If you are reading this, it means you are getting serious about learning the violin. In this post, I will share with you a step-by-step guide that will help you off to a solid start.
- Find a good violin teacher: You can find violin teachers by asking local music department whether they have students who take adult learners or go to a local violin shop for referrals. Many violin shops will have a list of local teachers that you can contact.
Regardless of your background with the violin, I highly recommend learning the violin in person during the first year to learn how to properly hold the instrument and its bow. Having someone to look at your posture and give you feedback can be a good refresher.
After I have decided to learn the violin in 2016, I know there is one violin shop in the city where I live. I talked with a student, who studied Strings Pedagogy as her undergraduate study, about learning the violin. I consulted with her about finding a violin teacher. She told me that she could teach me if I was interested. While I never saw her play the violin, I agreed to be her student.
- Invest in your violin: Buying a violin can be a confusing experience. I would avoid buying the violin that I cannot hear its sound. As a beginner, I went to a violin shop with my teacher and we tried a few violins. I did not have a big budget so I had a few options: A student violin package (a violin, a bow, a case), A starter violin in which I have to purchase a bow and a case separately, or A rental option in which the 6-month payment can go towards my purchase.
I definitely know that I wanted to learn so I have decided to purchase my own violin. Before I had made my decision, my violin teacher played the violins while I listened. After she played, she also shared with me how each instrument responded and the ease of playing on them. While I did not know what those meant as I was a newbie, I took their advice I went with the one that had the sound I liked and the ease of playing from my instructor’s comments. - Appropriately setup your instrument: Besides the violin and the bow, you will also need a shoulder pad or shoulder rest, a rosin, and a cloth. The shoulder rest helps filling in the gap between the back of the violin and your collarbone area. At the beginning, I started with a shoulder rest. My teacher spent a part of the first lesson to explain and adjust my violin hold and its level.
A rosin is for your bow hair. A new rosin with a smooth surface will need to be activated by using a sharp tip or a tip of a key and scratch its surface. My teacher explained to me that a few swipes are enough. By a few swipes, she recommends swiping from end to end two times. That’s it. One caution I was told right away is to avoid touching the bow hair with my fingers as the rosin will interact with the oil and will cake up on the hair. If that happens, the bow needs to be re-haired.
A cloth is to wipe the violin and strings after practicing. Leaving the rosin residue on the violin can damage the varnish. Simply wipe down with dry cloth after practicing once or twice a week. - The first few lessons: After you have found an in-person violin teacher and the violin, let the journey begins. You might have already heard that the fiddle instruments, violins, violas, cellos, are hard instruments to learn. The hardest part at the beginning that I have found is holding the instrument and its bow.
My teacher spent a good three weeks giving me exercises on how to hold a bow and the violin. She also gave me a few finger exercises to work on my bow hold. My teacher and I spent about 2 weeks talking about the setup and exercises of holding the instruments before making any sound on the violin.
Hopefully you will find this information helpful. Enjoy the journey!