On Learning the Violin

advice from a beginner

SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021

I do not proclaim to be an expert, teacher, or advanced student on the violin. If you are an intermediate student looking for the next steps, I recommend you leave this post now and search somewhere else.

However, you can still check out a few of the other excellent posts on Musikvert.com before you leave (quick plug).

At times, the best person to speak about a subject is a beginner. We are in the early phases, still learning, making many mistakes, and can relate to others who are still new or looking to get into the subject. And playing the violin is a subject where I can be the best person to share my early experience, so hopefully, you can avoid some early mistakes that I made in my first few months.

Background

I have been learning to play the violin during the last year. I did have one unfair advantage. The trumpet was my bread in butter for more than ten years, and I did receive my degree in music composition, which provided significant help in the violin learning process.

With my strong background in music, reading music itself was very easy. I had this handy tool in my arsenal that a complete beginner may not have.

After knowing a bit of my background, can I be considered a complete beginner?  No, but I will say the techniques, skills, and muscles (muscle memory is a powerful tool when playing an instrument) needed for playing the violin are absent.

I'll still consider myself a beginner since the violin is so different from what I've come to know. Going from three valves on a trumpet (with air playing a significant factor in music-making) to four strings, no air, and no relative certainty that I'll hit the right note is a significant change. Still, I was excited to take on the challenge when I first started learning. I am excited to share some tips and advice for getting started and a few resources that have helped me immensely with learning.

Also, if you came to receive lessons and tips on actually playing the violin, I am not the right person. I'd recommend reading or watching a video from a professional. There are plenty of resources online, and I did add a few of the resources I used in this article.

These tips will help you get started and possibly feel a little lost with this new pasture you wandered into.

Tip #1 – Don’t stop

It’s a relatively simple first tip, but it’s an essential one. When you start playing violin, it’s not going to sound good. The violin isn’t a piano. You can hit a key on a piano, and it will sound like the note you want, regardless of how you strike it (not counting whether the piano is in tune or not).

On a violin, it takes a bit more effort to create a good sound. First, you have to bow correctly in the correct position, generally between the bridge (the wooden piece that’s traditionally separate from the violin) and the fingerboard. Then, you have to bow across the string correctly; you usually want to bow at a perpendicular angle from the string. Also, if you only want to hit one note, you have to make sure you strike the correct string and not hit any other. The weight of your bow on the strings is essential as well.

I haven’t even mentioned proper positioning of your left hand if you so choose to play a note beyond the open strings. It takes a lot more work to get a good sound out of a violin than a piano. Not saying the piano isn’t hard to learn, but learning to hit a note to make a good sound/tone is much easier on piano than the violin.

What I’m trying to get at is that you will not make a great sound when you first start. It can be very frustrating in the beginning. However, it’s important not to give up so quickly. Once you get past the proper position, technique, placement, weight, and motion, you’ll start to create a better tone. It won’t happen overnight, so don’t stop. Keep going and keep playing.

Tip #2 – Don’t buy an expensive instruments

If this is your first time playing, please don’t go out and buy the best violin on the market.

Don’t buy a Stradivarius! Unless you collect antiques/treasures and can afford the high price of a Stradivarius. 

You can find a good enough violin to start with from $100 - $250, possibly lower if you look for used instruments on eBay or OfferUp. I wouldn’t spend any more on a violin. Even if you think you will move beyond a beginner violin, it still doesn’t hurt to start on one. They are pretty affordable. They’ll make a good sound, and if you end up not liking the violin, you’ll know that you didn’t make a significant investment into it. I have a Cecilio electric violin and a Stentor violin. I use the electric to practice at night and the regular acoustic to practice on the weekend. They are perfect for my current need. I don’t need anything beyond these two.

I highly, highly recommend not buying anything too expensive as a beginner. When you start playing, you are still learning the instrument. If something were to happen later on (accidental breaks without any insurance), it wouldn’t cost much to buy another one if you are dedicated and want to keep playing. I’ve personally dropped my electric violin multiple times, and it still works. It’s a heavy-duty beast and can handle some rough handling, even from a toddler who thinks it’s a toy. Though, I wouldn’t be too careless with the acoustic.

Below, I’ve included the two violins I have, plus a few other affordable options that are more than enough for what you need. Additionally, if you are worried about shipping, the packaging was very secure when my violin arrived. I had no fear that it was safe throughout its entire journey to my home. However, if you prefer to buy one nearby, search for a local music store near you. With bands and orchestras in schools, I imagine there will be at least one store in your neighborhood that sells violins.

(paid link)

Tip #3 – Learn to read music

If you are a prodigy at playing by ear, you can skip this tip, but for most, I would recommend learning to read music before beginning to play. It’ll help save some time. If you can read music, you can focus on the more technical aspects of playing, such as bowing and proper placement of your left hand.

I’m not saying you’ll be a master at violin by learning to read music, but it will help save some time in the beginning if you aren’t learning two things concurrently. If you already know how to read music from a staff, you can begin playing some simple pieces and have fun with the violin. It will be a long learning process, so mix some fun with a few beginner works that could still impress someone who doesn’t know how to play.

Some tips when finding resources for learning to read music (check back on our website in a year, we may include some lessons), you can skip anything that addresses bass clef. The violin range is all in treble clef, and while learning bass clef can be helpful if you also decide to learn piano or some bass instrument, it’s not needed right now for the violin.

Also, don’t be intimated by the staff, rhythms, notes, or symbols. You can think about this all as the ABCs of music. The basics will come very quickly. It will take a week at most but can be learned in a few days if you have time and are a quick learner.

Tip #4 – Spend proper time on proper playing

It is so easy to play the wrong way. You may ask, “Why do you have to play in a certain, proper way?”

The short answer – it will make playing easier in the long run.

By playing with the correct technique, bowing correctly with a good angle and weight, and proper placement of your left hand, you’ll be able to adapt and learn more complicated pieces. I made the mistake of not focusing too much on proper playing techniques and ended up having to correct a few improper approaches. I knew it wasn’t appropriate since I was feeling a little pain after playing.

So please take the appropriate amount of time to focus on proper playing techniques. It’s vital for overall playing and the health of your body. You don’t want to end up with pain in your wrist, shoulder, or your neck.

Tip #5 – It’s perfectly fine to learn from free content

We live in a great time in history. You can find answers on almost anything online. Disclaimer: Please be careful with what you read online. Not all of it is true, and some can be harmful.

However, there are lots of great resources online that are free for you. Professional violinists and teachers have spent hours creating free videos and blog articles. There is no shame in using these free resources. They contain great information to help you get started. Working with a teacher, in the beginning, will be extremely useful, but if you are on a budget and can’t afford regular lessons, the resources you find for free online are perfectly alright to use.

Not all content is created equal, so do your research. Find someone that you can trust, is credible, and has years of experience performing and teaching. Also, please note, while these resources are free, many teachers will save their best tricks, tips, and lessons for paying students. There will be a limit with how much you can learn on your own but exhaust all your options with free content. If you find yourself wanting a teacher to advance your skills, schedule some private lessons; it will surely be worth it.

Below, I’ve included a few videos that I’ve used in the beginning to kick off my learning in my violin.

Tip #6 – Motivation

When you first begin learning violin, you have the adrenaline and rush of learning something new, but that first drive will only get you so far.

You’ll need goals, objectives, anything to help you keep moving forward, especially if you enjoy violin and want to continue. I’ve personally given myself goals on specific music, techniques, or exercises that I want to learn. Other beginners I’ve spoken to have mentioned that recording themselves each time they play, and posting has been great to keep them moving forward.

It won’t be long before you begin hearing the little voice in your head not to practice. That little voice is a fantastic salesman and could most likely get you to buy a brand new car with all the extras. You’ll have to find ways to quiet that voice and move forward. After a few weeks or months of playing, you still enjoy playing the violin, find ways to keep yourself motivated in playing.

The feeling can be synonymous with New Year’s resolutions. In the beginning, you have the drive, focus, and energy to complete the original goal you set, but this won’t last long. You have to continue revisiting and revising your plans to keep you moving forward. You’ll thank yourself for doing so.

Tip #7 – Proper handling

I needed this tip for myself before starting to play.

It’s essential to understand your instrument and learn how it works, and maintain the instrument properly. Learn how to properly store the instrument, learn the different parts, the bow, and the strings. On my first try tuning the violin, I snapped one of the strings, mainly due to my ignorance and false confidence in thinking that I could tune it. I told myself, “how hard could it be?”

Now, strings don’t cost a lot to replace, and you can find a music store that sells and can replace the broken string with a new one. However, you’ll save yourself some money by taking the time to learn from experts on proper maintenance. Again, you can find these resources free online.

However, be careful! The nuance of tuning the violin and turning the knobs properly is sometimes best shown in person. So when learning online, please pay extra special attention to the tuning section to avoid the mistake of snapping a string, which isn’t hard to do.

Below are some video you can watch that can help you:

Tip #8 – Have fun

It’s relatively easy to get into the exercises and practice proper technique, then become overwhelmed and unmotivated.

Make time to have fun. I mentioned this a bit in Tip #3, but it’s important to continue enjoying the violin. It’s an enjoyable activity, and it’s so satisfying to learn a piece of music. Make it one of your goals (to help your motivation) to learn a simple song that you would enjoy playing. There was something, a piece of music or you hearing a person play the violin, that got you interested in playing, so use whatever got you interested in initially playing as a goal to play. I originally had a goal of just being able to play “Happy Birthday.” It’s such a simple song, but I wanted to play it for a family member who I know would enjoy it.

It’s also straightforward to find free music online. I use the site below and IMSLP, a library of public domain music that is up for grabs. However, be careful when finding music online. Make sure it’s public domain in your country. For the most part, most music before the 1900s is part of public domain. Once you get into works by 20th and 21st-century composers, you’ll find it challenging to find free music, but it is not impossible.

https://www.8notes.com/violin/

It’s also relatively affordable and cheap to find a book of music to play from. I recommend a few of the books below—a few of them I have and use for my studies.

(paid link)

Closing Thoughts

The tips above should help you keep in the process of learning the violin; many of the tips can be used for learning any instrument. While it doesn’t provide any guidance for actually playing violin, I recommend reading or watching videos from someone who has more experience, not a beginner like me. These tips aren’t addressed often and can often become roadblocks for many beginners if not known.

I hope you enjoyed tips from a beginner. If there are any tips, you’d like to include, please share them in the comment section below.

Play on and have fun!