When u study music at college, do u have to know how to play the instrument alre

Question:DO u have to know how to play the instrument? or can they teach you from scratch if you dont....Just checking cause I wanna learn the violin. I already know how to play the flute, piano, and guitar.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: DO u have to know how to play the instrument? or can they teach you from scratch if you dont....Just checking cause I wanna learn the violin. I already know how to play the flute, piano, and guitar.

If you expect to major in performance, not only do you have to know how to play the instrument, you have to be extremely good at it(we're talking like, playing almost your whole life). The people that are performance majors are pretty much amazing, are extremely passionate about their instrument, and devote hours upon hours to practicing. You are expected to give around two full recitals(1 to 2 hours of music, depending on what year you are) each year, and often you will have to go to several other recitals and write papers about them. You have to take in-depth music theory, music history, and sometimes composition as well. It's pretty intense.

If you're majoring in music education, you have to at least be able to make a sound on every instrument, but the school provides classes that teach you the basics of each. Basically, each quarter/semester you take the next class, and one will teach you strings, the next woodwinds, and the next brass. Usually there's like, three or four instruments in each class. This is so that you can help students improve, because you know how the instrument works, and what the student is doing to make noise. You are also going to be required to do lots of theory, history, and possibly composition.

As for music history, that's not my thing, but I'm guessing you don't need to know too much of any instrument.

No,but it helps.

If you already know how to play an instrument, that's great. But if you don't, well, you get to learn it. They will teach you from scratch. You already know how to play a guitar, violin, is very similer to it.

YES you have to know how to play it already, Serious music schools (Juliard, Carnige Melon, etc) want people they know are serious about their art. Look at some of the people they have accepted to Juliard in the last couple of years, they look purely at talent sometimes and extra curriculars. Although grades are very important when getting into college, at some of the top music schools in the country, grades are secondary to talent in sme cases. They let some horn players in with GPA's lower then 3.0; purely on talent. Also, even if yu did have the highest GPA and had minimal training, there are students who are coming from highly competative schools already like APPA or OCHSA.

For music history, that is not necessary. However, it always helpd if you can read music. In regards to studying music performance, it's advisable to know how to read sheet music. Also, usually there are auditions first, so you can inquire then. If you are already enrolled, then it shouldn't be a problem. Music classes are always time consuming because you need to put in extra time in the music library or during your own time listening to music examples to supplement with the readings.

no, they teach u whether u know how to.

It depends. Are you auditioning for the music school or are you merely interested in classes? If you only want violin lessons, no, you don't have to know how to play beforehand. However, if you want to get into a school of music you need a primary instrument to audition on and study. Then you can pick another instrument or two you would like to learn as well. I played cello and chose voice as my secondary.

no, because what you are going to be learning is "musical theory" not musical performance. you will study and compose sheet music, its all reading and writing.

but you should pick up the piano(its known as the universal instrument) it really helps you understand "music theory"( i play a plethora of instruments and the best correlation of playing, learning, and writing comes from that good old piano).

If you want to be a music major or minor, then yes. You also have to be very good at it. Being a music major is something you decide long before college, with the exception of some vocalists.

Some colleges allow non-majors to take private lessons, in which case they would teach you from the beginning. Check your local community college. You should also check the phone book for private instructors.