Who of us doesn’t always hold their breath whenever there’s a violin playing? There’s no doubt that this beautiful instrument produces some of the most captivating sounds.
When the violin is played right, it carries riveting melodies that are overflowing with emotion. This might get you to wonder, “Is violin hard to learn?”
In this article, we’ll dive deep into whether violin is hard to learn and what makes it so. We also offer some tips on how to make violin learning easier. What’s more, we’ll go over certain things you should know before you start learning the violin.
So..Is Violin Hard to Learn?
There’s no sugarcoating this answer: Violin is hard to learn. The good news is that the plateau stage is at the beginning. Once you’re past it, learning gets gradually easier. It takes awhile to produce a decent sounding tune when you start learning the violin. That can be slightly disheartening, especially if you’re investing so much time and effort.
In addition, there’s just so much to learn so you can lay a solid foundation to build on. This, however, shouldn’t deter you from learning the violin. After all, it’s not impossible to learn.
Similar to any other instrument, you have to commit to learning and practicing. Even prodigies don’t just rely on talent; they put in the time and effort to practice daily.
What Makes Violin Hard to Learn?
Playing the violin is an extremely delicate process. The most subtle of changes can throw off your sound completely. First, there’s the tuning. If you’re tuning the violin yourself, you may expect to hit a few bumps. You’ll need to train your ears well so you can achieve the desired pitch.
When you’re tuning the violin, adjust the fine tuners or the peg a smidgen at a time. You want to be extremely careful when you’re turning them. A half-rotation too far can damage or break the strings. Then, there’s the learning process.
Playing the violin depends a lot on practicing. You don’t have guides to place your fingers on. You have to figure out what makes the violin produce scratchy noise or a beautiful melody.
It takes a lot of getting familiar with and used to the violin. Not only that, but you’ve got some serious multitasking to do while playing. You have to be mindful of:
- Bowing technique
- Reading notes
- Intonation
- Rhythm
And many other small nuances that impact the sound that comes out of your violin. Before we dive into how to make learning violin easier, you may want to check it this here, to help you make a better decisions on which violin you should buy, if you are planning to get one at this moment.
How to Make Learning Violin Easier?
While there are no quick hacks to make learning violin easier, there are some tips that can help speed up your progress.
Start With the Basics
It’s okay to want to jump right into playing your favorite pieces. However, one of the best methods to improve quickly is to take the time every day to practice scales and arpeggios.
Violin scales and arpeggios can help you learn intonation, tone production, and correct violin and bow hold. Scales and arpeggios will cement the knowledge you need to play violin like a pro.
Analyze Your Playing
You or an instructor should analyze your playing to identify any mistakes. This step is very important to ensure that you’re progressing. If you’re learning by yourself, listen carefully to what sounds your playing is producing.
You can even video record yourself. Check the areas where you need to improve and focus on those. It could be something like your posture or the tuning. If you have some more budget to spend, It’s also good to get yourself a professional microphone to record your playing, you don’t want to be just looking good in the video but sounding terrible meanwhile.
Analyze Professional Violinists
Watch and analyse as many videos as you can of professional violinists. You can learn different techniques and methods to achieve certain sounds. You still learn even if you just watch other skilled violinists play. Being constantly subjected to other violinists playing, your mind will absorb and retain everything that it sees and hears.
Stay Motivated
Most importantly, you must stay motivated. One way to stay motivated is to remind yourself of why you’re doing this in the first place. Learning how to play the violin is no easy feat. There’ll be times when you’re frustrated. That’s why it’s crucial to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve.
What You Should Know Before You Begin Learning Violin?
There are a few things that you should be aware of before you start playing the violin. Knowing these things can help you stay motivated during the learning process.
Take Care of the Violin
Not only are violins expensive, but they’re quite delicate. Taking the time to ensure that your instrument is in top condition is essential to your playing. It’ll help you become more acquainted with the violin and maintain its sound.
What’s more, taking care of the violin regularly gives you the opportunity to check for any problems and solve them immediately. This ensures that no issues come up during your playing session.
Don’t Get Discouraged
It goes without saying that you won’t be perfect from the get go. It could also take you a considerable amount of time before you start playing the same way professional violinists do. Still, you shouldn’t lose your spirit over this.
The violin is a difficult instrument to play. To progress consistently, you need to practice every day. According to Itzhak Perlman, playing violin for three to four hours a day is ideal. Anything more than that may be counterproductive.
If you put in the work, you might get to the point where you can see weekly progress.
Don’t Worry about the Noise
When you’re just starting out, it takes some time to get used to the correct posture and handling of the violin. As a result, your violin may produce noisy and scratchy sounds. There’s no need to fret over this at all. Just focus on learning how to play correctly. Over time, the noisiness and scratchiness will reduce.
In Conclusion
Learning to play the violin is difficult. It’s a long-term commitment. You’ll need to be devoted to playing so you can reach your goals. Playing the violin well isn’t unattainable, though. Just put in the practice. Immerse yourself in the instrument. Bit by bit, you’ll find yourself closer to becoming a skilled violinist.
