How To Get Started With A Violin

So you have always tried your hand at the guitar, but you've strummed and plucked every once in a while, yet couldn't seem to make a personal connection to it. Maybe you're a violin person? 

The violin is an elegant instrument both in appearance and sound. It may not often take the center stage like the guitar especially if played in an orchestra, but if you are on the shy side yet want to make beautiful music, violin is a fitting instrument for a personality like you. 

What to Buy - Plan on spending a few hundred dollars to get an instrument in working order, but don't settle for too cheap even if this is your beginner instrument. Your violin may slip out of tune more frequently than you practice, it may not set up properly, or worse, it may crack when you need it to perform. 

If you are working with a budget, get your hands on as many violins in your price range as possible. You can get a bow and a case together with your violin, but in most cases, bows are sold separately, and are priced accordingly. As to the case, you don't have to get anything fancy; a sturdy case that will protect the instrument should do. 

Look for a clean hair so the bow grips the string properly. You need a rosin to do that, but they come cheap and last long. If you will be practicing in shared spaces, as you might when you are at home getting violin lessons online via Live Music Tutor, you can get a mute to dampen the sound.  

Some professional violin players experience collar bone pain. A shoulder rest, while a highly personal choice, can prevent you from clenching with your neck or lifting up your shoulder, which could develop into a strain injury over time. 

Should I Get a Violin Instructor Online? - Getting private online music lessons with a tutor can get you started with proper bow handling and other important techniques, which is extremely valuable because learning the basics properly will save you the frustration from unlearning incorrect techniques down the road. 

Unlike the guitar, playing the violin well can take years, and require the supervision of a proficient instructor. There are just some violin lessons that can't be communicated through words especially for students who struggle with written and verbal instruction but are better conveyed by someone who can simply show them how its done. Seeing and hearing how a master performs provides inspiration to students.  

Consider getting online violin lessons via Live Music Tutor because you can seldom find instructors in your neighborhood who are violin teachers in their day jobs if not leading chamber musicians, major soloists or international competition winners. Even if you are not planning to be a professional in the future, learning violin online from someone who has faced the pressures or experienced performance anxiety can give you a well-rounded perspective on playing the instrument.