Violin

[sabrina]

Has anyone found a self guided violin curriculum?

[Natalija]

My dd plays the violin. If at all possible, I would highly recommend taking violin lessons rather than trying to learn it by yourself. It is a hard instrument to learn as it is, let alone without a good teacher. For one thing, for example with a piano, you know what note it is you are playing (let's hope anyway! ;-) but with violin, you may think you are playing G when you are actually playing F sharp or some other note. That is not unless you have perfect pitch.

Once you learn something wrong, it is much harder to go back and correct it. Same thing if you have a poor teacher. You need to unlearn the wrong way of doing things or fix things that were never addressed. Both dds are very fortunate to have an excellent teachers (older dd plays piano) but not all teachers are well qualified. A good teacher can make all the difference.

Hope you can find the right solution and learn to play the violin. It is a wonderful instrument!

Best wishes,
Natalija

[Karin]

Oh, yes, please try and take lessons. Now I also tend to cringe at self-taught piano, too, due to technique and many other issues. But with the violin you need someone as the development of the ear is critical, not only in tuning but in playing the right notes as there are no frets to guide you. Plus, bowing correctly really needs to be taught by someone who knows how to do it well.

[LisaNY]

I think learning a musical instrument is best when guided by a real-live teacher.

My dd's have greatly benefited from the exposure to someone that
A. Was not Mom and B. Was actually learned in the instrument they were teaching, and C. Exposed them to the world of playing music in many different venues - from volunteering at nursing homes, to fundraisers, musical gigs, and even playing at an Irish wedding, which they are doing as I type this. :001_smile:

They have also participated and won in Irish music competitions.

My point here is that it is GOOD to get our homeschooled dc out into different situations, with people other than Mom. Music lessons are a perfect way to "flesh out" this idea.

[DeeDeeMarie0]

I do not have experience with this, but in this month's issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine there is an article titles "Teach Violin to Your Child-You'll Love the Experience". It suggests using a book called The Violin Book. You may want to read this article. Good Luck

[sarahberry]

Putting ear training and technique aside the most important thing to consider is that learning to play the violin incorrectly in terms of how it is held, posture, and wrist movements can cause physical injury. I played violin profrssionally for several years and during my conservatory years several violinist had to give up on their careers from injuries stemming from learnign to play incorrectly and ending up with carpel tunnel syndrome etc... A person most definitely teach themselve how to play most instruments though but one shoul dalways keep in mind the potential for injury if not played correctly.

Sorry i can't reccomend any self-teaching programs though.

[MerryAtHope]

You could check out www.ebaru.com (http://www.ebaru.com). You can use this to teach your child or learn alongside them, or for extra support alongside your child taking lessons. I'm teaching my dd, but I took 8 years of lessons & had lots experience with it. It's a difficult instrument to teach and to play! The thing I like about Ebaru is that she breaks down component by component the steps to holding correctly etc... that I know how to do but struggle to know how to pass along to my dd.

If you decide to teach someone yourself, I'd encourage at least occasionally getting a second opinion--have someone who teaches or plays check over your dd's posture etc... and give you some pointers & things to work on. I think such a consultation would be valuable.

Merry :-)

[Bells]

In our experience, a patient and professional teacher has been a big plus. The violin is a tough instrument to play - it takes a big commitment on the part of the student, the parent/s and the teacher. A good teacher can make the journey pleasant and rewarding - and hopefully fend off any posture and bowing problems that might manifest in injuries down the road. Anything worth doing is worth doing right (or pretty close to right!).

Bells