Do you have what it takes to learn violin?

There are rumors to the effect that playing music helps children do their arithmetic better.  I know for a fact that it definitely worked in my case.  I am not completely sure why but I loved music but I equally loved the challenge of doing maths equations.  As a youth, I wanted to either play violin or become an engineer.  My parents however had different ideas.

So, here I am - a daytime pharmacist and moonlight singer/songwriter/guitarist.

1. An instrument

   Yes, unsurprisingly you would need to buy a violin.  To save on the cost of a violin, might I suggest that you buy a second hand one.  This way if you or your child's passion is short-lived, it will not leave too big a hole in your pocket.  You could also sell the instrument on for the price you paid.
   Of course, there is another way to think about this - Investing in a new violin may force you to spend the time it takes to become a great violinist.

    

2. Determination and self confidence

   Learning to play any instrument can be an uphill struggle at the start when the sounds you are making in no way sound like what you had hoped and dreamt.  People, walking past your door, may have their hands over their ears as they are subjected to you practicing hard.  There will no doubt be times when you feel that you are not getting any better and never will.
   
   At times like this, you need to pull out all of your determination to just keep working at it.  It is particularly hard for children to practice; they lack the experience of life which helps them understand that the more they practice the better they get. Patiently, but firmly you must demand that they practice little and often.  No good thing comes easily but with enough time, you will be surprised at the sounds you and they are likely to produce.
    

3. Practice Time

   Now this is a big one and there is a mathematical equation associated with it.  Ultimately, the more time you give to playing violin, the better your playing will become.  
   
   

   If you give χ (amount of time), you get Υ(improvement) 
   it then follows that if you give twice as much time to practice (2χ) then you will get twice as much improvement(2Υ) in your playing.
   
   There is no shortcut.  You need to schedule the practice time into your day, preferably a little bit each day and before too long you should be able to produce at least one piece of violin music.

    

4. Violin Lessons

   You have to decide how you wish to learn to play violin.  You could locate a teacher who will help you learn all the basics and beyond.  This is the best option as having someone work with you one-to-one can really help.  However, lessons may be difficult due to time, lack of a nearby tutor or lack of finances.  There are still options for you too.

   I learnt to play guitar and the organ using books.  This was sufficient but I always hit a ceiling when I just could not figure out what the book was trying to tell me and I was uncertain as to whether I was doing it right.  And then I came across online lessons!  These opened a whole new world to me.  Suddenly I could watch on my computer exactly how something is done and then try to reproduce it.  My ceiling was broken.
   Violin Master Pro is one of these lesson packages that are produced by a world class musician and show you exactly how things should be done.

   Anyone can learn to play violin now as lessons have become a lot more accessible.