Very few things are more frustrating than feeling like you've hit a plateau with your violin playing, especially if you feel as though you're putting in the work but not seeing results. In this post, I'll share the steps I suggest you take if you're not seeing the progress you want.

Get honest with yourself about your practice habits

The first question to ask yourself is "am I practicing consistently?" When you practice, you build up your muscle memory, and the unfortunate thing about muscle memory is that if you don't use it you lose it! This means that every day you don't practice, you're actually getting a tiny bit worse 😩 It's better to practice for less amount of time more often, than more amount of time less often. If you have not been practicing 5 days a week for several (8+) weeks in a row, you haven't hit a plateau, you just need to practice more consistently.

The next question to ask yourself is "are my practice sessions effective?" In order for a practice session to be effective, you need to first clearly define your goals. Then, you need to use the correct practice techniques to help you achieve these goals. This part can be difficult if you are not working with a teacher or going through an online program with unlimited feedback like Learn Violin Online, because you may not know what practice techniques would solve the issue or perhaps misdiagnose the issue altogether. At the end of the session, you need to evaluate yourself. Did you reach your goals? Why or why not?

The final question to ask yourself is "am I practicing enough?" The amount you need to practice heavily depends on ability level. Everyone is different, but a good general guideline is:

Beginner (0-3 months): 15-20 minutes per day
Beginner (3 months-2 years): 30-45 minutes per day
Intermediate (2-5 years): 1-2 hours per day
Advanced (5 years+): 2+ hours per day

If you have recently started a new Suzuki book, started learning a new skill, or otherwise leveled up in your violin playing, your practice sessions need to be getting longer.

If you are practicing consistently, your practice sessions are structured & effective, and you are practicing enough, it's highly unlikely that you've actually hit a plateau.

It can be very hard to recognize progress in our own playing because we are with ourselves every day. We see the microsteps forward, but sometimes we're taking leaps backwards when things just aren't going our way. A very valuable tool for recognizing progress is recording yourself. Recording yourself every week or every other week can give you valuable insight into the small steps forward that truly compound over time.

Finally, if you are getting overwhelmed or frustrated with a certain piece or technique, it's perfectly fine to take a break from it for awhile. This can be 1 or 2 days off practicing, or moving on to a new piece all together. Sometimes things just need awhile to marinate before they truly sink in.

What advice would you give someone who feels like they've hit a plateau with their violin playing?