Just like any other skill, learning how to play the violin could be more challenging for an adult who decided to take violin lessons for beginners compared to a child who has been exposed to the violin in their early years. However, many tend to forget that adults are easier to motivate than small children who are not yet quite aware of the importance of the activities they’re doing.
Here are some tips on how to be successful in learning how to play the violin. If you haven’t had any experience with the violin, you should try to decide on which violin lessons for beginners would fit your lifestyle. Start looking in your area for teachers who give lessons to groups or perhaps at home. Think about your availability and decide on whether to participate in a group lesson or have the teacher come to your place. The advantage of a group course is that you will somehow be forced to attend the courses rather than an individual course which you can postpone at your own discretion. If you do not have a fixed weekly schedule at work, then you might want to check out violin lessons for beginners which you can take online. You will have the flexibility to decide when to practice and continue with the courses. However, this method requires a lot of self-discipline as there will be no one to remind you to finish with the lessons within a certain period.
If you’ve decided which violin lessons for beginners you want to take, you should set aside a time of the day where you will practice what you’ve learned. A friend of mine usually plays for a few minutes in the morning before getting ready for work and a few minutes when he comes home from work. For him, playing the violin is a way to wake up his senses and at the same time unwind from a day’s work. Try to stick to your schedule as much as possible and soon enough it will be a routine you cannot live without. This way, you will be able to master the violin in no time.

Here are 10 sheet musics and songbooks that I recommend:

1.		Old-Time Fiddling Across America Sheet Music
2.		Danse ce soir – Fiddle and Accordion Music of Quebec (Book Only) Sheet Music
3.		Gypsy Violin – Book/CD Sheet Music
4.		English, Welsh, Scottish, & Irish Fiddle Tunes Sheet Music
5.		Solo Christmas – For Violin Sheet Music
6.		Songs of the 90′s – Violin Sheet Music
7.		300 Fiddle Tunes Sheet Music
8.		Lennon & McCartney – 60 Greatest Hits – Violin Sheet Music
9.		StringTunes – A Very Beginning Solo (or Unison) Songbook Sheet Music
10.		God Bless America & Other Patriotic Favorites – Violin Sheet Music

More often than not, people would ask me how long it would take them to master the violin. I usually answer them back with a series of questions: What kind of lessons are you taking?  How often do you practice?  How do you feel about your instructor?  Does your instructor inspire you to be better or is he/she taking away your motivation because of his/her methods?  Are you getting frustrated?

These are only some of the questions that you need to ask yourself if you want to assess when you will be able to play confidently in front of a crowd (You might be already comfortable playing alone in your room but it will be a lot different to play for an audience.). There are a lot of misconceptions with regard to learning how to play the violin.

1. Some people think that if some of their family members are very good at it, playing the violin should come easily.
It may be true that some of us are equipped with genes from our musically inclined forefathers but this should not put an additional pressure to those who think they should master the violin as fast as their other family members. When it should serve as a source of inspiration, it is unfortunate to see that many people are being demotivated and are easily frustrated because of their family’s success in the line of music.
Please note that learning how to play the violin takes time and dedication. I am certain that our relatives who are violinists would attest to that.

2. Buying the most expensive violin in the market would make it easier for a beginner to learn how to play.
Many people think that the more expensive a gadget, the more effective and easier to handle it should be. They tend to forget the saying: “It is not the violin but the violinist.” Like in photography, many aspiring photographers are lured to buying the most expensive lens they can get their hands on. They do not know that looking for good photography lessons (from a known photographer) would have been a better option if they want to start right. That being said, beginners should invest a bit of time in looking for the appropriate violin. It should feel right and the violinist should feel comfortable using it. Ask around first, do some web research, make a shortlist of the models you want to try, then go out and ask again for the advice of the shop’s owner.

3. Skipping some of the exercises in an online violin course is alright.
This is what many people think and actually do. It is such a pity because they paid for the entire course but might probably miss on many important points. Unless you really know some sections 100% or you have tried the practice lessons elsewhere, you should never skip any lesson. Besides, if you are taking an online course, you can always do it anytime you want. So why not enjoy the whole course if you paid for it?

These are only some of the few misconceptions that I’ve heard from other violinists and aspiring violinists. If you have any tips, please free to use the comment section below.

Photo by: coltfan909

In my recent entries, I’ve focused my articles on the question when a child should be exposed to playing the violin and music in general. To look at the flipside of the coin, it would also be interesting to know what experts think about starting to play the violin as an adult.

First of all, a recent study shows that age is not the deciding factor to master a musical instrument. Born music geniuses are not the rule but rather the exception. According to experts, consistency is the key to being the best you can be in any sport or musical endeavor you are into. People who have a passion for music but are holding back because they think they have passed the “learning age” are misguided. For individuals who lack the determination, the “right” time will just never come.

I started really late but due to my commitment and interest in playing the violin, many musicians who heard me play, only had positive comments about my skills. It is never too late and never too early to start. So if you have this inner desire to learn how to play the violin, now is the time to do so. If you don’t start now, you never will.

In case you’re still undecided whether to begin with the learning process, here are some questions to help you assess your readiness:

1. How much time are you willing to invest for learning how to play the violin?

Your answer here is crucial since consistent practice is needed to learn any kind of instrument. Experts say that the length of time is not as important as the frequency of practice. Even if you just practice for an hour every other day but you do so consistently, it will still help you a great deal.

2. How much are you willing to pay?

Considering the still ongoing economic difficulties we are facing these days, this factor might be the deciding one for many people. It might also be the only one holding them back from starting with violin lessons.

Some of the violin teachers I know either lost their jobs or had their hours cut by the school. Competition between violin teachers has become really tough since last year. This could make it easier to find a good teacher with cheaper rates compared to previous years. However, this, of course, depends on your availability. If you are planning to take lessons at night or during weekends, you might have to pay a higher rate than regular students.

I personally chose a more convenient and cheaper version because I was not sure at first whether playing the violin is something I would want to do long term. So, I tried out these online violin lessons which cost me 29 dollars. They are great for beginners who want to learn and practice at their own pace as well as advance players who are looking for ways to improve their skills.

3. What inspired you to learn how to play the violin?

Just like choosing the right major for college, learning how to play the violin requires an individual’s interest. If you feel pressured by your parents or peers, you might have a difficult time mastering the violin. Don’t feel guilty, though. I know a lot of teenagers who are being forced by their parents to learn a certain musical instrument and because of the pressure, they end up hating what they are doing. Make sure you really want to learn to play the violin because of your interest. Playing the violin is a great way to express yourself and it should be a fun and pleasant activity for the individual playing.

The choice is yours but like if playing the violin is something you’ve always wanted to do, I would definitely give it a shot. You can start with the online violin lessons and go from there.

Violin Lessons

Thank you to all those who emailed me asking for more information on the online violin lesson that I’ve used.  I’ve been wanting to create a video for a long time but I didn’t know how to start.  After some research, I’ve found a site which would allow me to create a video easily.

Anyway, I hope you like the short video that I’ve created. It shows what you’ll get when you’ve signed up for the course. There is a theory part where you will learn the basic. You can either download the PDF file or read it on the web. After you’ve done the theory part, you can watch the videos to start following the different exercises and eventually start playing the violin.

If you’re still researching and evaluating the different violin lessons, give this online violin lesson a try. It might just work for you like how it helped me. Just request for a refund if it’s not working for you. Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know if you found another course that helped you.

Here’s my first shot at creating a video.  Hope you like it.

Like I said in my previous post, many parents are wondering about the true effect of exposing their children to music. Many are trying to figure out the best time to expose their children to an instrument, such as the violin. Again, I cannot provide you with a precise scientific answer but I personally think that children can benefit more when they are exposed to music as early as possible – even before birth!

Here’s an excerpt taken from the book, “The Mozart Effect for Children“, written by Don Campbell (pp. 19 – 20 of the 2000 edition):

“The Do Re Mi’s of Fetal Development

Violinist Joanne Bath was completing her master of music degree at the University of Michigan when she learned she was pregnant with daughter Pamela. The news was most welcome, and Joanne still recalls the joy with which she combined her preparation for her final violin recital with her preparation for childbirth. The day of the recital arrived during the seventh month of Joanne’s pregnancy. It was a celebratory experience, as she and her musician husband, Charles, performed, among other works, sonatas by Cesar Franck and Aaron Copland.

Many years later, Pamela followed in her mother’s footsteps, performing her own master’s degree recital on the violin. ‘She chose two of the pieces her daddy and I played in my recital: the ones by Franck and Copland’, Joanne told me. ‘She said they seemed so easy to learn, as if she instinctively knew them. She did not realize that she had heard them so much before birth.‘”

As proven by several scientific studies, we are now certain that children, even an unborn child, are capable to listen and sense what is happening around them. And because of the vibration of the womb through music, the fetus is able to “feel” the music through her body. Although the ears are not yet fully developed in the first few weeks of life, this does not hinder an unborn child to hear the music being played outside the womb. “Your baby ‘feels’ sound – including and especially the sound of your voice – for months before she ever hears it.”, says Don Campbell.

Parents have the opportunity to give their children the full benefits of music in whatever way they can. It will never be too early or too late to do this. It is the parents’ dedication and committment to music which would make a huge difference. Like the story of the violinist, Joanne Bath, learning how to play an instrument could be the first step in exposing your children to music. There are lots of options you can choose from – guitar, piano, ukelele and of course, the violin. Remember though, that many scientific studies, as quoted in Don Campbell’s book, prove that classical music is more beneficial to a child’s brain development.

Given the advanced technology available nowadays, you can always opt for the more convenient online violin lessons for any classical instrument. I chose to learn how to play the violin because it is handy as opposed to the piano or other bigger instruments. If you are interested to learn how to play the violin, click here to learn more.

We have been asked by a lot of parents on when to start violin lessons with their children. There is no exact science to know exactly when a child is ready for a particular activity. However, there are some factors you might want to consider before you decide.

1. Reading Ability

In general, children who can already read, will have an easier time in learning how to play the violin. This can differ, though. Children with early exposure to a certain instrument, even when they haven’t started reading yet, would find it easy to play a musical instrument. Their ears have been trained to know what the correct rhythm is and they will be able to distinguish the different tones they hear without having to read notes.

2. Environment

I noticed that children who are “forced’ to start early with a structured music lesson are able to play well when they’re young. However, many opt not to continue playing when they are older. There are exceptions of course but I would rather stay on the safe side. Provide your young children with a musically rich environment. You can watch some music instructions together, either on TV or on the web. If you get the chance, try to get a small violin for your child and a beginner violin for yourself. Try to follow the instructions together and stop before your child gets bored with it. More often than not, a strict schedule and a too structured lesson would not work for your child.

3. Time

This is the key element to succeed in learning how to play the violin. Depending on the age of your child, a younger child will need supervision. Otherwise, she will lose interest quickly. That’s why I recommend using online instructions at first where you have the liberty to schedule your violin sessions. This way, you need not worry about your child not cooperating with a teacher that you would have to pay regardless of your child’s progress. Bear in mind though, that practice should be fun for both the parent and the child. If it’s not enjoyable for you, you’re child will know it. So, be enthusiastic about learning how to play the violin and praise your child for showing interest in it. Be sure to set aside a few minutes for your violin sessions. This way, it will eventually be part of your child’s routine. Take into consideration when your child is most responsive and cooperative (usually mornings for many children).

Each child is different. Do not force the issue if you think your child is not enjoying it. But remember though, that playing a music instrument together is a great learning opportunity that will create lasting memories for both of you. Here’s a package of online violin lessons that has helped a lot of parents, including myself. You might want to check it out and see if it will work for you. Click here.

There are a lot of intriguing studies that show that music training has a significant impact on the brain development of a child. New findings on the benefits of learning how to play an instrument have been presented by different scientists over the last five years. These evidence may not be the final answer as to whether playing the violin or any other instrument really contribute to a child’s cognitive abilities but nowadays, many parents are becoming more convinced that music training is an effective way to stimulate their children’s brain development. Below are some of the most compelling reasons why your child should start with his/her music training even at an early age.

1. Significant difference between a musician’s brain and a non-musician’s:

In playing a certain instrument, a child’s brain performs a lot of complex physical and mental operations which enable him to visually present the music symbols through finger coordination and recognition of sounds. Scientists such as Schlaug and Gauser believe that this could be the reason why the gray matter volume (a measure of density of brain cells in a certain brain region) of a musician’s brain is greater than that of non-musician. They derived this conclusion from a study they conducted, where in they compared the brain structure of professional musicians, amateur musicians and non-musicians.

2. More developed Motor Skills and Brain Connections

Another experiment was conducted by Winner and Schlaug, where they performed a test on 59 children, ages 9-11. 41 of these children were given regular music training for 15 months while the rest did not. The results showed that the musically trained children showed better finger coordination and faster recognition abilities (the so-called near transfer abilities) than the non-musicians. He supported this finding using the brain scans of the musically trained children which clearly showed more defined brain connections than those who did not receive any music training in the duration of the study.

3. Longer Attention Span and Better Self Control

A research conducted by Michael Possner, a professor at the University of Oregon, showed the positive effects of music training on attention, self control and general intelligence. By using neuroimaging, he found that attention-controlled tasks contribute to the development of a child’s attention network, which leads to an increase of “fluid intelligence and IQ”. His research provides evidence that a child who is able to sustain attention and control for longer periods than other children of his age, has more developed language and reasoning abilities (so-called far transfer abilities).  He considered music training as an activity that could have this effect on children.

4. More Developed Geometric Abilities

Elisabeth Spelke, a professor at Harvard University showed in her research that children with music training have better map-reading and geometry abilities. In her study, she showed that infants as young as four months can associate lengths of sounds to the length of visual objects. In this research, she used tones of different lengths with corresponding cartoon worm sizes. “If an infant hears music, the melodic processing may lead to new forms of visual processing,” Spelke said. “This may form the basis for the relationship between math and music later on.”

5. Better Overall Performance at School

The recent study of the College Board, the institution that oversees the Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT, showed that students who are regularly taking music lessons scored, on average, 51 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 39 points higher on the math portion than non-musician students.

6. Strengthens the “Mozart Effect” in Children

Everyone has heard of the Mozart effect. However, none of the scientists was able to prove its long-term effects on children who are merely listening to Mozart’s compositions. However, if combined with regular music training, it has been said that Mozart’s music could have long term positive effects on the cognitive development of a child’s brain.  For this reason, over the past years, more parents are introducing classical music to their children by teaching them how to play the violin or the piano. However, due to its portability and current media exposure (violin being used by the media in the remakes of old songs), the violin is gradually gaining more popularity among the youth. Many educators have also noticed a steady growth in the number of students interested in learning how to play the violin than any other instrument.

We’ve heard it a lot of times – children’s brains are like sponges. They have the ability to learn a lot more than adults can. Why not start early and give your child a headstart in life? As a parent, we are being presented with a lot of ways to educate our children. There are a lot of theories that are subject of dispute among educators and scientists but there’s one thing everyone agrees on – music lessons can only be beneficial to your children. As of this date, there is no existing study that proves otherwise.

Photo Credits:Bob Jagendorf

Many people who decide to begin violin lessons easily get overwhelmed by the options they have in buying a violin. Fact is, the violin is an instrument which is not so widely used compared to the guitar or the piano. Some people associate the violin to an elite group of people and not mainstream music makers. Although this might still hold true to the present, statistics show that many beginners in the past five years are from all walks of life. It is also interesting to know that almost half of these new beginners pass on their enthusiasm to their family, specially their kids who eventually begin with their own lessons. This could be explained by the fact that an ordinary person who has not been exposed to playing the violin has now a wider range of options in buying a violin and choosing an instructor – all because of the Internet. You may get different pieces of advice on how to buy the violin but here is what most people consider before making the purchase:

1.    Goal

Why do I want to play the violin in the first place? For pleasure? For teaching purposes? To be a freelance violinist?
If you will be playing the violin mainly at home, infront of friends and family, you may want to start with the cheaper ones, like those manufactured by Otto Ernest Fischer. They make beautiful sounds and are not very pricey. You may stick with it until you decide to go professional. This brand is widely recommended for kids too so if you intend to teach your kids, they might want to use the same brand.

2.    Size

First, measure your arm’s length. This begins from the center of your chest up to the center of your palm. Then look for your measurement in the table below:

4/4 = 23 inches
3/4 = 22 inches
1/2 = 20 inches
1/4 = 18.5 inches
1/8 = 16.5 inches
1/10 = 15 inches
1/16 = 14 inches

The fraction on the left size represents the size of the violin. There is a corresponding arm’s length for each size. It is recommended for an adult not to settle with a violin that is smaller than ¾. 4/4 could or should also be used by children 9 years and older. If an adult or an older child settles with a smaller violin, they will be forced to stretch their hand more to be able to grasp the end of the fingerboard. In this position, it would be more difficult for them to place their fingers in the correct position. Remember that bigger violins resonate better, thus making a fuller sound than smaller violins. On the other hand, a child that is forced to use a bigger violin would be greatly handicapped in playing the instrument.

3.    Quality Control

Just like in any purchase of any kind of instrument, you should always check for good quality. This is where the question of many arises: online or local music store? I personally bought my violin online because there are just better options on the net. However I would not recommend buying a secondhand violin on the Internet, like Ebay. I think buying a secondhand instrument on the Internet entails many risks that could outweigh the advantages you get out of it.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of your local music store:

Pros

• You can try out the violin onsite.
• You can ask for advice from the sales representatives present onsite.
• If available, you can take the instrument with you on the same day.

Cons

• You have limited options.
• Returning the instrument might be acceptable the first time you do it but it is very likely that they will not entertain you the second time around. That means, you have to make the right decision before making the first purchase.
• Some of the options you have might be more expensive than on the Internet (Just like the books on Amazon and in your local book store. You save a whole lot more by buying them on Amazon.)

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of an online purchase:

Pros

• You have more options.
• Most of the items are cheaper.
• It is more convenient to make an online purchase. Many sites even offer a two-way free delivery.
• It is less embarrassing to return the instrument more than once. To be sure, check the terms and conditions of the online retailer or send a written inquiry (for your records in case of a dispute later on).
• In case of a purchase of a brand new instrument, there are only rare cases where the instrument arrives with damage. In such a case, you can return it anytime without extra costs.

Cons

• You can not check if the violin suits your body built.
• You will have to wait for at least two days before you get the instrument (if you want free delivery). If you are willing to pay a bit more for a one-day delivery, this is also possible.
• You cannot check the quality before the purchase.

My advice:

If you decide to make the purchase online, always remember that you can always try out the violins in your local store to determine the size and brand you want. Then write down the information you need, check it out online and make the online purchase if it has a more reasonable price and better return policies.

Photo credits: karenwhitak

If you’re looking for ways on how to play the violin and wouldn’t want to spend a fortune, I’m happy that you’ve come to my blog.

I was on the same boat before when I’ve started searching for violin lessons. Violin lessons can be expensive especially if you’re looking for private lessons. Being a mother of two, I can’t afford to invest that much money and I don’t have the time to schedule regular appointments for private lessons. My long time dream of playing the violin was put on hold because of these circumstances.

Not until I found Violin Master Pro. Violin Master Pro is an easy and inexpensive way to learn the violin. Once you’ve signed up, you can start downloading the violin lessons in video anytime. You don’t have to make an appointment and you can learn anytime you want.

Violin Master Pro was created by Eric Lewis. Eric Lewis is a professor for 40 years and a world renowned first violinist of the Manhattan String Quartet.

After 2 months since I’ve started with Violin Master Pro, I can now play different types of music in my violin. I’ve also learned the following from the course:

1. How to play improvisational music.
2. How to play the violin by ear.
3. How to read music.
4. How to find the best instruments at the best prices.
5. How to write songs for your violin.
6. How to play with perfect rhythm.

Just like you, I was hesitant at first and didn’t know if an online violin lesson like Violin Master Pro will work for me? After looking at their website, I saw that they have a 60 days full money back refund. This was what made me buy the course since I can essentially try it out for free for 60 days.

I’ve been studying the course for more than 2 months now and I’m extremely happy with the results. I can play different music although there are still lots to learn and lots of videos to download. If I’ve found Violin Master Pro earlier, I would have been fulfilling my dream of playing the violin a long time ago.

Anyway, that’s it for now, click here to visit their website.

All the best!

Nancy