# beginner seeking advice



## bandaid

I know little to nothing about classical music but I have become increasingly more interested in it lately. I have a desire to learn an instrument to enrich the quality of my life and for other reasons. The problem is I am 22 and have never learned to play an instrument. I am interested in learning violin or cello. I don't have extra cash to spend on an instrument or lessons. 
My boyfriend has an acoustic guitar I could use. I am thinking about learning to play it to work on my dexterity and gauge my musical ability. Is this a good place to start, considering it is the only option I can currently afford?
To be more specific, would my ability to learn the guitar be any indicator of my ability to learn a violin or cello in the future?


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## Lunasong

Congratulations on wanting to learn to play a musical instrument. As a first step, do you know how to read musical notation? If you do, you've already taken a big step toward acquiring this new language.

Based on the information given, I encourage you to learn to play your boyfriend's guitar (does he play and will he teach you? Depending on the relationship, learning from your partner can be a good OR bad thing). Your ability to learn the guitar does not really give any indication that you will be able to learn violin or cello. What it will do for you is develop a good habit of practicing regularly, working with musical notation, build your familiarity with repertoire, and give you a sense of accomplishment at learning something new.

If you do decide to play violin or cello in the future, and I don't want to discourage you at all from that, please work with a teacher. It is so much easier to learn something new correctly, than take years to eliminate a bad habit. Because of the way the violin is held (or should be) there are a lot of long-term bad things you can do to yourself if you don't hold it and play it correctly.


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## Ukko

bandaid said:


> I know little to nothing about classical music but I have become increasingly more interested in it lately. I have a desire to learn an instrument to enrich the quality of my life and for other reasons. The problem is I am 22 and have never learned to play an instrument. I am interested in learning violin or cello. I don't have extra cash to spend on an instrument or lessons.
> My boyfriend has an acoustic guitar I could use. I am thinking about learning to play it to work on my dexterity and gauge my musical ability. Is this a good place to start, considering it is the only option I can currently afford?
> To be more specific, would my ability to learn the guitar be any indicator of my ability to learn a violin or cello in the future?


1st the downer: without 'discretionary' funds for a teacher, you are unlikely ever to learn to play classical violin or cello well enough to please - yourself. With considerable dedication you can learn country fiddling without knowing music notation.

2nd the middling: an acoustic guitar is not necessarily a classical guitar; does it have nylon or gut strings? If your boyfriend will be your teacher, does he finger-pick? You will need to read music notation.

3rd the upper: when you have learned classical guitar you can make music for yourself as well as others. Playing for yourself in the dead of night can be a great solace for the spirit.

Re that 3rd: my information comes from a very good friend, now dead. My only instrument is the jewsharp; solace is limited.


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## kv466

Congratulations on wanting to play...if you have a guitar there ready to go, by all means try and learn it. If you want to learn strictly classical then you're going to need a nylon string guitar and they are cheaper than ever nowadays. Save up three hundred bucks and you could have a fine one. I am a firm believer that teachers are only necessary for students who can not learn for themselves. I do, however, recognize that this incorporates the majority of the masses but give yourself a chance to see what you can do since you can't afford one for now anyway. I've only taken piano lessons a handful of times and that teacher couldn't stand me and I couldn't stand him. I quit and the next thing I know I was composing pieces of music. Anyway, the point is that if you don't have the money and don't see yourself having the money anytime soon that doesn't mean that you just sit back and curse the world that you don't have a teacher. It simply means that you can't afford one and thus you open yourself to the greatest possibility of all; you give yourself the chance to learn for yourself which can be just as rewarding as being taught to play the most difficult piece of music ever written. 

Either way and in the end, do play and do what you can to express yourself musically. Enjoy.


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## Vesteralen

After 40 years of trying to teach myself classical guitar, I finally broke down and started taking lessons several months ago. I already knew how to read music, by the way. My problems had to do with technique and positioning. I've learned more in those few months than I learned in all those years of self-teaching. (Plus, my teacher is also teaching me jazz, progressive rock and bluegrass along with classical, so it's been quite an experience.)

I would definitely try informal learning first - especially if you have to learn musical notation and the rudiments of where things are on the guitar. But, I would recommend lessons as soon as you are able to get (and pay for) them, if you feel that you have a real inclination toward guitar music. (I don't mean to discourage you from trying to learn without paying for lessons - and granted, not all teachers will be worth the money - but, it really does pay to have at least one other person who can show you the ropes and point out the things that are hanging you up from progressing.)

And, as previously suggested, make sure you have a nylon-stringed instrument. Building callouses on your finger tips can be painful enough for a beginner without having to put up with steel strings. My classical guitar has a flat fretboard (rather than the slightly curved version most acoustic guitars have). It gives you a little more room between the strings which is good for playing without a pick, but it is a lot harder to bar across (using one finger of the left hand - assuming you are playing a right-handed guitar - to hold down multiple strings simultaneously).

I'm not sure how any of this will translate to violin or cello playing. But, there is a whole world of beautiful music for the classical guitar if you want to learn it.

Wish you well on your journey.


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## bandaid

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I do not know how to read musical notation yet but I look forward to learning in the future. My boyfriend plays guitar and is willing to teach me. He is a very patient person and a good teacher. He has taught me many things. From that I assume he will be a good at teaching me to play. I have no desire to try teach myself cello or violin because I know there would be a good chance I would develop bad habits. I would rather have a knowledgeable teacher guide me so I learn correctly.


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## bandaid

bandaid said:


> Thank you for sharing your opinion. I do not know how to read musical notation yet but I look forward to learning in the future. My boyfriend plays guitar and is willing to teach me. He is a very patient person and a good teacher. He has taught me many things. From that I assume he will be a good at teaching me to play. I have no desire to try teach myself cello or violin because I know there would be a good chance I would develop bad habits. I would rather have a knowledgeable teacher guide me so I learn correctly.


 This was a reply to Lunasong.


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