How (Not) to Hold the Violin Bow: 5 Steps to Form a Natural, Relaxed Bow Hold

The way you hold the violin bow is directly correlated to the sound you are producing. A relaxed bow hold will help you produce a good tone, allow for smoother string crossings, and eventually give you the tools to play fast sections and do advanced bow strokes.

Whether you are learning a beginner bow hold, of if you’ve been playing violin a while, it’s a great idea to rethink how to hold the violin bow properly for the best control and relaxation. So if you’re not completely happy with that tone you’re producing it might be time to reevaluate your bow hold.

Let’s talk about how to hold the violin bow for beginners and the common mistakes I see with bow holds and how those mistakes can negatively affect your sound.

Also visit, How Much to Tighten Your Bow: The Ultimate Guide to Tightening and Loosening Your Bow

Is it a Bow Hold or a Bow Grip?

When learning how to hold the bow, you will hear both terms: bow hold and bow grip. I dislike the term bow grip because “grip” implies force and tension. You want to avoid tension at all costs when it comes to the bow, so I avoid calling it a bow grip. The term bow hold is better but even that has its negative connotations.

You really aren’t even holding the bow. Once you learn to form a relaxed bow hold, you will realize you’re just balancing the bow between the thumb and the fingers. So instead of a bow hold, it should be called a bow balance. But I’ll keep calling it a bow hold for traditions sake!

Is There a Correct Way to Hold a Violin Bow?

While there are many variations on the violin bow hold, there are many common mistakes people have when it comes to learning to hold the violin bow. Holding the bow incorrectly will negatively affect your sound. The way you were originally taught to hold your violin bow can have a lasting affect on your bow hold, even if you’ve matured beyond those beginning stages.

So before we get into how to hold your violin bow correctly, let’s talk about some approaches to holding the bow that don’t yield good results.

A lot of methods use what I call the “one finger at a time approach.” You put this finger here and this finger here and the pinky on top and curve your thumb underneath… And then you usually end up with something unnatural.

The one finger at a time approach doesn’t work because each finger in the bow hold has to work together as one cohesive unit.

Another method I’m not a huge fan of is the “bow hold bunny.” This method involves the middle two fingers touching the thumb like the bunny’s teeth and the pinky and index finger sticking up in the air like the ears. When you do this on the bow it’s like the bunny is eating the stick and then you flop the ears down on the stick. In my opinion this approach to holding the violin bow has a lot of different problems. For one, it’s going to make the middle two fingers be unnatural close to each other. It also tends to make people pinch the bow with the middle fingers. And then the pinky and the index finger are unnaturally spaced.

Avoid the dreaded, unnatural, bow hold bunny monster

This approach might be fine for very young children. But I think mature children and adults benefit from a different approach when it comes to beginner bow holds and learning how to hold the violin bow properly.

How to Hold the Violin Bow

This is how I teach students to hold the violin bow. And even if you’ve been playing for a long time, I think it’s always a good idea to revisit the basics of bow hold and see if there’s anything you could do differently to relax more and get a better tone.

Bow Hold Step 1: Get the Fingers Relaxed

The first step to learning to hold the violin bow is to put down the bow! We’ll get to that later.

Get your fingers relaxed

Next I like to have students hang their right hand by their side and relax the hand. Shake the hand if you want to get rid of any tension. Don’t think about anything. Overthinking how to hold the bow usually results in bad bow holds.

Now, bring the hand up until the arm is horizontal. Continue to let the fingers dangle. That’s usually a perfect beginner bow hold. The fingers are naturally spaced with a gentle curve. They’re not abnormally straight, nor are they abnormally curved. The thumb is gently curved as well. For the standard bow hold, you also want the elbow to be even with the wrist and the knuckles. You don’t ever want the knuckles or the fingers to be above the wrist for a standard, beginner, middle of the bow bow hold.

Now we just have to figure out where will the bow touch the fingers?

Bow Hold Step 2: Learning Where the Fingers Touch the Violin Bow

When learning how to hold the violin bow for beginners, always start with a pencil. I use a pencil to demonstrate where the fingers are placed in a perfect violin bow hold. 

If I keep my hand relaxed with the knuckles, wrist, and elbow even, all I have to do is bring my pencil up until the pinky can rest on the pencil.

Bring the pencil up to your pinky

make sure you have part of your fingers on top of the pencil

I bring my pencil up until the pinky comfortably rests on the stick and the middle knuckles or the area right below the middle knuckles are also resting on top of the stick.

Having fingers on top of the stick is very important because that’s how weight is going to be transferred into the stick and that’s how you produce and good tone.

Bow Hold Step 3: Place the Thumb

One of the most common questions I see when it comes to forming a beginner violin bow hold is where do I place the thumb?

Place the thumb underneath the pencil where ever it naturally falls, usually between the 1st and 2nd fingers. The important thing is to not overthink where the thumb is placed. Where does your thumb go to naturally balance the fingers that are on top of the stick?

One very important thing to remember when it comes to forming the bow hold is to gently curve the thumb. You never want a “hitchhiker’s thumb” that is unnatural bent backwards and locked.

Avoid the stiff, bent hitchhiker’s thumb

avoid bending your thumb back like this

Bow Hold Step 4: Slant the Fingers

You want to have a slight slant with the fingers so that everything is leaning just slightly towards the index finger.

Bow hold with no slant

bow hold with slight slant towards index finger

And that’s your beginner’s bow hold! Do you see how forming everything as one cohesive unit makes for a more natural and relaxed bow hold? Continue practicing your violin bow hold on a pencil wherever you are. But now let’s move on to forming the violin bow hold on the violin bow!

Violin Bow Hold Step 5: Forming the Violin Bow Hold With the Bow

When it comes to forming the violin bow hold on the bow, people tend to fall back into a “this finger goes here, this finger goes here approach.” Avoid this approach at all costs and try to always form the bow hold as one cohesive unit.

Start off by holding the bow horizontal with your left hand holding the bow at the tip.

Now, get your right hand relaxed again and place it on top of the stick right in the middle of the bow. That area is just like a pencil. Place your thumb, gently curved underneath the stick, wherever it naturally falls.

Then with your left hand, pull the bow and let your hand slide down to the frog until your thumb hits the tip of the frog. Your thumb will rest right at the tip of the frog, not inside that tempting little space inside the frog.

Form the bow hold in the middle of the bow

slide the bow hold down until your thumb hits the top of the frog

And that’s how you form a natural, relaxed bow hold.

Common Beginner Bow Hold Mistakes

When it comes to learning how to hold the violin bow, there are many mistakes beginners make that can negatively impact the sound and your joy of playing! Let’s talk through some common bow hold mistakes.

Bow Hold Mistake #1: Bending the Thumb Back

This locks the thumb and makes it unmovable and inflexible. You need that thumb to be relaxed to produce a lovely sound! So relax the thumb and let it naturally curve.

Bad thumb

good thumb

Bow Hold Mistake #2: Pinching the Stick with the Fingers

Don’t try to pinch the stick to hold the violin bow.

Let the fingers dangle over the stick. Remember, you aren’t really holding the bow and you’re definitely not gripping the bow! You’re really just balancing the bow between the fingers and the thumb.

Most people try to pinch the bow because they feel very uncomfortable balancing the bow on the thumb.

This is very understandable. Practice balancing the bow hold over a soft pillow or mattress if you are afraid of dropping the bow.

As you can see by the picture, pinching the bow with the tips of the fingers leads to a very straight pinky, and a bent back thumb.

All of the fingers are locked and inflexible which will contribute to a stiff sound. You need those fingers to move like little shock absorbers or springs, so loosen up and let those fingers drape over the stick!

Bow Hold Mistake #3: Not Curving the Pinky

Avoid locking the pinky straight

You also don’t want the pinky to be straight and locked (unless, you are playing in the upper half of the bow). Keep that pinky gently curved and on top of the stick.

Notice when your pinky is straight and locked how immovable it is. We need that pinky to flex just like all of the other fingers.

When the pinky locks on the violin bow, there’s a good chance it’s forcing the thumb to bend back and lock as well.

So relax all of the fingers. Practice holding your bow over something soft if you are afraid of dropping it.

And we’ve all dropped violin bows. It still happens to me sometimes and I’ll wonder what in the world just happened.

It’s not a bad idea to practice in a room with carpet, or place a rug in your practice area.

Bow Hold Mistake #4 Placing the Thumb Inside the Frog

It might be tempting to place your thumb inside that little dip in the frog, like the picture below. But don’t do it! Place your thumb at the tip of the frog, in between the tip of the frog and the leather grip.

Avoid placing the thumb inside the frog

place the thumb at the tip of the for and in between the frog and the leather grip

Do Fiddlers Hold the Violin Bow Differently?

A fiddler’s bow hold at the balance point

Is there a different way to hold the fiddle bow? While there is no difference between a violin bow and a fiddle bow, some fiddlers do hold the bow higher up on the stick. This facilities fast string crossings and easier double stops and compliments the style of playing.

If you are a beginner just starting to learn to play, I recommend holding the violin bow at the frog, even if you only want to fiddle. If you can hold the bow at the frog, you can hold it at the middle. But it’s harder to hold the bow in the middle and then transition to holding it at the frog.

Conclusion: Holding the Bow the Right Way

The bow hold is absolutely crucial to good tone production and advanced bow strokes. Having a natural, relaxed bow hold is not something you’ll be able to master in one day. It takes time to teach the muscles to relax and be in control of the stick. So give yourself time but reevaluate your bow hold often. Since the violin bow hold is so crucial to your sound, it’s a topic I talk a lot about in my online studio. I’ve got lots of lessons and workshops on the bow hold, so if you’re interested in seeing what my online studio has to offer, learn more here!

Happy Practicing!

Once you learn to hold the bow correctly, learn the secret to better bow control and relaxation!

How Tight Do You Tighten A Violin Bow?: The Ultimate Guide to Tightening and Loosening Your Violin Bow

When you first receive your violin bow, the hair will probably be touching the stick. You have to tighten the violin bow which forces the hair to stretch and move away from the stick in order to play. But a common question when it comes to learning how to tighten the violin bow is “how MUCH do I tighten the violin bow?”

Well, it depends.

When you are just beginning, you can learn to tighten the violin bow by sight. But as you become more comfortable playing, you will learn to tighten the violin bow based on feel.

When you are finished playing, you will want to loosen the hair on your violin bow to release the tension.

But first let’s talk about the mechanics of tightening and loosening a violin bow.

How to Tighten a Violin Bow

Hold the violin bow horizontally in front of you with the frog to the right. You’ll notice a silver screw at the very end of the frog. Turn the screw away from you and watch the middle of the bow. You’ll begin to see the bow hair moving away from the stick.

Also notice the frog. Do you see how the frog moves as well when tightening the violin bow? The more you tighten, the more space is created between the tip of the frog and the leather grip. This is the place where your thumb goes so if you find there’s not enough space for your thumb, tighten the bow a little more.

Notice how Tightening the bow changes the space between the frog and the leather grip

the looser the bow, the less space between the frog and the leather grip

The Rule for Tightening the Violin Bow

Eventually, you will tighten the bow based on sight and feel, but if you are a beginner here is a rule for tightening your violin bow by sight.

Notice the stick of the violin bow is curved with the stick dipping down towards the middle slightly.

To tell how much to tighten your bow, turn the screw until you can fit your pinky in between the violin stick and the hair at the middle of the bow.

Watch the middle of the bow as you tighten and continue turning the screw until you could fit your pinky in between the stick and the hair in the middle of the bow. You have to look at the middle of the bow because if you look at the ends, you will see the hair is further away from the stick. Use the middle as your gauge.

Now, the “pinky” rule is a good place to start. However, I notice that most people don’t tighten the bow enough when using this rule. So tighten the violin bow so that your pinky with a little bit of space on either side can fit in between the stick and the hair.

Tighten the bow until you can fit your pinky in between the hair and the stick in the middle of the bow

What Happens if You Tighten a Violin Bow Too Much?

Can you over tighten a violin bow? Yes! Over tightening a bow can damage the bow. When you over tighten the bow, the stick will be very straight without any of that natural curve. All that extra tension can warp or break the stick. You’ll also over stretch your hair which means you will have to continue over tightening your bow just to get to a “normal” tightness because the hair is too loose. You’ll have to get the bow rehaired sooner rather than later.

Over tightening the bow also makes it harder to play. The bow is too stiff when the hair is too tight resulting in unwanted bounces and scratches. The bow will be harder to control when the hair is too tight.

Can You Play if Your Violin Bow Hair is Too Loose?

When people learn that over tightening the violin bow can damage that expensive wooden stick, they tend to under tighten the bow.

While under tightening the bow will not damage it, it will make it harder to play. When the violin bow is too loose there is no resistance. You need a little give in the hair to be able to apply and release weight to get a good tone.

Just like Goldilocks, it’s all about getting it just right and that comes down to learning to tighten the violin bow based on feel.

How to Tighten the Violin Bow by Feel

Eventually, you will be able to feel if your violin bow is too tight or too loose as you play violin. The best way to learn to do this is to experiment. Try barely tightening your violin bow and then play something. You’ll notice there is no resistance or “give” in the violin bow. You can’t apply any weight into the string.

Now try slightly over tightening the violin bow (don’t worry, this will just be for a second). Play something now. Notice how the violin bow is too stiff and also looses some of its resistance and give. The bow is probably so stiff when it is overtightened that it is much easier to bounce the bow and get unwanted bounces.

Loosen the bow until you feel the correct amount of resistance.

How Much Do I Loosen the Violin Bow

When you are finished playing, you will want to loosen the hair on the violin bow. This will your hair to last longer and reduce the tension on the stick. But how much do you loosen the violin bow?

Most people tend to loosen the bow too much when they are finished playing. Simply loosen the screw until the hair is just touching the stick. That’s it! You can put your violin bow to bed now!

The correct amount to tighten the violin bow

The Correct amount to loosen the Violin Bow

Do I have to loosen the bow every time I finish playing?

If you’re just taking a short break, it’s fine to leave the violin bow hair tight. If you’re taking a longer break or if you are done for the day, it’s best to go ahead and loosen the bow hair.

What happens if you loosen the bow too much?

The hair will get very loose and floppy and eventually you will unscrew the screw completely. Don’t worry! You didn’t break your violin bow. Simply reinsert the screw and tighten it again. You may notice when you loosen your violin bow too much, the screw detaches and the frog detaches as well. Again, you didn’t break your bow. Reinsert the frog into the hole where it was attached, reinsert the screw and tighten.

if you loosen the bow too much, the screw may come out

and the frog may detach! don’t worry, reinsert the frog and the screw, retighten, and you’re good to go!

I forgot to loosen my bow hair! Is it okay?

That moment when you realize you forgot to loosen your bow hair last night

You close up your violin case and completely forget to loosen the bow hair. When you open up your case the next day, to your horror you see the violin bow is already tight! EEK! Is the bow damaged? Did you ruin that expensive stick?

Don’t worry, this happens to all of us at some time (sometimes multiple times…) Repeatedly forgetting to loosen the bow hair will not necessarily damage the bow, but you will have to rehair the bow sooner as the hair is getting stretched out more and more.

Can I replace the hair on my violin bow?

Yes, you can and you should! The bow hair wears out eventually and looses its “grippiness.” No matter how much rosin you apply, the bow will feel like it’s slipping across the strings. Simply take your bow to a local string shop or luthier and have them rehair the bow. This will cost anywhere from around $70 and up depending on your location.

You should rehair your bow at least once a year. Rehair your bow every 3-4 months if you play more regularly (2 hours a day and up).

Does weather and humidity affect violin bow hair?

Absolutely. Humid weather will make the violin bow hair stretch and lengthen, making it harder to get the correct amount of tension. You will tighten and tighten and tighten the screw and eventually the hair will have the correct amount of tension. The danger occurs if the humidity changes and turns drier, then the hair will constrict and your violin bow will be too tight.

This is particularly a problem when playing outside or going in between playing outside and inside. Keep an eye on the humidity and try to keep the humidity around 40%-60%.

Why won’t my violin bow tighten?

Hight humidity can make it harder to tighten the bow. If the bow hair is old, or if the bow hair has been overstretched, it will be hard to tighten the bow. Getting a bow rehair will fix this problem.

Sometimes there may be an issue with the screw. Cheap violins that come with cheap bows can often be difficult if not impossible to tighten due to the inferiority of the parts. If you’re playing a a very cheap bow (Under $50) and you’re violin bow won’t tighten, you may need to upgrade to a better bow.

I hope this helps you with all your questions when it comes to tightening and loosening the violin bow. If I didn’t cover something, let me know in the comments below.

Happy Practicing!

How to Tune a Violin (Without Breaking the Strings!) A Beginner's Ultimate Guide to Tuning

It’s vitally important to tune your violin every time before you start playing. But learning how to tune your violin as a beginner may seem intimidating. Once you understand a few things about tuning, you’ll see that tuning your violin is not as hard as it may seem.

Let’s talk about how to tune your violin and common tuning problems you may encounter (like the dreaded broken string!) Spoiler Alert: don’t worry, broken strings happen to everyone, but keeping a few things in mind will help you avoid breaking any strings!

Okay let’s get started by talking about a few music theory basics before we jump into learning how to tune the violin.

Important Musical Concepts for Better Violin Tuning

The musical alphabet consists of the notes A through G. If you started with an A and went up to a G and then kept going after that, the next note would be an A. It’s the same pitch as the first A you started on, just 8 steps higher. We call that an octave.

You can have lots of different As, they’re all the same note, just occurring at different frequencies or octaves. On your tuner, the octave in which that pitch occurs is notated by a little number next to the pitch.

So you see, if I play my open A, that tells me I’m playing an A4, if I play the A that’s an octave lower, that’s known as A3.

The names of your strings and the octaves that correspond with those pitches are:

How Tuners and Tuning Apps Work

Now let’s talk about how a tuner or a free tuning app works. I like to use the INS tuning app but most tuning apps work in a similar fashion. When you play a note, the name of the note and its octave number register on your screen. You’ll get a pitch and a number next to it. If the note is in tune, you’ll get a green light. You’ll notice there’s a bar that moves across the screen. In some tuners, this bar is depicted as a dial or a light on the left and the right of the pitch. If the note is too high or too sharp, the bar will be to the right on the sharp side. If the note is too low or too flat, the bar will be on the left side. The bar moves closer to the center as you get closer to being in tune.

How to Tune Your Violin Using the Fine Tuners

The fine tuners are the little screws on your violin tailpiece. They make small adjustments to the string.

(Why do some violin only have one fine tuner?)

A violin with 4 fine tuners on the tailpiece

You can hold your violin different ways when you’re first learning to tune, but I recommend starting off with the violin against your stomach. Pluck a string and then adjust the fine tuner. The fine tuner works just like a screw. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. So if you want the string to be more taught or higher in pitch, turn the fine tuner to the right or clockwise. If you’re too high or too sharp and you need to go lower, loosen the fine tuner by turning it left or counter clockwise.

Now tuners can be finicky because the microphone is picking up on other noises, so as long as it’s flashing green pretty regularly, that’s good. Now move on to the next string and repeat the process until you’re finished tuning.

You can also progress to tuning with the violin on your shoulder if you like. Pluck the strings with the left hand and tune with the right hand like this…

Tuning the violin using the fine tuners while playing pizzicato

Tuning the violin using the fine tuners and the bow

Now if your strings are close to being in tune, maybe a half step away or less. Use the fine tuners. If it’s really out of tune, for instance if your A string is registering as a G, then you’re going to have to use the pegs.

How to Tune the Violin Using Pegs

There’s a few tricks when it comes to learning how to tune the violin using the pegs. Let’s say my A string is registering as a G. The string is too low for the fine tuners to do anything so I’m going to have to tune the violin using the pegs. Trace the string up to its peg. The A string’s peg is the top peg on the right. Hold the violin neck firmly with the left hand and pinch the peg in between your fingers with the right hand. I always like to release the tension on the peg first by slightly turning it back or towards me. Keep a firm hold on the peg because you don’t want it to loosen completely. As the tension releases, you’ll feel a little click. Now if you let your hand go of the peg, that peg could possibly loosen completely so keep the pressure on it. Now turn the peg away from you as you apply a little bit of pressure towards the peg box to help that peg get wedged into the hole.

Once you’re relatively close, use the fine tuners to get the string perfectly in tune.
Now that’s the basics of how to tune the violin for beginners using pegs or fine tuners, but it’s not always that simple so lets talk about some issues you might run into when it comes to tuning the violin.

Possible Tuning Problems When Learning to Tune the Violin

We talked about the musical alphabet consisting of the notes A through G. Well, in between each of those notes (well in between almost all of the notes) there’s a half way point. So in between each note there’s a sharp or a flat note. In between A and B there’s an A#, It’s a half step higher than an A. Now sharps and flats are really 2 sides of the same coin. So a B flat is the same note as an A#. It’s a half step lower than a B which is the same as an A sharp. You’re just thinking about it in different ways.

So in between G and A, there’s a G sharp or an A flat.

Occasionally, your string may be so flat, the tuner will actually show an A with a a little flat sign next to it. Or if the A were too high, it might even register as a B flat which is the same thing as an A sharp.

It’s important to pay attention to see if there is a flat or sharp symbol next to the note name because you could accidentally tune your A to an A flat. I’ve had some students occasionally show up to lessons with their violin perfectly tuned to an A flat.  So as you’re tuning, make sure you’re not tuning to a sharp note or a flat note.

How to Tune the Violin Without Breaking A String

Why is the violin so hard to tune? a question of the ages

Every beginner’s nightmare is the possibility of breaking a string while tuning. We all accidentally breaks a string at some point, but I’m going to try to help you avoid that!

The easiest string to break on the violin is the E string since it is very thin. Because of its thin diameter, it’s easy to over tighten the string. At some point, the string will snap if you continue to tighten it too much. Anytime you are tuning the E string, especially if you are tuning using the peg, make very small adjustments and stop to check the pitch with the tuner very often.

We’ve all broken E strings so it’s a good idea to have some extras on hand. Here are my recommendations for the best violin strings!

To prevent breaking strings while tuning the violin on any of the other strings, always make small adjustments and avoid over tightening the string.

Why won’t my violin strings stay tight?

Sometimes you tune your violin and the strings continue to loosen. There are a couple of reasons why violin strings don’t stay tight.

• New Strings: new strings take time to stretch out. It may take a few days of frequent tuning before the strings settle out and stay tight.

• The pegs aren’t wedged in the peg hole. Remember when I said to apply a little pressure towards the peg box while tuning the violin using the pegs? This is to help wedge the peg into the whole to prevent the peg from slipping. Slipping pegs equal loose violin strings.

• Low Humidity. Dry air will make the wooden pegs shrink and slip. Try to maintain the ideal humidity level in between 40-60% humidity to prevent your violins strings from loosening.

• Low Quality Violins. If you are using a violin on the cheaper side, poor quality workmanship will contribute to pegs that continue to slip and strings that never stay tight.
  
  (Get my top 10 Recommendations for Good Quality Beginner and Intermediate Violins)
  

How often does a violin need to be tuned?

Tune your violin every time before you start playing. Be very precise with tuning and don't settle for “almost” in tune.

People have struggled with tuning for centuries

Getting a violin perfectly in tune is very important since we don’t have frets, keys, or stickers. Muscle memory is how you learn to always place your fingers in the right place. If the violin strings are always slightly different in pitch every time you play, you will never develop the correct muscle memory to be able to play in tune.

Another reason to tune your violin every time before you start playing has to do with sympathetic vibrations of the strings. When you play one string, the other strings are sympathetically vibrating. So make sure those vibrations are in tune!

Why do some violins only have one fine tuner?

More expensive, higher quality violins often only have one fine tuner on the E string. Fine tuners can affect the sound or be the source of buzzes and unwanted noises. If you are comfortable tuning using the pegs, there’s no need for that potential effect on the sound.

A violin with only one fine tuner

The advent of steel strings also plays a part in the use of fine tuners. Before steel strings, when all strings were gut, fine tuners weren’t necessary. Gut is stretchier than steel. However, it’s very hard to make small adjustments with steel strings, especially on the E string. When steel strings were introduced in 1919, fine tuners became a necessity and continued to be used for E strings up until today.

Learn more about why some violin have only one fine tuner here.

Do Professional Violinists Use Fine Tuners?

If more expensive violins usually come with only one fine tuner, you may be wondering if professionals use fine tuners? Many professional violinists don’t use fine tuners (except on the E string). This has to do with aesthetics and sound as more fine tuners may negatively affect the tone production.

However, I’ve seen several famous violinists and fiddlers with more than one fine tuner on their violin. So there is no judgment or shame when it comes to using fine tuners!

Why is tuning a violin so hard?

Tuning a violin is definitely harder than tuning a guitar or a mandolin. Why is tuning a violin so hard? Guitars have geared pegs whereas most violins use traditional pegs. A traditional peg is just a wooden peg inside of a hole. That means humidity and weather can make tuning a violin harder as the wooden peg swells or shrinks. Wood that hasn’t been properly dried will also contribute to difficulties tuning the violin. Poor workmanship and cheap violins is yet another contributor that makes it hard to tune the violin.

Geared pegs look the exact same as traditional ebony pegs

The nature of wooden pegs also makes it hard to tune the violin because it’s difficult to make small adjustments. This is especially frustrating for violins with only one fine tuner.

You can skip a lot of the tuning frustrations by installing geared pegs onto your violin. Geared pegs look just like traditional pegs, but they are geared much like guitar pegs making tuning much easier. Geared pegs have many names and brands like Perfection Pegs or Planetary Pegs. You can get geared pegs installed at your local luthier or violin shop. I have geared pegs and I will never go back to traditional pegs!

Learning to Tune Your Violin is an Art Form!

Tuning is definitely a skill and an art form in an of itself so if. And there’s more to it than just using a little machine and a flashing green light. You should be working on making progress in your tuning abilities the same way you work on getting better intonation or a better tone. Using a tuner is a great way to learn to tune the violin for beginners, but there are better ways to tune and learning more advanced tuning techniques will actually strengthen your ear, help your understanding of tone and sound production, and improve your playing overall.

If you’re ready to learn how to tune the violin by ear or how to tune the violin using double stops, check out my Art of Tuning Course which is included when you sign up for the Meadowlark Violin Online Studio. Happy Tuning!

4 Common Mistakes Adult Beginners Make When Learning to Play the Violin

If you’re an adult beginner and you feel like you are always struggling with the violin, then understanding these common mistakes adult beginners make when learning the violin might be the key to help you unlock your problems and start enjoying the violin.

I’ve been teaching violin for over a decade to all ages and I’ve learned that there are certain common mistakes and problems that adult violinists always seem to deal with. Now these mistakes aren’t technical mistakes. I’m not going to be talking about things like crooked wrist or bad posture (although I do have a free course that does talk about those common technical bad habits).

What I am going to be talking about is mistakes adults make in their approach to learning the violin. I think these mistakes are some of the main reasons people start learning the violin but then give up later, or maybe why people feel like they are always practicing but never making any progress.

So let’s get started.

Adult Beginner Mistake #1: Trying to Learn Everything All at Once

We’re adults, we can multi-task, right? Well multi-tasking while learning the violin is not a good idea. The left hand is doing something completely different than the right hand. You’re trying to not make scratchy sounds with your bow while placing your left hand fingers on a fingerboard that has no markings or frets, and let’s throw in some music reading while we’re at it.

Learning those three skills at the same time is hard. Period.

Even if you play other instruments or you are used to reading music, I still suggest you separate learning the violin into three separate skills when you’re just starting. Focus just on the left hand. Play pizzicato so you can focus on left hand position and intonation. Then focus on just on the right hand so you can think about tone production and relaxing your bow hold. Learn songs and scales without even looking at sheet music. Then work on combining the left and right hands. And then, start adding in reading music.

Adult Beginner Mistake #2 Having Too Many Violin Books

You just bought your new violin, you’re on Amazon looking at books, and you get all these recommendations for some amazing violin books. Scale books, method books, Irish fiddling, oh Gypsy music for violin, classical music, French fiddling, Ashokan Farewell, gotta have all of those!

I’m of the mindset that there is no such thing as too many books, so maybe buying all of those books isn’t a mistake, but trying to go through all of them at once, is.

I know how this goes. It’s like starting your first garden. You get so excited looking at the seed catalogues that you buy fifty varieties of seeds. And you end up planting a little bit of this a little bit of that and none of the seeds actually produce anything because you’re trying to learn how to grow fifty different types of plants all at once.

It’s the same thing with violin. It can be really tempting to just jump from one song to the next and never stay on any one song for any length of time. This might be one of the reasons you feel like you’re never making any progress, because…you’re not making any progress.

Too many violin books!

My rule is that you should stay on a song until you are absolutely sick of it and then move on. That way you move beyond just learning notes. When you stay with a song until you’re sick of it, you’re converting all of those new skills that you’ve learned into muscle memory which means when you do move on to a new and harder song, you can focus on those more advanced skills because those easier skills have already been converted to muscle memory.

That also gives you the mental space to go beyond just reading music, and start actually making music. You can memorize songs, you can add in dynamics and phrasing, and start to add your own personal stamp to any song you learn.

So my recommendation is that you should stick with one scale or one etude or warm-up exercise, or song for several weeks. You should only be learning one or two new songs at a time, but you should also always save time for revisiting old songs as well.

Adult Beginner Mistake #3 Having Too High of Expectations

My motto for life is “keep your expectations low and you won’t be disappointed.”

There’s a difference between setting goals and having unrealistic expectations. If you have unrealistic expectations, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration.

You have to learn to enjoy small victories when it comes to learning the violin. Not to be cliche, but it’s all about the journey.

The violin is not something you can conquer which brings me to my next common mistake.

Adult Beginner Mistake #4 Thinking of the Violin As Something To Conquer or a Box to Check

I’ve learned that people who want to learn the violin are pretty cool people with different hobbies and interests. As adults we tend to think of things we want to accomplish. I want to learn how to bake my own bread—check! I want to raise my own chickens—check! I want to get my pilot’s license—check!

I want to learn to play the violin—che….no. The violin is not something you can ever check off. It’s not something you can conquer, so don’t even try to conquer it. You will never master the violin. I’m not saying that to discourage you. The fact that you will never master this instrument, is part of its allure.

If you find joy in little victories and understanding little secrets of the violin,  then you’ll see the violin as part of your life’s journey and not something you have to conquer or check off. And when you approach learning the violin that way, you’ll make more progress and you’ll have fun doing it.

So I hope these tips help you as an adult learning to play the violin. Let me know in the comments below if you feel like you make these mistakes or if there are other mistakes you’ve made and what you’ve done to overcome those problems.

Happy Practicing!

10 Best Violins for Beginners [2024] A Violin Teacher’s Ultimate Guide

You’ve decided you’re ready to learn to play the violin! Then you start researching beginner violins. If you are scouring the internet, asking yourself, “what’s the best beginner violin to buy,” you aren’t alone. It’s an overwhelming decision. Unfortunately, the market is saturated with cheap, poorly made VSOs (violin-shaped-objects). Many of my students show up to their first lesson with these inferior “violins.” They are difficult or impossible to tune, produce an awful tone, and come with low-quality bows, chin rests, and other accessories. 

Students with low quality violins generally take one of two paths. 1. They get frustrated and quit. 2 They get frustrated and buy a better violin. Learning to play the violin or teaching yourself to play violin is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to struggle with a VSO as well.

Trying to make an informed choice on such an important purchase can be difficult. Reading beginner violin reviews can be misleading and confusing. Everyone has an opinion, so who can you trust?

To save you time, money and frustration, I’ve created an ultimate guide to helping you choose the best beginner violin. I’ve had experience with every violin I’m about to tell you about. I’ve either played the violins myself, have students who own the violins, or have heard about them from other violin teachers. In this guide, I’ll answer these questions. Click to skip ahead to each section.

• What makes a good beginner violin?

• What makes a violin “advanced?”

• How much money should I spend on a violin?

• What are the best violin brands under $500?

• What are the best violins by price range?

• What are the 10 best beginner and intermediate violins?

• What violin brands to avoid?

• What violin would I buy?

You may also having questions about buying vs. renlfting your first violin. If you are buying a violin for a child or young adult, you’ll also want to measure in order to get the right size.

These other resources may be helpful if you are just starting to learn violin:

• Learn to Play the Violin in 20 Steps

• Can You Teach Yourself to Play Violin? Yes! Here’s 3 Reasons Why

• Am I Too Old to Learn the Violin? A Violin Teacher’s Honest Opinion

If you’re looking for a better bow, check out my recommendations in my article: Best Violin Bow: A Violin Teacher’s Guide to Choosing the Right Bow.

Let’s get started!

What Makes a Good Beginner Violin?

Good materials

Real violins are made of quality materials. Many cheap violins come with plastic parts, wood that hasn’t been dried properly, or wood painted to look like real ebony (the fingerboard). Substandard parts means the violin will never function the way it is supposed to.

Proper Set-Up

Any violin you purchase should be correctly “set-up” by a luthier before being sent to you. Many cheap, factory violins lack this important step. A luthier will make sure the bridge is the correct curvature (otherwise you’ll hit other strings no matter how you bow). They will also ensure the strings are the proper tension, so you don’t have to be a weight-lifter just to put a finger down. A luthier will also ensure the pegs are correctly installed and other parts are functioning before shipping the violin to you.

Easy to tune

Why is tuning so important? You must tune every time you play so that your muscle memory develops correctly. Having a violin that won’t stay in tune wastes practice time and lesson time. 

VSOs (violin shaped objects) can be notoriously impossible to tune. A quality beginner violin will have pegs that correctly fit their holes and be relatively easy to tune. I’ve seen some VSOs come with plastic pegs, meaning the pegs will slip no matter what.

Even violins with well-fitted traditional wooden pegs are subject to changes in humidity that can make tuning difficult or downright impossible sometimes. The answer to the age old problem of tuning is geared pegs, also known as perfection pegs or planetary pegs. Geared pegs look like traditional wooden pegs, but they work like the tuning pegs on guitars, making tuning a breeze. No more stuck or slipping pegs. No more loose strings from changes in weather. Tuning only takes a few seconds. You will rarely, if ever, need to use your fine tuners, even for your E string. I use geared pegs on all of my violins. I will never go back to traditional pegs! Not all violins come with the option for perfection pegs, but I’ve been able to find a few that do offer this wonderful upgrade.

What should be included?

Most beginner violins should come as an outfit, which includes a violin, case, bow, and maybe some rosin. Not all beginner violins do, but that’s okay. You can choose which accessories you want. Be very wary of outfits that include lots of accessories, like tuners, extra strings, shoulder rests, and method books. These other items are often cheap add-ons that you will probably end up throwing away anyway. 

What makes a violin "advanced?"

Don’t let violin nomenclature confuse you. When looking at any any violin website, violins are divided into beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional level categories. That doesn’t mean that you have to be an advanced player to handle an advanced level violin. It’s actually quite the opposite. Advanced violins make it EASIER to sound good. Give a beginner an advanced model violin and they will instantly have a better tone. On the other hand, certain beginner violins will only sound good in the hands of a professional.

How much money should I spend on a violin?

After watching the violin market for the past 20 years, I’ve been able to tell the price line between VSO and real violins. Generally speaking, don’t buy any violin outfit for under $200. Anything cheaper than this is not worth buying. 

If you are unsure if you will stick with the violin and just want to “try it out,” don’t fall for these cheap VSOs. I guarantee you, you won’t like it. Some of these “violins” are essentially worthless after you purchase them. No one else will want them either. But if you buy a real violin, and later decide you don’t want it, you can always resell it! Some of the violins around $150-$200 might be playable, but they will come with cheap strings, poor sound quality, and a list of items you might need to tweak to get it easy to play. Skip the hassle, spend $50-$100 more dollars and get a violin you won’t have to keep messing with.

Violins around $200-$350 are considered beginner violins. The violins on the lower end of that range will get the job done, but they are “student” violins. For those who just want to try violin, or for young children who are growing and changing sizes quickly, these violins are fine. A violin in the $300 range is suitable for beginners with a more discerning ear.

$350-$450 is the price point for more advanced beginner violins. These violins should last you a year to three years if you are making consistent progress. They won’t “give out” after three years, but by that time your skill level could benefit from a better violin.

$450-$550 A good price range for older children or adults who will be able to easily distinguish the better quality.

$550-$1000 If you don’t want to worry about having to buy another violin as your skill progresses, look for violins in this range. This price range bridges the gap between beginner and intermediate violins. 

$1000 + This will get you into the range of intermediate and advanced violins. Violins at this price point and above offer quality woods and workmanship. If you’re serious about the violin, instruments in this price range will offer the best quality of sound and allow you to progress and won’t hold you back.

What are the best violin brands under $500?

• Tower Strings

• Fiddlerman

• Gliga Violins

• Knilling

• Franz Hoffman

• Carlo Lamberti

Tower Strings

The Tower Strings line of beginner violins is sold by Fiddlershop. These entry level violins are the best beginner violins in the industry, in my opinion. Since they are sold by Fiddlershop, every violin is tested by a luthier before being shipped. That means your violin is ready to play out of the box—with a little tuning of course!

Fiddlerman

Fiddlerman violins are sold by Fiddlershop, a company that is relatively new to the violin scene. Due to great customer service and exceptional products, Fiddlershop is quickly making a name for itself as a go-to store for all things violin. The Fiddlerman violins offer great quality for a good price. And yes, Fiddlerman violins can be played by fiddlers and classical violinists just the same! All violins sold by Fiddlershop are tested and played by a luthier before being shipped, so you know your violin will sound good. My favorite part about Fiddlerman? They will custom install perfection pegs on any violin you purchase. Plan to add about $100 dollars for this upgrade which I would deem essential. I use perfection pegs on all of my violins and I will never go back to traditional wooden pegs. Being able to easily tune your violin could make the difference between loving this instrument, and hating it. Trust me. 

Gliga Violins

Gliga violins are handmade in Romania. They offer a wide range of violins for all levels and budgets. One thing that sets Gliga apart is their ability to let you customize your violin. You can choose the varnish color, tailpiece, bow, and strings—allowing for a violin that is uniquely yours. 

This makes Gliga special because you can purchase a quality violin with the standard set-up and get a great violin for a budget price. Then, make upgrades according to your budget. 

Knilling

Knilling is a well-known name brand for beginners. My first violin was a Knilling and I still use it for traveling around. Knilling is also one of the few brands that offers violins with perfection pegs (geared pegs that make tuning SO easy). 

Franz Hoffman

Franz Hoffman violins are made in China but are set-up and sold by Shar Music, one of the well-known violin dealers. Franz Hoffman offers a long line of beginner violins and their Amadeus model is one of the cheapest, good quality beginner violins you can buy.

Carlo Lamberti

Another maker sold by Shar Music, Carlo Lamberti offers some upgrades in sound quality for an advanced beginner level violin. These violins may cost a little more, but you will have a violin that will last you through your beginning stages.

What are the best violins by price range?

• $180-$250—Tower Strings Entertainer, Gilga Genial, Franz Hoffman 

• $250-$350—Tower Strings Rockstar, Tower Strings Legend, Fiddlerman OB1, Gliga Gems 2,

• $350-$450— Fiddlerman Apprentice, Gliga Gems 1,

• $450-$550—Fiddlerman Concert, Gliga Genova, Carlo Lamberti

• $550+—Fiddlerman Artist, Gliga Gama,

Top 10 Beginner and Intermediate Violins

If you want a basic overview, here are my top ten picks for the best beginner to intermediate violins. Click to skip ahead.

1. Tower Strings Entertainer Violin

2. Tower Strings Rockstar Violin

3. Fiddlerman OB1 Violin

4. Gliga Gems 2 Violin

5. Tower Strings Legend Violin

6. Fiddlerman Apprentice Violin

7. Fiddlerman Concert Violin

8. Franz Hoffman Amadeus Violin

9. Knilling Perfection Violin

10. Carlo Lamberti Sonata Violin

Best Beginner Violin Reviews

Tower Strings Violins

Tower Strings offer three entry-level violins: The Entertainer, the Rockstar, and the Legend. These violins surpassed all of my expectations for a beginner level violin. They don’t look or feel like beginner level violins. The have a beautiful finish and little touches like mother of pearl inlays on the pegs and tailpiece give the violin a high-quality appearance. Their wonderful tone and ease of playability make these violins my top pick for beginner violins. At a starting price of $269, they also happen to be one of the most affordable violin outfits.

The outfits come with brazilwood bows and standard entry-level strings but I would highly recommend upgrading to the Fiddlerman carbon fiber bow and the Fiddlerman synthetic core strings. The strings were the best beginner strings I have ever played—even tone and bright, complex sound. The bow made playing very easy and forgiving (not always the case with beginner violins). The combination of strings and the carbon fiber bow made for such an enjoyable playing experience that I would highly recommend them. When you click “add to cart” you will have the option to upgrade.

The violins come as an outfit with a case, bow, rosin, tuner, shoulder rest, cleaning cloth, mute, and beginner’s guide. Literally everything you need to get started playing immediately. The violins I received were almost perfectly in tune when they arrived. A little tuning and you are ready to learn violin.

As with all Fiddlershop violins, your violin is inspected and played by a luthier before being shipped so your violin is ready to go when you get it. This is big, and it’s not something you are going to get when ordering a violin form a mega online store.

Which one should I get? With this brand of violins, you can rest assured that the more money you spend, the better violin you will receive. The Entertainer was wonderful and would suit any beginner just violin. I noticed an increase in tone quality with the increase in price of the other violins, as well as more beautiful wood on the back. If you want a little bit better sound, spring for the Rockstar or Legend.

If you want to make tuning really easy on yourself, Fiddlershop now sells the Entertainer EasyTune. The EasyTune comes with geared pegs already installed which makes tuning so much easier. (I have geared pegs installed on my violin and I’ll never go back to traditional pegs.) Fiddlershop is one of the only online retailers that will install geared pegs on any of their violins before they’re shipped to you (you just have to ask for it). But with the EasyTune, you can purchase the violin with geared pegs already installed. Win win!

Want to really save money? Fiddlershop often has discounted B stock violins for sale. They are perfectly playable with minor cosmetic defects. Check out the discounts here!

Pros

• Most affordable beginner-level violin

• Easy to tune (especially if you get the EasyTune)

• Professional-looking finish

• Easy to play

• Sweet, yet powerful tone

• Comes with everything you need to play

• Great customer service

Cons

• There really aren’t any but…Fiddlerman strings and carbon fiber bow are upgrades (well worth it)

Fiddlerman Violins

Fiddlerman violins may be relatively new in the violin world, but they are quickly earning a name as a solid, dependable, good quality beginner violin. Fiddlerman offers two entry level beginner violins, the OB1 and the Apprentice if you are on a tight budget. If you can afford a little more, I would recommend the Concert model which has a powerful sound and a beautiful, strong tone.

What sets these violins apart is that they come with superior strings and bows. The Fiddlerman synthetic core violin strings are the best beginner strings I’ve ever tried (better than Dominants). And the Fiddlerman carbon fiber bow is also the best student level violin bow I’ve ever tried. The combination of Fiddlerman strings with the carbon fiber bow made playing extremely easy and forgivable. Normally this quality of strings and bow would be an upgrade for other outfits, but it is standard with Fiddlerman violins.

All Fiddlerman violins come with a 10 point inspection so you know your violin is set-up in the best way possible. Every violin that is tested and played by a luthier before being shipped. The violin also comes as an outfit with a case, carbon fiber bow, rosin, a mute, cleaning cloth, and a quality violin shoulder rest, and a digital tuner. Normally I say to watch out for outfits that include so many goodies, but these goodies are actually worth having! You literally need nothing else to start playing.

One thing I love about Fiddlerman is that they can install perfection pegs on any violin you buy. Plan to add about $100 plus the cost of the pegs to the price for this upgrade which I deem essential.

Want to really save money? Fiddlershop often has discounted B stock violins for sale. They are perfectly playable with minor cosmetic defects. Check out the discounts here!

If you are willing to spend a little more, I recently had a student buy a Symphony violin and it sounds phenomenal!

Pros

• Fiddlerman Synthetic Core violin strings (my favorite beginner level string)

• Fiddlerman Carbon Fiber Bow (the best beginner bow I’ve ever tried)

• Powerful sound

• Attractive finish

• Comes with everything you need to start playing

• Option to install perfection pegs

• Great customer service

Cons

• These violins sell out quickly so they may not always have your size!

Gliga Violins

UPDATE: Recently, I have seen a significant drop in Gliga’s customer service. They do not always respond to questions or phone calls and can be slow to ship violins. They still offer a good product at a good price, but their lack of communication may be something worth considering when deciding between violin dealers.

Gliga Violins are handmade in Romania and offer the largest selection of sizes, styles, and quality. Their cheapest violin outfit is a Genial 2 which starts at $208 for an entire outfit—that’s a great bargain for a good beginner violin. However, there are several upgrades I would definitely recommend and that will drive the price up at which point you may be better off with a Tower Strings or Fiddlerman violin. There are many levels of quality in the Genial line. The Gems line are the beginner level violins that I would recommend. I recently purchased a Gems 2 and found it to be a decent student violin for the price (around $320 for the violin outfit and shipping.

Since Gliga offers so many choices during checkout, you can choose to go with everything standard for a cheap outfit, or you an upgrade certain aspects. Definitely go with better strings. The standard strings left a lot to be desired. I recommend Evah PIrazzis or Dominants. If you can, upgrade to the Carbon Fiber Bow. I also recommend the Wittner tailpiece which can make changing the strings easier.

Gliga also offers the better quality violins for a little more. If you can, go for the intermediate level Gems 1 or Genova. Their advanced models are the Gama violins. I played a Gama a few years ago and fell in love with it. Although cheaper than my personal violin, it sounded comparable in many ways.

Pros

• Easy to order

• Lots of options on size, appearance, and quality

• Good craftsmanship, beautiful appearance

• Correctly set-up and ready to play

• Great tone

• Standard options allow for a great violin on a budget price tag

• Wooden chin rest (rare in student violins at this price range)

 Cons

• Pegs can be difficult to turn at first

• Standard strings, bow, and tailpiece leave a little to be desired

• Romanian strings don’t have the best sound (choose the upgraded Evah PIrazzis or Dominants). Advanced models come with better strings.

• Standard tailpiece with fine tuners made changing strings difficult (go for the Wittner tailpiece to solve this problem.)

• Customer service is slow to respond to questions, if they respond at all.

Franz Hoffman Amadeus Violin

The Franz Hoffman Amadeus violin is one of the cheapest budget violins. Many of my students have started off with this violin. It’s fairly easy to tune with a decent sound. Craftsmanship is pretty standard. This isn’t a violin you will ohh and ahh over, but it checks all the boxes for an easy-to-play beginner violin. It’s a factory violin, so the focus is on affordability. These violins are set-up and ready to play which puts them above other factory-made violins from mega online stores. Students who progress quickly might need a better violin to match their skills as they progress.

Shar Music, one of the most well-trusted online violin dealers, also offers more options in the Franz Hoffman line as well as various other beginner and intermediate violins.

For around the same price, I would personally rather have the Tower Strings Entertainer violin. Much better quality for just a little more.

Pros

• Affordable

• Set-up and ready to play

• Comes

• Good for young children

Cons

• Standard student quality

• Orange, beginner-looking finish

• Not ideal for quickly advancing students

Knilling Perfection Violin

This brand is a long-time standard in the violin industry for good quality beginner violins. My choice for a Knilling Violin would be the Knilling Perfection model. What’s different about this violin? It comes with geared perfection pegs! 

Having a violin that is easy to tune saves so much time in lessons, which is one reason I love this violin. My students who have this violin can’t say enough about the pegs.

If you want a violin that is super easy to tune straight out of the box, like the Tower Strings Entertainer EasyTune, this is another violin option for you.

Pros

• Easy to tune

• Comes with Perfection Pegs installed

• Great looking finish for the price

• Good sound for beginners

• Great for young children

Cons

• Not the best quality violin for the price

Carlo Lamberti Sonata Violin

This violin offers a good blend between the beginner and intermediate levels with a price point to match. These violins are made in China and then shipped to the U.S. where they receive the correct set-up from a qualified luthier. Some of my students have this violin model and they enjoy a superior, focused tone. This violin comes with a comfortable chin rest, a tailpiece with fine tuners built-in (for ease of changing strings), and Thomastik Vision strings, a good intermediate level set of strings.

Shar Music offers various upgrades in the Carlo Lamberti Line such as the Classic, Symphony, and Master Series.

Pros

• Strong Tone

• Tailpiece with built-in fine tuners

• Good strings

• Good for advancing beginners

Cons

• Doesn’t come as an outfit

What violin brands to avoid?

Many times, a new student will come to a lesson with a violin that won’t stay in tune. The sound is scratchy, the bow is difficult to control, and the strings are difficult to press down. Sometimes the bridge doesn’t have the correct curvature and the student will continuously hit other strings. I can usually guess what brand of violin this is. There are two repeat offenders: Mendini and Cecilo. Many students purchase these violins because they look like decent violins, but they are far from it. While these two companies do make more advanced beginner level violins, they also sell cheap VSOs. While I’ve never tried their more advanced models, I don’t think I want to. When there are so many other great beginner violins out there, why support a company that produces what I would call a gimmick?

Violin Brands To Avoid

• Mendini

• Cecilo

• Eastar

• Lagrima

• JMFinger

• Aliyese

• Amazon Basics

• Sky

• Vangoa

• Amdini

Since there are probably more BAD “violins” out there than good ones, this list could go on and on. 

What violin would I buy?

If I were buying a violin for my own child, I would purchase the Tower Strings Rockstar or Legend Violin with perfection pegs or the Fiddlerman Concert Violin with perfection pegs. Even if I were there to tune it, I would want my own child being very comfortable tuning their own violin, and the perfection pegs make that possible. If I were buying a violin for a very young child, requiring a violin under a 3/4 size, I might go with the Tower Strings Entertainer or Fiddlerman OB1 or Apprentice with perfection pegs.

If I were an adult beginner purchasing a violin for myself? The Fiddlerman Artist Violin with perfection pegs or the Gliga Gama would be my first pick (they are also the most expensive). There is something to be said about having a violin that looks and feels as nice as it sounds. Having something of quality makes you WANT to open the case, look at your beautiful violin, and play it.

If I couldn’t afford that, I’d get a Fiddlerman Concert with perfection pegs or a Gliga Genova.

Shop Wisely

One thing I’ve noticed while searching for “the best beginner violins” is a plethora of websites listing what they claim are the best beginner violins. I’ve found that many of these websites recommend violins that I know from experience are atrocious. As you read their pros and cons on a particular violin, you may be able to tell that the writer has no experience with this violin at all, they are simply regurgitating reviews. While many of these websites are legitimate, many exist to make money off of affiliate links. Affiliate links allow website owners to make a small commission on products, at no cost to the person using the link. I too use affiliate links as a way to help support the cost of the website, but I don’t promote products for the sake of earning a commission. The whole reason I created my website was to educate students and stop them from wasting money on VSOs. 

Don’t be fooled! Purchase a quality violin and you won’t regret it!

Check out my Step by Step Guide to Starting Violin Lessons and double check that you have everything you need to make learning the violin fun with my checklist on What to Buy for Violin Lessons.

Happy Practicing!

Master the Basics: Easy Violin Scales and Arpeggios for Beginners

Hello, fellow violin enthusiasts! I'm Lora from Meadowlark Violin, and today I'm excited to share with you the secrets of mastering three super easy scales and arpeggios tailored for beginners. Scales are the backbone of every violinist's practice routine, serving as the essential building blocks for honing your technique. Whether you've just started playing or have a few weeks or months of playing under your belt, these scales and arpeggios will set you on the right track.

I’ll be teaching you all of these scales by ear, no sheet music required! Learning scales and songs by ear is great for intonation, even if you already read music.

The Magic of Finger Patterns

What makes these scales super easy, you ask? Well, they all share the same finger pattern. That means learning one pattern opens the door to playing three different scales. Understanding finger patterns can simplify the learning process, and repetitive finger patterns don’t just stop with easy scales. As you progress on the violin, you’ll notice advanced scales spanning several octaves can share the exact same finger pattern as another scale in a completely different key. (Learn more about universal scales and violin finger patterns here.)

Dive into D Major

Let's kick off our exploration with the D major scale. With two sharps (F# and C#), we delve into the world of half step pairs. Half steps occur where two fingers are touching on the violin.(Learn more about half step pairs and how scales work here.) F# and G, and C# and D, form our two half step pairs for D major. As we start on the open D string, I'll guide you through the notes, creating a musical journey akin to the first two notes of "Happy Birthday."

On the D string, play the open D string followed by the first finger, second, and third finger. All of the notes will be a whole step apart except for the second and third fingers. These notes are F# and G and that’s one of our half step pairs, so those fingers will be touching. Repeat that exact pattern on the A string for a complete D major scale.

Transition to A Major

Next on our musical adventure is the A major scale. With three sharps (F#, C#, and G#), we adjust our half step pairs. Our new half step pairs are between G# and A, and C# and D. The finger pattern remains consistent, allowing a smooth transition from D major. Simply play the exact same finger pattern, but on the A and E strings. Tada! An A major scale.

Venture into G Major

Our final destination is the G major scale. Utilizing the same finger pattern, we seamlessly navigate between the G and D strings. The magic lies in the continuity of patterns – one pattern, three scales. The consistent approach makes G major as accessible as the previous ones, empowering you to expand your repertoire. Can you determine what the half step pairs are for G major based on the finger patterns? The half step pairs are B and C and F# and G.

Arpeggios Unveiled

Now that we've mastered the scales, it's time to delve into arpeggios – a sequence of individual notes forming a chord. Let’s start with the D major arpeggio, which consists of the notes D F# and A. On the D string, play the open D followed by the second finger. Then move over to the A string. Play the open A followed by the third finger. That’s a basic arpeggio pattern! The same pattern is applied to A major and G major arpeggios, simply start on the A string for an A arpeggio and start on the G string for a G arpeggio.

Conclusion: Embrace the Patterns

In conclusion, mastering the basics of violin scales and arpeggios is akin to unlocking a musical treasure chest. By discerning and embracing these patterns, you pave the way for easier and more enjoyable learning experiences. Remember, the violin might seem intricate, but patterns are your allies.

Left-Handed Violinist? Here's What You Need to Know About Learning Violin

If you are left hand dominant, you might be wondering if you should learn to play violin on a left-handed violin? Unless you have a few special considerations (which I’ll discuss later), I would recommend you learn violin the “normal” way, with the right hand holding the bow and the left hand holding the violin fingerboard.

Now you might have seen people playing violin with those hands swapped, with the left hand holding the bow and the right hand playing the notes.

While this might look like you can just switch violin from one shoulder to the other, this isn’t quite the case. In “traditional” violin playing, the G string is “on top” or closest to your face while the E string is “on bottom.” If you simply put your violin on the right shoulder, all the strings are in reverse order, with the G string being closer to your feet and the E string being closer to your face. This is pretty counter-intuitive and backwards and will make reading music and finding a teacher very difficult.

Instead of simply switching shoulders, you would want to get a left-handed violin if you are set on playing violin with the violin on your right shoulder. But before you make up your mind and buy a left-handed violin, keep reading…

Why You Shouldn’t Learn Violin on a Left-Handed Violin

Just because you are left-handed doesn’t necessarily mean you should learn to play on a left hand violin. Here are some reasons for and against learning violin left-handed.

• It’s not a matter of simply placing the violin on your right shoulder instead of your left shoulder. You’ll need to specifically purchase a left hand violin. With a left-handed violin, the chin rest will be on the opposite side and the strings will be reversed so the lowest string is closer to your head (just like with a normal violin).

• Left-handed violins are not as common. That means you will be more limited in your choices and if you want to resell your left-handed violin, you’ll have more difficulty finding a buyer.

• You may have trouble finding a teacher to teach you left-handed.

• If you ever want to play in an orchestra, you’ll need to learn violin the traditional way. In orchestra, everyone has their scrolls pointing the same direction. You also share stands in orchestra so if you’re playing on a left-handed violin, your violin will be going the wrong way! If you think, I don’t ever want to play in an orchestra, don’t back yourself into a corner so quickly. Community orchestras welcome amateur players of all ages and levels. Even if you just want to fiddle, you may later find you want to join an orchestra, which is one reason I suggest not learning on a left-handed violin. Just in case you do join an orchestra one day!

Why You Should Learn Violin on a Left-Handed Violin

If you have a physical deformity, disability, or missing fingers that prevent you form using your left hand to place fingers on the fingerboard, then you may want to switch hands and hold the bow with your left hand. Check out Moonic Productions if this applies to you…

If you just feel uncomfortable holding the violin the traditional way when you are just starting out, try to continue holding the violin the traditional way for a couple months before you fully decide to switch to a left-handed setup. Playing violin will feel unnatural and maybe uncomfortable for a few weeks or months no matter which hand is dominant!

Here are some common questions about learning violin left-handed.

Is Violin Harder to Play if You Are Left Handed?

No! The violin is a two-handed instrument. Both hands are doing challenging and drastically different tasks. One hand is not more important than the other. As a violin teacher, I’ve never noticed a difference in ability between left or right handed people. Right-handed people aren’t better at the bow and vice versa.

Do Violinists Play Left-Handed?

The traditional way to play violin is with the left hand holding the violin neck and the right hand holding the bow. So yes, violinists play left-handed. But right-handed violinists also play with the left hand. Thinking in terms of left or right hand dominant doesn’t really make sense when it comes to learning the violin!

Are left-handed violinists rare?

Many famous violinists are left handed. Nicola Benedetti is a left-handed violinist as was Joseph Silverstein. Many people also think Paganini was a left-handed. But all these people play or played violin the traditional way. So if you’re a left-handed violinist, you’re in good company.

Ready to start learning to play violin? Sign up for my free beginner’s course to get started!

Can I Learn Violin on an Electric Violin?

Can Beginners Learn Violin on an Electric Violin?

If you are thinking about learning the violin, you might be wondering “can I learn to play violin on an electric violin?” While you technically could learn violin on an electric violin, I would recommend against beginners starting off with an electric violin. Why? It all has to do with learning to produce a good tone.

Before we get into the specifics about tone, let’s talk about the three types of violins: acoustic, acoustic/electric, and electric.

What is the Difference Between Acoustic Violins, Acoustic/Electric Violins, and Electric Violins?

Acoustic violins have wooden bodies that naturally resonate and amplify the sound. The wooden body of an acoustic violin acts as a resonance chamber. Electric violins don’t have resonance chambers. They require an amplifier in order to be heard. Acoustic/Electric violins have the traditional wooden body, but they also have pick-ups and usually volume adjusters.

Should I start with electric or acoustic violin?

If you are just starting to learn violin, you should start with an acoustic violin. Acoustic violins allow you to hear the tone you are producing and make adjustments. Electric violins require an amplifier to produce a sound. Even then, the amplified sound is not natural and will make it difficult to learn to produce a good tone.

Producing a good tone with the violin is one of the most difficult skills to master. It requires the optimum amount of weight and speed transferred through the bow to the strings. How do you know if you have the right amount of weight and speed? The natural resonance chamber of an acoustic violin will tell you! If something sounds bad, you’ll hear it and be able to adjust. The effects added when playing with an electric violin (such as amplification, distortion, reverb, etc) make it difficult to hear and learn how to produce a good tone. An electric violin without an amplifier is so quiet that you won’t be able to gauge if you are doing the right things with your bow to produce a good tone.

What are the Disadvantages of an Electric Violin?

Electric violins require amplification to be heard, so if you don’t have an amplifier, the electric violin will be very quiet, and may not produce a sound at all. That means you won’t be able to hear everything you need to hear on an electric violin, making it much harder to learn.

The effects of amplification can also distort the natural sound of the violin and hide mistakes with intonation and bowing.

Is Electric Violin Easier than Acoustic Violin?

No! It is much easier to learn to play on an acoustic violin. With an electric violin, it can be difficult if not impossible to learn to produce a good tone. If you are a beginner violinist, you should learn to play on an acoustic violin.

I’m worried about my neighbors. Should I learn to play on an electric violin?

Electric violins are quieter than acoustic violins since they don’t have resonance chambers and rely on amplifiers to produce a sound. An electric violin without an amplifier has a very quiet sound or it may not produce a sound at all. If you are worried about disturbing your neighbors while you learn to play the violin, you can get a practice mute for your acoustic violin which significantly reduces the sound. Beginner violinists should avoid electric violins until you learn the basics of tone production and intonation. The sound of an acoustic violin can be dampened with a practice mute, but you still have the option of removing the practice mute when you’re not worried about disturbing anyone.

I’m worried about being heard when playing with large groups. Should I get an acoustic/electric violin?

A good quality acoustic violin can actually produce a very loud sound once you learn the basics of tone production. If you need to be heard over other louder instruments or in large venues, you can always mic an acoustic violin.

Acoustic/Electric violins are usually more expensive than their counterpart acoustic violins. If you are a beginner, I would recommend putting that extra money towards a better acoustic violin rather than purchasing an acoustic/electric violin. You can always mic an acoustic violin if you need to be louder. If you regularly play at large venues, for large crowds, or with other amplified instruments, then buying an electric violin or an acoustic/electric violin is probably worth the extra money.

Purchasing your first violin can be overwhelming! Do you need more help choosing your first violin? Check out my top 10 violins for beginners.

Happy Practicing!

What Makes Violin Hard to Learn?

If you are thinking about learning violin, you might be asking yourself, “How hard is it to learn violin?” You may have heard that violin is the hardest instrument to learn. Or maybe you’ve heard that it has a steep learning curve.

The violin has garnered a reputation as a beast of an instrument to learn. While the violin is challenging, I believe this reputation has partly been allowed to thrive due to several reasons that have nothing to do with the violin itself.

So my answer to the question, “Is violin hard to learn?” is very different than other violin teacher’s opinions. I feel like I have a unique perspective due to my background to be able to answer this question for prospective adult learners. Why? Because unlike most professional violinists, I started learning violin at age 15. I was essentially an adult. (Learn more about my journey to learning the violin here).

Starting violin as an adult means I understand the emotions and ups and downs of learning violin from an adult’s perspective.

Before I answer the question, “is violin difficult to learn,” first, let’s talk about the common reasons people think learning violin is so hard (or harder than learning other instruments). And then I’ll tell you why I think these factors are exacerbated!

What Makes the Violin Hard to Learn?

There are two reasons people think violin is hard to learn. First, because there are no frets and secondly because it can be difficult to produce a good tone. Let’s break each item down.

1. No Frets

   You’ve probably heard over and over again that the violin is hard to learn because there’s nothing to show you where to put your fingers on the fingerboard! Let me ask you this, how can a visual cue help you with an auditory skill? I’m not sure either.

   Learning the violin is simply different then learning other instruments, not necessarily harder. Piano or guitar allows you to use your eyes to help you play the correct pitch. You can essentially “get by” for a long time without being forced to use your ears. With the violin, you are relying on your ears, or you should be. While that seems like it would be hard, it’s really not if you know what you’re listening for.

   In fact, I can teach you where to put every finger on the violin fingerboard using only your ears in about 10 minutes. Of course, if you use tapes or stickers you could know where to put your finger in a few seconds. But would it be perfectly in tune? Probably not!

   One reason people think the violin is hard to learn is because they aren’t taught correctly from the start. They’re taught to use their eyes to learn to play an instrument, which I equate with hiring a musician to do your taxes. It just doesn’t work.

   If you’re using finger tapes and visual cues to try to place your fingers on the violin, it may be easier at first, but you will struggle in the long-run. So, start learning the right way and teach your ear to be in control!

2. It’s Hard to Make a Good Sound

Sure, you can plop a finger down on a piano keyboard and immediately get an evenly produced tone. Producing an even tone on the violin is…not quite the same. We use the bow to draw horsehair across the string to get the string vibrating to produce a tone. That leaves a lot open to variation and potentially incorrect technique.

For instance, use too much bow weight (or pressure) or not enough and you might not get a good sound. Move the bow too fast or too slow with the incorrect amount of weight, and you’ll also get something undesirable.

There’s lots of variation. But it’s this variation that also allows for an infinite array of tonal colors, dynamics, moods, and emotions. Sure, a master pianist can bring out colors as well. However, I played piano for over 15 years and could never even begin to bring out the sounds and colors in music like I could after only a few years with the violin.

People who like to say the violin is difficult to learn often state this issue with producing tone is what makes the violin so hard. Once again, I want to chock this up to not approaching the technique correctly.

To learn the violin, you have to divide techniques into easy to manage sections. Try to conquer everything at once and you’ll easily get frustrated. With my method of teaching, I start by teaching small, easy to manage tasks, like just keeping the bow straight (without even using the violin). Once you get the basics of how it feels, we move on to just using a few inches of bow right at the middle. When you’re good with that, we move on to different parts of the bow. It’s a challenge, but it’s not impossible when you approach it the right way!

Does the Violin Have a Steep Learning Curve?

Violin is considered to have a steeper learning curve compared to other instruments because it can be difficult to produce a good tone. Producing a tone is essentially the basis of playing any instrument. With many other instruments, the tone produced is dependent on the instrument itself! If you have a decent piano that is in tune, your tone will be good.

This is not necessarily so with the violin. While a good violin and bow definitely affects the tone, so does the violinist’s technique and muscle control. This is why it may seem harder to learn violin at first, compared with other instruments.

But again, it’s this variability that I think lends to the violin’s allure. As a musician, you have much more control over the sound produced than you do with guitar or piano. Yes, it may be a challenge to produce that sound at first, but once you learn the basics of sound production, the violin opens up possibilities like no other instrument! Which brings me to my next point.

What Makes the Violin Hard is Also What Makes it Amazing

The two things that make the violin hard (no frets and sound production) also offer endless possibilities and variation. For many instruments, pitch placement and sound production are determined by the instrument itself. Clarinets come with certain keys, guitars come with frets, trumpets come with buttons. With violin, you have control over these aspects. You can bend the pitch, slide back and forth between notes, and add in slides and other left hand effects for ornamentation.

With sound production, the possibilities are even more endless. Using the variables of bow speed, bow weight (how much pressure you put into the string), and contact point (where the bow touches the string in relation to the bridge or fingerboard), you can get an endless array of tonal colors. Soft and sad? Yep, there’s a combination for that. How about soft and spooky? Luscious and overflowing? Romantic and passionate? Angry or militant? Yep, yep, yep. You can make all of those sounds and more just by changing a few variables. Trust me, you’ll never get bored with the bow once you realize its possibilities.

Equipment Affects How Hard or Easy the Violin is To Learn

Here’s a big one that is often overlooked when talking about how hard the violin is to learn. Equipment makes a huge difference! Buy a cheap VSO (violin-shaped-object) and you find violin very hard to learn. Tone production will be a struggle because the violin, bow, and strings are cheaply made. A violin’s sound is dependent on the quality of wood and the amount of time it has been dried. VSOs can often be impossible to tune due to cheaply made pegs or strings.

A well-made, quality violin can be the difference between loving and hating the violin. Check out my top 10 Violins for Beginners to avoid all the frustration of VSOs!

Is Violin Harder Than Piano? Is Violin Harder Than Guitar?

I played both of these instruments at a somewhat advanced level before I started playing violin so I think I can answer this question. I personally believe it is equally hard to master any instrument. Yes, producing a tone is harder on the violin but moving beyond the basics on guitar or piano is equally challenging. I played piano for over 15 years and could never get comfortable reading two lines of music at once. My brain just couldn’t handle it!

While piano and guitar may be considered the “easier” instruments to learn, after I picked up the violin, I barely ever touched the other instruments ever again. Not because I don’t love piano and guitar, but because the violin lured me in and wouldn’t let me go.

If you’re someone who has played multiple instruments, I definitely suggest learning the violin. There is something different about learning violin that makes it a challenge, but also incredibly rewarding and alluring.

Is the Violin Hard to Learn?

Let’s get back to the original question. How hard is the violin to learn? In my opinion, the violin is not harder to learn than any other instrument. The thing that is different about the violin is that the violin has a low threshold for frustration.

There is so much going on with the violin, that it can be easy to get frustrated if you don’t have a plan to overcome that frustration. I don’t ever recall having a soul-searching moment after strumming some bad chords on the guitar. But I definitely recall some soul-searching after some frustrating practice sessions on the violin!

What makes the violin hard to learn? You! The biggest struggle with playing violin is overcoming the mental frustrations you impose on yourself.

Once you realize this, you'll understand your greatest obstacle in achieving your dreams is your own mind.

Yes, learning the violin can be hard. But learning anything worth learning is also hard. Of course, you’ll never know if you don’t try!

If you are interested in learning to play the violin, check out these helpful resources below. Happy Practicing!

• Learn to Play Violin in 20 Steps

• Can You Teach Yourself to Play Violin?

• Am I Too Old To Learn Violin?

When you’re ready to start learning the violin, sign up for my free beginner’s course to help you get started! Sign-up here!

Learn to Play Violin in 20 Steps

If you are thinking you want to learn to play violin, get ready for a journey that will literally change your life. I dabbled in many instruments growing up: piano, harmonica, trumpet, guitar, but nothing grabbed me and wouldn't let go like the violin.

Learning to play the violin is not a just a hobby, it’s a way of life. You don’t have to have a degree in music to be a violinist, you just have to play violin!

My journey in learning to play the violin was not standard, but through it all I learned how to love this amazing instrument. While I had many teachers while I was learning, the majority of the time I spent alone in a practice room, teaching myself to play violin. Whether you have a teacher or not, if you want to learn to play violin, you have to learn to teach yourself how to play violin. The best learners are the ones who can teach themselves.

You may also be wondering if you’re too late to learn to play violin. I have a strong opinion about learning to play violin as an adult and I think I have authority (due to my circumstances) to answer this question. Check out my advice for adult beginners here and put this question to rest once and for all.

While learning the violin takes dedication and time, it’s incredibly rewarding. After teaching violin for over 15 years, I’ve developed 20 steps to help you learn to play violin by yourself and become the violinist you’ve always dreamed of being.

Download Your Free “Learn to Play Violin” Checklist

Click here to download your checklist.

1. Buy a Violin (Not a VSO)

Your first step in learning violin on your own is to purchase or rent a violin. This may seem like an easy first step but it can be deceptively overwhelming. Where do you buy a violin? How much should you spend on a violin? How do you know if it’s a good violin?

Unfortunately there are a lot of VSO’s (violin-shaped-objects) out there masquerading as real violins. I know because for years almost every new violin student would come to their first violin lesson with a VSO. VSO’s are cheaply made, sometimes impossible to tune, have inferior strings and inferior bows, and usually sound scratchy no matter how well you play.

I watched so many of my students get frustrated with the money and time they wasted on VSO’s that I wrote my very first blog post. Helping people find good quality instruments was the first mission of Meadowlark Violin and it still is a priority!

You may watch videos of professional violinists playing these $60 violins, but don’t be deceived. We’re working hard to make those violins sound decent. As a beginner learning violin yourself, you shouldn’t have to fight to get a good sound.

I wrote a detailed guide to help you find a real violin. Real violins aren’t that expensive. You can find a decent one with a bow and a case for as low as $250ish.

Read my recommendations for the 10 Best Violins for Beginners, plus get all the information you need about violin sizing, renting vs. buying, and more.

2. Buy a Shoulder Rest (And Any Other Equipment)

Repeat this step until you find a comfortable shoulder rest! A shoulder rest helps you keep the violin on your shoulder. (The back of the violin is curved and smooth, not ideal for staying right over your collar bone). Your violin probably comes with a bow and a case. It may even come with a shoulder rest.

Adjusting your shoulder rest correctly is one of the best things you can do for tension-free playing. Everyone has a unique body type, so finding a shoulder rest that is perfect for you may take some trial and error. Here are my top picks for shoulder rests that usually work with most body types.

If your violin outfit comes with a case, bow, and rosin (it should), you really don’t need any other equipment to get started.

I teach all of my students how to play violin without looking at sheet music (even if you know how to read music). That way you can focus entirely on the various different tasks that each hand is doing in addition to focusing on what your ear is telling you. If you are teaching yourself violin, don’t get caught up or distracted with what your eyes are telling you. So you won’t need a music stand to start off, but eventually when you start reading music, you’ll want a good, sturdy one so you don’t develop bad posture.

Eventually, you might want to upgrade to better rosin. The rosin that comes with your violin (if it’s a real violin and not a VSO) will probably be good enough for beginner violinists.

3. Start Listening to Music Voraciously

Do you notice I place this step before you even touch a violin? Listening to violin and fiddle music is literally the best, cheapest, and easiest step to learning violin yourself! Playing violin is all about developing ear training and there’s no better way to do that than to listen to music. If you are learning to play violin yourself, you’ve probably noticed there are dozens of styles of violin playing: classical, fiddle, Irish, gypsy….the list goes on. Listening to music will help you stay motivated as you learn to play violin.

Check out my playlist of Music I Can’t Live Without to get some ideas.

4. Sign Up for a Self-Taught Beginner’s Violin Course

It may be tempting to piece together a lot of Youtube videos to teach yourself violin, but this is a recipe for disaster and frustration. You’ll learn violin by random tidbits and never get a complete picture. If you’re learning violin by yourself, you’re likely to skip over important concepts that you will need later on. It’s frustrating to have to backtrack, so start out learning violin basics the right way.

My free beginner’s violin course has all the information you need to get started learning violin. From purchasing a violin, to tuning the violin, you’ll also learn the left hand notes, how to hold the bow, how to bow on the violin, plus and easy song. All of that in a little over an hour of instruction!

It’s totally free because it’s my mission to help as many people as possible learn to play violin! Sign up here.

5. Learn to Tune

Once you get your violin, the first task will be tuning the strings. Tuning is an art in itself. If you purchased a real violin and not a VSO, this step will be so much easier. In my free “Learn to Play Violin” course, I’ll show you the basics. You’ll also need a free tuning app.

6. Put on Your Shoulder Rest and Get it Adjusted

Learning to play violin yourself means constantly evaluating your playing and your body comfort level. Getting the shoulder rest adjusted comfortably is a big part of playing violin without tension. I’ll show you how you can easily put your shoulder rest on and adjust your shoulder rest in my free beginner’s course.

7. Separate the Left and Right Hands

Violin can be hard because the left and right hands are doing totally different things. If you are teaching yourself violin, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to do everything at once. I always teach the left hand by itself (with pizzicato or plucking the strings) then I teach the bow hand by itself. As you get comfortable with each hand you can combine them. Learn to play violin in easy to master steps as opposed to trying to conquer everything at once. You’ll be less likely to get frustrated and make faster progress.

8. Focus on Ear Training Not Sight Training

If you are learning to play violin, you’ve probably noticed that there are no frets on a violin fingerboard! How do you know where to place your fingers? By ear! This may seem hard, but I can teach you how to place your first finger correctly without finger tapes in about a minute.

Finger decals may seem like an easy fix if you are teaching yourself violin, but they can actually harm your progress in the long run.

Finger tapes force you to rely on your eye sight. That means finger tapes cause you to use your eyes for a completely auditory skill! Why would you let your eyes tell your ears if you are in tune? It’s kind of like hiring a musician to do your taxes. It just doesn’t make sense.

One reason people who learn violin on their own get frustrated as they progress to the higher levels is because their ear is not up to par with the rest of their playing, because they never asked their ear to do anything! Then you have to start all over and teach your ear the basics.

With my method, I start teaching your ear to be in control from the very beginning. Don’t rely on visual cues for auditory skills. You’ll be happier with the results.

9. Practice Every Day (or Most Days)

If you want to learn violin yourself, it’s important to practice regularly. I do suggest taking one day off a week to refresh, but you should make it a goal to practice all the other days. It’s better to practice 30 minutes every day rather than two hours once a week.

10. Set Up a Practice Routine (And Stick With It)

If you are going to teach yourself violin, you have to be your own teacher, which means you need to hold your practice routine to a high standard! This is the ultimate key to success in my opinion. People who are learning to play violin get easily frustrated and feel like they never make progress if they don’t have a practice routine. That’s because they play a little of this and a little of that. When they hear a new song they want to learn they drop everything else and do that for a while until something else catches their ear. It’s impossible to make progress like that.

Getting a practice routine will help you make small steps of progression and it will be easy for you to see the progression, which will make you want to practice more!

I’ve got a great guide to practicing violin for beginners. Check it out here.

11. Avoid the Common Bad Habits

While everyone is different, every violin student usually deals with the same set of issues. Crooked left wrist, locked right thumb…I could go on.

In my Complete Violin Beginner’s course, I cover all of the bad habits I’ve seen from teaching violin for 15+ years. Learn the bad habits you need to avoid before they even become an issue!

11. Get Feedback

If you want to teach yourself violin, you can! With today’s technology it’s totally possible to learn violin completely on your own. However, it’s also important to get feedback. Sure, you can post videos on the internet and let the whole wide world offer you suggestions, or you can get feedback from a real, live, violin teacher. Even if you are learning violin on your own, getting your questions answered in a timely manner is important to making progress. With my Online Studio, you can post questions, videos, and pictures and get immediate feedback from me, a real-live-violin teacher. Easy peasy!

12. Go Slow

This is literally the best piece of advice I could give to someone wanting to learn violin. There is no timeline. Take it easy and go slow. You should go slow mentally but also physically. You should play slowly. How slow? Think if you were trying to annoy someone playing really, really, really, slowly. Yes, that slow. I still practice that slowly. I would be a better player now if my 15-year-old-self had practiced that slowly.

13. Know that the Bow is Everything

It’s easy to focus on the left hand, but as you teach yourself violin, you’ll soon realize that the bow is everything! It’s how you make things louder and softer, how you add phrasing and dynamics. It’s your tone, the very heart and soul of your playing. Most teach-yourself violin courses don’t focus nearly enough on the bow, but I start out from the beginning teaching you the fundamentals you need to be successful with the bow.

14. Find Community

Successfully learning violin yourself means you need to stay motivated. Learning violin can be frustrating so it’s very important to have a community of people like you to help you through the struggles. When you join the Meadowlark Violin Online Studio, you get an exclusive community filled with people just like you!

15. Learn to be a Detective

Teaching yourself violin is possible especially if you can learn to be a detective. What does that mean? Don’t just play a tricky measure a million times until it starts to sound good. Stop. Think through a problem. What exactly is making it hard? Is it a left or right hand issue? Separate the hands (remember step #7? It’s still important). Learn to find the very kernel of the thing that is causing the issue. Fix the issues instead of fixing the symptoms and you’ll be able to move on quickly to the next thing.

This is what I do when I teach myself violin and when I teach others! Be a detective!

16. Simplify

When learning music, always simplify it as much as possible, especially if you are dealing with a tricky measure. Take away the difficult bowing, simplify the rhythm. Get it down to its bare bones and then you’ll be able to see what the real issue is.

17. Start Playing with Others

Joining a jam session, a community orchestra, a church group, or just playing along with friends is essential to staying motived if you are learning to play violin yourself. It might seem intimidating but you’ll find people just like you, people who love the violin!

18. Learning Violin is a Cycle

Learning to play violin, even if you are doing all of these steps, does not mean you’ll progress without ever hitting any snags. This is the cycle of learning to play violin.

You’ll make progress and then all of the sudden it will seem like you can’t do anything right. Everything will sound horrible. This plateau is not a bad thing! In fact, it’s a good thing. It usually means that your ear is progressing. Little inadequacies with your intonation (how well you play in tune) or your tone will start to bother you. That’s great! It doesn’t mean that all of the sudden you are having those issues. You probably always played like that, but now you are hearing and picking up on more things than you did before. Give your ear a pat on its proverbially back. It’s doing its job.

When you realize learning violin is a cycle, you’ll reach those plateaus, understand what’s going on, learn to fix the issues, and then continue to make progress.

19. Have a Clear Path for Progression

Okay, so you’ve taught yourself the basics of the violin. What next? If you are learning violin on your own, you are in charge of your next steps, and that can be overwhelming. You might find you are just swimming around in a whirlpool doing the same things and never getting better and learning “the next thing.”

Having a clear path for progression is vital if you want to teach yourself violin. My online membership makes that path clear for you so you don’t have to continuously think, “What do I do next?”

Here’s some of the courses for beginners in my online membership

-Complete Beginner’s Course. Over 6 hours of instruction to take you from knowing nothing to understanding advanced concepts like “low 2” and how to bow in the upper and lower half of the bow. I’ll teach you this all by ear so you can teach your ear to be in control.

-Music Theory for Violinists. This course will teach you how to read music, how to understand rhythm and key signatures, plus anything else you ever wanted to know about music theory. It’s your go-to guide if you have questions about anything music theory related. No more googling, “what’s that squiggly line above that note?” I’ve got the answers.

-Suzuki Book I and Book II tutorials. The Suzuki books are not just for kids, nor are they for people that just want to learn classical music. Suzuki is great for fiddlers too. I don’t teach the Suzuki method, I teach the Lora method. These books have beautiful little songs to help you progress from beginner to advanced player. I’ll teach you all of the songs. It’s like having a private lesson with me because I teach you everything you need to know. There’s play-along tracks and duets to make playing fun. Talk about clear progression.

-Creative Scales for the Experimental Violinist. My scales course will take you through at least a year of guided scale practice. You’ll learn every scale beginner and intermediate violinist use as well as new bow techniques with every scale.

-Song Tutorials. Spice up your playing with fiddle tutorials, like Ashokan Farewell, hymn lessons, and tutorials for classical music pieces.

-Sheet Music library. No more looking up free sheet music online. My sheet music library has over 125 songs categorized by skill level, ready for you to print and download.

-Intermediate Courses. When you’re ready, learn third position and vibrato. It’s all here for you.

In addition there’s live lessons, community forum, and so much more. Learn more here!

20. Don’t Give Up

My last piece of advice may seem obvious, but if you want to play violin, you have to play violin. Violin can be hard, but anything worth having in this world usually takes some effort. The more effort it takes, the more it’s worth it. When you learn to play violin and start telling others that you play, you’ll usually hear one of two responses. Either, “I’ve always wanted to play violin.” Or “I used to play violin…” Don’t be either of those two people. If this is what you want to do, you can do it. You can teach yourself violin and play the music you love. You just have to pick up the violin and start playing.

Comment below and let me know what you think. Are you ready to learn violin?!

Happy Practicing!

~Lora

Download Your Free “Learn to Play Violin” Checklist

Click here to download your checklist.

Can You Teach Yourself to Play Violin? Yes, Here's 3 Reasons Why!

If you want to learn to play violin, you may be asking yourself, “Can I teach myself to play violin?” “Do I need a private teacher to play violin?” I’ve been a violin teacher for over 15 years and my opinion on this subject has drastically changed in that amount of time.

If you had asked me 15 years ago if you can teach yourself violin, I would have said an immediate no. But the technology (and my mindset) has changed so much over the last decade that I now firmly believe you can teach yourself to play violin and be successful at it!

Fifteen years ago I would also have said that you must have IN-PERSON violin lessons to be successful. Well, that was before I started teaching exclusively online violin lessons. I learned very quickly that a good violin teacher can see, hear, understand, and teach a student just as well in an online setting as in an in-person lesson.Then I began to realize a couple things that made me understand how students could teach themselves the violin with the resources available online.

But perhaps the biggest reason I changed my mind on this subject was the realization of how I truly learned to play the violin…read on to find out more!

Download Your Free “Learn to Play Violin” Checklist! Click here to download your checklist.

3 Reasons You Can Teach Yourself Violin

1. Everyone is unique, but everyone also deals with the same common problems.

As I taught more and more students I began to see the same problems and bad habits arising with every student, whether they were 8 or 80. I realized I could record a few lessons about these common bad habits that all violin students face, send them out to my students, and then have more time to spend on other topics in their private violin lessons. (Here’s an example)

This worked tremendously well. First off, I was spending less time teaching the same thing over and over again. Secondly, students were able to realize what bad habits might creep up BEFORE those bad habits even developed. Win win for everyone.

2. Technology Makes it Possible to Teach Yourself Violin

This is a pretty obvious statement, but with my experience recording lessons for students to watch on their own time, I realized the possibilities technology offered in violin instruction.

In private violin lessons, there is never enough time to teach a student absolutely everything they need to know about a subject. Learning violin involves not only learning how to place the fingers and bow, but understanding music theory, ear training, relaxation, posture, motivation, practicing, and so many other topics.

There was never enough time to teach students all the required information. I finished every 30 minute lesson trying to cram as much information in as possible, always feeling like I had never explained everything to the degree it needed to be explained.

Here’s where technology came in again and made learning violin by yourself possible.

With private violin lessons, I often spent the first lesson talking about the same things: how to tune the violin, how to put on the shoulder rest, what the names of the violin strings were, the parts of the violin ,etc. That usually took up an entire 30 minutes (and $40 of the students’ money). These lessons were usually pretty one-sided, with me doing most of the explaining and the students occasionally asking questions.

What if I could record all of those topics, send them to my students, and have them show up for the first lesson with their violin tuned, their shoulder rest on the violin, and ready to learn their first song? I would save them $40 and I would get to spend more time teaching them new things and saving more time for their questions. Another win for everyone around!

I began recording song tutorials with this same method and I realized I could take as much time as I needed to explain every aspect, every measure, every rhythm, every intonation problem, every “gotcha,” ever slur, every dynamic, everything a student would need to be successful learning that song.

Suddenly, private violin lessons didn’t seem that necessary when my collection of recordings covered every topic a beginner violin student would deal with, and in much more detail than any private lesson could provide.

Okay, time to rethink my staunch opinion on whether or not you can teach yourself to play violin. But there was one other reason that made me see it all in a new light.

#3 The Best Learners Are Their Own Teachers

What made some of my private students more successful at learning the violin than others? It wasn’t natural ability or talent. It wasn’t even dedication or a solid practice routine (although those things definitely helped). The reason some students progressed faster than others was that some students were simply better at teaching themselves.

Think about it, even if you take a private lesson every week, for every other day, every other minute your practice, you are your own teacher! Even if you are a brand new beginner, you are constantly evaluating what you are doing and coming up with ways to do it better!

That’s exactly what I do as a violin teacher.

It made me think of my first week after finishing graduate school. For the first time in over a decade, I no longer had formal violin lessons. It was a strange feeling, at one point incredibly freeing and on the other hand, very confusing.

What should I practice? How would I continue to make progress now that I was learning violin on my own? I soon discovered that when I became my own teacher, I began to analyze and understand my playing in ways I hadn’t been able to when I took private lessons. Being my own teacher and teaching myself the violin made me a better player and a better teacher!

So yes, you can teach yourself to play violin. Not only can you teach yourself the basics, I think you can teach yourself intermediate and advanced skills. Maybe there should be some caveats with that. Learning violin on your own is not for everyone and there’s definitely right ways and wrong ways to teach yourself violin.

Learning violin on your own might work for you if you…

• Are self-motivated (Most adults are even if you don’t think you are. How do you know you’re self-motivated? Do you need cheap toys from Dollar General to bribe you to practice? No? Okay, you’re more motivated than 90% of children. Congratulations. You probably have the motivation to learn violin yourself.)

• Have personal discipline (Teaching yourself violin means practicing every day (or at least most days)

• Have the time to analyze problems on your own (this can be better although sometimes more time-consuming than someone telling you your problems)

• Can organize your time

• Enjoy moderate challenges

• Don’t have time for private lessons or don’t live near any violin teachers

Learning violin on your own is not for you if you…

• Don’t like to push yourself

• Have trouble focusing

• Don’t like practicing by yourself

• Have trouble sticking with a routine

• Want to play at Carnegie Hall

How to Teach Yourself Violin (The Dos and Don’ts of Learning Violin on Your Own)

Okay, you’ve decided you can teach yourself violin. Great! There’s a couple things you should watch out for and a couple things you should do to make learning the violin on your own easier.

1. Don’t Piece Together Lessons on Youtube. Find a Self-Taught Course with Meaningful Progression.

Probably the biggest issues students face when trying to teach themselves to play violin is dabbling in this and that and never learning anything in a meaningful progression. That’s a recipe for frustration. You’re also going to miss out on valuable lessons that you need to understand for advanced concepts and you may develop bad habits along the way. This is where teaching yourself to play violin can be disastrous.

How to avoid that frustration? Find a self-taught violin course that will show you all the fundamentals in an easy to follow progression.

Ahem. Um, yes you know what I’m about to say. I have some options for you when it comes to “teach yourself violin” courses. And yes, they happen to be my courses. What a coincidence!

My “Learn Violin in One Hour” course is over an of instruction on literally everything you need to know to get started. I’ll cover topics like how to choose a good violin, how to tune your violin, how to put on the shoulder rest, how to adjust the shoulder rest, how to hold the bow, how to play the left hand fingers, how to play violin easily without finger tapes, and an easy song. Yes, all in an hour.

Best of all, it’s totally free! Why? Because it’s my mission to make it easier for people to teach themselves violin. As a violin teacher I’ve also struggled for years helping students who didn't get a good start with the fundamentals. Having to relearn the basics can be frustrating so I want you to have the best possible start. Trust me, if there are fewer students out there with stiff bow holds, I’ll be a happier person. Sign up for the free course here.

2. Get a Practice Routine and Stick With It!!

Setting up a good practice routine is probably the next best thing you can do to be successful at teaching yourself violin. I’ve got lots of advice on how to set up a good practice routine.

Click here to read and watch my ultimate practice guide for violin beginners (and intermediate and advanced players and anyone else who practices anything!)

3. Commit to Practicing Every Day (or at Least Most Days)

If you can practice every day, even for a small amount of time, you’ll make progress and be able to learn violin on your own. Regular practice is essential to learning this instrument. It’s better to practice ten minutes a day every day rather than two hours once a week.

Regular practice will help you continue to make progress which means you’ll want to practice more. This cycle is so important to staying motivated.

4. Learn to Be a Detective

To be your own violin teacher, you have to get down in the nitty-gritty of violin playing. If something doesn't sound right. Act like a detective. Don’t just play it again and again and again hoping for different outcomes (that’s the definition of a crazy person, right?)

Stop. Get out your proverbial magnifying glass. Is it a rhythm problem? A problem with note reading? A left hand problem? A right hand problem? Once you figure out what the issue is, you’ll be able to come up with a solution to fix it!

Common Questions About Teaching Yourself Violin

I don’t know how to read music. Can I teach myself violin?

Yep! In fact, I teach who to play violin basics without ever picking up a piece of sheet music. You’ll learn better, have better muscle memory and ear training if you learn the basics without looking at music. Trust me, there will be plenty of time to learn to read music and I’ll help you through it.

I used to play piano (or guitar, or any other instrument). Will it be easier to learn violin?

Any musical background will help you when it comes to learning violin on your own. But it’s definitely not a prerequisite. I have students that have never been involved with any sort of music making other than listening to the radio and they are phenomenal players.

Am I too old to learn violin?

Oh brother, do I have an opinion on this one. I believe my personal journey with learning violin gives me the authority to answer this question. I’ve got a whole blog on that topic! Read it here.

How Long Will it Take to Learn Violin?

The beautiful thing about the violin is that it is a journey that is never complete. That should be encouraging. No matter how much I progress, no matter how well I play, there’s always something else to learn, a new song to master, a new style of playing to discover.

But to answer your question, learning the basics totally depends on how much time you have to spend. (And whether or not you are spending that time the right way). An average player spending an average of 30 minutes a day practicing will be playing at an advanced beginner/intermediate level in around a year. What’s an advanced beginner/intermediate level? That means playing those songs you really like, like Swallowtail Jig, Ashokan Farewell, Irish Washerwoman, etc.

Summary

Teaching yourself to play violin is totally doable if you have the right mindset and the right resources.

What do you think? Are you ready to teach yourself violin? Read Learn to Play Violin in 20 Steps next.

Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Practicing

~Lora

Download Your Free “Learn to Play Violin” Checklist

Click here to download your checklist.

Am I Too Old To Learn Violin? A Violin Teacher's Opinion

You’ve always wanted to learn the violin, but now you’re asking yourself, “Am I too old to learn the violin?” Is there a point when it’s too late to learn the violin? Can adults even learn the violin?

I feel like I have a special authority to answer the question “Is it ever too late to learn violin” because I was an adult beginner. Well, adult-ish. Most professional violin teachers start anywhere from ages 2-10. I started playing violin when I was 15, which is unheard of. I was essentially an adult beginner.

I went from knowing nothing about violin to successfully auditioning, getting accepted, and receiving scholarships for several prominent University Music Programs. And I did all of that in less than 3 years!

So if anyone can answer your question, “Am I too old to learn the violin?” I can and the answer is NO!

While I may have had the disadvantage of lost time as an adult beginner, I had the advantage of an analytical mindset, dedication to practice, and a discerning ear. Three things that most 5 year-olds don’t have!

Here’s what I learned during my journey to learning the violin as an adult.

Download Your Free “Learn to Play Violin” Checklist Click here to download your checklist.

How to Learn Violin as an Adult

Set-Up a Daily Practice Routine and Stick With It

One of the benefits of being an adult violin beginner is the ability to organize and structure your time. Setting up a regular practice routine will help you make progress by allowing you to practice the same thing several days in a row.

Need more practicing tips? My 30 Day Practice Challenge will help you practice the RIGHT way and skip all the frustration!

Don’t Compare Yourself With Others

As adults, we are constantly wondering how we measure up with others.While it’s great to listen to better players, it’s tempting to constantly beat ourselves up for not sounding as good or staring to play violin sooner!

My violin teacher always told me that there’s always someone younger and prettier than you that can play twice as well. How true that statement is! You have your own unique skillset and approach to learning the violin, so don’t beat yourself up! Your journey is unique. Your obstacles are unique. If this is what you want to do, then do it and don’t worry about everyone else!

There is No Timeline. You Will Never Absolutely Master The Violin

That might sound disparaging, but when you think about it, it’s encouraging! No matter how well you play the violin, you will never be at a point where you can’t learn anything else. That’s the beauty of the violin. It always has something to teach us. So slow down. There’s no rush. Learn to enjoy small accomplishments. Learn to enjoy the process of making progress and you will always love playing the violin!

Why Violin Teachers Love Adult Beginners

When I started teaching violin, I quickly realized something. I loved teaching adults. Sure, kids are sweet and fun, but let’s face it. The majority of kids are taking violin lessons because their parents want them to play violin. I always had to entice children to practice violin with practice rewards, cheap toys from the Dollar store, or the occasional threat to discontinue lessons with them.

Adult beginners are totally different. They WANT to learn violin. Teaching someone who is as passionate about the violin as you are is a violin teacher’s dream! My adult beginner violinists always came to me with questions, insightful thoughts, and wonderful suggestions for me! Who could ask for a better student?

Even when my adult students came to lessons without having practiced much in the previous week due to life getting in the way, there was always something to talk about and discuss. Violin lessons with adults are never boring or routine!

From my own experience, I knew that adult beginners have several advantages to learning the violin. When I started teaching violin, I realized how important these advantages were. Here’s what I learned.

Advantages of Learning Violin as an Adult

These are my general observations after teaching violin for 15 years. There are always children that don’t follow these typical patterns, but they are rare!

Children

• Extrinsically motivated

• Rely on teachers to constantly analyze and correct their playing

• Have to be taught what “sounding good” sounds like

• Have goals made for them

• Take time to understand music theory (and usually don’t enjoy it)

• Struggle to focus during practice time

• Must be made to practice

• Don’t voluntarily listen to violin and fiddle music

• Don’t realize importance of violin community and support

• Enrolled in online course, jam sessions, and community orchestras BY adults

Adults

• Intrinsically motivated

• Analytical thought process allows them to make faster progress and “be their own teachers.”

• Discerning Ear: Adults know what they want to sound like

• Make their own goals

• Understand music theory quicker and how it applies to violin

• Know how to focus during practice time

• Want to practice!

• Listen to violin music regularly

• Seek out other violinists to learn from and be around

• Seek out their own opportunities to enjoy playing violin (online courses, jam sessions, community orchestras)

As you can see, there are a lot of advantages to learning violin as an adult. So if you’re wondering, “can adults learn the violin?” Yes, absolutely. And they usually make faster progress than children for the reasons I mentioned above.

Disadvantages of Learning Violin as an Adult

Let’s be honest, there are some things adults will struggle with more than children.

The Discerning Ear

This is both a strength and a thorn in the side. As adults, you’ve been listening to music, and probably a lot of fiddle and violin music for years. You KNOW what a good violinist sounds like. That’s great. That gives you a goal and something to work towards. You also know when something sounds bad that it’s not supposed to sound that way.

That skill is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it will allow you to progress faster. It’s a curse because you will also beat yourself up because you never sound as good as you want to sound! The lesson to be learned: don’t beat yourself up! Remember, the discerning ear is an asset.

Tension While Playing Violin

Most adults (myself included) deal with tension issues. To be honest, I think children deal with these issues too, they just aren’t as aware of it. For instance, I’ve never had a 6 year old come to a lesson and say, “I can’t figure out how to get my left hand to relax.” But I hear that all the time from my adult beginners! Playing the violin is a demanding physical skill. You’re asking your muscles to do things you’ve never asked them to do before. Dealing with tension and learning to relax while playing is something you’re probably going to deal with. Don’t worry, I know lots of ways to help you out with that!

Previous Injuries

The longer you’ve been alive, the greater chance you’ve developed issues from previous injuries. I recently dealt with De Quervain's tenosynovitis in my left hand that affected my playing for a year and made me totally rethink how I use my left hand. (Just so you know, I didn’t get De Quervain’s from playing violin. It developed after trying to lift something heavy and supporting the weight just on my fingers and wrist—don’t do that!)

I personally think these injuries can make you a better player. Having to work around a problem makes you analyze what’s going on more so than someone who hasn’t dealt with that issue. So embrace your injuries. They can teach you a lot about how to play (and how not to play!)

Is 25 Too Old to Learn the Violin?

People often tell me their age and ask, “Am I too old to learn violin?” No! I’ve had students in their 70s and 80s start learning violin and make phenomenal progress. You’re never too old to learn the violin.

What is the Best Age to Learn Violin?

However old you are. Seriously, next year, you will be a year older and you’ll wish you started violin today. There’s no ideal age to start learning violin. But the longer you wait, the older you’ll be when you start, so start now!

How to Get Started Learning Violin Today

I hope you’ve realized that you are never too late to start learning violin. If you’ve already played violin but took a break, it’s also never too late to start learning violin again. Ready to start learning (or relearning) violin today? I’ve got a free 1 hour course just for you. “How to Play Violin in 1 Hour.” It’s great to refresh the basic fundamentals or learn violin from scratch! Sign up today.

Learning Violin as an Adult is Awesome!

Yes, there were many times I would have given anything to start a year sooner. Now I’m grateful I didn’t. Learning the violin later made me a better teacher, and I also believe it made me a better human being! You’re never too old to learn violin so start your journey today!

Happy Practicing!

~Lora

Download Your Free “Learn to Play Violin” Checklist

Click here to download your checklist.

5 Items You Need to Play Violin

Are you ready to start playing violin and wondering, “What all do I need to start playing violin?” Here is my list of must-have accessories for playing violin.

For starters, you'll want a violin! Check out my post on buying a violin to help you pick out the right size or decide between renting and buying. There are many options for beginner violins. After hearing and tuning many beginner violins, I’ve narrowed down the choices and selected the most affordable violins that still have great sound and are easy to tune. Discover my top picks for beginner violins here.

1. Shoulder Rest.

This is essential to helping you hold the violin correct. I recommend the Everest shoulder rest for people with smaller necks or the Wolf Forte Secondo with normal to longer necks. Make sure your shoulder rest size matches the size of your violin. Check out my page on shoulder rests for more detailed information.

2. Music Stand

Using a music stand promotes good posture. If you're practicing with your music in your lap, in your case, or pinned to the wall, chances are you're doing some weird things with your posture that can lead to real tension issues. Portable stands are fine and nice to have, but a stand with a solid back makes it easier to write on your music. Plus, it’s more stable and solid than those flimsy, cheap wire stand. I recommend this stand which doubles as a foldable travel stand, but it’s got a solid sturdy back.

Hamilton Traveler Portable Music Stand

5. Rosin

If you purchased your violin as an outfit, rosin was probably included. However, student-grade rosin often has a grittier sound and produces more powder. For a few dollars more you can upgrade to a better sound. A cake of rosin can last a decade if properly taken care of, so it’s worth spending a few extra dollars. Dark rosin is more sticky and is better for dry climates. Light or amber rosin is better for violin but both colors work.

This Holstein Reserve Rosin is my absolute favorite. It’s a little pricey but so worth it.

4. Metronome/Tuner

You can use free apps for help tuning your violin. As you progress, you’ll realize a tuner and a metronome offer many tools to a violinist to make even faster progress. I suggest buying an actual metronome tuner combo. These metronome/tuners are usually louder than the apps and the metronomes also offers different pitches, called “drones” which can really help you play in tune!

Boss and Korg are good brands, like this Korg Metronome Tuner.

5. Method Books

Check out my page on best beginner books for adults and children alike!

6. Finger Decals (Optional)

You don’t have to put “stickers” or decals on your fingerboard to help you know where to put your fingers. You want to learn to rely on your ear and muscle memory more than anything. But if you want a little visual aid to help you know where to put your fingers, I recommend First Frets. Remember to buy the size that matches your violin size.

Happy Practicing!

Buying a Violin For the First Time

Buying your first violin is a big decision. Although it might not involve as much money, it’s something like buying your first house or car. You want something suitable to your needs. Not too cheap, not too expensive. If you are looking for a beginner violin, here are some tips to help you find the perfect one.

You can also check out my top picks for beginner violins here.

How much money do I spend on my first violin?

That’s the question I get asked the most when new students are realizing just how expensive violins can get. Beginner violin outfits will range from $200-$500. Does the more expensive violin actually sound better? Will I progress faster? What about new versus used violins?

Buying Used Violins

Shopping for beginner violins can be similar to shopping for a car. If you buy a used car, you generally get it for cheaper than a new one since you’re accepting dings, scratches, and maybe other unknown problems. With violins, if you buy a used beginner violin (from a reputable source, not Ebay or the thrift store) the first thing you’ll want to do is change the strings (around $40 plus installation) and get the bow re-haired ($40 to $75). When you take those things into account, the used violin might not be cheaper.

Side note: I do have a student who found a very nice violin at a thrift store for $30. Finding jewels like that does happen (never to me!) but it is rare. More often, I see worthless violins at antique stores and thrift shops with outrageous price tags. These violins are usually useful only as wall decorations, so be wary!

Buying New Violins

If you are buying a new violin from a dealer or an online company, how much money is enough? Back to the car analogy. If you are shopping for a new car you have a couple options. You can buy a budget car that gets the job done just fine. But you might only make it to 60,000 miles before problems start creeping up and you either have to pay a lot for repairs, or buy a new car. Instead of purchasing a budget car, you could pay a little more and get a car that will get you past 100,000 miles so you won’t have to worry about buying another car anytime soon.

Good quality “budget” violins will get the job done but you will grow out of them quicker. If you buy a higher end beginner violin or an intermediate violin ($400-$1000) you won’t have to worry about upgrading as soon. Budget violin outfits come with budget bows. Bows on the lower end of the scale can be very heavy or have an annoying wobble when you draw the bow on the string.

You will also be able to do more with a better quality violin. Some of the upgrades you might get are better tuning pegs for easier tuning, a lighter bow or a more stable bow, and better sound production. Learning to produce a good tone on a violin is possibly one of the hardest tasks beginning violinists must overcome. Having good equipment makes it so much easier.

What’s your mission?

Another thing to consider is what you are buying the violin for. If you want to see if you like the violin, then get the budget version or rent. If you will be playing in church or performing, go for something a little nicer. Cheap violins will not project as well when performing. With a better violin, you’ll sound better without having to work so hard. Are you buying a full size violin for a child? Will the child take this violin through high school, orchestra rehearsals, auditions, and the rest of their adult life? Pay a little more. If you’re going on a long road trip, you’d want them to have a good, reliable car, right? You can’t win Nascar races with run-of-the-mill budget cars.

Getting Your Money's Worth

Another question I’m frequently asked is, “If I sell my violin, will I be able to get back what I paid for it?” That’s a very hard question to answer since it depends on what you paid for it, what condition it’s in, where you live, and what the market is like in your area. Keep in mind, beginner violins are not one-of-a-kind Ferraris. They’re more like a basic, stock, Ford Focus. Companies like Shar will be turning out beginner violins until the end of time so if you want to sell your violin, you’ll have to take that into consideration. You wouldn’t buy a new car, put 5,000 miles on it and expect to get exactly what you paid for it. Why? Because your potential buyer could go to the dealer and buy a new car for the same price.

Trade-In Policies

This is the best way to insure you’ll get something out of your old violin. Violin shops often have trade-in policies. If you buy a violin from them and later want to upgrade to a better violin, they will give you money back on your old violin as long as the old violin and the new violin come from their store. Ask your local dealer what their trade-in policy is.

If you are looking for online options, Fiddlershop has a great trade-in policy.

Until you start paying big bucks, violins aren’t really investments. If you take good care of them, they’ll at least hold their value but you probably won’t get more for a beginner violin than what you paid for it. Like other hobbies and activities you do for fun, it’s about the amount of enjoyment you get out of the violin, not how much it will be worth in ten years.

Affording the Better Violin

So you want the better violin, but how do you afford it? Ask your music store what their financing options are. Fiddlershop has a financing option as well as the option to pay in installments.

How To Fix Common Problems On The Violin

There are many common problems that can cause frustration on the violin. But many of these violin maintenance issues don’t need a specialized luthier to fix. I’ve complied a list of the most common violin maintenance problems I see on a regular basis with my students and found the most helpful videos explaining how to fix them.

Some items are better left to luthiers like adjustments to the soundpost, fixing a fallen soundpost, or repairing cracks.

If you are dealing with tight or slipping pegs, a leaning bridge, or maybe you want to know how to change your strings, here’s your quick and easy guide on how to keep your violin in top condition.

How To Fix Tight or Stuck Pegs on a Violin

How To Fix Slipping Pegs on the Violin

How To Stop a Buzzing Sound on Violin

How To Straighten A Violin Bridge

How To Clean Your Violin

How to Change Your Violin Strings

How to Have the Best Online Violin Lesson

You can ensure that you get the most out of your online violin lesson by preparing just a little bit beforehand. After teaching online lessons for several years, I’ve discovered four areas that slow down lesson progress. Internet problems, software problems, camera set-up, and violin set-up. With today’s busy schedules sometimes just remembering you scheduled a lesson can be a challenge. I understand! I’ve got some tips to make sure you never forget a lesson.Here’s my checklist to make sure you’re violin lessons are good to go!

Remembering the Lesson

Since lessons can’t be canceled or changed within 24 hours of the lesson, it’s important to make sure your schedule hasn’t changed since you booked the lesson.

• Lessonface will send you a reminder on your email 25 hours before every lesson. Make sure that you are receiving the Lessonface emails and that they aren’t going to your junk mail.

• Set an alarm as soon as you book your lesson. This is especially helpful if you are booking lessons for a few weeks in the future or if you are rescheduling lessons from your normal time.

Internet Connections

First, check your internet speed. At the very least, you want 1 Mbps up and down. Of course, more is better. If you aren’t happy with your speeds, try these suggestions.

• Use an ethernet cable. I know this might be a pain to set up but it really gives my speeds a boost!

• Discourage other family members from streaming or downloading things during your lesson.

• Turn off wifi on every other device except the one you are using for your lesson (if you are using wifi).

• If using a hotspot, check out this video.

Software Set-Up

If you are just starting violin lessons, you will need to get your Zoom account set-up ahead of time. There's no additional fee for the software, and you do not need a separate Zoom account. It's all built into the Lessonface system. You can test your set up by registering for a free account, then, in your Lessonface dashboard, going to the right hand menu accessible by clicking your circular profile image and choosing "VIDEO TEST ROOM."

If you are accessing your lessons using a tablet, simply download the Zoom app.

If a box appears asking you to ‘Connect with audio and video’ or anything similar, give your consent.

Try to schedule your first class during Lessonface office hours (are these Monday - Friday 9am-5pm ET??)  If you run into problems and can’t communicate with your teacher, you’ll have these options: (1) Use the blue ‘Help’ at the bottom of any page on the Lessonface site during their live chat hours. (2) Call Lessonface toll-free within the US at 800-211-7058 or directly at 718-577-2100.  (3) Email jess@lessonface.com. 

Audio Settings

Zoom is not particularly fond of our violins’ E strings. It often likes to mute them as well as other sounds. For the best lesson experience, please follow the instructions on this page for your operating system.

Lessonface Zoom Audio Settings

Video Set-Up

Under the video settings in the Zoom settings menu, follow these steps.

1. Check “Mirror my video”

2. Uncheck “Turn off my video when joining a meeting”

Camera Set-Up

Your camera on your tablet or computer will work fine. Finding the right angle so that you can see me and your music and I can see you while you’re playing is a little trickier. In order for me to be able to give you the most advice, it’s best if I can see your entire violin. Try to position the camera so that your video looks like this. 

In your Lessonface dashboard, go to the right hand menu accessible by clicking your circular profile image and choose "VIDEO TEST ROOM." This will allow you to check out your image without joining a lesson.

I position my music stand so it’s to the left of my scroll. Sitting is fine, but make sure you have a chair without arms so they won’t interfere with your bow. Ensure the table or desk where your computer is won’t interfere with you bow either. 

Violin Set-up

What’s great about online violin lessons is that you can have your violin tuned and your bow hair tightened before the lesson. If you are new, we’ll go over tuning in the lesson, but you can get a head start by watching an introductory tuning video.

Have all your books ready to go and have your bow tightened and rosined. If you are new, don’t worry about this, we’ll go over everything!

Here’s a few other miscellaneous tips to give you an even better lesson.

1. If you can, warm-up before starting your lesson.

2. Join the lesson early to make sure everything is working properly. Computers generally like to restart/install updates exactly one minute before a lesson starts, so make sure you don’t have any surprises right before your lesson! Sometimes I am able to join the lesson 2 or 3 minutes before it starts so we can have more time in the lesson. Keep in mind, if you join before I do, a dialogue box will appear that says: "The Host Has Another Meeting in Progress.” Don’t worry, everything is working fine. Stay on the call and as soon as I join we will be connected. (This is a good time to make sure your audio settings are set like the ones above!)

3. Review the lesson notes during the week. 

Remember, the more you put into lessons, the more you get out of them. Practice regularly and have a great online violin lesson!

Happy Practicing!

Step by Step Guide to Starting Violin Lessons

Starting a new instrument can sometimes be a challenging endeavor. There’s the struggle of finding an affordable, good quality instrument. Then purchasing the accessories you might not have known you needed. Finding a teacher that suits you and then finding a time that works for both of you. And we haven’t even played a note yet! I’m here to help you streamline this process for violin lessons into step by step guide to getting started so you can focus on making beautiful music!

1. Find a Violin Teacher

This might not seem like the logical first step, but finding a good teacher from the start can help the rest of the process go smoothly. I don’t know any violin teacher who wouldn’t be eager to help a student get started. Feel free to reach out an ask questions.

2. Purchase or Rent a Violin

This is the fun part! First you want to know what size violin you will need. I’ve got a handy sizing chart to make measuring easy. Next, decide if you want to purchase or rent. If you decide on purchasing a violin, learn how much to budget for a violin and the pros and cons of used versus new violins. Then check out my top picks for beginner violins. Most beginner violins come as an outfit including a violin, bow, and case, so you will need to purchase just a few other accessories.

3. Accessories

Once you have the violin on the way, the next step will be to purchase the goodies you will need to go with it. There are a lot of gadgets out there that supposedly make learning violin easier. Don’t bother with the majority of them. Only two accessories are necessary. A shoulder rest and rosin. Here are my top picks for shoulder rests. For rosin, I recommend Hidersine.

If you don’t have a music stand, it will make your life so much easier when it comes to posture. And lastly, it’s not necessary, but if you want a little extra help to show you where to place your left hand fingers, purchase a First Frets Decal, just make sure it matches the size of your violin.

You’ll want to purchase the music books your violin teacher recommends. Here are a list of books I use.

4. Tune Your Violin

When your violin arrives, you will find it’s pretty bad out of tune. No worries! Your teacher will be happy to help. I’ve also made a video to make tuning a breeze. Make sure you’re keeping your new violin safe and clean as well!

5. Learn to Play!

Now that your violin is in tune, you are almost ready to make music! Learn how to adjust your shoulder rest to play comfortably. Get your bow hold ready to go, and start playing! I’ve got lots of free sheet music for beginners and make sure to check out my lessons on music theory and technique tips!

Happy Practicing!