What is a good beginning violin for a child?
My 10 year old daughter has expressed an interest in learning the violin, but I know nothing about the violin. Can someone suggest a brand, size, or anything else that I should be looking for when purchasing the instrument? What is a good price to pay for a beginner’s violin? And what accessories will I need to purchase for her?
Inquire at a University music department for the names of people who give violin lessons. Contact those people and tell them know that you are seeking a violin for a child. They will want to see her and size her. And, most of them will have a used violin to sell to you for less than a new violin, but of MUCH higher quality. Keep calling around. The older the teacher, the more likely he or she will have exactly the right violin. Let a violin teacher select the instrument.
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- If I want to start learning violin, which is the first violin I should buy?
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Inquire at a University music department for the names of people who give violin lessons. Contact those people and tell them know that you are seeking a violin for a child. They will want to see her and size her. And, most of them will have a used violin to sell to you for less than a new violin, but of MUCH higher quality. Keep calling around. The older the teacher, the more likely he or she will have exactly the right violin. Let a violin teacher select the instrument.
References :
size and type all depend on the child. most people say to get a full size violin and let them grow into it, othhers say get the size that fits the child now. for a 10 year old you could go with a 3/4 or a 4/4 violin to start.
violins an cost a lot of money to buy them new, so my suggestion is to find the closest music store and inquire about a used one. not only are they a lot cheaper but they already have the roslyn (spell?) on the bow. it takes a lot of work to get the right amount on the bow so it makes the right sound.
References :
Find a teacher first, and ask them what size she needs and where they recommend buying from.
It’s totally pointless buying a full size instrument for a ten year old unless she’s a giant – she won’t be able to reach the right place on the strings. And the rosin on a bow lasts about, oh, an hour of playing before you need to redo it.
You might consider hiring, especially if your daughter is growing quickly or is the sort to give things up after a few weeks.
I paid £75 (UKP) for my daughter’s first violin (including bow, case, rosin), and sold it again three years later for £35 – the difference in cost was mostly because she’d never had new strings since I bought it and they were getting to the point where they needed replacing. Hiring would have cost £12 per term. So for us buying was cheaper.
I recommend you either buy from a reputable dealer (not a generic instrument shop but someone who only sells violins) or else get someone who knows about violins to come with you. I don’t recommend buying a cheap one from the internet as many of them are unusable, or require $$$ of work before they can be used (a full set of new strings plus having the bow rehaired can easily cost more than the value of a beginner’s violin). And completely ignore how shiny or otherwise they are, it makes no difference (if you say this to the dealer he’s likely to bring out a couple of older ones which will be cheaper, or better quality at the same price).
Accessories: a beginner’s violin will come with a bow and a case. She’ll need rosin and a soft cloth to wipe the strings after use but apart from that ask the teacher. Some want them to have a shoulder rest right away, others don’t.
References :
Violinist myself, and my 11 year old daughter learns too.