Ranking Violin Techniques by How Long They Actually Take to Learn (for Adults)

Ever wonder why some violin skills click in a week while others take months — or years? In this post, I'll rank techniques by how long they take to learn for adult violin students. These are average ranges for how long techniques take to feel comfortable and consistent, not perfect. Of course, everyone learns differently, and these rankings are based on my experience working with adults.

FAST WINS

🎯 Techniques that most adults get within a few weeks to a couple months.

1. Basic posture and instrument hold

   • Time: 2-3 weeks

   • Common struggles: pinky not staying curved on bow hand, thumb not staying bent on bow hand, shoulder tension, violin sliding

   • Quick tip: If it feels awkward, you’re probably doing it right — it just needs repetition. Also, don't be afraid to experiment with different shoulder rests, or none at all.

2. Open-string bowing

   • Time: 2–4 weeks

   • Focus: bow straightness, consistent pressure

   • Common struggles: bow not staying straight, bow sliding

   • Tip: mirror or video feedback works wonders

3. Left-hand shape and placing fingers 1, 2, 3, and 4

   • Time: 2-3 weeks

   • Common struggles: holding the violin too deeply, collapsing the knuckles, not placing the fingers on the tips

   • Tip: use stickers or finger tapes if needed; they fade out as you build muscle memory

INTERMEDIATE HABITS

⚙️ Skills that take a few months to become reliable and musical.

1. Smooth string crossings

   • Time: 2–3 months

   • Common issue: hitting extra strings or awkward elbow levels

   • Tip: make sure that you're doing string crossings correctly. When going from a higher string to a lower string, the wrist and hand move first. When going from a lower string to a higher string, the elbow moves first.

2. Basic shifting (first to third position)

   • Time: 4–6 months

   • Common struggles: intonation, learning where the notes are, inaccurate shifts

   • Tip: practice slow slides with a “guide finger”, practice exercises entirely in the new position to get used to the notes, finger placement, and intonation

3. Dynamic control

   • Time: 3–5 months

   • Common struggles: not playing soft enough, not planning out dynamics thoroughly

   • Tip: know the three ways to change your dynamics: amount of bow (more=louder), arm weight, bow speed, and contact point

LONGER-TERM SKILLS

🕓 Techniques that take 6 months–1 year to feel natural.

1. Vibrato

   • Time: 6–12 months (depending on consistency)

   • Adults often feel “stuck” for a long time- that is totally normal!

   • Tip: vibrato cannot work if you are tense!

2. Double stops

   • Time: 9–12 months

   • Common struggles: pressing down on the bow too hard, not hitting both strings at once, intonation

   • Tip: pretend like all of your double stops are marked piano. Understand that when tuning double stops, you need to go by how the interval sounds, not where you're used to placing your finger.

3. Spiccato / off-the-string bow strokes

   • Time: 9–12+ months

   • Depends heavily on relaxation and bow balance

ADVANCED JOURNEY

🌟 Skills that take years to refine but can start now.

1. Fast passage work & clean shifting

   • Time: 1–2 years

   • Requires coordination, accuracy, and relaxation

2. Expressive phrasing & musicality

   • Lifelong — it evolves as your ear and technique grow

   • Celebrate progress at every stage 😀

Which skill are you currently working on? Let me know if you want a post ranking these by difficulty next!