8 Steps to Learn the Violin as a Beginner
So you’ve decided to start playing the violin. Congratulations on the start of this exciting journey! There are a ton of things to learn and a ton of information out there, so it can be hard to know where to start. To help guide you along your journey, I’ve compiled a list of the first eight steps you need to take as a violin beginner. If you want a more structured approach to learning
Acquire an instrument. This might seem self-explanatory, but you can’t play the violin if you don’t have one! For beginners, I recommend renting rather than buying. Violins are expensive, and a good quality instrument will most likely cost at least a few hundred dollars. Anything cheaper than that is most likely a VSO (Violin Shaped Object), which will most likely have a poor sound and be harder to play. Renting a violin is much more affordable than buying one (in my area, they run about $25-$40 per month), and if you rent, you’ll get to play an instrument that’s good quality. If you do choose to buy, I highly recommend Fiddlershop. They have excellent quality violins and great customer service.
Learn the parts of the violin and how to care for it. This is important because violin parts will be frequently referenced in lessons and videos. Additionally, taking care of the instrument helps ensure it will last for years to come.
Learn how to hold the bow. Learning how to hold the bow is one of the toughest challenges you’ll face in the beginning, but a correct relaxed bow hold is vital for creating a good sound. The good news is that if you learn this properly, you’ll never have to change it again.
Learn how to hold the violin. Along the same lines as learning how to hold the bow properly, learning how to hold the violin and position your left hand is also of the utmost importance. Proper posture has a direct effect on how well you can play, but more importantly, ensures that you stay injury free.
Learn how to get a straight bow. Keeping a straight bow while playing helps create an even sound. If your bow is crooked, it is changing contact points (ie placement on the violin) and therefore changing the sound.
Learn how to place your fingers down. When placing your fingers down, be sure that they are on the tips and land directly on the correct spot. I recommend starting with fingers 1, 2, and 3, and only moving to 4th finger when the others feel comfortable.
Start learning how to read music. This step is optional, for two reasons. First, you may already know how to read music! Second, you may not be interested in learning how to read music. If this is a skill you wish to acquire, I suggest starting this process after you feel comfortable with violin positioning and can produce a good tone.
Follow your book. Now that you know the basics, it’s time to follow your book! As you may have guessed, I am a huge proponent of the Suzuki method. The aim of the books is to teach you skills that are easily transferrable to any other piece or genre of music you’d like to play. However, I know the teaching points of the Suzuki books aren’t always obvious, which is why I made a playlist going through the teaching points of every song in Book 1.
