5 Violin Practice Habits That Are Actually Holding You Back

Musicnotes

• 7 min read
5 Violin Practice Habits That Are Actually Holding You Back

Guest post by Franchesca Mejia, founder and head teacher of Mejia Music Lessons in Austin, TX.

As a violin teacher who's worked with hundreds of students - from complete beginners picking up the instrument for the first time to advanced players preparing for college auditions - I've noticed something fascinating:

It's not always your playing that holds you back.

It's how you're practicing.

Many students come into their violin lessons wondering why they aren't making progress despite putting in hours of practice.

The truth is that practicing ineffectively can be worse than not practicing at all.

Why? 

Because poor practice habits don't just waste your time - they can actually reinforce mistakes and build frustration.

But here's the good news: 

Identifying and fixing these counterproductive habits can transform your progress almost overnight.

So whether you're just figuring out how to play violin for beginners or you've been playing for years, these five practice habits might be secretly sabotaging your development.

Avoid making these mistakes and watch your progress skyrocket!

Ready to break the cycle?

Let's dive in...

Habit #1: The "Start-Over Syndrome"

Picture this:

You're practicing a piece, hit a wrong note in measure 15, and immediately... start over from the beginning.

Sound familiar?

This habit - what I call "Start-Over Syndrome" - is perhaps the single biggest time-waster in violin practice.

Here's why it's holding you back:

  • You spend most of your time practicing the beginning of pieces (which you already know well)
  • The difficult sections that actually need work rarely get addressed
  • You develop performance anxiety about specific trouble spots - leading to more mistakes
  • Your brain learns that mistakes actually mean punishment (starting over)

So what should you do instead?

Next time you catch yourself suffering from “Start-Over Syndrome”, try this instead:

  1. When you hit a trouble spot, stop and stay there
  2. Isolate just the measure or phrase with the problem
  3. Work on that section slowly until it improves
  4. Only once you’ve corrected the issue connect it to the surrounding music

Remember: A professional violinist doesn't waste time repeatedly playing parts they've already mastered. 

A true professional is an “expert practicer” and they zoom in on what needs work.

Habit #2: The "Fast and Furious" Approach

I see this all the time in my violin lessons in Austin:

A student attempts to play a piece at performance tempo before they can play it correctly at a slower tempo.

This is like trying to run before you can walk.

And just like running before you can walk, practicing a piece at performance tempo before you’re ready is bound to make you stumble and fall.

Here’s the truth…

When you practice too quickly:

  • Your brain doesn't have time to process what your fingers are doing
  • You develop sloppy technique that becomes harder to fix later
  • You miss critical details in the music
  • You build frustrated practice sessions instead of confident ones

Instead of playing “fast and furious”, here's an approach that actually works:

  1. Start at a tempo where you can play with perfect technique
  2. Use a metronome (more on that later!)
  3. Gradually increase speed only after achieving mastery at slower tempos

Remember the practice mantra: 

"Practice fast, progress slow. Practice slow, progress fast."

For beginners learning how to play violin, this is especially important. 

The foundation you build when you’re just getting started will determine how quickly you progress later.

Habit #3: The "Wing-It" Approach

Let me ask you something:

When you pick up your violin to practice, do you have a specific plan? 

Or do you just play whatever comes to mind?

Aimless practice is like taking a road trip without a map. 

You might enjoy the scenery, but you'll probably never reach your destination.

Here are some telltale signs you're practicing without a plan:

  • You spend most sessions playing through pieces you already know
  • Your practice time varies wildly from day to day
  • You often end sessions feeling like you didn't accomplish anything
  • You're not sure what to work on next

Are you guilty of winging it?

Me too (sometimes)!

Of course it’s more fun to play through pieces which you can already perform well.

However, “winging it” has some serious drawbacks.

Instead, here’s how to practice with purpose:

  • Set specific goals for each practice session
  • Divide your practice time into segments (warm-up, technique, repertoire)
  • Keep a practice journal to track progress
  • End each session by planning the next session

When my violin students start implementing structured practice, their progress often doubles or triples almost immediately.

Habit #4: The "Full Piece Fallacy"

Here's a scenario I witness constantly:

A student struggles with a difficult piece and then insists on playing through the entire thing every time they practice - rather than breaking it down into manageable chunks.

This is like trying to eat an entire cake in one bite.

One approach that works much better for my violin students is the concept of “chunking”.

“Chunking” means that rather than playing an entire piece from start to finish, you isolate the most troublesome notes or passages and practice those.

Why does “chunking” work better?

  • Your brain learns more effectively when information is broken into small segments
  • You can focus your attention on the specific techniques each section requires
  • You build confidence by mastering small sections completely
  • You make measurable progress each session

If you find yourself trying to practice entire pieces (eating the whole cake) at once, try this approach instead:

  1. Divide pieces into logical sections (4-8 measures)
  2. Master each section before moving to the next
  3. You can even break it down by note! Start with two notes, add the surrounding notes, etc. 
  4. Work especially hard on transitions between sections
  5. Only play through the full piece after the sections are solid

This chunking approach is exactly how professional violinists tackle even the most challenging repertoire.

Habit #5: The Trap of "Mindless Motion"

Perhaps the most difficult bad practice habit to break is also the easiest to fall into:

Mindless repetition without active listening.

You might be physically playing the violin, but if your brain is thinking about dinner or scrolling through mental social media, you're not really practicing.

At times, we’re all guilty of playing with “mindless motion”.

After all, there’s only so much information our brains can process at one time.

And if you get to a particularly easy part of the violin piece, it’s easy to tune out.

Resist the dark side!

Here are some signs of mindless practice:

  • You can't remember what you just played
  • You make the same mistakes repeatedly
  • You feel like you've "put in the time" but see no improvement
  • Practice sessions feel boring or like a chore

How do you practice more mindfully?

  • Record yourself regularly and listen critically (this is a HUGE one!)
  • Set specific intentions before each repetition
  • Limit repetitions to 3-5 times (with focus) rather than 20 times on autopilot
  • Take short breaks to reset your focus

This might seem obvious, but I've found that my students who practice with full attention for 20 minutes make more progress than those who practice mindlessly for two hours.

Breaking the Cycle: Some Additional Habits Worth Fixing

While the five habits above are the most common practice problems I see, here are a few honorable mentions that might also be holding you back:

Not using a metronome - Your internal sense of rhythm is probably not as accurate as you think. A metronome doesn't lie and helps build rock-solid timing.

Ignoring fundamentals - Scales, arpeggios, and etudes aren't just for beginners. They're the technical foundation that makes everything else possible. 

Overlooking posture and technique - No matter how many hours you practice, poor posture and technique will limit your progress and potentially lead to injury.

Not recording yourself - Your perception of your playing while you're playing is different from reality. Recording provides objective feedback you can't get any other way.

Inconsistent practice - Practicing for three hours once a week is far less effective than 30 minutes daily. Your brain builds skills through consistent reinforcement.

Transform Your Practice, Transform Your Playing

The good news about these practice habits is that they're all fixable, and the results of changing them can be immediate and dramatic!

Now remember:

You don't need to tackle all of these issues at once. 

Pick the one that resonates most with you and focus on changing that habit for the next two weeks.

Whether you're just learning how to play violin or you've been playing for years, remember that how you practice is just as important as how much you practice.

Ready to transform your practice routine?

If you’re interested in progressing more quickly, consider booking an in-person or virtual violin lesson with me. I specialize in helping students develop effective practice habits that accelerate their progress.

Happy practicing!

About the Author:

Franchesca Mejia is the founder and head teacher of Mejia Music Lessons in Austin, TX. She specializes in teaching beginner and intermediate violinists in multiple genres of music - from rock to pop, classical to contemporary. Franchesca believes that students of any level can improve their playing with the correct techniques and practice.