# How difficult is it to learn the violin/what steps should I take?



## shrat

Hello! I'm 19, and a sophomore in college. I've been thinking more and more about learning the violin lately. I have a decent background in music theory. I took piano lessons from when I was around 10 to nearly 18 years old, and I'm also mediocre at guitar and accordion. Though I never took lessons for those two and am not particularly talented I taught myself the basics of both and just enjoy jamming out to my favorite music. If I learn violin I'd like to take a more serious approach though; it doesn't seem like an instrument one can casually dally in. 

The only thing is that I would mainly have the summer (early may to end of august) to take lessons, and I'll be working an internship, likely 24-40 hours a week. I'm willing to practice daily, but I'm not sure if this would be sufficient time to learn enough of the basics to continue teaching myself from there. I read that the violin is an instrument where having a teacher is very important, especially in the beginning. I found a number of teachers in my area, but am not sure if someone would even be willing to take on a beginner student for only a few months. I go to college near a fairly prestigious music school, so I may be able to find a student teacher here if I needed/had time to continue lessons during the school year, but summer would be the best time to start, both due to having more time and so my roommate doesn't have to tolerate the beginner's screeches I'll likely be making. 

Around how much would a decent violin cost? And what other things would I need to purchase? Do you think a teacher would be willing to lend me one for a few weeks to discover if I enjoyed it at all before investing in a violin of my own? How long should I take lessons before setting out on my own? I understand that I'll never be a famous violinist and that's not really what I'm looking for. I'd just like to be good enough to make some beautiful music. Around how many years do you think this would take?


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## lupinix

Well playing the violin IS very hard. I do not think however, unlike many people, that it's totally impossible to learn to play it by yourself (if you really want to play the greatest violin concertos though, you are probably too late already, at least according to most people I know), especially when you already have musical experience, at least when you have some kind of support from a violist who can help you along if you're having trouble with something. 

I would take those lessons as long as is possible for you and just see if you are able to keep up yourself afterwards. I'm sure it would help you either way and will give you a great time. 

I guess like with me your bowing hand would be the hardest part, so I would try to focus the lessons on that


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## GraemeG

You might be able to hire an instrument for a while.
You absolutely NEED a teacher. You wouldn't do surgery as a self-taught, would you?
It's true teachers some may be a bit wary of an "older" student, but explain the piano background and that should change things.
I once attempted to learn the French Horn at the age of 23, and the teacher would have turned me down flat, but for the fact I'd been playing the violin for >10 years, could read music, played in an orchestra, etc. etc.
If a teacher is _only_ teaching you the instrument they're likely to be more amenable to taking on someone older (rather than having to deal with music theory as well).

The guitar background will help, at least with tuning. You understand the frets (I assume), which matches intervals on the violin (except there are no frets, obviously).
How long does it take?

How long is a piece of string?

cheers,
Graeme


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## lupinix

GraemeG said:


> The guitar background will help, at least with tuning. You understand the frets (I assume), which matches intervals on the violin (except there are no frets, obviously).


Yeah that's why I think the greatest trouble will be your bowing hand. I've tried playing violin for some months and had a bit help from 2 violinists I knew, positions and tuning were actually not really as big a problem as I thought, probably because I also played the guitar a lot, vibrato was hard but with help I managed. Control over my right hand was even a lot more harder than I thought though. But I have learned a lot from it and to me as composer it is helpful to know the instrument a little better, even if I can't really play on it well enough.


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## Frasier

It takes a lot of work up front before you can really start to play. Your stance, the way you support the instrument, your bowing action can develop some terrible habits that simply won't let you play well until they're sorted out. So I'd advise having a few lessons at least - depending on your confidence and how much you can carry from a lesson back into your practice, perhaps a lesson per fortnight at first and later, per month, from a well qualified teacher who can spot all the problems pupils have initially. It is a difficult instrument but very satisfying once you get going. It is one of those instruments with which bad habits now will seriously hamper you technically later. Holding the instrument properly is vital for position changing and vibrato. You'll probably find your first lesson is bowing open strings with full strokes so the tilt of the bow and its positioning between the bridge and fingerboard is ingrained. 

As you can already read music you have a head start but intonation will be an initial problem.


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## Ingélou

Yes, I definitely back the idea of lessons. Plus, I think teachers are often glad to get pupils, especially over the summer when some of their school pupils can't come to them. I wouldn't buy an expensive violin till you've had a serious go at learning. It will be hard work - no doubt about that - and it's a good job you don't want to be a famous violinist. You need to be 'in love' with the violin, and if you are, you will persevere, get lessons, practise, buy a nicer-sounding violin, and one day you will indeed play beautiful music. 
I am in my sixties, having lessons & playing again after giving up twice, but this time it really is love.
Feel the passion!


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## Matsps

Who the hell are these teachers turning down adult students? WTF?


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## shrat

Thank you, everyone!! I think I'll continue considering it for a bit and begin calling local instructors next month if I'm still feeling passionate about learning it. It's really good to know that it's not impossible to learn and that there might be teachers willing to take on a summer student. Thanks again for all your help!!


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## senza sordino

Depends on what you want to achieve. 

If you want to be a touring soloist performing the big concerti with the top orchestras, it's probably not going to happen unless you start very young and you're blessed. But there are many other choices. 

My example might be illustrative. I started to play the violin in my thirties, I'm now in my forties. I currently play second violin in a local amateur orchestra. The first violins carry most of the important tunes, and my section leader helps the seconds. Today in rehearsal we played Dvorak 8th symphony. It's great fun. We're not the Vienna Phil, we do it for us and our pleasure. 

There is always hope. Never give up hope. Be realistic, but never give up hope. 

I can even muddle my way through the Four Seasons, Bach Am vc and Haydn G. And of course several of the bits and pieces of the solo Bach Sonatas and Partitas. I play these alone without an audience, and that's fine by me. I get extreme pleasure.


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## getth

Ingélou said:


> Yes, I definitely back the idea of lessons. Plus, I think teachers are often glad to get pupils, especially over the summer when some of their school pupils can't come to them. I wouldn't buy an expensive violin till you've had a serious go at learning. It will be hard work - no doubt about that - and it's a good job you don't want to be a famous violinist. You need to be 'in love' with the violin, and if you are, you will persevere, get lessons, practise, buy a nicer-sounding violin, and one day you will indeed play beautiful music.
> I am in my sixties, having lessons & playing again after giving up twice, but this time it really is love.
> Feel the passion!


FEEL The Passion...  like.. :angel:


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## Jaws

Violin is actually quite easy to learn because you can see what you are doing wrong. Wind instruments are much harder because you can't see what is happening to the air inside the person or what is happening to it as it starts to vibrate. You also can't see how to alter the tuning. What makes the violin appear hard are the orchestral parts written for it. However if you compare someone learning to play something like the clarinet with someone learning the violin it will take roughly the same length of time to learn the same number of notes, but the fingerings on the violin stay the same, it is just where you play them that is different. On the clarinet the fingerings become more complex over time.


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## Violinpiano

Just like you, I started playing the piano when I was about 9 (I am now 18). In September 2013 I began to take lessons for violin, so at this moment I am playing the violin for 8 months.
I think taking lessons is absolutely necessary to develop the correct position and playing method.
Because I am playing already 9 years the piano, reading notes and musicality weren't a problem, so I am advancing quickly. In the beginning playing in tune was not easy, but after a few weeks it became better and better. The hardest thing for me was (and is still) the bowing hand.
I wouldn't doubt about taking lessons, and certainly not about learn to play the violin.


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## Op.123

It all depends on what you find easy, and what you find hard. In some cases people will learn the violin very quickly. In others they will find it extremely difficult and progress very slowly.


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## hpowders

Winds are tough due to breath control issues. I used to play clarinet.

With string instruments, you ache in muscles you didn't know you had. I dabbled in violin for a while.


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## Majed Al Shamsi

I've taken two violin classes, and then I quit. Not because I gave up, but because my violin mysteriously disappeared...
From my experience, short-lived as it may be, it's not that difficult to learn how to play the violin. It's difficult to enjoy learning how, though.
Until you learn how to bow properly and where to put your fingers, it is going to sound horrible, and you can't cover it up.
If that doesn't bother you, I think you should totally go for it!


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## Jaws

shrat said:


> Hello! I'm 19, and a sophomore in college. I've been thinking more and more about learning the violin lately. I have a decent background in music theory. I took piano lessons from when I was around 10 to nearly 18 years old, and I'm also mediocre at guitar and accordion. Though I never took lessons for those two and am not particularly talented I taught myself the basics of both and just enjoy jamming out to my favorite music. If I learn violin I'd like to take a more serious approach though; it doesn't seem like an instrument one can casually dally in.
> 
> The only thing is that I would mainly have the summer (early may to end of august) to take lessons, and I'll be working an internship, likely 24-40 hours a week. I'm willing to practice daily, but I'm not sure if this would be sufficient time to learn enough of the basics to continue teaching myself from there. I read that the violin is an instrument where having a teacher is very important, especially in the beginning. I found a number of teachers in my area, but am not sure if someone would even be willing to take on a beginner student for only a few months. I go to college near a fairly prestigious music school, so I may be able to find a student teacher here if I needed/had time to continue lessons during the school year, but summer would be the best time to start, both due to having more time and so my roommate doesn't have to tolerate the beginner's screeches I'll likely be making.
> 
> Around how much would a decent violin cost? And what other things would I need to purchase? Do you think a teacher would be willing to lend me one for a few weeks to discover if I enjoyed it at all before investing in a violin of my own? How long should I take lessons before setting out on my own? I understand that I'll never be a famous violinist and that's not really what I'm looking for. I'd just like to be good enough to make some beautiful music. Around how many years do you think this would take?


Go for violin lessons and ask the teacher what sort of violin to hire. 
Contrary to what most people think the violin is actually the easiest instrument to learn to play. What makes people think it is difficult are the numbers of notes in orchestral violin parts, which is only a small part of playing the violin. If you want to play string quartets you can start with really easy arrangements. If you like baroque music you will be able to play quite a lot of this in a short time depending on how much practice you do. Not everyone wants to play the violin parts for romantic works in an orchestra some people are quite happy playing Classical works like those by Haydn and Mozart or by playing string orchestra music.


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