Discover the Joy of Self-Taught Violin: Tips, Tricks, and Book Recommendations

[Mu naught]

I've always loved the sound of violin and lately have been thinking about buying a used violin on craigslist and teaching myself to play.

Any advice and anyone know how difficult such a task will be? Also, any suggestion on good books to read to do this would be appreciated.

 

[HermanF]

I believe that the violin is one of the most dificult instruments to play, mainly If you dont`have any experience with music. I am teaching myself to play violin and the best method that I found is the Suzuki. Bye.

 

[childMARS]

Suzuki is a very good method.
Teaching yourself violin is difficult at first, but the more you play, the better you will become. I suggest you just memorize the right places to put your fingers on the string until it becomes second nature. I suggest you watch violin tutorials on youtube.
Good luck.

 

[Anonymous217]

I would recommend learning from a teacher for at least the first month or two because there's always small things that need to be mastered early on and you won't recognize bad form until later on such as posture, etc. Without a teacher to point these out, you could have bad form for a while as you teach yourself and when you do start learning from a teacher at some point, it will be hard to get out as you are used to something else.
This is similar to learning to type on a keyboard. If you type primarily with your index fingers (as do I), it is hard to shift to a more proper typing position in which you more evenly split the keys for all fingers since you already got used to another way, therefore limiting your wpm.

 

[turbo]

I consider myself pretty skilled at playing stringed instruments. Guitar, bass, banjo, and some mandolin, and even acquitted myself rather well on a girlfriend's cello, but I hit a brick wall with violin. Trying to self-teach violin was a no-go for me, even though I'd had some success with fretless instuments (bass and cello). Like Anon, I'd strongly advise getting some instruction from a skilled teacher so you'll get some critical help early on with the basics.

BTW, I bought my German-made violin from an antique dealer friend. I advertised it for sale, and from an honest buyer, found out that one of the two bows was worth more than the other bow, the violin, and accessories combined. She told me all this before we closed the deal, and I honored my price. I hope her daughter is a killer on "fiddle".

 

[collinsmark]

And if you become proficient enough, and you find yourself at a certain cross-roads, you can make sweet deals to acquire golden violins.

(post count still 666 )

 

[Jonathan Scott]

I think that to start with you need a violin teacher, at least occasionally, even if you are already skilled at music in general.

I had violin lessons from about age 8 to 18, then dropped it (literally - it broke). I got another violin later and have been playing it regularly since, mostly in orchestras and chamber music groups, although occasionally in folk music and "barn dance" groups. I've got quite good at it now - I often rehearse solo parts of concertos with orchestras before the "real" soloist comes along - but that's taken a long time and has been limited by the hours I can spare from my job.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I'm self-taught, but I can assure you it's better to have a teacher. I was playing on the street for loose change. Imagine my surprise to find out that it was under the apartment of Isaac Stern. He yelled out "Keep quiet!" The next day I put out a sign "Student of Isaac Stern" and from then on I doubled my take.

 

[jwxie]

No. Don't learn it by yourself. In fact, for any string instruments.
You can develop bad habits and it is very difficult to adjust it. Piano, too.
In the beginning you absolutely need an experience instructor. For violin it's a must. Unless you are a genius then I have no opposition. God knows genius makes revolutionary stuff.