The question of how to learn violin is answered largely by personal preferences and styles. Your budget and mindset also come into play when making this decision.
In this post we will be discussing your primary options, along with the pros and cons of each.
There are two main categories, and a couple of options below each. The first category is self-taught. The second is taught by a teacher or instructor in person.
Self Taught
Those who are looking into these options will generally be faced with more personal challenges and fewer financial ones. For self taught you only need to buy one set of materials and you never need to pay for them again. The individual lesson costs otherwise can rack up some serious dollars over time. The personal problems come when you need to be disciplined in your scheduling and practicing, not giving up.
With these you can practice or review what you’ve learned any time and any where.
The options under this category include various books and manuals, videotapes (for those who still have VHS), DVDs (slightly more expensive) and online violin lessons.
How to learn violin cheapest overall is through violin lessons online, as they can be complete courses covering a wide range of topics and skills. To learn about some of the best options for these, visit our home page below.
Reviews of the Top Violin Lessons Online
Pro/Con Bullet Summary
Pro:
-Cheapest option
-Can be reviewed and practiced any time
-Convenient
Con:
-You have to judge your own progress
-You have to motivate yourself (or at least be creative)
Teacher Taught (in person)
With this option, you have direct, immediate feedback for private lessons. This is often of less benefit in groups, though the group option is cheaper, often at about half the price. These help to keep you scheduled and on the right track. Teachers can help to keep you from getting discouraged while you’re trying to learn. Generally you have to drive to and from your lessons at a specific place though. You can theoretically learn via webcam, but that’s rare.
For more information on finding personal violin teachers, you may find this site useful.
Pro/Con Bullet Summary
Pro:
-Immediate feedback from a professional (or whatever skill level of teacher you’ve chosen)
-Paced expectations and some help with motivation
Con:
-Expensive over time
-Can only be reviewed in memory (or notes)
-Have to be in a certain place to learn
