How young can you start Violin lessons?

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bikepete

Guru
Location
York, UK
BigonaBianchi said:
I am not sure that making any child do lessons is a good idea UNLESS they have shown a genuine interest themselves in learning. Having instruments around the house and exposing the young uns to musical performances/concerts is the way to see if they show any spark. If they start asking themselves to be allowed to play the instrument that is a good sign...they have to want to do it themselves...it's not really going to work if they are pushed to do it because the parents think it's a good thing for them to do.

Aye. I was more or less made to do music lessons at school (recorder, then violin/viola) as my dad is quite keen and musical. Being a jammy git I managed to muddle through with basic hand-eye co-ordination and got my Grade 7 but frankly I was never that keen, hated practice and hardly ever did any, and quite happily dropped the whole thing as soon as I developed a bit of assertiveness xx(. Left the violin at my parent's place when I moved out.

I have on occasion picked up a fiddle or whatever and had another go and in the right context it can be fun, but it's all left a bit of a negative association and I have no inclination at all to take it up again. Think my dad probably meant well, with jolly family concerts etc in mind... but certainly went about it the wrong way.
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Well, well! I never knew! You kept that quiet...xx(

Now, if I can say this without getting myself in an embarrassing position with BikePete, who I know off-forum, I've always found ability with a musical instrument very attractive in a man. Thinking about it, of the various men in my life over the years, two were good musicians (violin, guitar and mandolin), and one had a lovely light singing voice, and could sing confidently and tunefully unaccompanied. So it's not a bad skill to encourage in a lad...
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
all the instruments i can play i'm self-taught. as i can 'play by ear' i've been able to get to a certain level unaided. but it does need proper tuition to become decent though, which is where my ability levels off. i'd imagine if i'd been serious i'd have been quite good, but as it was i was put off almost for life by learning level 1 piano aged 10.

8 years later i bought an electric bass and started enjoying making music. don't feel that because they're not virtuosos at primary school that they're somehow missing out.
 

Mr Pig

New Member
bikepete said:
Aye. I was more or less made to do music lessons at school...but frankly I was never that keen

I sort of agree with you guys, up to a point. However, there has to come a point where a child learns to discipline themselves to focus on tasks even when they're not in the mood. I remember a guy I met in my late teens who was a brilliant pianist, he could sit down and play any song you asked him to and play it with style and passion. His parents had forced him to go to lessons when he was younger and he hated it but now that he was seeing the fruit of the work he was thankful that they had.

If you let kids only do what they feel like doing at any given time they are not going to do much!
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
wafflycat said:
That's what the OP needs for his offspring! The ideal instrument! Start him off with the chanter and then move on to full bagpipes! And such a choice of bagpipes... Scottish, Northumbrian...

Well, I had a practice chanter for the Great Highland Bagpipes for all of a month and several lessons with Leeds Pipe Band before I was diverted onto the Uilleann Pipes and I possess a 1/2 set which I love dearly.

My first true love is the Northumberland Pipes and players like Billy Pigg, Jack Armstrong, Katherine Tickell and Pauline Catto and I have just recently have acquired a set of Northumbrian pipes with nine keys and tuning beads.

There's been a lull in my Ullean pipe playing and the Northumbrian pipes needs to have a service to get the reeds balanced. The chanter is a tad small for my hands and the playing technique is very different. The down side of the pipes that I have is that the chanter doesn't have enough keys to be able to play Elsie Marley, my favourite song.

I wouldn't mind a set of shuttle pipes to add to my collection....
 
I started when I was 6, ended up with an awful teacher after 2 years and started hating it. As my mum is of the "You can't give up at the first hurdle brigade!" I suffered for another 2 years - my only consolation is they suffered more - beginners violin really is not pleasant at all!!!!
 

DJ

Formerly known as djtheglove
I am 41 is that too young?

No seriously , my son was 6 I think and he got quite good , He now wants to move on to the electric guitar! If they have an ear for music then they will make a nice sound!
 
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