Should I get DD a violin without lessons?

[OnlyGlowingSlightly]

DD (aĺmost 5) has been asking to play the violin for over a year. Last year, she confidently told me 2 days before Christmas that she knew what Santa would bring her: he brings what children really, really want and that was a violin. Needless to say, Santa hadn't got her a violin.

And to my shame, I still haven't managed to organise lessons for her .The only Suzuki teacher close by has no spaces - maybe next September. Other places don't teach so young. And to be fair, I'm not entirely sure she's ready for lessons. She's fairly sensible and able to focus, but she thinks learning will be easy and I'm not sure she'll persist when it's not.

But Christmas is coming up again, and I know she's still keen... Would it be worth me getting her a violin to play around with despite no lessons? She has a ukulele and plays with that sometimes, although nothing very musical comes out. And I suspect a violin is even harder to get anything meaningful out of!

I'd like to give her the chance, but I'm wary of spoiling the violin for her, and putting her off it, by giving her an instrument but no support to learn to use it. I don't play any instruments (can read very basic music) so don't feel able to help her.

WWYD?

[ReMyDog]

hiddley

[cingolimama]

OP, agree with all pp who say no violin until you have a teacher.

However, those who say rent a violin - I would respectfully disagree. The economics of renting just don't make sense. Go to a specialist string shop, or if you're not near one, you can do everything online and by phone (Cardiff Violins are particularly helpful). You can buy a second hand very decent outfit (including bow and case) from about £100-£200,. A good violin shop will offer generous trade-in value for when you need to step up a size. You might also just sell on an instrument through the teacher or music school. Rentals are (approximately) £10-15/month, and typically a child would be on a fractional size for about 18 months. Do the maths.

[purplepigeon]

As a music teacher I would support not starting without proper lessons - bad habits are a nightmare to undo. Also if possible parents should be at the lessons to start with. I have recently had two pupils turn up (school lessons, no parent present) with the wrong size violin, broken bow, bridge etc, provided by ill-informed parents. For some instruments with small sizes it's fine to start young, but with a teacher and parent to support the practise.

[CotswoldStrife]

I rent DD's violin, it's nowhere near that much! Perhaps we are lucky but it's around much a term, less than £50 a year!

[cingolimama]

Cotswold, yes, you ARE lucky. Do you rent it from a Music Service? I've never heard of violin rental so cheap from a music shop.

[CotswoldStrife]

It is from a Music Service, they are great. It's slightly cheaper if you have lessons at school but even the higher rate works out at just under £50 for a year for a violin. We may consider buying one when she reaches the full size version, almost there at a 3/4 one now.

It is a very well-used service locally, she has taken part in one large joint concert and the number of identical cases had to be seen to be believed!

[LuchiMangsho]

I am in London and pay 5 pounds a month with a 15 pound deposit. Have been paying that for 2.5 years now.

[SingingMySong]

We rented one for £25 a term, then decided buying from a decent music shop worked out much cheaper! I think I paid £100 in rental for a stentor half size. I could have bought new for about that much and got 50% back in trade in.

OP I'd just tell her it's something for when she's bigger. I reckon tap dancing is better than instrument playing at 5 - lots of practice at hearing and responding to the beat, co-ordination, counting bars, and frankly a lot more fun than trying to get a G out of a descant recorder with little fingers. My 8 year old somehow ended up playing 3 instruments which is ridiculous, but I'm sure tap gave them a head start.

[TheClaws]

OP, my DD was similar to yours - she nagged at me for a couple of years from very little for a violin for Christmas. She also said Santa would bring her one, and I had to say violins were far too delicate for Santa’s sack. Eventually I had to give in and I bought her one, and she enrolled for lessons through her school. She is a natural musician, as it turns out, but violin is not her instrument - cello is. She switched to cello in her teens, has completed most of her musicianship grades and is principal cellist in a symphony orchestra. She wouldn’t be there though if I hadn’t given in to her violin pleas!

So, if your DD keeps asking you - I’d do something about it

[Lollipop30]

I think possibly any instrument can sound terrible without instruction plus bad habits can be self learnt.

My DD started singing lessons about April when she turned 4, she now does piano also. She actually wanted to do piano and had been nagging for ages and I reluctantly gave in.
She loves it, it’s more my motivation with practice that needs work.
I think you’ll know your child and whether it’s worth it at that age. My daughter has fab concentration and loves that sort of thing, there is no way her sister would manage the same at the same age!

[Potato25]

Unless she's an unexpected violin prodigy your ears are going to bleed for the first few years if you don't get a teacher. Maybe wait until she's a bit older and has a better appreciation and knowledge of how musical notes work and is able to relate the pitch to the violin. 7 years old is a good age for kids to start properly.