Violin or cello

[Saschka]

Posted for traffic - if there’s a music board I can’t find it.

DS’s school gives them the opportunity to learn either cello or violin in year 2 (a charity provides tuition and loans them an instrument). This is obviously a fantastic opportunity, and I’d really like DS to stick with it.

They get to pick the instrument. DS doesn’t know which one to pick. He likes the sound quality of both. I play the piano but I’ve never played a string instrument, so I don’t know which one to choose. I’ve considered things like the size of a cello etc, and I’m not really interested in the relative future orchestra potential of each instrument - this is a hobby.

He is not a child with a huge amount of patience for making mistakes - he’s bright, lots of things come quite easily to him, and he has to be encouraged to stick at things that he can’t do easily first time. So I’m a bit worried he’ll try an instrument like the violin, make a horrible squeaky noise, and not want to persevere.

So, which instrument has the quickest learning curve to making a decent sound? Once he is making some sort of noise with it, he’ll probably stick with it. I just want him to get over that initial “I can’t do this” stage as quickly as possible and enjoy making sounds on it.

YABU - cello
YANBU - violin

A beginner cello is not ‘several thousands of pounds’ 🤣🤣

he will start off on a 1/4 or 1/2 size cello at that age. There is a very healthy market in second hand cellos working up the sizes to full size, ans kids grow out their old one and move up, and they will only set you back a couple of hundred. That’s if you even need to buy one at all - when I was learning through school the cello was provided - when I outgrew it, my teacher just bought me a new one the next size up.

Once he needs a full size (if he sticks at it that long) the you can get a brand new basic Stentor for around £800, but I recommend paying a bit more for the student II, or the conservatoire for a grand. That will take him up to grade 6 easily.

You can also pick them up secondhand all the time.

With cello, a basically good instrument can be improved amazingly with better strings and a good bow. Don’t just settle for the how it comes with - once he’s at that stage.

I play at grade 6 level on a Stentor C. Once I got to grade 4 I upgraded the from the factory strings and invested in a better bow to the tune of £400 - it sounds like a whole new instrument.

My DD played the cello. I bought her one to keep at home so she wouldn’t have to transport one to and from school as it was almost as big as she was and she rode the bus to school.

Cello sounds nicer sooner and feels like you’re actually mastering something substantial.

Cello. I still have mine.

I agree! My son’s case has backpack handles but also a wheel like a suitcase. He was pulling it around fine at about 7 years old. It’s not like they have a full size one then.

100% cello. Coming from someone who played the violin for 14 years.

The cello is one of the most beautiful sounds.