The Art of Playing Well: Private Violin Study for the Serious Adult Musician

A lineage-based approach to technique, tone, and the freedom to play without limits.

Does it feel like something essential is missing in your playing?

You are a dedicated player. You put in the hours. Yet, you’ve reached a plateau where progress has slowed, tension has increased, and familiar frustrations with tone or intonation refuse to resolve.

For many adult violinists, this isn’t a lack of talent or discipline—it’s a gap in the foundation.

At the Broadbent School of Violin Artistry, we don’t believe you are “broken.” We believe you deserve a coherent, integrated approach that finally connects your sound, your body, and your intention.

This work is designed for dedicated adult violinists with prior study experience.

Complete beginners are supported in the Adult Beginners Room of the Broadbent School.

This work is designed for you if…

You feel the "Gap": You are a teacher or advanced student who knows there are missing pieces in your technical education.
The Progress is Fragile: You practice consistently, but your technical gains feel unreliable or vanish under pressure.
Tension is the Default: You experience fatigue, discomfort, or "forcing" the sound rather than letting it flow.
You Seek Depth: You value structure, refinement, and a pedagogical lineage that leads to lasting, elegant change.

A School Rooted in Lineage

We stand in a clear pedagogical line that honors the giants of the craft, translating their wisdom for the modern player:

Leopold Auer: Technical clarity in the service of musical truth.
Eugène Ysaÿe: Individuality, freedom, and the violin as a human voice.

This isn’t just history—it’s a living practice. Here, technique is never isolated from sound, and discipline serves expression rather than overriding it.

The Method: How We Work Together

My approach is precise, calm, and highly individualized. I work to identify the "hidden" limiters in your playing—the imbalances in the body, left hand, or right hand that manifest as surface-level mistakes.

We focus on the Three Pillars of Balance:

Body Balance: Ergonomic posture that works with your anatomy.
Right-Hand Balance: Mastering the Franco-Belgian bow hold for weight transfer and flexibility.
Left-Hand Organization: Efficient, secure movement that clarifies intonation and vibrato.

The Goal: To organize your playing so it works—reliably, sustainably, and musically—supporting both your artistry and your nervous system.

Many students begin noticing measurable improvements in stability, tone clarity, and ease of playing within the first several sessions, as technical organization begins to replace compensatory effort.

One of my core strengths as a teacher is the ability to quickly identify the underlying cause of persistent technical issues, allowing us to work efficiently and avoid months or years of unnecessary trial-and-error practice.

Many private students also engage with the structured curriculum inside the Broadbent School, allowing lesson work and independent study to reinforce each other.

I teach the Franco-Belgian bow hold, with careful attention to flexibility, weight transfer, and natural movement. All technical work is approached through the lens of ergonomics — working with your anatomy rather than against it — so that sound production becomes reliable, sustainable, and free of unnecessary strain.

We may address:

Tone production and bow clarity
Posture and whole-body balance
The Franco-Belgian bow hold and right-hand balance
Efficient left-hand organization
Intonation as awareness, not correction
Shifting and position security
Vibrato freedom
Practice structure and nervous-system integration

A Modern, Fully-Supported Virtual Studio

Experience the efficiency of online study. Many students find that the digital format offers greater depth and clarity than traditional in-person lessons.

Every student receives:

High-Definition Lessons: Focused sessions held via Zoom.
A Living Record: Detailed written session notes in a shared Google Doc.
Resource Library: Curated materials, links, and exercise references delivered via Dropbox.
Technical Support: Peace of mind with expert help for your virtual setup.

Integrated Technique and Ease of Playing

Years of unnecessary tension and strain are common among adult violinists.

My approach emphasizes integrated technique — movement that is intelligently organized, respects the body, supports the nervous system, and allows sound to flow without force. Many students experience not only greater clarity and control in their playing, but also relief from long-standing discomfort and fatigue.

This work is not about tricks or shortcuts.

It is about learning to play the violin in a way that is intelligent, embodied, and sustainable.

A Clear Starting Point

If this work resonates, I recommend beginning with private study.

To prepare for your first session, please bring:

One scale appropriate to your level (two or three octaves)
Three to five minutes of a piece you enjoy

From there, we clarify priorities and determine how ongoing study together can best support your goals.

Online, Focused, and Fully Supported

All private sessions are held online via Zoom.

Private students receive:

A secure lesson link to our virtual studio
Written session notes in a shared Google document
Relevant links or references shared as needed between sessions

Online study allows for remarkable efficiency, continuity, and reflection. Many students find that it offers greater depth and clarity than traditional in-person lessons once they experience the format.

Materials and Resources

Private study focuses on individualized guidance, demonstration, and refinement of your playing.

When specific exercises, études, or books are recommended — including my own published materials — students obtain their own copies unless otherwise noted. Public-domain repertoire is used where appropriate.

All shared materials and resources are organized and delivered via Dropbox, allowing you to access your files securely and revisit them between sessions.

Written session notes are maintained in a shared Google document, providing a clear, ongoing record of what was addressed in each lesson and what to focus on between sessions.

Relevant links or additional materials may be added as needed to support your work.

Ready to Begin?

If this work resonates, the starting point is simple. To prepare for your first session, I ask that you bring:

One scale appropriate to your level.
3–5 minutes of a piece you truly enjoy.

From there, we will clarify your priorities and build a roadmap toward the artistic freedom you’ve been seeking

Begin Private Study

The Intensive Rebuilding Package

$870

Ideal for deeper technical organization or a major project.

6, 55-Minute Private Sessions (held via Zoom)
Full access to session notes and digital resources
Validity: 90 days
Investment: $870 (or 2 monthly payments of $435)

6-Session Private Study Package

$435

per month for 2 months

6, 55-Minute Private Sessions (held via Zoom)
To be used within 90 days
Ideal for focused technical organization or a specific project
$435 X 2

The Artistic Integration Package

$1,680

Our most popular choice for long-term technical mastery and sustainable change.

12, 55-Minute Private Sessions (held via Zoom)
Full access to session notes and digital resources
Validity: 180 days
Investment: $1,680 (or 3 monthly payments of $560)

12-Session Private Study Package

$560

per month for 3 months

12, 55-Minute Private Sessions (held via Zoom)
To be used within 180 days
Ideal for deeper technical rebuilding and long-term integration
$560 X 3

The Technical Diagnostic & Roadmap Session

$175

A 55-Minute Intensive Diagnostic | $175

Not ready for a full package? Start with a standalone deep dive into your playing.

In this single, focused session, we will strip away the surface-level frustrations and identify the root cause of your technical plateaus.

Whether it’s a bow-arm imbalance or tension, you will walk away with:
A Precision Diagnosis: A clear understanding of why your progress has stalled.

The Immediate "Quick-Fix": One actionable adjustment to your posture or hold for instant relief.

Your Custom Roadmap: A written strategy for the next 90 days of your development.

If you decide to continue with a 6 or 12-session package within 48 hours of your Diagnostic Session, your $175 investment will be fully credited toward your tuition.

In Their Words

My live private lessons with Heather have transformed my playing, in the best ways possible. With 6 months of study, my bowstrokes have become more organized and my sound is more focused. She methodically separates left hand and right hand skills so that you can comb through all types of challenges. She always circles back to working on good tone production.

I also teach violin and studying with Heather has turned me into a much stronger teacher. My students are greatly benefitting. I am a section player in a professional orchestra. My orchestra playing has improved greatly. I am able to get the passage work much faster. In private lessons, I can easily send Heather an orchestral excerpt to work on at my next lesson. Technology makes it so easy. Plus, if I am having a technological challenge, Heather always offers tech support. If you are considering taking private lessons, I would definitely not look anywhere else as Heather can meet all your violinistic needs! It is a pleasure to study with Heather and I look forward to continuing my own private studies with Heather.

A. Kuhn

I started coaching sessions with Heather in January 2014, having been finding my own way along without a teacher for around 3 years. I knew that I had major issues with intonation, tone, timing and vibrato to name but a few, and I had no structure to my practice although I played for an hour and a half every day. I had never tried or even considered violin coaching online but having studied Heather’s website and watched a few videos it looked like she ticked all the boxes. Having a free half hour Skype session with Heather then absolutely convinced me. I found her approach light and inspirational, whilst she was able to shine a laser beam on the weaknesses in my technique in an instant and give me clear instructions on how to correct it, accompanied by exercises to wire it into my nervous system.

In the following months since then I have loved every session and have seen week on week improvements in my playing beyond what I dreamed possible. Heather’s way of bringing awareness to every pitch is inspirational and has revolutionized my intonation. Having worked with Heather online for these few months I don’t know if I would want to go back to conventional face to face teaching. It has so many advantages. Heather can just pull up some relevant teaching materials or sheet music and I have it instantly. I get links to videos so that I can continue learning between the sessions and can prep new things that we are going to work on. Plus I get a recording of our session so I can go back and check on anything I wasn’t clear about – and go back to earlier recording to see just how far I have progressed over the weeks. Then one of my favourite things – I get written notes after the session, with what to work on for the next session which has been great for giving me clear guidelines on what to practice each day, providing me with the structure that I had been lacking.

In short, I can’t praise Heather’s coaching sessions highly enough.

N. Bourne-Hulme

Heather is an answer to a great wish of mine: a passion to play violin effectively. Since a teacher was not available, I developed a practice routine for myself, yet moved forward slowly. After a cry for help on LinkedIn, Heather was recommended to me by one of her online students; he said that he highly recommended her and that she had it all figured out. Indeed, he was correct.

Right from the start she took charge in a supportive, friendly but businesslike, no-nonsense approach to giving me feedback on the violin. She is an insightful teacher that works on multiple levels; for example, for the nut and bolts of violin technique, she assigns very effective exercises; for the reflective level she suggests ways of recording, writing and videoing yourself in order to be present; and, for the philological level, she gives of exercises to over come stage fright.

For me, Heather is like the Jillian Michaels (work-out guru) for violin, in that, you follow her program and it is a short cut to being an effective player. I have been studying with Heather now since January and my improvement is noticeable not only to myself but to the outside also. During the last gig I played, a lady commented, saying my violin filled the room soulful beauty. I received the compliment with a smile remembering all the feedback from Heather and practicing she inspired me to do. If you are serious about improving, I highly recommend Heather.

D. Khanukayev

FAQs

Surprisingly, many students find online study more focused. Because I cannot physically move your arm for you, you learn to internalize the mechanics and develop a deeper sense of self-awareness. I use multiple camera angles and high-resolution demonstrations to ensure you see exactly how the Franco-Belgian hold or a specific bowing weight-transfer should look and feel.
We use Zoom’s "Original Sound for Musicians" setting, which disables the standard background noise suppression that often "clips" violin frequencies. This allows me to hear your true tone, double-stops, and shifting with remarkable clarity. While we cannot play duets in real-time due to natural internet latency, our focus is on your individual technical organization and sound production.
You don’t need a professional recording studio. Most modern laptops, tablets, or even smartphones work well.
- A stable high-speed internet connection (Ethernet is preferred over Wi-Fi when possible).
- An external USB microphone (like a Blue Snowball or similar) to capture your full tonal range.
- A quiet, well-lit space where I can see your full torso and instrument.
This is one of the greatest advantages of our virtual studio. After every session, you receive detailed written notes in our shared Google Document. This provides a clear, searchable history of your progress, specific exercises to focus on, and links to any supplementary videos or scores—something that is often lost in traditional in-person lessons.
Not at all. I provide simple, step-by-step guidance to help you optimize your Zoom settings before our first session. If you run into a snag during a lesson, I offer tech support to ensure we spend our time on the violin, not the software.
Study packages are designed for consistency and momentum. The 6-session package is valid for 90 days, and the 12-session package for 180 days, giving you ample flexibility for travel or life events while ensuring your technical rebuilding stays on track.