How important are the basics of violin?

The basics are so named because they never stop being important! Every weakness in a person’s playing can be traced back to neglecting one or more basic principles or skills. Conversely, you can be sure that the strongest players have never lost sight of those basics, even though their playing style may have changed over the years.

How often do students forget to practice the basics? 

It’s rare for me to come across anyone who is completely sound in all the basic skills of violin playing. So we all neglect the basics from time to time. Unless you’re playing many hours each day, while listening and watching carefully, some key skill is going to suffer. In fact, when I notice a problem in a passage that I’m playing, it’s likely because I’ve forgotten the importance of a basic skill.

Why do you think they forget it?