We often hear that playing the Violin has always been a dream. Exploring what to expect during a violin lesson is a great first step! This blog gives you a general idea of what you can expect at your first violin lesson. Like learning anything new, it might be slow going in the beginning, but hang in there! You’ve started on an exciting and fulfilling musical journey that can provide you with a lifelong source of joy.
Building a Rapport During Your Violin Lesson
In the first lesson, you’ll spend a few minutes getting to know your teacher, and he/she ask for some information about you. Have you studied music before? What kind of music do you like? What are your goals? Things like that. Your teacher will start building a rapport with you, and in this way, your teacher can begin to find out the type of learning that suits you best, and you can sense if you are going to work well with this teacher. Having the teacher that’s the best fit for you makes a huge difference in how much you learn and how enjoyable your lessons are. Learn about each of the FMI teachers HERE. Set up a complimentary first lesson HERE to learn more about playing the violin.
Introducing the Parts of the Violin
After getting to know each other, you’ll go over the names of the different parts of the Violin and the bow. You will learn how to care for each. From scroll to end button and tip to heel, you’ll want to get familiar with your new instrument as well as its accouterments, a cake of rosin (rubbed on the bow and used to increase friction between the bow hair and the violin strings) and shoulder rest.
Depending on your age, you might also learn about tuning the Violin at your first violin lesson, or your teacher might take care of that in the beginning. Either way, tuning will be an essential aspect of the class. This may take a little time before you are tuning the instrument before the lessons begin.
Of course, you’ll want to learn about holding the Violin. Getting comfortable with the various postures and motor skills to comfortably hold the Violin and bow will be introduced. Throughout your violin classes, techniques are practiced. How the instrument is situated under your chin, what kind of posture to adopt, and how to position and use your left hand to gently support the Violin will all be introduced. Holding the bow will most likely be a lesson or two away, especially if you are a young student. That doesn’t mean you won’t play anything – you will be playing right away using a unique technique called “Pizzicatto.” This plucking style will have you making sounds with the Violin even without a bow. This will allow you to master your left-hand positioning so you can learn to press the strings and change pitch. After a few lessons, you will then be ready for the bow and more traditional playing styles.
Getting Ready for Your Next Violin Lesson
This blog has provided quite a bit to get started with! As lessons finish, you and your teacher can discuss what to work on for next time and how to work on it, including how long and how often you should practice. Violin Lessons with Fundamental Music include videos for practice and backing tracks when needed. Your teacher will use a lesson book in the first lesson or the subsequent lessons. You will also get a detailed set of lesson notes to refer to for practice in between classes.
Learn more about violin lessons with Fundamental Music Instruction HERE. If you are interested in other instruments, Fundamental Music Instruction offers online and in-person courses for many instruments, learn more HERE.
Try Our Free Music Lesson Online to Start Your Music Dreams
Fundamental Music Instruction’s online music lessons have countless rewards and benefits. We encourage you to choose a beautiful instrument that speaks to you and begin to learn how to play it. We offer music classes for a wide selection of instruments, learn more about each instrument HERE. We also provide an instrument demonstration video that introduces each instrument and demonstrates the sounds. Watch our instrument demonstration video HERE.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected], call us at 908-244-4943, or sign up for a free online music lesson HERE! We can’t wait to fill your world with music because, without music, our minds would be quiet.
