What To Expect From Violin or Viola Lessons
If you are starting the violin or viola and are considering taking lessons, you may be wondering what playing a string instrument and taking lessons will actually be like, and how the learning process will go. While all teachers teach the violin/viola in somewhat different ways, I can describe the way I teach strings and what to expect.
Finding an instrument - Before you can take violin or viola lessons you will need an instrument to play, if you don’t already have one. Most students around middle-school age or older will need a full-size instrument, and students younger than that will need a fractional sized instrument. Violas also come in different adult sizes, depending upon the needs of the player. Finding the right size is important for playing comfortably, so it is best to let someone at a violin shop or your teacher measure for the right size. It is usually best to rent an instrument instead of buying when beginning to learn a string instrument, especially if the student is younger and will go through several sizes before they reach a full-size instrument. Many violin shops offer a rent-to-buy program, so that the rental payments will go towards the price of a full-size or permanent instrument later on. It is also best to avoid the very cheapest instruments, as they will most likely not be in a playable condition, not stay in tune, and will sound terrible.
Violin or viola lessons - When a student first starts lessons with me, I ask them what their goals in playing are and what type of music they want to learn, and I adjust my teaching curriculum to the needs of each student. If a student is new to string instrument playing, the first lesson consists of learning about all the parts of the instrument and bow and how they work, how to rosin the bow, proper playing posture and technique, and basic sound production. Later on, students will learn how to read and play music, continue working on intonation (playing in tune), work on basic scales, arpeggios, and etudes, and gradually advance through the violin or viola repertoire. After a solid foundation has been established, more scales, arpeggios, etudes, and shifting and vibrato can be added to the learning process. If a new student has already been playing for a while, we can continue with learning more repertoire and technical exercises, and advancing as a string player. Learning the violin or viola takes time, so spending enough time practicing at home, and being patient with the learning process are the most important things you can do when taking violin or viola lessons.