A lot of people plan to begin learning how to play a certain instrument but do not pursue it because of three main reasons – lack of time, perseverance and indecisiveness.
It takes a lot of hard work to master an instrument. And the violin is not an exception. Here are the four most important factors you might want to ponder on before committing to any kind of violin lesson:
1. Purpose
First and foremost, it is important to determine the reason why you want to learn how to play the violin in the first place. Lack of drive to continue can only lead to frustration for both student and instructor. Make a quick reality check and ask yourself about what you could gain out of the experience. Some people consider playing the violin as a stress-relieving activity after a tiring day at work, some decide to pass on their learned ability to their kids, some just want to try something new. There are also people who intend to make money out of playing the violin, either by being a freelance violinist (while keeping their fulltime job) or as an instructor.
2. Amount of Time
Time is critical in learning anything new. Regardless of the quality of the lessons you will be taking, your perseverance and the amount of time you are willing to invest would make or break your success in learning how to play the violin. Many professional or even amateur players would attest that it takes a lot of practice and motivation to be successful in playing the violin.
Time will also help you determine whether you should opt for an online course, where you can take the courses at your own pace or go for more structured lessons by a (physical) instructor.
3. Instructor
Online instructors are becoming more and more popular nowadays. They are cheaper and offer more flexibility than the traditional method of teaching by your local instructor. On the other hand, your local instructor can guide you through each lesson and correct your mistakes on the spot. This would be the better alternative for people who have the time to regularly attend the course.
4. Venue
There are a lot of instructors who can give lessons in your own home. In this case, you might want to limit your choices to the known or recommended instructors because there is a part of your home that you will have to expose.
There are also lessons that have a class-type structure. Students bring their own instrument to class and can take the lessons with other students. It would be good to know in advance, what the student-teacher ratio is in a particular institution before you sign up for the course. A ratio of 1:2 is ideal but 1:3 is still acceptable.
These are mere guidelines that will help you decide whether to start with your violin lessons and how soon you should do so. Do not get intimidated by people who discourage you because you’re not as young as the “usual” beginners. If you’ve considered all the factors we listed above, do not let anything hold you back from the beautiful experience of being able to create music through the violin.
Photo Credits: nickfarr
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