Violin Video Lesson: The Music Beyond “No Mistakes”

So, I think you'd agree with me we all make mistakes. It's just part of being human, part of our DNA.

So, why is it then that as violinists we make it our goal not to make mistakes in performances? Even though, whether we like it or not, some kind of a mistake is probably going to happen. But that said, are there good mistakes? Are there bad ones? Are there mistakes that are consequential and mistakes that aren't? Maybe there's something about the idea of not making mistakes that isn't so obvious at first glance.

Maybe there are sides of it we need to explore to get a better grip on what it really means. For example, what do we actually mean when we say no mistakes? Are we talking about playing a wrong note or a rhythm? Or is it something subtler like unintentionally changing the tone color or not vibrating a note? Wrong notes and rhythms can clearly disrupt a performance, but when those subtler things happen, are they even noticed? And if it's only the performer who's aware of them, does that make them less important? And what exactly are we practicing for when we aim no mistakes? Is it just about technical perfection? Or is it about learning how to stay focused even when something unexpected happens? Maybe the goal isn't simply perfection. Maybe it's about finding and then staying in what athletes call the zone.

And then there's the negative effect that practicing for no mistakes performance can have on you. It can put you on a tightrope without a net.

It takes you to a place where every misstep becomes a failure.

When that happens, fear sets in and we become afraid to even take the smallest risk.

And just like that, poof, the performance loses some of its magic.

But honestly, it takes boldness to aim for no mistakes. To walk on stage believing you're going to play flawlessly requires a big chunk of audacity.

But is that reasonable? Maybe not.

Still, maybe that kind of mindset can push a performance forward. I mean, when I watch the best performers, they don't seem to be avoiding audacity.

They seem to be dancing with it.

At the same time, a not making mistakes attitude can carry with it a kind of cruelty.

Making a big mistake in a concert can be overwhelming. But rather than berating ourselves, maybe we should turn our attention to why it happened.

We can't erase the past. So why trap ourselves in it? Mistakes can be learning moments. But if we let them become punishments, they become a source of shame.

And shame doesn't make us better violinists.

So to perform at a high level, what's better? Believing that no mistakes will happen or knowing that you're ready to handle whatever does? I guess in a way we're talking about confidence.

And confidence doesn't come from pretending you're perfect.

It comes from preparation, acceptance, and resilience.

So maybe no mistakes doesn't mean playing flawlessly.

Maybe it's a way to get us more into the music.

And when we fully commit to that musical journey, maybe we stop seeing mistakes and start seeing opportunities.

Maybe the best performances happen not because we avoid mistakes, but because we don't let them matter more than the music itself.

Well, in the end, what all of this makes me realize is that maybe one of the biggest mistakes we can make as violinists is spending so much time worrying about making mistakes that we end up making more of them.

Automatic video-to-text transcription by DaDaScribe.com

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