# Learning Violin without a teacher



## Sofronitsky

I am 15, and love classical music. I plan on studying composition and piano performance after I graduate from high school. I took violin at school for one year (in 6th grade) and so I still own a violin and have basic knowledge in it. I also know a bit about the instrument from what I've learned reading Rimsky-Korsakov's principles of orchestration and other orchestration manuals. Lately I've become a bit obsessed with Violin Concertos (Bruch and Sibelius are currentely blowing my mind :lol and want to start independently studying violin. I was wondering if the members of this forum could suggest some good method books for studying alone? I learn very fast and will probably practice 30 minutes or so a day. Please try and suggest books that aren't too expensive, if I had the money I would probably just get an instructor x D

tl;dr - Pianist/composer wants to learn how to play violin. Suggest budget method books for studying alone.


----------



## Rasa

Studying alone is not a method.


----------



## Aksel

Don't. Get thee to a teacher.


----------



## Delicious Manager

No, no, NO!! You cannot learn the violin satisfactorily without a teacher. You will immediately develop bad habits and faulty technique that will forever hold you back. You also run the risk of injuring yourself; playing the violin is hardly something the human body was designed to do. Without proper guidance and technique you run the risk of muscle, ligament and tendon strain and even RSI (repetitive strain injury) which could haunt you for the rest of your life.

Get a teacher!


----------



## Sofronitsky

So if the choice is between studying alone, or not learning the violin at all, I shouldn't try learning the violin?

I know basic technique from when I used to take violin, would it really be so dangerous?


----------



## Frasier

You can take the risk and get into some awful habits that will inhibit you technically sooner or later. Also 30 minutes per day is almost no use if you want to make good progress. I don't know what ABRSM grade you currently think you're at but if you said "Grade 2" then 30 mins per day every day (or most days) will get you Grade 3 in about 2 years, assuming you need no practice in reading music. For Grade 5 you need to use vibrato and unless you have every aspect of holding the instrument properly it'll be a struggle if it works at all. Good luck, even so.


----------



## KJohnson

I agree with the advice given so far. The bad habits are so intuitive that you won't feel you're doing something wrong. Even if for just a few months, do get a teacher by all means. You can then practice on your own for a while and get another teacher when you feel you need one.


----------



## Aramis

I'm learning violin without a teacher since more than a year and half.

I still can't play.


----------



## Couchie

You could probably teach yourself to play the fiddle, but the violin is another story.


----------



## TrazomGangflow

If you can't take lessons and you REALLY want to play than I think you could still try but you won't get to your full potential.


----------



## Jeremy Marchant

KJohnson said:


> ...The bad habits are so intuitive that you won't feel you're doing something wrong. ....


Thank you for that! That's a really good way for me to help my clients understand why they aren't as successful as they think should be/know they could be.


----------

