# Learning violin, cello or flute?



## RobB19

Hi all,

Hope you're all well. I wanted to post in this forum to gain some advice about deciding to learn the violin, cello of flute. I've been having this thought for a long time and I can't seem to come to a decision, so hopefully with some extra advice I can make a decision. 

I am a pianist and 25. I've been playing the piano since the age of 7. Achieved Grades 1-8 in both practice and theory but ever since I moved countries, I obviously couldn't take my piano with me! Had to leave it behind, and due to finances and busy lives with university and jobs, I couldn't afford to get a piano. I am a Psychology graduate, but recently I felt that something is missing and that's my music. I miss it and I really regret not taking up music in university. I always wanted to play in an orchestra and an orchestral instrument but I wanted to continue my piano first. Before I moved countries, I decided to start the violin and played it and went for lessons for a month before I left the country. Since then I didn't pick it back up (again because of busy life with jobs and starting uni to study Psychology).

As I mentioned, I started missing my music and decided to buy a cheap instrument so I can have music back in my life. I bought the guitar and am self-teaching myself as I'm only doing it for leisure. But I am thinking of studying professionally the violin, cello or the flute. I can't recall how much I liked the violin when I tried it for a month before but I don't remember complaining about it. I like the agility in some of the pieces and that it's portable. It can also have a nice sound. The cello is quite big as an instrument, more expensive but the sound is quite deep which I like and it can go higher too. I enjoy the flute's crispiness and how fluent and lovely it can sound.

My issue is, that I want to learn it (if I can achieve this at my age : 25) in a music college and master it and play in an orchestra or an ensemble. It would be my dream to be part of this and perhaps teach music in the future. I am willing to give it all and practice a lot. I know what this means from learning the piano and it took so much effort to learn it. I also want to know how easy it is to get a place in the orchestra for violin, cello and flute. I wouldn't want to settle for an instrument knowing I may not stand a chance to be part of an orchestra. I'm not a big fan of the viola, just because the sound doesn't get to me as much as violin or cello (in terms of string instruments). 

I know they're completely different and may be a lot to ask but I want some insight into the facts of learning these instruments so I can make a reasonable decision when deciding on one. They're all lovely. Ideally, I enjoy the fast playing but at the same time I like that nice deep sound of an instrument. I also would want to be able to play a melody and not play an accompaniment part in an orchestra. I would want that solo/melody line. I enjoyed this in the piano where you can choose to accompany or play solo!

Any thoughts and insights please share! and thank you so much


----------



## sevennotes

Cello is an awesome instrument to learn, but keep in mind that you have to lug it around, and it's pretty big. One nice thing about the cello is that it is more forgiving, intonation wise, than violin But it's also depend on your interest if you are interested to learn violin then you can choose violin.


----------



## wkasimer

sevennotes said:


> Cello is an awesome instrument to learn, but keep in mind that you have to lug it around, and it's pretty big.


I wish that someone had told me that back when I was 10 years old. I might have taken up the viola instead. I'm 60 now, and shlepping the cello is becoming harder and harder for someone with a touchy spine and two bad knees.

That said, if your goal is to play in an orchestra, pick violin or cello. There are no shortage of opportunities for strings. My local community chamber orchestra, for example, has two flute players, and often the pieces that we play require only one, or none. We have at least twelve violins and four cellos, and we'd be a lot better off with more of both. And viola players are in such short supply that we usually have to hire one or two for concerts.


----------



## Vasks

wkasimer said:


> That said, if your goal is to play in an orchestra, pick violin or cello.


Yep! That's very true in many places. The flute is easier to sound decent quicker than a string instrument but decent flute players are a dime a dozen.



wkasimer said:


> And viola players are in such short supply that we usually have to hire one or two for concerts.


Yep! Many amateur orchestras need more violas


----------

