Getting Started

The violin is an exciting instrument to learn, because it is one of the most expressive instruments in the orchestra. By virue of being made from wood, each violin has its own voice, as wood varies in its ability to vibrate. It is the sympathetic vibrations in the wood that gives the violin, and other members of the string family, its unique sound.

The first thing to remember when choosing a violin, is that size is everything! It is important that the violin is neither too small nor too big, as either could lead to you playing out of tune and also lead to back problems. Often it is unfortunately the case that school violins are too big for the player. This is not neccessarily a reflection on the quality of teaching, just on the availability of the instruments to hand. It is one of the things that frustrates a lot of pupils learning in a school, as they are unable to reach to play with fingers, meaning that they get bored easily because all they're doing is playing open strings. I recommend that you buy your own violin. If it's for an adult, buy a cheap one to start with, and then when you get to higher grades (generally you have decided whether you want to continue by then) buy a better one. Children will require several violins before they reach full size, so a cheaper one is better as they will grow! Other reasons in favour of the cheaper violin at first is the possibility of the pupil dropping the violin, or simply finding that it is not the right instrument for them

Other things to make sure that you buy are rosin else you'll not make a sound, spare strings (they do sometimes break!) a duster for cleaning your violin, and a sponge to use for support. The last one is important, as it is hard to play without any support, and you also will find it harder to play in tune or shift position and do vibrato (this comes later on.)

When looking at violins, the easiest way to get the right violin is to put it on your shoulder! Put the violin right up on your shoulder so that when you turn your head and put your chin on the chinrest your face is in profile to anyone opposite you, then extend your arm and curl your fingers right round the scroll (the curly end) into the peg box. If you can do this with the violin leaving a very small bend in your arm then it is the right size for you! Some shorter adults might find that they don't want a full-size at all-they may need a 3/4 size or a 7/8 (almost full) size.

Finally if you've done all that it is time to start lessons! My pupils learn very much by ear from the start. This has the advantage that when they do start learning to read music, they will not be completely fixed to it. Instead they will be able to pick up and learn tunes by heart, making them much more flexible in their expression. Tunes are learned by listening to a CD at first, and then by means of both the written music and the CD. Even when they are capable of reading the music, I would encourage that pupils still continue to memorise each piece. It is not only beneficial to their playing, but also to their capacity to memorise other things! It is also a step towards being able to improvise, as playing without music can lead to "twiddling" or playing around with bits of a piece, which leads to improvising from scratch, which can lead to composing their own tunes

Violin pupils initially start out with particular tunes, but once a pupil has a better grasp on how to play, then choice of pieces becomes more negotiable, and it is possible for a pupil to have some say in what they play. Of course I reserve the right to say that a piece is too difficult or unsuitable for the violin. If it is too difficult then it is put to one side for a while til the pupil has reached a standard at which they could conceivably play it. Then the piece can be learned. I myself spent years wanting to play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, and I finally played it for my dissertation recital. It gives you something to work towards if there is something beautiful you want to be able to play, but you are not yet of a high enough standard to play it.

The final thing I would say is that positivity when playing an instrument is important. Rewards for doing something well, stickercharts if you're struggling, and having small, achievable targets is the way to go. Exams are great for some people, but for others they can be too scary a prospect, especially if all you want to do is play for fun. Starting slowly is the best thing with any instrument, but especially the violin, where there are a fair number of things to master at the start, so don't get discouraged if things seem tricky to start with, when it all falls into place you'll wonder what was so hard about it! Practise is important to help it fall into place, and regular small practises are better than irregular long ones, as it's tiring at first, so quality of practise time rather than length, and if you only manage 5 minutes a night, but it's a good 5 minutes then that's enough!

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