists, violists, cellist, and string bass players certainly gain a valuable skill when they take lessons. After all, these instruments are in high demand. But the value goes far beyond the ability to win auditions.

Students who develop themselves as advanced musicians have the opportunity to network with and befriend other motivated peers in chamber string ensembles, orchestras, quartets and more. It’s rewarding to both accomplish a goal with friends and share music in an orchestral setting. Students also gain a valuable hobby that will follow them into adult life, even if they don’t pursue music professionally. So many adults enroll in music lessons, and many would tell you they wish they’d learned sooner!

If you’d like to chat about the benefits of violin lessons in Alexandria, VA, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Your questions are always welcome.