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4. What worked for me
The group
The process of improving equipment and playing better was helped a lot by being in a group of students all working on the same things. It was good to find out that we all had the same problems. Later I was sometimes unsure because everyone came up with different solutions and I became indecisive about what to try. Seeing people having problems makes you a bit scared. At the same time the group helped me. Because when other people have the same problems, we can try to find common solutions.
Alexander Technique
The Alexander lessons helped me get used to the new equipment. In the group lessons we worked with our bodies to discover where the violinist usually has tension. In the private lessons the teachers worked with me to try to remove existing tension and to teach me how to be more relaxed when playing and in my daily life. Because I slowly freed up my muscles, it became possible to get a good adjustment of my chin rest and shoulder rest, and to find the best position for the violin.
