AS SEEN ON
Many think Paganini took his secrets to his grave
He didn’t write educational books or pass his knowledge and skills to students.
At the same time he was insistent to have a secret…
Watch this video to learn Paganini’s Secret:
Is this you?
I wish my violin progress went faster…
Do I really need to practice all this and see little to no result?
When can I finally play really interesting repertoire?
Is this hard long route the only way? Is there no easier way?
Do you feel that every time you pick up a new piece you’re starting over? You still not really KNOW the violin inside out.
I know how you feel and I have the solution:
Paganini’s Secret
From a simple G major scale to Caprice 24
A shortcut to violin technique without selling your soul to the devil
You’ll learn exactly:
Practice
Learn to practice Paganini style, so you make most of the practice time you have
Exercises
Learn the fastest track to violin virtuosity and Paganini’s Caprice 24
guidance
Ask questions and send in videos for feedback when and if you want
The focus on chords is an eye-opener. I noticed already in the second week an improvement in pitch. Why has no one told me before?
Also the way of studying velocity has helped me, especially in orchestral playing, and that in just a few weeks.
Through the highly structured approach of the assignments my playing has improved more in a few weeks than normally in a whole year.
Without this program I doubt I would have lasted. I would have been getting so frustrated because of lack of progress with my left hand… not knowing how to fix it.
After about two months Paganini’s Secret when I opened my eyes, I see different fingers. It looks like a violin left hand that be able to do things some violinist only can do after many years.
Get Started Now
Choose the Paganini's Secret plan that works best for you
Once a member you can easily switch between monthly and yearly.
You can cancel anytime with our easy to find cancellation button.
Monthly Membership
Most flexible
Monthly payments of
$ 29 USD
Yearly Membership
Just $14.92 a month
Yearly payments of
$ 179 USD
Secure checkout
with credit card or Paypal
Risk free
Cancel anytime
What’s inside
Learn from the comfort of your own home
24/7 Access to your violin lessons
Mobile and tablet friendly
Learn at your own pace
Streaming Video Lessons
Practice Instructions
Slow Play Along
Daily Exercises
Close Up Demos
Practice Plans
plus
Sheet Music
Instant access
Online Community
Your Questions Answered
Online learning for music? No way!
We’ve been trained to think that one-on-one is the highest level of learning when it comes to music, but technology has made it so that we learn even better online.
How does it work?
If you can read a website and watch my YouTube videos, you can follow this course. Right after payment you’ll get instant access to ALL available modules with your personal password.
You can play video lessons, practice videos and close up demonstrations. The demonstrations can be looped and played in a slow tempo. You can download the daily practice plans and sheet music. You can ask all your questions in the comments underneath each lesson.
Take the program at your own pace. You can consume the lessons wherever you want on your phone, tablet or dekstop.
this is a time saver
a shortcut to violin masteryAfter 30 minutes of ‘practicing Paganini style’ I’ve achieved more than in the 4 hour sessions I did in my conservatory years.
I could have saved thousands of hours becoming a professional violinist. There really IS a shortcut to violin technique.
While I don’t dare to think how much pain and missing out on life this could have saved me,
My mission is now to share this with YOU…
To save YOU time… to get YOU to enjoy playing the violin on a very high level and play all the REALLY interesting repertoire.
Don’t make my mistake of following the long detour of ordinary violin learning.
To your Caprice 24,
Zlata
Meet your teacher:
Vivien Hoffman
Concert Violinist & Zlata’s Teacher
Vivien Hoffman started violin lessons at the age of five and began her studies at the Universität der Künste in Berlin at the age of nine. She continued her studies with Ruggiero Ricci at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the Hochschule für Musik ‚Hanns Eisler’ with Professor Werner Scholz.
Vivien is a rare gem: an international concert violinist with a pure and romantic interpretation style, who knows how to break everything she learned from great masters down into easy to understand lessons and step by step exercises.
Vivien sets herself apart and makes a distinct mark in the music world by an immense versatility. Besides a highly successful international career as a concert violinist she is also an extremely sought after teacher, gives seminars on teaching methods as well as psychological aspects of teaching and performing music, conducts research on psychology and neurology of violin playing and is Associate of the Royal College of Music in London.
What Paganini’s Secret students say about Vivien:
WOW! How to describe Vivien. Vivien, you are a real gem of a teacher. You are very encouraging. I love how you break down the steps of learning an exercise or technique into manageable bits, makes it less intimidating.
The program is a challenge, but the expectations are gradual, allowing me to feel good about small accomplishments I make.
The practice videos you made playing as a beginner (playing opposite) showing that the struggles are normal, and how to overcome them gives hope, and a ‘I can do this’ perspective!
The feedback you are providing when I send in a video is priceless. Your instruction and suggestions are excellent. You are helping me improve on practicing the exercises and also my overall playing and practicing in general.
I am looking forward to better intonation, and to learn techniques to improve my ability to play faster passages (which is a real struggle for me) by improving my left hand techniques through the Paganini’s Secret program.
Vivien is an AMAZING instructor. She is very thorough and clearly cares about helping her students improve. I am always excited to watch her feedback videos and apply her teachings to my playing. Her videos keep me busy for a long time and applying the techniques she teaches has really helped to improve my playing overall.
Vivien and Zlata are one of the finest master teachers of the violin. Not only will they get you results: they are very pleasant, dedicated, patient, friendly and open-minded people. No matter your age or background, they will set you in the right mind frame and help you stay motivated and happy even in the most difficult violin times.
Did Paganini really have a secret?
Paganini left clues in his music, especially the 24 caprices, and he gave one hint:
There is only one scale and one position
The legendary violin virtuoso Rugiero Ricci spent his life following Paganini’s breadcrumbs, impressed the world with 6,000 concerts and 500 recordings (amongst which included 24 caprices). In between he managed to pass this to his students.
Violinist Vivien Hoffman was one of those students. Besides learning from Ricci at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, she traveled with him and saw hundreds of hours of his lessons.
Vivien translated this method, so that it’s accessible for beginners and you can learn advanced technique much earlier instead of taking an unnecessary detour.
Zlata and Vivien are on a mission to share this method, so you can get unbelievably fast progress and play all the beautiful repertoire you want.
Why does it take so long to learn the violin?
Tuned in perfect fifths and governed by the laws of physics with approximately 25 diminishing semitones per string, the violin seems an ideal candidate for systematisation of its technique. However, to date there is no organised playing method that takes advantage of this uniformity.
The ‘ordinary method’ as Paganini called it, is the long way, in which most students never achieve a high level of violin playing
- We train the stronger part of the hand most (first and second finger) in scale exercises and Schradieck exercises. This leaves the weaker part of the hand (third and fourth finger) to always be a problem.
- We are told to grab notes and positions ‘from the air’ holding the violin with the neck and shoulder. We must endlessly train to find the spots of the notes without reference points. This takes a lot of time and most students never learn to do this reliably.
- We learn to know the violin by scales and etudes, but we never systematically train to learn the fingerboard geography, so we can find all notes in any key. Every scale and position seems to be a new challenge.
- Advanced technique is taught… when you’re advanced or never. This leaves you ever unprepared. Double stops, stretches and finger independence will remain a problem.
- The violin is taught as a melodic instrument. Every melody, every distance, needs to be studied separately unrelated to others. We learn to speed this up, note for note, instead of going for the ultimate speed of several notes at the same time: chords and double stops.
Frequently, in my presence, Paganini has hinted that when he tired of his public career, he may one day be induced to communicate to the world a secret, the existence of which is little suspected by musical conservatories, a secret of such wonderful efficacy that by means of it a pupil may aspire to a degree of perfection unattainable by one who, pursuing the ordinary method, should devote ten years to practice the greater part of each day.
At the age of 83 Ruggiero Ricci discovered what Paganini really meant by ‘there’s only one scale and one position’. Speaking of adult learners…
He played without a shoulder rest and without a chinrest to avoid back and shoulder pain at his mature age (tired from playing over 6,000 concerts in his career). To play he had to change his left hand technique completely and realized: this is where Paganini started!
In the era before the chinrest was invented, violinists played with the violin resting in their left hand. The hand was held against the rib of the violin, the head was free to move (goodbye neck pain) and the fingers were extended backwards and forwards, both in front and behind the thumb. One position!
It’s a myth that without chinrests and shoulder rest violinists couldn’t vibrate or position shift. Paganini himself already busts this myth.
As the chinrest was invented and later the shoulder rest, the violin went from hand held to chin held. Leaps and jumps were possible. The thumb was free to move and shifting happened with the whole arm and hand. All problems with position play were born. Also the violin became an injury risky instrument for the neck, shoulders and back. Now 60% of violinists experience pain while playing.
Have we learned it all wrong then?
There’s no need to throw everything you learned out of the window (that’s a relief). It’s important to realize that in the modern ordinary way of playing, we lost some of the great features of the ‘old way’ of playing. We should take the best and leave the rest. That’s exactly what Rugierro Ricci did in his method training the best virtuosos and what Vivien Hoffman does in this online program.
We take how you play NOW as a starting point. Then we add some Paganini to accelerate your progress. You’ll get to play repertoire you never thought was possible… amongst which Caprice 24.
Can you imagine all the repertoire and beautiful concertos that are literally at your fingertips when you’re at a level that YOU can play Paganini’s 24 Caprice?
Play scales and exercises that are too difficult for you and play pieces that are too easy for you.
Take a moment to imagine how you would feel if you could not only PLAY your dream piece on the violin, but that it would feel EASY!
Get Started Now
Choose the Paganini's Secret plan that works best for you
Once a member you can easily switch between monthly and yearly.
You can cancel anytime with our easy to find cancellation button.
Monthly Membership
Most flexible
Monthly payments of
$ 29 USD
Yearly Membership
Just $14.92 a month
Yearly payments of
$ 179 USD
Secure checkout
with credit card or Paypal
Risk free
Cancel anytime
modules
Let me take you through the steps we will take to learn a professional left hand technique resulting in playing Paganini Caprice 24
When my system will be known, artists will commence to study the nature of the violin far more thoroughly, for it is an instrument a hundred times richer than is generally supposed. My discovery is not due to sheer accident, but the result of thorough research. One day, they will come to my system of studying.
Module 1
12 weeks
Foundation First Position
- With extensive videos and examples you make your first steps practicing Paganini style: left hand pizzicato, stretches, chords and double stops. It sounds complicated, but we tested this module on beginners. Don’t worry! We hold your hand and help you through.
Module 2
12 weeks
Foundation Third Position
- The third position can be your new home base. The drone scale is introduced, which is great for ear training and intonation. Also you learn downward stretches. We continue the left hand pizzicato, stretches, chords and double stops in third position.
Module 3
14 weeks
Extended First Position
- Stretches, double stops and starting to shift.
Module 4
16 weeks
Extended Third Position
- Stretches, double stops, shifts and starting glissando technique.
Modules 5, 6 and 7
45 weeks
(modules 5 and 6 are live, module 7 will be released Summer 2024)
Year 2: Advanced Techniques, Scales and Positions
-
- In each module we practice left hand pizzicato, stretches, double stops, shifts, glissando scales and normal scales. Module 5 will be second position, module 6 fourth position and module 7 fifth position. In the last module we even practice glissando scales in double stops.
Module 8
15 weeks
(2024 or 2025)
Year 3: Professional left hand technique
- Module 8 is sixth position and going higher. More advanced left hand pizzicato, stretches, double stops, glissando scales and normal scales. After module 8 you’ve achieve a professional level left hand technique to play for example Mendelssohn and Bruch violin concertos well (note: these concertos are not taught in the program, just the technique to achieve them).
Modules 9 and on
1 year at least
(2025 and on)
Road to Caprice 24
- Building your technique further, so you can play all variations of Paganini Caprice 24, which includes about all violin techniques. Earlier in the program you already lean some of the variations in Caprice 24.
Based on student’s questions and feedback videos we will constantly improve and add to all levels of the program.
Let’s sum it up
here’s what you’ll get in Paganini’s Secret
- Hundreds of video lessons by Vivien Hoffman from a simple G major scale ALL the way to Paganini’s Caprice 24
Valued: $ 4,000 - Close up demonstrations that you can loop and play at low speed
Valued: $ 200 - Daily practice plans for many years
Valued: $ 500 - Practice videos of Vivien showing you exactly how to practice as a beginner and as an advanced player
Valued: $ 1,500 - Ask your questions inside the program and connect with other students who are going through the same
Valued: $ 900 - Being able to play your dream piece beautifully, because you have a professional level left hand violin technique
Priceless
Total value $ 7,100
Get Started Now
Choose the Paganini's Secret plan that works best for you
Once a member you can easily switch between monthly and yearly.
You can cancel anytime with our easy to find cancellation button.
Monthly Membership
Most flexible
Monthly payments of
$ 29 USD
Yearly Membership
Just $14.92 a month
Yearly payments of
$ 179 USD
Secure checkout
with credit card or Paypal
Risk free
Cancel anytime
Paganini’s Secret works!
here’s what our students say:
My playing has improved more in a few weeks than normally in a whole year!
The focus on chords is an eye-opener. I noticed already in the second week an improvement in pitch. Why has no one told me before?
Also the way of studying velocity has helped me, especially in orchestral playing, and that in just a few weeks.
Through the highly structured approach of the assignments my playing has improved more in a few weeks than normally in a whole year.
Now that I am getting older, it is essential to keep my left hand flexible and not to stay away from the fourth finger. The stretch exercises as daily warming up I plan to keep doing for the rest of my life as an amateur violinist.
I’m a busy person, with a job, a board position and a concertmaster position in an amateur orchestra, so daily practice is not an option. That’s why online courses are perfect for me, because I can follow them at my own pace. Instead of rushing things to keep up with the schedule of the course, I do the assignments just as solid, but spread over a longer period.
The first three videos alone are almost worth the cost of the course.
I have been struggling quite a lot with my thumb in particular and in less than four minutes Vivien has helped me ENORMOUSLY. The first three videos alone are almost worth the cost of the course.
I am currently RElearning the violin after a “break” of more than 30 years — I played from age 6 to age 19, quit in college, and now in my 50s have picked it back up again. None of my teachers EVER told me that the angle of the violin and the position of the thumb should depend on my body, or suggested that I think of my body as part of the instrument. They have all insisted that there is only one “correct” position (and disagreed about what it was, lol). This is INCREDIBLY helpful! I’m going to try playing without a shoulder rest, which I never had the courage to attempt before.
No more pinky problems!
Paganini’s Secret has been a blessing to my journey in playing the violin. My fourth finger has always struggled to make it far enough to have good intonation without sliding my entire hand which just made it less accurate so I would have to adjust for intonation anyway.
The Paganini style exercises I have learned so far have really improved my flexibility between each of my other left-hand fingers and my pinky. One amazing struggle I have overcome is going down on a scale and transitioning from first finger on the higher string and playing pinky on the next string instead of the open string. Now I can keep my first finger down and place my pinky on the lower string in the correct position for a much smoother scale.
Another thing I have started to improve is placing my left-hand fingers in a bent position that doesn’t touch the other strings, especially on the G-string. This has enabled me to have an easier time playing double stops.
All in all, my left-hand feels much more relaxed and in control. It’s a great compliment to Bow Like a Pro because it really tackles all the left-hand technique issues for the whole package.
I can’t wait to get to the next modules and I am super excited to learn how to play Paganini’s 24th caprice. What an accomplishment that will be!
Blessings,
I am so thankful for the courses I’m working in – Paganini’s Secret and Bow Like A Pro. They have been life-changing for me! That is really true! I began studying violin as an adult, and have worked with several teachers, but I’ve never had the kind of instruction provided in these lessons. I am now learning the movements of the arm and hand and wrist and fingers that lead to a better sound. Both Zlata and Vivien have a wonderful teaching style, and demonstrate and explain the exercises extremely well. I can see and feel and hear a difference already. Now that I’m retired, this 70-year-old-lady has more time to work on violin. The exercises are challenging, and I enjoy playing and practicing more than ever. Thank you Zlata and Vivien!
My private teacher noticed my improvement!
I have struggled in my violin journey with not getting my low 2 notes, low enough. The stretching exercises are helping this already, I am much more aware of how low, low 2 is and there for, I am improving getting these notes in tune, and I believe with continued work on the exercises my fingers will be more physically able to manage the reach.
My private teacher has noticed in my lessons that my hand frame has improved, and I can say that the pizzicato exercises is making this happen. The chord exercises are helping me improve my ear.
With this program and Bow like a Pro I can’t help but be motivated to improve!
Happy Student!
I am amazed by all the excellent work that both of you are achieving on teaching high quality violin video instruction classes. It is by far the best courses that a beginner violinist like myself full of bad habits playing the other way around could ever found.
I am only on second page of the first module and I feel gaining so much security teaching my fingers where to go. My Bow hand is now way more steady thanks to Bow like a Pro and with Paganini’s Secrets I am on the right track.
It is funny that every time I start a new module I say to myself : “this is impossible, I will never do this” and by hard working practicing as Vivien says and watching the videos following your wonderfull instructions I am finally getting where I want to go. Both of you have inspire me so much at a time where I did not know what to do…
After about two months when I opened my eyes I see different fingers, it looks like a violin left hand that be able to do things some violinist only can do after many years.
Vivien created a really wonderful program for the left hand, called the Paganini’s Secret. Sometimes in life one faces a difficult obstacle, sometimes one that even after 10 or 20 year trying, one can’t overcome alone.
One encounters a wise or great person in our case a unique teacher. One commits, “closes once eyes” follows their advice through, even if it’s hard. Stick it through no matter what.
After some time a new path is found, a door is opened, one would have never found by oneself.
It’s not for no reason that most people quit the instrument they love and have a passion for within the first 2 years.
In theory some people say one can learn violin by oneself. In practice, I don’t think it’s possible.
One need to have a good teacher. Most important!
Good news, you don’t have to search further they are right here:
Vivien and Zlata are one of finest master teachers for the violin. Not only will they get you results: they are very pleasant, dedicated, patient, friendly and open-minded people. No matter your age or background. They will set you in the right mind frame and help you stay motivated and happy even in the most difficult violin times.
I’m not saying that the program is easy but one closes once eyes, listens and follow very carefully their instructions, sticks it though; I can report for myself after 30 days of practicing sessions, having had a small glimpse on my progress, I saw major improvement.
After about two months when I opened my eyes I see different fingers, it looks like a violin left hand that be able to do things some violinist only can do after many years.
The time frame varies slightly depending on one hand previous abilities, level of violin playing and sticking and following exercises though.
It does not really matter if it a bit more or less time.
What I’m saying, it might not be easy but well worth it.
Questions you might have…
Wasn’t Paganini a virtuoso because of a unique talent and an insane number of practice hours?
Yes, but there’s much more to it. There’s a method with which you can get faster progress in less time and we’re excited to teach you exactly how.
Wasn’t Paganini’s advantage that he had Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?
His flexible joints most like had him develop the glissando technique, but we can all learn from this. Besides the syndrome, he definitely had his own secrets and methods to playing the violin. We’re excited to teach you!
Can't I just learn this with Ricci’s books?
in the book you don’t SEE or HEAR the exercises (close up and slow motion) and it’s very hard to learn this technique. Ricci’s books can only work for you if you combine them with lessons with a specialized teacher. This online program is designed to work from the comfort of your own home. Besides that Ricci’s books are not suitable for beginners or intermediate players. He wrote them for his prodigy students who had his personal guidance.
What is the entry level for this course?
We welcome beginners even! Mind that you will take longer to complete the curriculum, but you’ll benefit from it in the first week already. Most important is that you have an open mind for learning new things, learn well independently and are disciplined by nature.
How much do I have to practice every day?
The exercises of this course ask about 15 to 30 minutes of daily practice. You will notice that you’ll get tired faster than practicing ‘the ordinary way’. Besides that we assume that you practice repertoire suitable to your level (and you’ll notice it will get better and easier).
How long does this course take?
You are welcome to learn at your own pace. If you follow the program, the fastest track to Caprice 24 is 4+ years. After module 8, which takes about 2,5 year, you have a professional level left hand technique and can play Mendelssohn and Bruch concertos well. This is just to indicate the level: these specific concertos are not taught inside the program.
We can’t guarantee how fast YOU will learn. This depends on the practice time you have, the quality of your practice and the violin skills you already have. Students in beginner stages will likely take longer.
Can you guarantee that I can play Paganini Caprice 24?
A violin teacher, online or offline, can only show you how to study based on curriculum and your personal playing. We provide you with the method and the guidance, but you have to put in the work yourself. Results depend mostly on how consistent you are in your practice, how you can self correct while practice (quality of your practice) and how well you take instructions. If you do your work, you can play Paganini Caprice 24 at the end of the program. Depending on your starting level, you can spend more time than indicated in the timeline and practice plans.
I'm a complete beginner to the violin. Can I join?
Yes, but keep in mind that you probably need more time than written in the practice plans. Also you need to learn some violin basics and simple note reading. You can learn that in Zlata’s free beginner course.
I already have a violin teacher. Will this course interfere?
In contrary! This course is designed to complement your regular violin lessons. In my violin journey I’ve had different teachers and followed various courses and masterclasses. This has been very valuable to me. Imagine how wonderful it would be to surprise your teacher with some fast improvement in your left hand technique and intonation.
I’m very busy! Is it wise to join now?
Yes, because the exercises will save you a ton of practice time. You’ll get more progress in less time.
Is sheet music included in the course?
Yes, all exercises given are guided by sheet music. This sheet music is exclusively written for this course and nowhere else available.
How does it work after I pay?
After payment, you instantly have access to the member’s area where you can watch the videos, download the practice plans and sheet music.
What technical skills are required to follow this online course?
Not so techy? No worries! If you can watch my YouTube videos or simply visit a website, you can follow along this course. Also we’re happy to help if you get stuck.
How much access do I get to the teachers for individual guidance?
This method and the instructions videos are designed to be self corrective. We show you exactly how to practice. If questions, remain you can ask them in the comment section. There are no 1 on 1 live lessons included in the tuition.
Can you learn to play the violin online?
Yes! Zlata has been teaching online and offline over 10 years and has seen time after time how students can breakthroughs online. You can access your teachers and the materials 24/7 and know exactly what to practice each day.
When do I get access? How long?
Minutes after payment you can instant access to all available modules. For the monthly and yearly memberships you will have access for the month or year you’ve paid for. Lifetime means as long as I’m actively selling this course. In case I retire for whatever reason, you will get the possibility to download all materials.
Can I download the video lessons?
For the best learning experience we have chosen for streaming videos, just as Zlata’s YouTube videos. This does mean that at all times you need an internet connection to consume the content and you can’t download the videos to watch offline.
Get Started Now
Choose the Paganini's Secret plan that works best for you
Once a member you can easily switch between monthly and yearly.
You can cancel anytime with our easy to find cancellation button.
Monthly Membership
Most flexible
Monthly payments of
$ 29 USD
Yearly Membership
Just $14.92 a month
Yearly payments of
$ 179 USD
Secure checkout
with credit card or Paypal
Risk free
Cancel anytime