What's it like learning the violin?

Question:My husband has brought back an old violin from his late father's house and has done some restoration on it. It sounds so nice that I'm tempted to learn to play. I already play the flute and piano so I have some musical ability.

What's it like learning the violin. I don't know much about stringed instruments. What's the most difficult part. Do you enjoy playing the violin.

My son has also started learning to play the viola.

Should I take up the violin?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My husband has brought back an old violin from his late father's house and has done some restoration on it. It sounds so nice that I'm tempted to learn to play. I already play the flute and piano so I have some musical ability.

What's it like learning the violin. I don't know much about stringed instruments. What's the most difficult part. Do you enjoy playing the violin.

My son has also started learning to play the viola.

Should I take up the violin?

BY ALL MEANS DO IT!!!!!!!!!

I am 17 y/o and I have been playing since 6th grade. I love playing my violin and will make it my minor in college (Graphic Design as major). If you practice consistently (I try to practice maybe 2 hrs a day) then you will get it and you will be glad you did. I like to play the country stuff, but in school will play stuff like Mozart, Bach, etc.

Anyway, as a child (preteenish years) I never felt that I could do my best on anything. Everyone had something that they were good at and I never knew what I was good at. Well 6 years later, I have been first chair (concert master=very honored position) ever since I started and I have audition for Honor Orchestra, Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and my teacher nominated me for the Governor's Honors Program (sadly I did not make it). My violin is like my anti-depression drug. Whenever I'm sad, I just pick up my violin and play whatever will make me feel better. It's also fun to find pieces of music that you know by famous singers and play it on the violin.

Maybe the hardest thing you have to learn when you start out is how to hold it properly. You can't slouch, have your fingers curved (like the piano) and you have to keep your bow straight. It will hurt for a while, but you get used to it. For a few years, my fingers would turn a purpleish color whenever I finished playing, but I never got calluses. I haven't had the purple-finger color problem recently. Don't worry about it, anyway.

I feel as if it will be easy for you to pick up the violin since you already play two instruments. Piano notes, I believe, are similar to Violin notes. It will just be holding the violin and learning how to play will be the frustrating part.

And whatever you do, DO NOT GIVE UP!!! It is very difficult to play when you learn ( I almost quit b/c it was so frustrating) but I kept on and now I am a very good player.

Hope this helps. <3

It's too fiddly.

You will have to build up callouses on your fingertips, which is painful.

But you may discover a hidden passion in yourself. By all means, take some lessons and see how you like it.

I used to play the violin and I gave up because I had to practise so much (this was about 8 years ago!!) But i regret giving it up now cos it was so relaxing - Im thinking about getting another violin and I definitely think you should take it up!!!!

Its painful to anyone listening to you!

take up the violin only if you have a deep love for violin music. It is hard work, but very rewarding. It touches your soul and can be expressive of your particular impressions of the piece being played. Since you already read music, this makes it easier. Use a small hanky between your chin and the instrument to avoid damaging it. Sweat, makeup will damage the finish. enjoy.

Your husband did some restoration on an old violin? Is he a luthier? If he is not, he shouldn't...

But regarding taking up the violin, by all means, do it. It's a wonderful thing for an adult to pursue. See:

Definitely :D

I play the violin, I love it.
The most difficult part is learning to hold it properly. It's quite an unnatural position and difficult to get used to, but if you don't hold it right then it's more difficult to get the notes. Also, you have to learn where to place your fingers to get certain notes - with the piano or flute there are keys and stuff to show you what to press. So it's quite difficult but really rewarding - I love the sound and the music.

Also, the violin is really flexible (for want of a better word); there are a lot of different ways to play it. For instance can play sad music or happy music or arco (with the bow) or pizzicato (plucking) and my personal favourite col legno (tapping the strings with the wood of the bow).

Best of all, you always get the best part in string orchestras - violas, cellos and double basses only get the accompaniment.

Lots of luck! x

I did violin for 6 years IT WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE haha it wasent that bad but once like everyone was 10x better than me i hated it but i say go for it but i really like gituar better

It's very painful to learn and takes tons of practice, but once you mastered it well enough, you make beautiful music and it's fun when you get to that point. You just need patience, maybe as much as you need when you play the flute. But the violin is much easier than a flute to me.

I am learning the violin currently myself. I have a piano and guitar background, and it is much more easy to me then I thought it would be. I believe it is mostly because of my background.

Because you already know piano and the flute, then violin should be fairly easy to pick up. Of course since I knew guitar, I have already got calluses, and am familiar with holding strings down, etc. But those are things that you can learn and pick up in a matter of days.

Of course you hear a lot of people say, "oh the violin is so hard, it takes so much work, everyone will hate to hear you play because when you start the strings shriek." But believe me, because you have a musical background, your ear is already trained. You will easily learn what musical notes you need to make. You will know what notes are shrieks, and what are musical sounds. Most people who say violin is way extremely too hard are the people who start violin as their FIRST instrument. If you were starting from scratch, then you would need to get ready for a rough time. But I can tell your from my experience, I have just started 2 weeks ago, I have been able to just slide into violin easily. I believe this is mostly because of my musical background.

I started playing three years ago and I like it.
For me, it didn't hurt my fingers (well, I didn't practice that much...). But anyway, don't worry about that. I think you should do it, because it's fun and the music is beautiful. The hardest part is probably getting the notes right - my music school always has recitals and the little kids that just started don't hit a lot of the notes. I think that it'll be easier for you, though, because you are an adult and you already play other instruments. Holding the violin also isn't that easy, but if you learn everything step-by-step it shouldn't be too hard. :)

I found it very difficult but i was in 4th grade at the time. The most difficult is learning where to put your finger. or at least i think....... i enjoy playing the violin very much.
if u want to i think u should.

I loved performing in front of people when I played the violin - I was better than everyone else and I even won in some talent shows! The worst bit for me? Practising. Honestly, having to play the same sodding tune 30 times over til your fingers bleed is... not great. That's why I gave up after 2 years.

I've played the violin for about 6 years now, and i remeber from experience that you need a lot of will power when starting out as its very unlikely it will sound good wihtout a lot of practice.

Once you've got past the innitial stage of finding out how to get the best tone out of it, it can start to sound better, but this, depending, can take a while.

It is quite different to the flute and piano, in the sense that you have to judge where to put your fingers yourself (no frets etc.) but with time 'muscular memory' will help.

Basically, it usually sounds awful when starting out, but will pay off with dedication.

Hope it helps (:

it takes a lot of chedder. CHEESE. 2 people at keyboard.not 50. Or are there? DUH. chocolate chips.and volleyball.. Guess what?xasasadsfh. RIGHT! No, its talk in a british accent day. hiphip cheerio and all that.