What is the best age to learn the violin?

4 to 5 years old For most students the ideal age to start violin lessons is 4 to 5 years old. I require every young student below the age of 10 to come to lessons with the same parent or guardian for the first year and should plan on attending lessons for years after that.

jandmstrings.com - When is the right time to start violin lessons? — J&M Strings

Why do pianists sit on the edge of the stool?

Pianists usually sit at the edge of the piano bench to allow their legs to comfortably use the pedals. Sitting at the edge of the piano bench...

Last updated Jul 17, 2021

What is the most beautiful instrument to play?

The violin is considered one of the most beautiful sound producing instruments in the world. It is also one of the oldest which has been around for...

Last updated Sep 22, 2020

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Promotion

What should you look for to tell if you and your child are ready for violin lessons? Some parents may be unsure that their preschooler is ready and may decide to postpone starting lessons. Violin lessons are a wonderful way for children as young as four to develop skills like discipline, patience and routine. If you're still not sure, here are some things to consider before starting lessons.

Is my child the right age?

Are you prepared for slow progress?

Can your child be in the same place, outside of their home, for 30 minutes?

Is your child OK with someone moving their hands/body?

Are you comfortable with learning along-side your child?

Are you and your child comfortable with loud, high-pitched noises?

Do you have rules in place at home?

Can you and your child practice together daily? Are you persistent when your child is complaining?

Can you and your child listen to the same music daily?

How do I know if my child likes the violin?

IS MY CHILD THE RIGHT AGE?

For most students the ideal age to start violin lessons is 4 to 5 years old. I require every young student below the age of 10 to come to lessons with the same parent or guardian for the first year and should plan on attending lessons for years after that. This parent serves as the at-home teacher for the student, guiding practice sessions to be as meaningful as possible. I find starting students young is preferable because it is hard to make the violin sound beautiful. Pressing a key on the piano is not challenging, but moving the bow across the strings to produce a beautiful tone takes years. Because it is so hard to make a good sound it is essential for the parent to help in the beginning stages. We all know children want to do everything themselves, so it's best to start violin at an age where the child is more willing to cooperate with their parent's help and when fine motor development is ready. This ideal age tends to be between the ages of 4 and 5. Another reason for starting young is to develop routine. Trust me, if practice routines are not established by upper elementary school your child will fight you every chance they get to practice. Once they hit middle school it's like talking to a wall–for both the teacher and parent. This doesn't mean they don't love the instrument, but they don't understand that becoming better at their instrument requires regular practice. By middle school if your child is not practicing every day they should feel like something is missing. This will keep them practicing without your input.

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR SLOW PROGRESS?

You might not be and that's OK. But you will need to be prepared for things to move glacially. I like to think of practicing as a meditation. We do repetitions (for young students everything is done 5 times, for older students 21 times) and you have to accept that you're in it for the entire session, otherwise it loses its magic. Another analogy I like to use is exercising. You don't see results from doing it once a week, you see results doing it every day. Learning patience is one of the wonderful skills developed while studying violin. I start my preschool students off with no instrument. Yes–no instrument! This often scares parents away–aren't we learning the violin? Remember–the violin is very difficult. Have you looked at your child's handwriting? If your child is still writing her E's backwards, how can you expect her to play one of the hardest instruments ever created? Pedagogue Edmund Sprunger emphasizes that kids like to solve puzzles and don't like to be overwhelmed. Learning in this slow way allows them to solve puzzles without getting overwhelmed by the violin's complexity. Another concern parents have is that their child won't be interested in violin unless they are holding an instrument every lesson. As a musician and a teacher I know if I hand a 4 year old a violin at the first lesson they will instantly develop bad habits and then we'll spend years undoing them. I did not learn this instrument by luck or talent, but through hard work. In fact, I believe every child can learn the violin with hard work. Because learning the violin requires hard work parents must accept that we're traveling a long, challenging path with a beautiful, enjoyable outcome.

Who was the quietest Beatle?

George Harrison He was dubbed the “quiet one,” the Beatle who made music on his own gentle terms. If John was the headline-grabbing radical, he was...

Last updated Mar 26, 2020

Can I put olive oil on my key?

If you are in a rush and need to remedy a sticky lock, the most convenient way is with olive oil from your pantry. In order to fix the lock using...

Last updated May 20, 2022

Promotion

CAN YOUR CHILD BE IN THE SAME PLACE, OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME, FOR 30 MINUTES?

Young students start with 30-minute lessons. Can your child be in the same place for that long? Often times we won't be working the entire lesson, but in 5-10 minute increments. Then I will give students small breaks so we can talk. Remember that you are learning along with your child.

IS YOUR CHILD OK WITH SOMEONE MOVING THEIR HANDS/BODY?

This is a huge part of lessons. If your child won't let their teacher handle their hands, arms and body we won't really be able to pursue with lessons. Resistant children may just take some time to warm up, so don't be disheartened if your child is afraid or uncomfortable during the first few lessons. I usually start children working with their parents, so gradually they become comfortable with me and we can start to work together.

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH LEARNING ALONG-SIDE YOUR CHILD?

Parents must be engaged during their child's lessons. I will ask you to demonstrate your at home practice to make sure you're doing it effectively. Even if you play violin remember that I have special training to teach young children this instrument. I have years of teaching experience and I have carefully thought through the process and methods that I use. I see a thread connecting from Mississippi Stop Stop to Vivaldi a minor violin concerto. It is essential that you place your trust in me.

ARE YOU AND YOUR CHILD COMFORTABLE WITH LOUD, HIGH-PITCHED NOISES?

When I first attach the violin to the child we will start on the highest string on the violin. I promise you I am not trying to torture you and your family, but the E string is the easiest string for students to start on. A small, student instrument will not be very loud, but my violin is very loud. Will your child be OK with my instrument's volume? You might not know until you attend lessons. I have found that kids under the age of 4 are much more sensitive, which is another reason why I prefer to start students once they've reached that age.

WHAT KIND OF RULES ARE IN PLACE AT HOME?

Apply those rules to violin practice. Practicing and attending lessons requires planning from parents. Practice sessions should be scheduled over the week for young children so they know what to expect and when. Once they get older they can participate in scheduling their own practice and eventually they'll do it without your input. Rewards can be a great asset in a home practice routine, but they can also be burdensome in the long run as rewards will become boring. If you do want to use rewards, opt for experiential ones rather than physical ones. Learning the violin is intangible, so the rewards should be the same. I hope that my students develop a love of learning and that playing the violin is itself a reward. Check out this post about setting up successful home practice.

CAN YOU AND YOUR CHILD PRACTICE TOGETHER DAILY? ARE YOU PERSISTENT WHEN YOUR CHILD IS COMPLAINING?

What is the quietest instrument in the world?

Guqin String instrument Classification String Hornbostel–Sachs classification 312.22 (heterochord half-tube zither) Developed 1st millennium BC or...

Last updated Feb 13, 2020

What is the Forbidden guitar riff?

Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin In fact, thanks to Wayne's World (see above!), Stairway to Heaven is often referred to as THE forbidden riff....

Last updated Mar 31, 2019

Promotion

This is complicated and takes a careful approach. I promise you that your child will resist working with you for a variety of reasons. It's important to listen to your child and locate the reason for the resistance. They might become competitive with you since they think they're the one taking lessons. I often tell my students that their parents are their at-home teacher, so they need to listen to them as if they were me. Another common reason for resistance is boredom and frustration. After listening to my students complaints I often say "I know it's hard, but we have to do it anyway. I wish there was another way we could learn the violin, too." One thing that happens when a child starts complaining is a parent decides its time to quit. I say that it's the parents decision and not the child's because the child is usually too young to make this decision by themselves.

CAN YOU AND YOUR CHILD LISTEN TO THE SAME MUSIC DAILY?

While we work without the violin we also use this time to listen–A LOT. Students should be listening to the first Suzuki CD daily because I teach the majority of the pieces by ear. By the time we get to the song Lightly Row they should be able to sing it back to me. If they can't sing the song it's clear to me they're not listening. Listening also builds excitement in violin lessons while we're waiting to use the instrument. Your child might not like the violin at times. In fact, they might tell you this often! This doesn't mean you should let your child quit. I guarantee that your child will like the success of learning an instrument, but they will also get frustrated when things are not easy. I like to ask parents "how do you know if you like the violin if you can't play the violin?" I think that giving the violin a worthwhile try takes a few years before you can say "this is not for me." You simply don't know if it's right until you can play it with ease. With this being said, I think age plays a role. A four-year-old is given fewer choices at home than that same child at age 10. If your child wants to quit violin after 4 months of lessons, regardless of age you should try to stick with at least one year. If a child is 10, they've been playing for a year and they want to quit, discuss it with them and their teacher. If a child is 5 and they've been playing for a year, it might not be their decision yet. Remember, you'll be making more of your child's decisions at a younger age. If your child likes playing the violin in any capacity–don't quit lessons. Instead, talk to your teacher about it and develop a plan together. There are a myriad of reasons why a child will want to quit and many are easy adjustments.

jandmstrings.com - When is the right time to start violin lessons? — J&M Strings

Why are some keys on my piano not working?

Some possible culprits of sticky keys are: Physical Blockages: One of the reasons to keep food other crumbly substances away from your keyboard is...

Last updated Jul 25, 2018

Can you survive night shift?

The most crucial factor in surviving your night shifts is getting enough high-quality sleep. Train your body to fall asleep properly by...

Last updated Aug 21, 2018

Promotion

Do elephants feel pain when their tusks are cut off?

Elephants feel an immense amount of pain if someone cuts off their tusks. Tusks are deeply rooted incisors with nerve endings. When severed, those...

Last updated Jun 21, 2022

Promotion

Is 1 hour of guitar enough?

One hour of guitar practice per day is more than enough to see rapid improvements in your abilities. But you won't get the best results with an...

Last updated Dec 3, 2020