The secrets to the BEST Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

The secrets to the BEST Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Ray Chen 619K subscribers Subscribe 1K Share Download Thanks Clip 15,894 views Premiered 13 hours ago In this video I answer YOUR questions on the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and use them as a guide to the piece. Check out the chapters of the video to see if your question is answered and follow along with my bowings and fingerings that you can download for free from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Forum on Tonic: https://tonicmusic.app/practice-together Hailed as one of the "4 Great German Romantic Concertos", the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto is a staple to learn for any aspiring violinist. Let me know if you have other questions in the comments below. 0:00 - Intro 0:52 - 1st movement: How to get ready in just 2 bars 1:42 - How to practice quick passages effectively 2:30 - What are the best bowings & fingerings? 3:03 - How to phrase in Mendelssohn's style? 4:21 - How to reduce tension 5:16 - 2nd Movement: How to not run out of bow 6:48 - How to make your sound more emotional 8:18 - How do you balance between focus and lost in music? 8:55 - 3rd Movement: How to use vibrato in fast passages? 10:19 - How to use "mind-anchors" 12:14 - What should the style of the 3rd movement be? Chapters View all Transcript Follow along using the transcript. Show transcript Ray Chen 619K subscribers Videos About Tonic Music Practice together on Tonic 🎉 Live chat replay See what others said about this video while it was live. Open panel 96 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... Pinned by Ray Chen @RayChenViolinist 12 hours ago Join the forum, practice, and ask your questions for free on Tonic: https://tonicmusic.app/practice-together 13 Reply 2 replies @Mikebus585-nt6yy 1 day ago One of the best soloist in the world explains one of the best violin concertos of all time… 🤩 39 Reply 1 reply @christaherwig0404 5 hours ago I have no idea how to play the violin, but Ray fascinates me completely. Of course I think the dialogue with the mother is fantastic🥰 3 Reply @danielsaenz5570 8 hours ago Great video! Can't wait for the Bruch violin concerto vid!!! 4 Reply @yutolimviolin 12 hours ago I love the dialogue between mama Chen and Ray 🤣 Thank you Ray for this fun lesson. I feel motivated to practice after this video! 12 Reply @mollyross473 9 hours ago On the vacuum if two set violin Ray fills the void with wonderful helpful insights into Mendelssohn. Thankyou so much Ray and I love tonic!!!!! 1 Reply @vesselinatp 12 hours ago Greatly explain, coherently to the point... 👏. Thank you. 4 Reply @lucienazario2786 12 hours ago I do not play the violin but I enjoy your tips on how to play passages of a particular piece. I am learning much ..... I understand the piece better and get to enjoy listening to the music. 🤗 6 Reply @jh.y00N 12 hours ago (edited) Ray is like a really nice and popular professor + dean. He explains things in a way that even a non-major can understand. There is a big difference between being good at playing his own music and being good at explaining it. Not everyone is good at explaining things. 👍🏻✨👑🎻🌞🧑🏻‍🎓🧑🏻‍💼 9 Reply @videomelody93 10 hours ago I love this serise thank you for sharing ray's tips 2 Reply @mielpops7425 11 hours ago 12:00 wow, I never expected I will amazed by only repeated two notes that sounds very beautiful from the world level violinist 3 Reply @stanleyTheviolinist240 11 hours ago Interesting, i can't wait for the bruch violin concerto.😍 4 Reply @thatviolingirl9879 7 hours ago Playing the first movement atm, so this helps tremendously! Lot's of love from Germany 💕 1 Reply @durban55 10 hours ago This video came at just the right time because I’m learning it right now! 1 Reply @amirhossein9310 10 hours ago That was awesome. It actually helps in practicing other passages too. Thanks❤ 1 Reply @Julia-se1wc 9 hours ago Thank you for playing Mendelssohn in Hamburg this year! 1 Reply @saracheng9890 12 hours ago (edited) Prof Ray, it is very good lesson .. even I am just a very beginner , I learn something .. look forward to the Bruch 4 Reply @mellissadalby1402 8 hours ago I'm listening to Tonic right now 1 Reply @ajsorensen2585 12 hours ago This is great Ray! I'm working on Mendelssohn concerto and these tips really help me, I also play along to your version, I think it's one of the best sounding on youtube : ) Thanks so much for sharing all your tips, I look forward to all your videos! 1 Reply @vanemaih6097 12 hours ago Ray thank you for sharing! This video is very useful. I’m practicing this right now❤ 1 Reply @jh.y00N 14 hours ago (edited) Appreciate to you for updating your always quality videos Ray and I'm looking forward to this today!👍🏻✨👑🎻🌞 1 Reply @gregmilburn1783 9 hours ago Im here so soon! Awesome video! 1 Reply @EmmaNeely-k1l 2 hours ago Such a helpful video! I am not working on Mendelssohn right now but I can't wait to use these tips when I do! 😃 Reply @myrenhia 12 hours ago im only two pages into this concerto, im not giving up though!!! (im still on grade 6 violin but I can do it!) 5 Reply @鑽地機禱告部隊 5 hours ago I start to take up learning trumpet recently (learnt it 25 years ago). My 22 months son always wants to pick up my mouthpiece when I practice. He also enjoys a lot when I show him professional concerts. I think I will show him more Ray Chen's videos and hope him get interested in violin. 😂 1 Reply @BlackHermit 8 hours ago This is the Mendelssohn concerto of the Law. To play it like the German master himself, one needs to relax! trophy-yellow-smiling 3 Reply @hamoodyahabibiyahamood625 11 hours ago Thx for the masterclass mister ray 🎉 1 Reply @hamoodyahabibiyahamood625 9 hours ago Ray you inspired me to start violin 🎻 1 Reply @talr5827 8 hours ago Love your advice, really an inspiration to me as an intermediate/advanced violinist! Could you do a video like this for the Tchaikovsky concerto? Always been excited for when I am at a level to play it, and other pieces, as amazingly as you play! 1 Reply @ElliottPolackviolinist 15 hours ago This is such a perfect timing like i literally just started learning this concerto 1 Reply @igel-rx1hk 1 day ago You know these pieces that inspire you to learn an instrument and that keep you going and improving even when the piece itself is way to hard for you at this stage? The Mendelssohn violin concerto is such a piece for me (even though I’m learning the cello). So I was super excited when I found there’s a transcription of this piece for my instrument! I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to play it and I’m looking forward where it will take me. 🎶 Rays recording of it means a lot to me and always makes my day a little bit better! Listening him play it live in Hamburg in September last year was a great experience! Even days after the concert I still heard it ring somewhere inside me🌻 Thanks for making such beautiful music and inspiring others! 2 Reply 1 reply @lucienazario2786 16 hours ago Ray has mastered this violin concerto 'coz he has been playing it even before he joined the two prestigious international violin competitions. 2 Reply @Boollish 11 hours ago Love this series. I understand starting with Mendelssohn and Bruch, but at some point would be awesome to see this series for lesser known pieces (or at least lesser played) of the repertoire. Some of the Bach fugues, the Projofiev sonatas. Heck if we're doing Bruch, do Scottish Fantasy! 1 Reply @lankyboxtglazer 1 day ago Sibelius or Tchaikovsky next pls 8 Reply @HonneySantos1 3 minutes ago I feel same, More motivated every vídeo. 🎻 Reply @agatafurczyk9149 12 hours ago I think my 'powers aren't great enough' yet to use those tips, but I'm quite satisfied with funny cats and animations, for now... 😆 (Bravo! Ray's Mum, for the cameo. 😄) 3 Reply @WISH-Art-s6o 22 hours ago For me, Ray's Mendelssohn is the best one! 3 Reply @IagameDesigual 4 hours ago Ray, I love u ( a hug from brazil ❤ ) Reply @XylahGuzman 1 day ago So true! I did that and now i know the secrets 😊 1 Reply @JphillipsIII 1 day ago I’m so excited for this 1 Reply @elainefernandes1376 9 hours ago Expressivo 1 Reply @yufeixu4479 5 hours ago 15:04 RAY WROTE BRUH CONCERTO!!! 2 Reply @shannonmoro401 4 hours ago Very nice. Reply @PetitePracticeFreak 12 hours ago Thanks for a great and informative video!! How do you approach the 10ths in the Bruch violin concerto? My teacher is thinking about me picking it up but I’m terrified of the double stops and chords. (I have pretty small hands and a short, collapsing pinky so 3rds in shifting stretch my fingers’ flexibility and tenths are pretty much impossible for me). Also in the beginning of Mendelssohn with the double stop runs, how would you approach that, and where would you focus on using as an anchor? The lower note? Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! — Petite Practice Freak 1 Reply @Rodrigo-my5qt 1 hour ago I love your videos Reply @DavidChow-n4x 7 hours ago (edited) Great video. Have a better understanding of how a violinist process a piece of music. Love listening to classical violin music. Now I get to listen to some of the nuances and process the piece. This helps me appreciate the musician playing more and what to listen to. I guess you can teach an old fart a new lesson. 😂 Thanks for sharing the violin lesson. 1 Reply @lopezjuan316jl 6 hours ago (edited) Could you give advise on how to play the Basque Caprice properly? I am slowly "cleaning it" so it sounds like it should sound and not approximately how it should. My professor has ignored me when I told her that I'm playing that piece but as I believe that with motivation things go well, I'm studying it anyways. I practice the Flesch scales in the tonality for example, in order to be more comfortable 1 Reply @Exhooo 5 hours ago Hi, I’m a violinist trying to learn the first movement of the Mendelssohn violin concerto but I’m having trouble playing fast passages higher up on the d and a strings, and when I practice my bow is kind of shaky. Any tips? 1 Reply @ЕмилијаНиколовска-щ1ж 10 hours ago Can anyone please explain me how can I find Ray's bowings and fingerings? I'm new on tonic so I don't really know how it works. Thanks in advance. 2 Reply @lilmalus4285 2 hours ago If you could have only published this video a month ago when I had to play Mendelssohn in front of judges 😭 1 Reply @se_style2739 11 hours ago Please can you do this with czarsas? I’d love that! 1 Reply @diana.valentina12 6 hours ago Sibelius or Tchaikovsky next please🙏❤️ 1 Reply @leeahegg2377 9 hours ago Thanks you so much for sharing! Can you talk about Beethoven concerto next time!?/ 1 Reply @benjamingandara3543 10 hours ago Could you make this same type of video with Vivaldi's Concerto in A minor? 1 Reply @FranklinDBluth-yq6ww 12 hours ago Don't u hate it by now? I have this problem where I practice a part so much until I get it, then I hate it once I get it because I played it too much. 3 Reply @HonneySantos1 5 minutes ago [Rock li its an example becose he don't have superpower but he has discipline and practice every day] i like too the dialogues with mamá Chen, in this and another vídeos. Reply @Grem305 12 hours ago Ray do you Irish fiddling ? :) 1 Reply @Rodrigo-my5qt 1 hour ago I’m also practicing violin Reply @sabrinai 5 hours ago 14:55 Like Max Bruh's new name 😂 you go bruh! 1 Reply @SOFIChen-kz 4 hours ago Please do a Tchaikovsky 101 as well!! Reply @Leontrombone 11 hours ago As a trombonist it's the only violin concerto I know 1 Reply @raffilevy2029 12 hours ago Do you know what happened with twoset violin?? 2 Reply 1 reply @erfanerfani_music3514 11 hours ago 🎻👌👌 1 Reply @lordneeko 2 hours ago Yes .. but what happened to twoset?? Reply @Rodrigo-my5qt 1 day ago I’m here 1 Reply @misha_nya4495 12 hours ago Давайте «Цыганские Напевы» 1 Reply @Pandahyuman 1 day ago Im grade 5 but still I want to watch this lmao 5 Reply @clairebuy6398 12 hours ago Évidemment je voudrais qu'on puisse avoir des sous-titres en français 2 Reply @eliaslindt 12 hours ago (edited) Du schluckst immer die letzte Note vor dem Bogenwechsel. You always swallow the last note before changing the bow. 1 Reply @Rodrigo-my5qt 1 hour ago Ray cheeeeeeeeeeen Reply @Rodrigo-my5qt 1 day ago Hiiiii 2 Reply @Arie06. 12 hours ago You started at 9?? Crying cuz I started at 9 too and thought it was too hard so I did piano instead. To think I could've been good by now lol 2 Reply Ray Chen · 3 replies @Rodrigo-my5qt 1 hour ago 4th grade Reply @Beethoven-nj4ne 1 day ago Violist here now roast me 🔥 10 Reply Ray Chen · 9 replies @sabrinai 1 day ago (edited) I sadly don't even play the violin and I'm still gonna watch this. 2 Reply Ray Chen · 3 replies