Is the violin difficult to learn?

Question

I've always wanted to play an instrument, and loved music, though I've just never had the time, money or motivation to do so. I'm 17 and will be starting my final year of high school in about 5 weeks - but until then, I've got some time to spare. And after seeing Lindsey Stirling play (she's epic!), I searched ebay and realized I could get a cheap violin for like $60. I wouldn't be able to afford a proper teacher though, and I'm worried self-teaching will be too difficult or frustrating? And I don't exactly have anywhere isolated to play - 7 people live in my house and I don't want to be annoying them with my horrid attempt at learning a loud, high-pitched instrument LOL. I learned to juggle with tennis balls though, so I'm fairly dexterous, and I love the sounds violins make (when played well). So:

1. Is it difficult? How fast can I begin to sound decent?
2. Is getting a teacher necessary?
3. Is it possible to buy an electric violin with headphones, so nobody can hear it? (is that more expensive than an ordinary violin?)
4. Any ideas on isolated places I can practice?

Thanks for any answers!

Answer 1

A $60 seem like it would be extremely bad quality but any violin is worth having, I guess. If you can then it would be so much better to get a more expensive violin but if you can't then don't worry about it. Playing a musical instrument is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable and I personally do not play the violin but the piano. However, I have some knowledge on this subject. Self-teaching will, without a doubt, be incredibly hard: especially on an instrument like the violin where so much can go wrong but so much can go mysteriously right also. If you can't afford a teacher then it's the only way to go but you could do so much more with a teacher and it will be really, really hard. I understand where you are coming from about practice space but hopefully they will understand or you could perhaps practice in a school practice room or something like that. A little suggestion is that before deciding on the violin for sure: also consider the cello. Just a thought. Now on to answering the questions:

1. The violin is a very difficult instrument to learn as there is so much involved in it - technique, etc -and it's very hard to get a decent sound from but it's also a very beautiful instrument and is worth learning, in my opinion. The answer to "how fast can I begin to sound decent" is really up to you. It depends on how much you practice, the speed it takes you to learn, the amount of commitment you are willing to put in and many other factors but I would say as a rough guide then a year or so.

2. I would say that for any instrument, getting a teacher is necessary but there are always SOME people who can learn without one but it's extraordinarily hard to do this. I would say that you need a teacher, yes and especially for an instrument like the violin or any string instrument, in-fact.

3. I think that electric instrument are never as good as the really thing and to be honest, although it may be practical, you just wouldn't be playing the violin. But, if you must practice in silence then you could get one but I would seriously advice against it. I've played on both electric and normal pianos and the electric piano, no matter how expensive it is, just isn't the same at all. I think that it all depends on the brand of the violins but I think an electric violin would cost more than $60 anyway.

4. You can practice in school, maybe stay behind and use practice rooms, as I have said: I'm sure that teachers would be happy for you to do so.



I hope this advice has helped. I'm a 16 year old piano student myself and can tell you that learning a musical has changed my life and there are so many reasons why you should learn to play. It truly is a life-changing experience. Good luck to you and your studies.

Answer 2

Violin is the number one instrument to master/play. The only reason why it is difficult is because it carries the melody almost all the time(*if you are ever thinking of joining a symphony orchestra). Requires both left and right hand doing different things. Right=bowing, Left=Fingerings.



The violin should have good quality to make it sound decent,

your posture(actually has an effect),

bow pressure

Rosin is necessary for the bow because it makes the bow grip onto the strings causing it to vibrate

good quality strings (if you're not looking to professionally, then don't go out and buy expensive strings) without rosin you bow will just be sliding off the strings

most important PRACTICE



A teacher would probably be necessary, but if you don't have the money for lessons. Find a friend who plays the violin (who is advanced) and ask them if they can give free lessons to help you how to hold the violin, how to hold the bow properly, produce the tone of a violin, and proper finger placement, and they will probably help you become a better player



An electric violin price range is from $300-$3000 US dollars, and by ordinary violin I hope you mean by buying a student violin.



You don't need to be in an isolated place to practice, you could buy a violin practice mute, not an orchestral mute. The difference between the practice and orchestral mutes is the practice mutes dampens (not making wet, but making the sound less) where only you could hear the instrument but someone in another room wouldn't hear you play at all. Orchestral mutes are used in performances giving the violin a smooth, mellow sound. I would suggest you getting yourself a practice mute.



Here is a sizing chart for how long violin should be for you, will be within the sources

the last few letters with the h will be "htm"



Plus, buying a violin for 60$ will probably be worth and sound like crap

Answer 3

I'll answer them one by one:



I've always wanted to play an instrument, and loved music, though I've just never had the time, money or motivation to do so. I'm 17 and will be starting my final year of high school in about 5 weeks - but until then, I've got some time to spare: you can learn violin at any age, i started when i was 35 and found it easy (despite being a dumbo at the piano in my teens).



And after seeing Lindsey Stirling play (she's epic!), I searched ebay and realized I could get a cheap violin for like $60. - NO, NOT ON EBAY. go for one of the used ones from shar music. http://www.sharmusic.com/2010-Shar-Email-Offers/Outlet-Sale/Previously-Owned---Moderate-Wear---Franz-Hoffmann-Amadeus-Violin---Instrument-Only---1-2-size.axd NEVER EVER BUY A VIOLIN ONLINE FROM RANDOM SELLERS ON EBAY. the link i have put in above is for a half sized violin, but if you talk to the shar people, they will find you a violin to fit your budget and your requirements.



I wouldn't be able to afford a proper teacher though, and I'm worried self-teaching will be too difficult or frustrating? - self teaching, even if from very good teachers on the internet, will only make you learn bad habits that are hard, if not impossible, to unlearn later. however, internet teachers make very good supplements to a real teacher.



And I don't exactly have anywhere isolated to play - 7 people live in my house and I don't want to be annoying them with my horrid attempt at learning a loud, high-pitched instrument LOL. I learned to juggle with tennis balls though, so I'm fairly dexterous, and I love the sounds violins make (when played well) - i wouldnt mind annoying them! plus you can always fix a mute to the violin bridge and mute the sound. mutes are very very very cheap.



So:



1. Is it difficult? How fast can I begin to sound decent? - i could play twinkle twinkle little star in 2 months. and it only gets easier after that.

2. Is getting a teacher necessary? - you have to. there is no compromise on this.

3. Is it possible to buy an electric violin with headphones, so nobody can hear it? (is that more expensive than an ordinary violin?) - i think it will be more expensive. and it is always better to start with an acoustic and then move on to electric after getting thorough with the acoustic.

4. Any ideas on isolated places I can practice? - fix a mute on your violin.

Answer 4

Those cheap violins are flimsy, poorly made, hard to play, hard to keep in tune, sound terrible, and usually need another $100-200 worth of repairs in the first year. If you think you can sound like Lindsey Stirling on one of those you have a big surprise coming.



Violin is difficult enough to learn even with a teacher. Trying to teach yourself at least triples the difficulty. There's nothing natural or intuitive about the technique, and the self-taught usually get a good deal of it wrong with no one around to correct their hand and arm position. It usually takes a couple of years of lessons to stop sounding like you're torturing a cat. If you're teaching yourself on a $60 violin, that couple of years will probably turn into "never." Violin is not an instrument for anyone who wants instant gratification. Being able to play is amazing, but you need patience and dedication.



You can get an electric violin with headphones, but not for $60. Cheap electric violins have most of the same problems cheap acoustic violins have.



There are heavy practice mutes that dampen the sound of a violin so much that it's hard to hear in the next room, but those should only be used occasionally. You can't learn sound production when your sound is always muted.

Answer 5

Yes,it may be too difficult. As a couple of responders stated...PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! Now we put that aside,here comes a major question for non-violinists...What makes the violin so difficult to play? The intonation is one...It is hard to play with precise intonation and there would never be one who can do it. Now,you'd probably say perfect pitch is the answer or most violinists never make a mistake. Here's a counter. Most of the time violinists fingers shift to accordingly correct the intonation even by a little bit so as not to put off the whole ensemble due to bad intonation. Which leads us to hearing. Violinist ear's are especially keen towards pitch which would be trained in the long run with the violin as your instrument. Many factors affect the tone and quality of the sound of the violin as well. I would not go into details as it will take very long. If you intend to get a teacher(please do really)you can get him/her to explain to you which is much better than reading which would no doubt cause confusion.

Answer 6

1. The violin is one of the most difficult instruments to learn to play well. It can take a year or more before you can start to sound good but that depends on the commitment and the quality of the violin. A $60 violin will always sound bad if it can even be tuned. See this article about cheap violins - http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/201011/11787/

2. Those that try to learn without a teacher get a most about half of the things correct making the learning much more difficult and the progress very slow. If you are concerned about ever sounding good, get a teacher - especially to start with.

3. Yes, there are many electric violins out there, but the same rule applies as to quality, it will cost around $300 and up to get one worth purchasing, more if you need something to plug it into like an amplifier. The Yamaha series of "Silent" electric violins come with a headphone and a built in preamp and headphone jack, but they start around $800. The Plug -N-Play is a great alternative at around $400 and also has the headphone jack and preamp as well as now coming with geared pegs which eliminate slipping pegs and the need for fine tuners. http://www.sharmusic.com/Shop-Shar/Electric/4-String-Violin/Plug-n-Play/Plug-n-Play-0153-4-string-Electric-Violin-Outfit.axd

4. Ither than using an electric violin, your best solution for a quiet sound is a practice mute, the heavy metal http://www.sharmusic.com/Shop-Shar/Accessories/Essentials/Mutes/Heavy-Practice-Mute-for-Violin-or-Viola---Metal.axd ones provide the best muting but are a little more dangerous than the Ultra rubber ones. http://www.sharmusic.com/Shop-Shar/Accessories/Essentials/Mutes/Ultra-Practice-Violin-Mute.axd

Answer 7

Play Violin Like Pro : http://www.ViolinsLion.com/Use

Answer 8

Believe me! If you have interest then you will learn it as fast as you want it. And i will suggest you to not find any isolated place. Go to a Violin academy to learn violin. Because professional can make you learn faster and they will teach you the techniques which can't be learn by your own sitting in home.