I want to start violin

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I really like listening to Bellowhead, and as a consequence want to learn the violin. I'm used to playing woodwind (Flute and Clarinet) so this should be quite different.
At the moment I'm looking for a decent quality violin to start on (I don't want to go over £100 if I can help it) and looking for a teacher. I thought of trying to teach myself but I don't know how to hold the thing in the first place, so I'll need a teacher.

try renting the violin at first, just in case the instrument doesn't agree with you for whatever reason. somebody like me would have a painful time bending my body into the proper violinist's posture.

Good for you on wanting to learn the violin!

I briefly taught violin before getting out of the classroom music teacher business and now only teach private piano lessons. I'm a woodwind person also, but learning violin is NOT that bad or that difficult.

I did have one student to hang on with me when I started teaching lessons, and she'd JUST started developing a really good sense of pitch by the time she and her family moved away. I really enjoyed teaching her, but I'm afraid my days of teaching violin are over. I had a lot of fun learning the instrument myself, however brief it might have been.

Good luck to you! The best advice I can give you is spend a lot of time at first learning how to tune the thing. Second, after you learn the basic fingerings in first position, practice using a tuner. That will help you listen for each note and play in tune. I've heard amateurish violinists in an orchestra before, and there's nothing worse than listening to someone "slide in" to the right pitch.

As far as cost goes, I'll give you this bit of advice: Any time you buy a musical instrument, chances are you get what you pay for. Nearly a year ago, I ordered a custom synth/keyboard workstation for composing, producing, and sound design, and all told I paid over US$8,000 for it. For this particular instrument, I've basically been on a waiting list since I've had to compete with Hollywood film composers and others getting machines repaired. I've done things like purchase a sampler off eBay and, later on, an old vintage Mac to program the thing. With violins, you have to consider craftsmanship, quality of materials (wood, lacquer), reputation of the manufacturer, quality of the bow (horsehair vs. fiberglass), as well as price. I would say a good British baseline price for violin worth anyone listening to would be around £200-£300. There are also independent violin makers out there who would be delighted to have someone commission a quality violin and bow. I have a friend of a friend who is a luthier in addition to a fine fiddler, and I can try to pass on the info if you'd like.

I tried playing violin but my pitch was not perfect enough so eventually, after great struggles, I quit.

I can play beautifully on piano, guitar (if I tune with electronic assistance), ukelele, accordion, recorder, ocarina, harmonica. Basically anything with frets, keys, etc. that pull just the right note out. Despite spending a great deal of time practicing and studying, I've never been able to play "fretless" instruments well. I've tried voice, cello, violin, trombone, slide whistle, and kazoo and I just can't get a strong enough grasp of pitch and position to do well with those sorts of instruments. But if positions are marked and pitches are established by the construction of the instrument, I'm a very skilled musician.

If it weren't for the pitch issues, I would have studied music in university. Other than my fretless pitch problem, I was good enough to gain acceptance.

Aw, Sparrow! You should have tried at least with piano or guitar. There are some FINE music schools out there with a guitarist on staff.

The sad fact about fretless instruments is that whole issue with pitch. The violin family and the trombone family are the only two orchestral groups that actually do have the ability to adjust intonation to absolute perfection. I'm biased, of course. I'm a clarinetist, and in grad school my clarinet teacher taught me how to "voice down" pitches in the 2nd register that were too sharp. After learning how to do that, I figured out how to bend notes as much as a 4th or 5th. So just like a trombone player, I can "bend it like Beckham."

You have to be able to pass classes in sight singing to get a music degree. At least at the school I auditioned for.

That's everywhere. And don't sweat it. How many instrumental music teachers have you ever been around that actually had acceptable singing voices? Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can. =)

Well, it's a bit late now as I've put seven years of university study so far into a different field. And it's been years since I kept in musical practice at a classical performance level. So that's all just a blast from my past at this point.

As a failed violin student (the violin didn't love me back) I have to protest some of these teaching theories. Learning to tune the thing comes *after* you have learned pitch on a piano. Comfort is important - do not save the student money without leaving options. (Like that danged plastic thing under my chin when I could have had a cushion!). And have a little pity - mark F# on the neck. Every day I had to spend an hour trying to tune it and only then could I begin my practice. And then there was the time I tuned it an octave high.

I still love the violin. I still "assume the position" and pretend. But I left my violin behind. Now I have a keyboard and I'm learning pitch. I didn't know that could be learned-- my Mom was born with perfect pitch and i was brought up with "either you can or you can't" theory of music. Mom played concerti on the piano when she was 5yo. I did not. Ergo I was relegated to the audience forever. But it's not true - you *can* play!

So I'll go back to my keyboard - the only thing that interests me on keyboard (or piano, for that matter) is scales. I love scales especially if I can do them looking out the window. It becomes a meditation. And then suddenly I can play stuff.

I've found this site http://www.turnerviolins.co.uk/index.php and I'm thinking of buying from them. In the Stentor section of the online shop they have three options for beginners. Do people think they look okay to begin on?
I also found a teacher online who lives in my area and teaches folk fiddle (which is what I want to learn). I'll be emailing her if I've got the instrument side sorted.

Look what I found in my mailbox 5 minutes ago!

Violin for Dummies

A message from the angels, methinks, for both of us.

And yes, if you've found a teacher, get in touch right away, and let her help you buy the violin.

Cool! Let me know if the book is any good.

I've just found two violins on Amazon that I'm considering. One is here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stentor-Student ... PRDAOYTRZF and one is here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stentor-Student ... PRDAOYTRZF

I've emailed two teachers to ask if they are taking new students. I hope one of them says yes.