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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Advice on buying a violin for a 10 year old

21 replies

Ursamama · 14/05/2022 16:27

My daughter wants to start learning the violin. A quick internet search seems to suggest a 3/4 size? Does anyone have advice for buying an instrument that will be good for a beginner but won't cost an arm and a leg? Many thanks for any advice 😊

OP posts:

BIWI · 14/05/2022 16:29

You would be better off renting one first - she may not like it/may not get on with it, so buying could be a waste of money. Also, she might only need a 3/4 size now, but soon will need a full sized one

monkeysmum21 · 14/05/2022 16:40

You can try to buy a second hand in Marketplace or any other site. Some kids just use it just for one term and then it's sold half price.

shreddednips · 14/05/2022 16:41

Get her teacher or someone knowledgeable at a music shop to recommend what size to go for. What size she needs will also depend on her handspan.

shreddednips · 14/05/2022 16:42

Also agree about renting, I wouldn't bother buying a 1/2 or 3/4 unless she really excels and needs a decent instrument. And I wouldn't buy a full size in anticipation of her needing it either, I never grew big enough for one and play a 7/8.

olympicsrock · 14/05/2022 16:46

We asked the music teacher for help. She knew how big our son was and what he needed. Also knew who was selling one the right size as had outgrown .

KangarooKenny · 14/05/2022 16:47

Don’t buy one, we made that mistake.

summersnear · 14/05/2022 17:19

Look into renting one. It's an instrument that takes quite a lot to get going on, so you may find she has lost interest before reaching the full size.

onemouseplace · 14/05/2022 17:22

We’ve rented a 3/4 size one through school. DD is 12 now and still playing the same one - her teacher said it’s better to stay on a small size and not to go up to a full size too soon.

CMeredithC · 14/05/2022 17:24

Consult with a teacher or the music department at school, they will advise you what size she needs and whether renting is an option locally at first.

SatinHeart · 14/05/2022 17:26

Pick a violin teacher first and ask their recommendation. I wouldn't buy any violin smaller than full size if there was an option to rent one.

PhilFlute · 14/05/2022 19:51

Is she having lessons?
My 10 year old has been learning since he was 4 and still borrows a violin from the teacher.

Original poster

Ursamama · 14/05/2022 21:04

Thanks everyone. Will find a teacher first and then think about renting / borrowing. Best wishes

OP posts:

Yourheartwillleadyouhome · 14/05/2022 21:14

Can you recommend a rental firm?

BotCrossHuns · 15/05/2022 09:21

Try and get as good an instrument as you can - some 3/4 can still be quite nice, despite their size, while some can be awful! - because it is hard enough to make progress on a string instrument, and the nicer sound you can make to start with, the more rewarding it is to continue. Upgrading the strings, and paying for it to be 'set up' well (adjusted sound post etc) also can help. Especially true for a slightly older child who might be able to hear the difference it can make, or who has chosen violin because they really like the sound.

BotCrossHuns · 15/05/2022 09:24

But yes to the fact that a 3/4 might only be played a short time - I started on a half size that I played for several years, a 3/4 that was only maybe a year, then full size. I was lucky that my half size (bought, not rented, but sold on second hand several times) was a really nice one, nicer than my 3/4 really which was a sort of stop-gap. Buying is OK if there is a good market in small size violins, which in some locations there will be, with teachers who all know who has what available to sell on as they grow.

CrotchetyQuaver · 15/05/2022 09:34

Find your local SPECIALIST VIOLIN SHOP, not a music chain and buy a student outfit from them. It will all have been set up properly to work the best it can and what the luthiers can do is far beyond the typical violin teacher.

Blaggertyjibbet · 16/05/2022 20:03

We started young on a very inexpensive half size and then sized up last year to a 3/4 around the time DD turned 8 (she is tall). She’ll likely be on this size for a few years, so we bought a decent-sounding secondhand one from a violin specialist that her teacher recommended. The secondhand one was several hundred cheaper than it had been new, and buying (vs renting) will take some of the sting out of the price when we trade it in for her full size in a few years. We bought because it worked out slightly cheaper than renting an instrument at 25/month for 3 years. Buying secondhand also made it feasible to buy a nicer-sounding instrument than we might otherwise have been willing to pay for. If you go that route, just make sure to buy from a reputable shop with proper luthiers inspecting and refurbishing the instruments.

If she is just starting, I’d say to first have her measured and fitted properly, because some children can be quite tall at 10 and may actually be ready for the full size. Then I’d rent (or better yet, borrow!) something for maybe a year to see if she takes to it.

HappySM1 · 22/05/2022 18:08

We bought our 3/4 size second hand. Took the violin teacher along to make sure we were getting a decent instrument for our budget. We went for an old violin (from 1900) which sounds amazing, but obviously not the cheapest option.

If sold privately, they keep their value quite well. If you trade it in, then you will have to reckon with a net loss.

It is a hard instrument to begin with, so the nicer the instrument, the more enjoyable it will be.

A 10 year old friend plays a full size violin already, it depends on the length of the arm and hand size. My DD will be on a 3/4 for some time yet, as she has short arms and smaller hands.

Stentor II outfits are pretty decent, and lots available second hand, so you will just need to pay for a service and set up to make sure it's properly playable.

MangshorJhol · 22/05/2022 18:15

As everyone has said, rent. Both my kids play music to a good level and we are yet to buy their main instrument (because neither has reached full size).

motogirl · 22/05/2022 18:21

Buy second hand from another parent or get a student violin online - I would see if you can borrow one for at least a trial lesson or two first though before you buy one.

motogirl · 22/05/2022 18:22

By the way at 10 it could be a 1/2 or full size needed too so find a teacher first

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