How to Choose Your First Violin

Violin and Bow

If you are buying a violin for the first time, you probably have an army of questions: What should I look for? How do I know if the instrument is set up properly? How much should I pay for a decent, student-quality instrument? And where should I look for a good instrument? What other accessories and equipment do I need to be able to start playing?

Things You'll Need

• Firm budget (about $1,200.00)
• Musical instrument stores or dealers
• Teacher or experienced violinist to help as you try out instruments

Instructions

Determining Your Budget

1. Decide on a budget. Expect to spend about $1000 for a good student violin. When you buy a violin from a violin shop or musical instrument store, you may need to buy the violin, bow, and case separately. If you buy a "kit," it may be about $1500.

2. Ask a violin teacher for recommendations about music stores or instrument dealers in your area. There are some good online sources (see Resources), but it will be more complicated to try out violins and then send them back if you're not satisfied.

3. Ask a violin teacher or experienced violinist to come with you to a stringed instruments shop as you look at violins. If you have no experience with violins, this is a step that will make the "tryout" much more fun.

4. When you go a violin shop, keep your budget in mind, and be sure to tell the salesperson what your budget limit is.

Test-driving a Violin

1. A reputable violin dealer will show you several instruments in your price range, let you try them out on-site, and then should let you take them home on trial. Have your credit card handy as you will need to leave the number with the instrument dealer.

2. When you are trying out violins, consider (a) if it's comfortable to hold (Are there any rough edges on the fingerboard?), (b) if it's hard to push the strings down to the fingerboard easily (How high is the bridge? Is the violin neck set in correctly?), and (c) if the sound is even across all four strings.

3. The bow is an important part of the sound. If you don't like the feel or the weight of the bow the shop gives you to try out, ask for another one. Every bow feels and sounds different on every violin.

4. Take a violinist with you who can help out, but if you are on your own, make plans to have a violin teacher try out your violins when you get them home.

5. If you are not sure what size violin is best for you, the salespeople at violin shops can measure you for the correct size.

Trying Out Bows

1. Bows can change the sound of a violin, and their price range is wide. A good Pernambuco or Brazilwood bow is about $400 to start. Don't be tempted by $100 wood bows; they do not hold up well and warp easily. Carbon-fiber bows can be a good, less expensive alternative (see References).

2. Try several bows on each violin. Select one or two that feel comfortable to hold (Is the tip too heavy? Does the bow wobble?).

3. Check to see if the bow is straight. To do this, hold the bow by the screw at the bottom, and sight down the stick (wood on top; bow hair on bottom). The wooden stick should be a straight line.

Buying a Case

1. Once you have decided to buy a violin and a bow, you will need a case to protect your new investment. A good hard-shell case with two bow holders and space for rosin, strings, nail clippers, and shoulder rest should be about $100. Look for one with outside zippered pockets--it will provide more space for extras.

2. A good-quality case has a padded, spongy support (it's called suspension) for the violin neck, and velcro straps to keep it in the case if the case should ever open accidentally.

3. If you plan to travel by air with your violin, any regular-sized case will fit in the overhead compartment of most commercial airliners. If you'll be traveling, buy a hard-shell case rather than a "super-light" case.

Buying Accessories

1. You don't need a lot of extras beyond the violin and bow, but you may want to buy rosin, a cleaning cloth or two (or you can use a clean, dry terrycloth remnant from home), and a shoulder rest.

2. Rosin is inexpensive and lasts for a very long time. Ask for a medium amber violin bow rosin (avoid the dark green, stickier rosins that may not work as well in heat and high humidity).

3. After you play, always clean off the strings with one cloth, and wipe the wood with a different cloth. Have two on hand in your case, and make sure you can tell them apart. (You don't want to rub rosin into the varnished wood.) Never use polish or water on your violin--just the dry cloth will do nicely.

4. If you need a shoulder rest, try out several different styles (there are many). Most reputable dealers will also let you exchange a shoulder rest after a week's trial, provided the shoulder rest still looks unused.

Tips & Warnings

• Do some online research to find out how much student violins range in cost. If you buy a student violin kit, you don't get much choice about bow-violin combinations. Sometimes it's more economical to buy the violin, bow, and case separately. Get an extra set of strings to keep in your case, in case you break a string. Tailpieces with built-in fine tuners can make tuning much easier, particularly for very young players. Don't be afraid to ask questions at the violin shop--a good dealer will be glad to help you learn.

References

• Carbon-Fiber Violin Bows

Resources

• Shar Music
• Southwest Strings
• Violinist.com: Advice and Information from Teachers and Performers