Before Buying a Child's Violin, Here's What You Need to Know

Before buying a violin for a child there are some things you really need to know. Buying a quality instrument is always important but that is even more true with a violin. The problem with violins is that they need to be replaced regularly. Fortunately you can get a decent priced and quality violin. These are some things you need to think about before you decide what to purchase.

It didn't surprise me that different sizes would be required for kids of different ages. What did surprise me is how quickly children outgrow violins. You can expect to replace the violin every 18 months to 2 years.

Don't guess the size. You will find some guidance online about measuring the length of your child's arm. But I recommend actually going to a music store to find the correct size. If this isn't possible, you can try using measurements to determine the correct size.

If your child shows an interest in learning a new instrument, it's a good idea to buy a cheap instrument to begin with. That way, if they lose interest in learning, you haven't wasted too much money. However, violins are expensive instruments. A good violin costs at least $400. Few parents will want to spend this on a beginning student.

You can buy cheap violins that cost $50 or so. However, they tend to be poor quality. They often don't work well and they don't sound good. It can be hard for a student to learn to play properly or to enjoy learning on a bad sounding instrument.

However you can get a combination of low price and quality with the Cremona SV-130 violins for kids. They start at about $130 and include a case. Reviews online are largely positive and some reviewers have said that their children's violin teachers were happy with the instruments. But some reviewers do recommend replacing the strings to get a better sound.

This is probably the least you need to pay to get a decent sounding instrument. Amazon.com sells these violins directly, so they will be easy to return if you're not happy with them.

If you don't want to buy a violin, you can rent one. However, this can also be very expensive. Rentals usually start at $25 a month. There are online companies that do rentals for as low as $10 a month. These companies usually rent $300 to $400 instruments. You may have additional costs as well, such as shipping costs to consider. You may also have charges if an instrument is damaged. Look for reviews of these online violin rental companies before choosing one.

Violin lessons can be expensive as well. Music schools like Yamaha Music School often have group lessons that are affordable. You can also look into music schools that teach the Suzuki method of teaching. Private lessons are often around $30 per half hour. If there's a university in your area, advertise with them. Many music students will teach instruments for a lower price than you would pay to a school or an experienced teacher.

If you can't afford lessons, you can try self-teaching. Some people say that it's impossible to self-teach the violin. But a company called eMedia has made a very highly rated violin teaching software called My Violin for ages 5 and up.

If you buy a violin online from a company like amazon.com, it will come with an unattached bridge. This is to prevent damage to the instrument during shipping. You will have to put the bridge on the violin. Your child's teacher may do this for you or you can pay a music store to do it. You will also find online tutorials and YouTube videos that show on to do this.