ekfk Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 My 7 year old is teaching herself to play the guitar using software called My Guitar. The software is excellent and she really enjoys using it. I bought a decent guitar separately and told her that I will get a much better one if she takes guitar seriously. The same company has a very highly rated violin learning software. They also have a starter pack that includes a cheap violin. My daughter is begging for it. While it's easy to get a decent cheap guitar, it seems like you have to pay far more for a decent violin. I would happily invest in a good violin later on, if she was really interested but I don't want to do that right now. She takes piano lessons, so I'm really not interested in paying for more music lessons either. But I don't want to buy a violin that falls apart in a few months. I just want something that plays decently and will give her some idea of how well she likes it. I have looked for used violins but even those are quite expensive for the good ones and renting is also too much. Has anyone ever used either a cheap violin or the eMedia Violin Starter pack? Has anyone used a violin in the $70-80 range? Experiences and advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Not sure how to word exactly what I am thinking but...Violin playing requires one to use their ears to get proper intonation. There are no frets like a guitar or keys like a piano so finger placement is key. A cheap violin will not give the best sound so ear training will be affected. Also, violin playing at higher levels requires very specific technical abilities which would be almost impossible to learn on your own. Even learning with a teacher there are certain technical issues which may need to be addressed again and again from time to time as different skills are learned. Learning bad technique becomes habit, is difficult to fix, and prevents one from going past a certain playing level. Personally, I would go for independent piano lessons and pay for violin lessons ...coming from someone who took 10 years of piano and has a daughter who has been playing violin for almost 7 years and has taken a few months of piano but asked to stop and just dabbles in it on her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekfk Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Donna, Thanks for the information. I have read about ear training being a possible issue as well. I wonder if this is correctable if she did decide to take lessons in a few years. She has been learning piano for 3 years and is half way through the Yamaha Music School group piano program. I definitely want her to finish that. Piano is the instrument I really want her to learn. Anything else would be for fun. But if she does want to take violin seriously at some point, I wonder if being self-taught on a cheaper instrument will be a help or a hindrance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2boysteacher Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) Do you have a music store nearby from whom you could rent a violin? We went that route for my son, and are really impressed with the high quality of the violin. After a few years they will give you the option to buy a new one using your rental payments. If she changes her mind after a few months you are not out all that much. I agree with Donna. My son has been taking lessons for 6 months from a professional violinist. She spends at least a quarter of each lesson working on proper hand positions, stance, etc. I don't know that you could get that from a home violin course. Edited June 20, 2012 by my2boysteacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekfk Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 I did look at rentals but they are about $25 a month. With that price, I feel like we would be well on the way to buying a pretty decent violin. My daughter really want to self learn as well. It's really more for fun and a challenge like she is doing with guitar. She's doing a lot of activities and doesn't want to add anymore. With two kids doing activities, I really don't want to pay for more either at the moment. She's been asking for a violin for weeks and doesn't seem interested in any other instruments. I definitely want to encourage her to teach herself things that interest her. But I also don't want to ruin violin for her, if she wants to take it seriously later on. So, I'm unsure what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholsonhomeschool Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I wanted to agree with a lot of the advice you have received already. First of all, a cheap violin is going to be rough on your daughter's (and your) ears -- especially because she has some music training already. I'm a professional violinist and teacher and think that finishing the piano program she is in would be a solid foundation before starting violin lessons. Trying to go back later and fix set-up problems can be a real chore. I have students come to me from public school music programs and very few have the determination to make the changes that are needed to progress -- and they had a teacher in the room, just not the personal attention that violin requires. Just my two cents... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekfk Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Thanks for all the advice. I wasn't aware of online rentals. I think I'll probably go that route and get her the My Violin software. I am concerned about the ear training aspect, so I'll steer clear of cheaper options. If she takes it seriously for a year or two, I'll probably look into lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlefurfamily Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 We just got this one for our daughter for her birthday. http://store.musicforlittlepeople.com/5108dk.html It has taken a few weeks to "break in", but it really seems to be "just fine". At first I was worried, but after her teacher tuned it, she also declared it "just fine". It doesn't sound as full as the teacher's violin, but it does sound "just fine" :) which at this point is good enough HTH btw I found a free shipping coupon cruising around online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 When I learned to play the viola (6th grade), they helped us put white tape lines under the strings so that you could get the finger placing right. I don't know why you couldn't do this. Over time, I removed the tape and learned to find the spot based on practice, feel and sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 My daughter started out on a violin that we bought off of Craigslist for $25. Was it perfect...no. But it allowed her to learn proper posture and bow hold, and it helped her decide that violin was something she really wanted to pursue. A year later we bought her a better one. One thing we did do with the cheap instrument was to get new/better quality strings for it, and have it professionally set up by a luthier. That helped tremendously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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