h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When starting make sure you choose an instrument that is the right size - I dont know if this appies to any other instruments but with the violin is very important. I was 10 when I started learning on a full sized violin and was not very happy. My teacher suggested going to a half size but due to circumstances I got a 3/4 size. I gave up learning at 12.

NOW I wish I had kept going with learning but at the time it all seemed to hard and for what? - I think that if I had gone down that one size it would have been a lot easier but who can say what would have been.

I also totally agree that you have to choose an instrument that you are interested in. I love the violin. I like the sound, I like the feel of it when I pick one up (not as often as I should), I like playing it - however very badly I am and I love hte way other prople react to the violin - not when Im playing ofcourse. I love it NOW, I didn't then and that makes the difference.

I am going to learn how to play this instrument one day, hopefully sooner rather than later.

I have heard said that unless you start playing the violin as a child you can give up learning it. I also know people who began playing as adults and who are happy playing. You might not end up as a professional violinist but if you enjoy playing I do not see any reason for giving it up.

If you want to play the violin and do not have an instrument I think the best thing you can do is to get in touch with a violin teacher. The teacher can help you choose the rigth size and can tell you about the local opportunities for buying new as well as secondhand instruments.

I would like to advice against trying to prepair small children for learning the violin by trying to make them understand how to read music. Always talk to the teacher first! There are many different ways of starting the process. Many violin schools begin with melodies in D major or A major. Another point is that it often takes a while before the child learns all the notes of the first scale. Different teachers will approach the subject of reading music in different ways. To avoid confusion it is best to ask the teacher what methods he or she uses and what you can do at home.

Have fun.

I believe you can get "baby" wind instruments, like small clarinets, but I think it's probably a better idea to start on the recorder and take up a full wind instrument when you're the "right size" for it.

i wanted to play the flute but i was given a fife first. i HATED it! it was about half the length of a flute and plastic. any notes that i got out of it were airy and fluffy. lots of people i knew gave up then. eventually i persuaded my teacher that my arms were long enough to play the flute (i was about 7/8) so she gave in. i absolutely loved my flute! it was sooooo much easier to play! of course, anyone who tries the fife maybe really good at it. but my advise is to avoid it like the plague!