Explore our handy guide to violin for kids.
Key Tips:
- - The violin is a complicated instrument to play, but will provide a greater sense of fulfillment once the child overcomes the initial challenge.
- - The violin has a vast musical range and can play music from a wide variety of genres and music types.
- - Don’t scrimp on a cheap violin. Rent a decent instrument or buy a fine one that will encourage your child to play well, with its superior sound.
For the typical bright-eyed young child, learning to play the violin can be at once both exciting and scary. On the one hand, it is an oddly-shaped wooden toy that makes rich, resonant music. On the other, it can be a chore for tender fingers to grasp those tight metal strings for long periods of time, and occasionally inhale rosin dust as it builds up on the violin’s surface. If you would like the violin to be part of your child’s music education, it is important that you first understand the ins and outs of this exquisite instrument, and what to expect as your child begins his music lessons.
The violin is a graceful, pear-shaped instrument, typically made mostly of wood, with a neck that juts out and four strings of varying thickness. Because it can only be played properly if it is proportionate to the size of its player, a variety of different violin sizes are available, with ¼, ½ and ¾ sizes being the most common, but 1/8 and 1/16 sizes do exist for very young musicians. As the child outgrows his current violin, much like shoes, it will have to be replaced.
A violin is played by drawing a bow made from horsehair over the strings, producing beautiful, elegant tones. The violin player must have the instrument tucked between his chin and upper breastbone, with the hand not holding the bow lightly grasping around the neck of the violin. Pressing on the strings along different points of the neck produces the different notes. These points can be marked with tape until your child gets used to their positions. The bow itself must be coated periodically with an amber-colored substance called rosin, which allows the bow to stick to the strings and cause them to vibrate.
If it sounds complicated, that’s because it is. Many kids get frustrated by having to maintain this awkward, tiring position while having to learn to read notes and play at the same time. What’s worse, beginners on the violin tend to accidentally play more than one string together or handle the instrument too roughly. This makes a painful scraping noise that hardly qualifies as music, and can be very discouraging.
Loving the Bow
For the child who can overcome these challenges, though, the violin can provide a true sense of fulfillment. The boy or girl who learns how to produce lovely tunes from such a cumbersome piece of wood is in relatively rare company. If you have a child who enjoys conquering obstacles and is eager to achieve, taking violin music lessons is an excellent way to encourage the child’s winning attitude. Your child’s musical education in the violin can start as early as the age of 3, though the best age for learning such a complex instrument would be around 6 or 7.
The violin is also admired for its vast musical range. The key instrument in many a classical orchestra piece, it has also, thanks to modern artists like Vanessa Mae, David Garrett and Bond, found a voice in mainstream rock, electric pop and jazz. Your child may appreciate that he or she can play the violin in so many different ways, with the proper musical education.
Starting Strings
A quality child’s violin of the ¼ size or smaller will set you back about US$150 or more, and could reach US$200 to US$300. You can find cheaper violins, but you will taking a serious dip in quality, and the violin will sound terrible. If your child is serious about learning to play, and play well, he or she would benefit greatly from a fine instrument. If you aren’t yet sure of your child’s future virtuoso status, you can rent a reasonably good violin for about US$35-50 a month.
Also, look for a teacher who will encourage your child’s natural talent. Someone who plays in an orchestra or a band would be great, to give your child a role model to emulate as well as learn from. More importantly, however, your child’s violin teacher should be able to adapt to the pace of your child, pushing just enough to keep him or her motivated, while maintaining a fun and relaxed atmosphere during the music lessons.
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