What to Consider When Choosing a Violin for your Child

What Violin Should I Choose for a Child?

When thoughts turn to instruments for your child to learn to play, we are only too aware that affordability is an important factor.

Equally though, making the right choice of instrument and accessories are key too, and none more so than when choosing a violin. 

The violin is one of the most popular instruments for children to learn and, when deciding on which instrument to buy we find there are four key points to consider: 

1) Firstly, it is really important to get the right size violin, a child should not overstretch by playing an instrument that is too large for them.

2) Price is another important factor. We always recommend you buy the best quality instrument within budget, relative to their playing ability. A poorly setup or inferior instrument can often be uncomfortable to play and difficult to tune or keep in tune, which can result in a child wanting to give-up or not want to practice. 

If you don't want to buy until you are sure they want to continue or because they are still growing and may need larger sizes going forward, our Music Instrument Rental Scheme is very popular and designed to be flexible during the early stages of a child's musical journey.

3) Setting up a violin properly is really critical - the way an instrument is set up and maintained makes a huge difference to the quality of the sound and violin's condition. It looks simple, but to get these adjustments made accurately is a highly skilled job and eases how an instrument can be played.

4) The final consideration is the accessories you need; namely the bow, shoulder rest, carry case and rosin.

You could say the bow is 50% of the instrument, so a badly made bow can really restrict a player's development. Put simply, it needs to be the correct weight, make a good sound and be easy to control.

A shoulder rest makes the instrument feel more secure under the chin, so we recommend using one. They come in all sizes, and it is simply a matter of what suits your frame.

The case you choose is also important, it needs to be practical for the person carrying it; a child may be walking to school and juggling this along with a school bag, sports kit and lunch bag so it would ideally be lightweight and we usually recommend adjustable shoulder straps for comfort, whatever your height.

Finally, the rosin which is a tree resin substance that helps create friction between the bow hair and strings, needs to be good quality so it doesn't solidify or excessively powder. 

How Much is a Violin Outfit to Buy or Rent?

It often surprises people to find out that you can purchase a Richard Sandner Violin Outfit (shown) for as little as £175* or you can rent a violin from just £10.00** per month.

Prices correct at time of writing