Violin Teaching Research Articles

КИТАЙСКОЕ СКРИПИЧНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В МЕЖДУНАРОДНОЙ ПЕРСПЕКТИВЕ: СРАВНИТЕЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ

Since the introduction of violin art in China over a century ago, it has become an important component of Chinese musical education. Adopting advanced international experiences, Chinese violin education has developed a unique pedagogical system and talent training model, producing many outstanding performers and educators, and demonstrating competitiveness on the global stage. This article systematically analyzes the development trajectory and main characteristics of Chinese violin pedagogy at different stages from the perspective of comparative pedagogy. A comparative study is conducted with leading global powers in this field—Russia, the USA, and Germany—with the aim of summarizing their successful experiences. The achievements and problem areas of Chinese violin education are identified. Based on this analysis, recommendations are provided for its further reform and enhancement of international influence while preserving national identity.

Lyndall Hendrickson s pedagogy: A learner-centred, multi-sensory violin teaching approach

Lyndall Hendrickson s pedagogy: A learner-centred, multi-sensory violin teaching approach

Gamified Violin Playing in Virtual Reality Based Metaverse Environment

Violin is one of the most significant musical instruments of both Turkish and western music. It is a stringed instrument played with a bow. Due to its fretless nature, it is relatively difficult to learn and play the instrument, compared with other musical instruments. In this study, a violin has been modeled to be played in virtual reality and metaverse environment is for a better and more entertaining violin education. Even if the student does not actually have a violin in hand, by means of virtual reality glasses, the modeled violin can be seen in the virtual reality environment. The camera of the Oculus Quest 2 Virtual Reality Glasses and haptic gloves are used to sense the both student's finger pressing and bow movements. By means of this study, the student does not need to own a real violin. Considering that a good violin has a high cost, the student will not need to spend high cost to buy the instrument. Besides, the biggest problem of the violin and other stringed musical instruments is the tuning of the instrument. Without a good tuning, the strings will not sound harmoniously and the student will not be able to play correctly because of not hearing the correct sound. Tuning ability needs some experience. But there is no tuning problem in the violin modeled in this study since it does not have real strings which means that even a beginner level student will not have a tuning problem. Also, in this study, while playing various exercises and songs, the musical notes needed to be pressed on the violin are highlighted to ensure that the student confirms whether to play correctly. The study is an alternative material of violin education in a more entertaining way.

Theory and practice of applying the principle of continuity of pre-university and university levels of violin teaching in China

This article examines the issue of violin education in the People's Republic of China from the point of view of theory and practice. A historical excursion is conducted and a retrospective of the formation of professional university violin education in China is given. The educational process in the leading conservatories of China is studied on the example of programs, as well as the activities of teachers and professors. The author comes to the conclusion that due to the application of the principle of continuity of pre-university and university levels of violin playing in China, Chinese violin art by the turn of the XX-XXI centuries not only reached the world level, but became one of the brightest, independent and deeply original areas of the world violin art. The article uses theoretical methods of research: analysis, synthesis, classification of the results obtained, as well as the method of generalization. The violin is one of the most popular European musical instruments in China, so many people want to master this instrument. There are so many applicants that there are not enough educational institutions for them, which operate only on the territory of large cities. In this regard, private music education is widespread in China. In parallel with the formation of the performing arts, the technique of playing the violin has received multilateral development and scientific justification. The development of Russian and European teaching systems has become the basis of the Chinese methodological system adapted for China and taking into account the individual characteristics of students. Thanks to the application of the principle of continuity of pre-university and university levels of violin playing in China, Chinese violin art by the turn of the XX-XXI centuries not only reached the world level, but became one of the brightest, independent and deeply original areas of world violin art.

The continuity of the didactic principle in teaching violin playing in China

The study of continuity between generations is the subject of interest for specialists working in various scientific fields, such as philosophy, cultural studies, pedagogy, psychology, art criticism and others. This problem attracts the attention of scientists and researchers who seek to understand how knowledge and values are transmitted and preserved in various spheres of human activity. Thanks to this interdisciplinary approach, we can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the succession process in society and culture. In this article, the author addresses the topical issue of violin education in China, its main characteristics and problems of continuity. The issue of continuity in philosophy, cultural studies, pedagogy, psychology, and art criticism is considered from various points of view. The role of the didactic principle of continuity for the Russian violin school is emphasized. The author analyzes the state of modern violin education in China with an emphasis on the main problems and tasks of violin pedagogy. The article uses methods of comparative analysis, examines the history of violin art in Russia and China, describes the educational process in China, identifies the main problems and suggests ways to solve them. There is still very fierce competition in China for admission to professional music universities: according to statistics, out of the total population of the country, only about 15 students enter the conservatory in the violin specialty every year. Despite the fact that violin education in China is organized according to international standards, there are separate problems in the field of pedagogy and performance that need to be solved. Improving the methodology of teaching violin playing (from the very initial level), increasing the professionalism of teachers, expanding the staff of qualified personnel and creating pedagogical conditions – all this will help make the professional training of future violinists effective and strengthen the position of the Chinese violin school at the world level. To date, there is an obvious tendency to transform the foundations established in the educational methodology with a refocus on the individual qualities of the student and the development of his independence. Teachers select new repertoires, which include both classical works and outstanding works by contemporary authors.

Feel-think: the violin and me. Evelio Tieles and violin teaching in Cuba

Since the seventies of the last century, the methodological component of violin teaching in Cuba took roots in the Russian-Soviet school given by the academic link that favored the exchange of renowned teachers and students between both countries. The experiences, contributions and musings of this exchange and teaching process are collected in a book by the pedagogue Evelio Tieles. Its reading motivated the writing of this article whose objective is to highlight the correlated aspects among the Russian-Soviet school and the methodological principles of the teaching-learning process in Cuba, exposed in the book “Feel-Think: The violin and I”, written by Tieles. For this, analytical-synthetic methods, document analysis and interviews with key informants were combined, which made it possible to identify methodological aspects of the teaching-learning process of the teaching of violin and viola in Cuba that have their foundation located in the Russian-Soviet school.

Challenges and Solutions in Developing Right Hand Techniques in Amateur Violin Education

Amateur music education, which individuals pursue with a hobbyist spirit based on their own desires and interests, can be defined as music education received for personal enjoyment. In Turkey, it is observed that individuals engaged in amateur music education mostly focus on instrumental training, with the violin being one of the most preferred instruments. In the process of violin education, which holds significant importance in both professional and amateur instrumental training, the identification and resolution of issues related to the right hand is crucial for a healthy progression of the education process. This study, which aims to examine various right-hand problems encountered by amateur violin students and to offer solutions, uses a mixed-methods approach that collects and analyzes data from both qualitative and quantitative sources. The related literature was examined in the qualitative portion of the research to identify the right hand-based challenges faced in amateur violin education and to expose the current state of the problem. The quantitative data utilized in the study were gathered by the researcher’s examination of the participants’ video recordings (n=10)in which they perform assigned musical exercises that require different bowing techniques. The six relevant items of the “String Performance Rating Scale” developed by Zdzinski and Barnes (2002) were used in the evaluation of the participants’ video recordings. Based on the obtained data, solution proposals were developed for resolving the issues related to the right-hand technique.

Examination of Timbre Sound Colour, Tone Productation and Musicality in Violin Education

Uzun bir zamana yayılan yüksek seviyeli bir keman eğitimi, güzel ve etkileyici bir ses rengi ile tını üretmenin inceliklerini öğretmeyi amaçlayan bir süreçtir. Kemanda güzel bir ses ve ton elde etmek ve müzikaliteyi doğru ifade edebilmek birçok Klasik müzik icracısı için büyük bir hedef olmuştur. İcracılar bu süreç içerisindeki edinimlerini zaman içerisinde görme, duyma ve dokunma duyuları ile bütünleştirerek gelişmiş bir yeteneğe, bilgi ve birikime çevirirler. İcracının yetenek ve becerilerinin otaya çıkması için, çalgı ile ilgili çeşitli teknik bileşenlerin de bir araya gelmesi gerekir. Tüm bu kazanımların zaman içinde edinilebildiği bir süreçte ortaya çıkan ses rengi ve tını güzelliği, kemanın kendine özgün yapısal özellikleriyle birleşerek müziğe derinlik ve duygusal bir ifade katar. Bu makalede keman eğitiminde tını, ses rengi, güzel ton üretimi ve müzikal ifadenin doğru aktarılması ve yorumlanması üzerinde durulacak ve bu unsurların nasıl geliştirilebileceği detaylı olarak incelenecektir. Aynı zamanda öğrencilerin çalgılarıyla etkileşimlerini, teknik becerilerini ve müzikal anlayışlarını geliştirmek için yapabilecekleri uygulamaları ele alınarak kemanın sesini ve tınısını doğru kullanmayı, güzel bir tonu ve müzikaliteyi nasıl üreteceklerini öğrenmelerine yardımcı olacaktır.

The Problems Encountered in Initial Violin Education in Turkish Music Educational Institutions and Importance of Method Books

Keman eğitimi; öğrenci ve öğretmen arasındaki teknik, teorik ve duygusal aktarımlarla kişiye özel şekillenen uzun bir yolculuktur. Makam odaklı keman eğitiminde ise tüm dünyada keman öğrencilerinin öğrendiği temel tutuş, duruş, teorik bilgiler ve klasik müzik repertuvarının yanı sıra; makamsal bilgileri, Türk Müziği repertuvarını, yeni perdeler ve üslupları içeren daha detaylı bir süreç öğrencileri beklemektedir. Aynı zamanda zorlu olan bu süreç esnasında doğaldır ki öğrenciler birtakım sorunlarla karşılaşmaktadırlar. Yalnızca Türk Müziği eğitimi alan öğrencilerin eğitim hayatını doğrudan etkileyen bu sorunlar nelerdir? Çözüm için kurumlara ve öğretmenlere ne gibi görevler düşmektedir? Bu çalışmanın amacı, sözü geçen sorunsalları ortaya çıkış nedenleriyle birlikte saptamak ve metotların çözüm yolundaki önem derecesini vurgulamaktır. Araştırmanın verileri, nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olan gözlem ve literatür taraması yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Yalnızca Türkiye genelindeki Türk Müziği örgün eğitim kurumları ile Türk Müziği öğretim amacı güden keman metotları araştırmanın kapsamındadır. Saptanan problemlere yönelik daha önceden yapılan çalışmalar araştırılmış ve ortak fikirler olduğu, fakat henüz çözüme yönelik bir girişimde bulunulmadığı görüşüne ulaşılmıştır. Alana hizmet edecek nitelikli bir metot olmamasının bu konuda önemli bir rol oynadığı düşüncesiyle yeni bir metot oluşturulması fikri doğmuştur. Bu fikrin temelinde yatan neden; makalede listelenen ve şimdiye kadar basıldığı bilinen tüm Türk Müziği temelli başlangıç düzeyi keman metotlarını günümüze uyarlayabilmek ve transpoze temelli Türk Müziği keman öğretimini gerçekleştirebilmektir. “Türk Müziği Eğitim Kurumlarında Makam Odaklı Keman Başlangıç Eğitimi Üzerine Bir Metot Önerisi” isimli yüksek lisans tezinden üretilen bu makale ile, makam odaklı keman eğitimi veren öğretmenler için farkındalık ve yeni bir bakış açısı oluşturmak hedeflenmiştir. Batı Müziği-Türk Müziği ayrımını somut hale getirmemek, sık öğretmen değişikliğine başvurmamak, alanında uzman olan, her anlamda nitelikli öğretmenlerin örgün eğitim kurumlarında yer almalarını sağlamak, böylece yetişen donanımlı öğrenciler silsilesiyle her alandaki eğitmen kalitesini arttırmak ve makamsal unsurları öğretirken bilimsel gerçeklerle çelişmeyen yeni bir metot ortaya çıkarmak gerektiği de yine ulaşılan sonuçlardandır. Araştırmanın kapsamı yalnızca Türk Müziği örgün eğitim kurumları olsa da yapılan çalışmadan ve elde edilen sonuçlardan yaygın eğitim kurumlarının da yararlanması mümkün olacaktır.

Study of The Violin Book for The Development of Beginner Level Violin Teaching Materials Based on National Song

The violin is proven to be able to build the positive character of a nation. Venezuela's experience with its program, El Sistema, where the violin instrument is learned by the wider community, has had a positive impact in terms of social and economic aspects, including a sense of empathy, cooperation, self-confidence and can help increase awareness of national identity. In Indonesia, the violin is known as a western classical musical instrument. This assumption is supported by the rise of violin course institutions that use eurocentric teaching materials. Learning from Venezuela's experience, an effort is needed to develop violin teaching materials that offer material related to Indonesian National songs, as an effort to build national character. As a first step, a review of beginner level violin books with high credibility will be carried out. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of beginner level violin teaching materials. The research method used is analytical descriptive. This process is expected to produce the basics that need to be considered in the process of developing teaching materials, especially teaching materials for violin musical instruments. The researcher hopes to be able to inspire researchers who are developing music teaching materials through a content analysis process carried out by researchers to produce teaching materials with international standards.

Seeing Sounds: The Effect of Computer-Based Visual Feedback on Intonation in Violin Education

The fact that the violin is a fretless instrument brings along intonation problems both in its performance and in its education. The introduction of technology into educational environments day by day, has led to the need to try different methods besides the traditional methods for solving intonation problems. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of computer-based visual feedback on the student’s intonation on the violin. For this purpose, an 8-week experimental process was carried out with 8 violin students studying in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of the music teaching undergraduate program in the 2021-2022 academic year. In the quantitative dimension of the research, which was designed with mixed method design, a pretest – post-test single-group experimental design was used. The quantitative data were collected with the intonation evaluation form and the qualitative data were collected with diaries and a semi-structured interview form. The dependent samples t-test was used in the analysis of the quantitative data, and descriptive analysis technique was used in the analysis of the qualitative data. In the implementation process of the study, students were given visual feedback only with Cubase VariAudio software. At the end of the study, it was seen that computer-based visual feedback contributed positively to the intonation skills of the students. The students stated that the study made an abstract situation concrete, offered an opportunity to make self-evaluation, contributed positively to the motivation and limited class hours, and that they wanted to use it while practicing on their own.

Alternative Finger Number Approach to Individuals with Physiological Disorder in Violin Education

Müzik eğitiminin gelişim süreci geçmişten bugüne ilerlemeye devam etmektedir. Kullanılan çalgılar ve müziğe dair yaklaşımlar da bu ilerlemenin getirdiği yeniliklerden etkilenmektedir. Müziğin önemli bir basamağı olan çalgı eğitimi sürecin olmazsa olmazları arasındadır. Fakat fiziksel problemler çalgı icra etmeyi engellemekte ve bu konuda yeterli çalışmalar yapılmamaktadır. Müzik eğitiminin sadece bir topluluğa ya da belirli kriterlere sahip bireylere has olmadığı ve tüm bireylerin eğitimde eşit haklara sahip olduğu bir gerçekliktir. Toplumun tüm üyeleri gibi engelli bireylerin de çalgı eğitimi alma hakları vardır. Bu araştırmada keman eğitiminde (performansında) fizyolojik rahatsızlığı bulunan bireylerin kullandığı parmak numaralarına yönelik yaklaşımlar önerilmiştir. Bu yaklaşımlar bağlamında parmaklarından biri veya birkaçı olmayan ya da parmağı olup işlevsiz olan veya en az bir parmağını kullanabilen bireylerin keman çalma becerilerinin geliştirilmesi bireylerin müzikal gelişimlerinin ilerletilmesine ve ülkemiz eğitim müziğinin eksik kaldığı bazı noktaların tamamlanmasına yardımcı olacaktır. Araştırmanın amacı doğrultusunda kemanda birinci, ikinci ve üçüncü pozisyon için alternatif parmak numaraları yazılmış ve fizyolojik rahatsızlığı olan bireylerin de keman eğitim sürecine dahil edilmeleri için bir yol açmak adına alanda yapılacak olan çalışmalara kaynaklık etmesi için öneriler sunulmuştur. Üç adet alanında uzman keman eğitmeni ile görüşülmüş ve sonuç olarak parmak numaraları işlevsel bulunmuştur. Araştırmanın keman eğitimi kaynakları arasında ilk olması sebebiyle ilgili literatürde kaynak olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Alexander Shonert’s Contributions to Violin Methodology

This article introduces violinist and pedagogue Alexander Shonert and his principles of violin teaching methods, which touch on the correct way of practicing the violin, a specific type of firm staccato, and stage fright. This research and description of Shonert’s teaching and practice method are inspired by a workshop that Alexander Shonert held at Základní umělecká škola Ilji Hurníka [Ilja Hurník Elementary Art School] in Prague, Czech Republic on December 7, 2018, and based on interviews that the author of this article conducted with him between 2018–2021. The structured interviews were conducted in Czech (translated into English by the author) in person and by electronic correspondence in the case of clarification of details. This study also follows up on two published author’s articles, “Alexander Shonert – Violinist and Pedagogue” and “Firm Staccato Is Born in the Mind, Not in the Hands.” Shonert’s methodo- logical principles are situated in the context of other prominent violinists from the nineteenth century until now.

Distant violin education in the first outbreak of the pandemic: Exploring perceptions of the instructors in Turkey

Distant violin education in the first outbreak of the pandemic: Exploring perceptions of the instructors in Turkey

Effectiveness of the Teaching Program Prepared to Improve Intonation Skills in Violin Education

In this study, the effect of the curriculum prepared for the elimination of posture-grip disorders in students and the development of the right-and left-hand skills on the intonation skills of students was examined. For this purpose, the curriculum prepared by targeting the 1 and 2 grade levels of the Music Teaching Undergraduate Program was applied to 6 students studying at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Music Education Department in the 2018–2019 academic year. In the study, the explanatory sequential mixed method was used, a single group pretest–posttest experimental design was applied in the quantitative dimension, and a structured interview technique was used in the qualitative dimension. Thirteen weeks worth of the prepared curriculum was applied to the experimental group, one hour per week. The effectiveness of the programme was examined based on three tasks: intonation accuracy in the first position, intonation accuracy according to the speed variable, and intonation accuracy in I–III position–transition playback. The studies and exercises determined for this purpose were performed by the students in the studio environment before and after the application, and the intonation errors in the files recorded in the computer environment were converted into numerical data with the Melodyn Studio 4.0 package program. To calculate the level of significance between the pretest–posttest results, 8772 notes records were analysed, and the Wilcoxon Marked Rows test was applied using the SPSS program. The descriptive analysis method was used in the analysis of qualitative data. According to the analysis, significant improvement was detected in the intonations of the students in all three tasks. It was seen that the qualitative student opinions supported these results, and the students stated that there was an improvement in their intonation and violin playing skills after the application. As a result, it can be said that regular technical exercises by eliminating posture-holding disorders and improving violin playing skills are effective in the development of intonation in the violin.

Violin Teaching Improvement Strategy in the Context of Intelligent Internet of Things

With the progress of science and technology, the construction of intelligent teaching is also developing and making progress. Intelligent teaching is a kind of teaching mode with the help of emerging information technology such as the Internet of things, cloud computing, and big data to build a diversified classroom. The construction of intelligent teaching is one of the important parts in the field of education informatization, and it is also an active field. The research in this area is beneficial to China’s growth of information education. Online education has progressed significantly in the context of the intelligent Internet of Things. The focus of this paper is on violin online education. In the course of the research, it was discovered that violin teachers have little control over their students’ after-school practice results, and that parents of violin students have little time to supervise their children’s practice at any given moment. To solve this problem, the mixed speech composed of speech and violin accompaniment is selected as the research object. Audio signal analysis and neural network algorithm are used for analysis and research. The time domain and frequency domain characteristics of various audio signals are analyzed, including sparsity of speech signals and repeatability of music signals. The logarithmic power spectrum of audio signal is selected as the characteristic parameter, the sample is preprocessed and the feature is extracted, and the sound source separation model based on deep neural network is realized. The PESQ index was used to evaluate the separation results after using the audio source separation model to separate the mixed speech consisted of speech and violin accompaniment. By comparing the PESQ evaluation results of 40, 50 and 60 iterations, the model converges when the number of iterations is 50. The comparison between the model and L-MMSE algorithm shows that the performance of the model is better in speech source separation. The system will serve for the automatic evaluation of violin teachers’ homework and the remote practice supervision of teachers and parents.

“I Destroyed Those Fout Walls”: Opinions of Physically Disabled Students on Distance Violin Education

Müzik eğitimi engeli olsun ya da olmasın tüm bireyler için temel bir haktır. Engelli bireylerin çoğunlukla dış faktörlerden kaynaklı olarak bu hakka erişim sorunu yaşadıkları bilinen bir gerçektir. Uzaktan müzik eğitiminin engelli bireylerin erişilebilirlik sorununa çözüm üretme noktasında ne tür yeteneklerinin olduğu merak konusudur. Bu araştırmada bedensel engelli öğrencilerin uzaktan keman eğitimine ilişkin görüşlerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın deseni nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışmasıdır. Amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak belirlenen araştırmanın katılımcılarını daha önce keman eğitimi almamış, 20-25 yaşları arasında, tekerlekli sandalye kullanan üç bedensel engelli üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Uygulama aşamasında ilk olarak öğrencilerin engel durumları göz önünde bulundurularak öğretim programı ve uzaktan öğretim modeli tasarlanmıştır. Daha sonra öğrencilerle 2019-2020 akademik yılında on iki hafta boyunca bireysel olarak Skype ve WhatsApp uygulamaları ile eş zamanlı ve eş zamanlı olmayan modellerde uzaktan keman eğitimi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Uygulama sonunda öğrencilerle Dünya Engelliler Günü’nde bir konser düzenlenmiştir. Veriler öğrencilerin uygulamaya ilişkin görüşlerini almak amacıyla hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu ve konsere ilişkin duygu ve düşüncelerini yansıtan günlükler aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Analiz aşamasında betimsel analiz tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda uzaktan keman eğitiminin öğrencilerin keman çalma performanslarına olumlu yönde etki yaptığı, erişilebilirlik problemini ortadan kaldırarak eğitimde fırsat eşitliğine katkı sunduğu, öğrencilerde ruhsal bir sakinleşme, daha az sinirlenme, keman çaldığı zaman mutlu olma, özgüven ve motivasyon artışı, toplum tarafından kabul edilme, ön plana çıkma ve beğenilme, çevre ile olumlu yönde iletişim kurma kazanımlarının oluştuğu tespit edilmiştir. Uygulamanın bir işte çalışan engellilerin eğitime erişim fırsatı sunarak yaşam boyu öğrenmeyi desteklediği de çalışmanın öne çıkan diğer bulguları arasındadır. Araştırmada gelecek çalışmalara ve paydaşlara bazı önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

Парижская консерватория и развитие скрипичного исполнительства

The opening of the Paris Conservatoire in 1795 played a huge role in the 19th century development of French and wider European performing arts. The article discusses the uniqueness of violin education in the 18th century France and identifies the reasons for the emergence of the world's first educational institution that provided free tuition to all its students regardless of their social background. The article is supplemented with the Russian language translation of the law on the establishment of Paris Conservatoire and a list of its first professors. The article provides a detailed analysis of the initial stage in the development of violin training associated with the names of such famous French violinists as Pierre Gaviniès, Rodolphe Kreutzer, Pierre Rode, and Pierre Baillot. Their wellcoordinated methodological efforts and commitment to common aesthetic ideals encouraged the development of a very powerful violin school that left the rest of Europe behind. The Paris Conservatoire concentrated the best of the country’s artistic potential, thus shaping the musical landscape of France. It also served as a role model for other secular educational institutions located in Europe’s major musical centers.

The Art of Musical Pedagogy (A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing by Leopold Mozart and the Origins of Violin Teaching Methodology in Bulgaria)

Learning and improvement are impossible without teaching. Pedagogy exists to impart knowledge and skills as directly and rigorously as possible, but it is rather an art than a science, since art creates rules, while science obeys them. The only rule of art is that there are no rules, no absolute truth. Pedagogy works with personalities and individuals, which science cannot do although scientific rules are vital to the teaching process: know the rules, when to obey them, and when to break them. Thus, all teaching is connected across all cultures and traditions. Violin pedagogy is no exception. The earliest documentation of violin teaching in Bulgaria is found in the curricula of general educational institutions. This study traces the complex interconnections of common teaching principles between national and European violin pedagogy, specifically Leopold Mozart’s A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing (Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule, 1756), and late 19th- to early 20th-century Bulgarian teaching in the methods of Karel Machán, Dimitar Hadzhigeorgiev and Kamen Popdimitrov.

COLOURSTRINGS METHOD IN VIOLIN EDUCATION

The Colourstrings Method emerged as a teaching material to develop visual and auditory ways of introducing music and violin to the child, based on the principles of Kodaly’s system. It is an instrumental method created in Finland by the Hungarian-born violin pedagogue, Professor Geza Szilvay (b. 1943). The method is a child-centered violin approach that aims to educate the child as a whole with their cognitive, affective and psychomotor behaviors and to develop their critical thinking skills and creativity. This study was aimed at describing the Colourstring Method, which has aroused international attention, has become widespread in the world and has been adapted to other string instruments. To this end, the basic principles of Geza Szilvay and the Colourstring method were examined. The study was carried out with qualitative research method, and literature review was done by using multiple data collection means, such as observations, interviews, audio-visual materials, documents and reports. The existing literature on violin education methods provides no studies on the Colourstrings Method. Therefore, the present study is deemed important for enriching the literature and guiding future researchers regarding this particular issue. It is expected that increased knowledge of music educators and prospective music teachers about this method and researchers’ new insight into the method will contribute to the field and future studies will be beneficial. Keywords: Colourstring method, geza szilvay, violin education