What type of violin should a beginner buy?

Question

I've never even touched a violin before, but I LOVE the instrument! I want to learn this instrument, but I don't know anything about picking a violin out!

What I need to know is:

-the size of the violin I need to buy (I'm approximately 5'4")

-a good violin for beginners

-a decent price

it would also be helpful to know a good beginner violin book as well

Thank you! =]

Answer 1

You shouldn't.  :)  Can you imagine trying to buy a car without ever having driven one before?  You'd get stuck with a lemon (somethings wrong with it, but it's not really obvious if you don't know what you're looking for).  Same with violins.  There are tons of cheap ones out there, but the vast majority are lemons.  

If you're just starting out, you should rent.  Most music stores will rent you a decent violin, and you can get a feel for how it should sound, how it should feel, how it works.  A decent student violin that's set up correctly won't cost less than $300, and may cost much more - because that's what it costs, minimum, to build and set up a violin correctly.  Anything less than that should be suspicious.  It might turn out to be cheap wood, have no or a misplaced sound post, the bridge wasn't shaped correctly or placed for you, bad strings, and loose pegs.  All of these things will lead to frustration.

You should be renting a 4/4 (full size) violin.  Rent from a local store that can fix it if a string breaks or the bridge collapses.  Find a teacher who can give you a few introductory lessons at least (even if you're planning to self-teach eventually) and who can advise you on buying a violin if you decide you want to.

I liked the Suzuki violin books because you start playing recognizable songs quickly, and it's not all 'mary had a little lamb'.  If you're learning on your own, you'll need to be able to read music.

Answer 2

Go down to your local music store and ask someone to help you pick out a good violin. If they try to sell you anything nicer than a student violin then leave. Most music stores are good about selling what they need and banking on the fact you will get better and come back to buy a better instrument a couple years down the road. If you feel uncomfortable or intimidated by the sales people then leave and try a different store. There is no need to feel pressure when purchasing something like this. They shouldn't be on commission, so relax and make them answer all of your questions. Get a full size violin. Smaller ones are made for children who haven't grown into a full size one yet, but even kids under ten use full size instruments.

Answer 3

--First of all, to get the right sized violin, it's not your height that should be measured. Here's how to measure: choose a comfortable-looking violin from a rental shop and put it on your left shoulder. Get someone to show you exactly how to hold it. Then extend your left arm so it's perfectly straight. Your fingertips should be to the end of the scroll (the twisty part at the end of the neck). And too small is DEFINITELY better than too big.

--You should probably start out with renting a cheap violin, maybe around 5-700$. Then, if you stay with the instrument and are ready for a higher quality one, you can return it and rent/buy another.

As for a book... violin is a very difficult instrument to learn, and I really couldn't imagine learning it alone. I'd look into local lessons. Personally, I like the Suzuki method, which focuses on -listening to the tone of the music -playing pieces by ear -posture, and generally the quality of the music. I'm in my 5th year of playing Suzuki, and I'm only in the 4th book... but the quality of my playing is better than some who have played for the same amount of time but with a different method.

Answer 4

See:

Violin Size Charts

http://beststudentviolins.com/StringCare...

Good student violin

http://beststudentviolins.com/GEWA.html#...

Regarding books, you should find a private teacher and use the book they suggest.  Most start with Suzuki:

http://beststudentviolins.com/sheetmusic...

Good luck!

Answer 5

your height has nothing to do with the size violin you're going to use. its in your arm.

but if you're at least 10, i'd say you'd be able to play a full size 4/4 violin.

i don't recommend getting anything off ebay. or amazon.

the shar's are ok. i personally hate them.

and they're smaller than a standard 4/4 violin (or mine is bigger).

and i don't recommend renting a violin from anywhere unless it has the 2 words "violin shop" in the store name. its gonna be more expensive to rent, but rent untill you're sure you're gonna continue with violin.

its gonna give you a decent instrument, with a pretty good sound....

whereas with shar's and southwest's entry level instruments, they don't sound good at all and ick....