Violin lessons are one of the musical instrument lessons that truly lend themselves to a wide range of ages. There is also a broad
musical scene to which the violin appeals. Listen to some of your favorite movie tracks; I bet you can pick out the violin in many of them. How about classical music? It is beautiful and mind stimulating. It is also full of pieces that feature the violin. How about those Celtic singers on PBS? I love when the violinist comes out and plays. It is an instrument of great beauty and still holds so much versatility.
Getting Interested
Play music! Play classical, as well as country. The fiddle
appeals to many. The fiddling in “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” is something that always brings a smile to my face. The theme from Titanic is so recognizable, we probably forget about the violin carrying so many parts of the melody. If you have good music in your house, car, gym, you can start to pique the interest of your child, or even yourself. A concert is always a great idea! There is nothing like experiencing music live and in person. There is probably a community group in your area just hoping you will come to the show, expose the family to the great music they have practiced so long and hard to perform. Talk about music and music lessons and see where the interest falls. Violin lessons will quite possibly be the next step in this conversation and a great place to go with it.
Methods
Violin methods are many, and can be confusing at times, but there are great ones out there! The Suzuki method is very popular and good for young beginners. The O’Connor method is also gaining in popularity. There is also the traditional route that teaches a very good foundation of theory and note names, to create the basis for great playing. All of these methods, and
more, do an excellent job of teaching proper posture and bow placement. They give the student a great foundation to springboard them into the music type of their choosing. The variety of music seems limitless, and connecting a student with one of these methods in violin lessons is the first step to achieving your goals. Teachers have their preferences, but being able to work with the student becomes the key to great strides in learning the violin and violin lessons
being fun! Many of these methods have great incentives built in to make violin lessons
something enjoyable while learning-a great balance we all try to achieve.
How Long to Make the Lesson
Usually there are three options. You can have a 30, 45 or 60 minute lesson. In the very beginning, a 30 minute lesson will be enough to get the student on their way. As soon as they start to get the basics and have built up a little stamina, adding more time is truly a wise idea and a good investment in the long run. As a 5 year old starts to school and matures, their attention span gets longer also, and in turn, their lesson time can be added to. The preteen and teenager candefinitely have fun in violin lessons while having a 45 to 60 minute lesson. Adults learn quickly and definitely benefit from more time in their lessons because more verbal instruction can be given and understood by the teacher. Violin lessons are great fun when you get the right fit of a teacher, time, and some inspirational music to get everyone in mindset for some fun and creative violin lessons!
Have Fun
Enjoy the process. The end goal might be a concert violinist, or simply making the school orchestra. Your enjoyment might be the only motivation. These are all great things and can be achieved by so many. Have fun with the lessons, practice time, even picking out the violin. Positive creates positive!
