Supplies for Violin Lessons

I welcome questions regarding specific instrument and accessory choices, cost, and quality. I want to help make sure you now what you’re buying and that it’s appropriate for your student.

Note: I have many preparatory activities that do not require any materials, so if you're ready to jump in, it's ok go ahead and start lessons and then take a few weeks to collect everything.

Suzuki Materials

Suzuki Violin School, Volume 1, International or Revised Edition

  • Boomer Music in Fort Collins will have plenty of copies available.

  • Or, purchase on Amazon: Suzuki Violin Volume 1

  • Please remember that since students will not be learning to read music right away, Book 1 is primarily a resource for parents. Let me know if you need help finding the correct edition of a higher level book.

Audio Recording to accompany the book

  • Available to download via iTunes or Amazon at Alfred.com

  • I strongly recommend listening to the most recent recordings by Hilary Hahn for Books 1-3 and Augustin Hadelich for Books 4-6.

  • You may purchase a book with a CD included, if you would like that option for listening.

Determining the correct size violin

It is paramount that your child have an instrument that is the appropriate size for them to successfully learn. The best way to determine the correct size instrument is to meet with your teacher for measurement during a lesson or at a violin shop.

  • Wrongly sized instruments will require a student to develop wrong posture and technique to play, causing bad habits that will remain even if the child “grows in” to the instrument. Auntie's/Grandpa's/Cousin's violin can wait.

  • Too-big instruments are also likely to force students to stretch or reach farther than they should to be able to play, and could quickly result in repetitive stress injury.

  • It is perfectly acceptable and non-harmful for a student to continue playing an instrument that is slightly too small for them until they truly can fit the next larger size.

  • You can get a pretty good idea of the size you’ll want by reviewing this chart and video.

Accessories

Shoulder rest/sponge

  • There are dozens of varying designs and brands, as the fit of a shoulder rest to a student's shoulder is (obviously) very individual and it may take some time experimenting before the best solution is found.

  • Generally, beginners do well with shaped sponges or one of the more generic styles of shoulder rests. At first, feel free to purchase the kind that seems like it might work best for your child – and ask me if you're really unsure. Be aware that the shoulder rest may need to be changed or modified to help the student best succeed.

  • When purchasing a shoulder rest, please make sure that it fits the size of violin your student is using. These links are simply to introduce you to a few brands/styles – you confirm the size.

A physical tuner is not an absolute necessity to help with tuning the instrument. There are several excellent free tuner apps.

  • I use the free SoundCorset app available for Apple devices

  • The TonalEnergy app is also frequently recommended by musicians

For a beginner, no other accessories are necessary. I’m happy to provide advice regarding specific choices or any other additional accessories if needed.

A few notes about obtaining a violin

Beginners need not purchase an instrument, renting is a perfectly good option. Many shops have policies allowing renters to apply some portion of their rental fees toward purchase of their rented or even a higher-quality instrument. Shop around for rental/trade-in policies that fit your needs/desires.

  • If your student is ready to use a real violin, purchase an “outfit” which should come with a violin, bow, case, and rosin.

  • Never purchase a violin from Amazon or Ebay. They are full of junk violins (teachers call these VSOs - “Violin-Shaped Objects”). At the very least, the quality is not guaranteed and returns can be a headache.

  • Beginners need an instrument that works well – they need the instrument to respond well to their significant efforts to learn to play it, or face frustration purely based on low-quality tools preventing success. The instrument must also sound decent in order to begin training the student's ears to discern quality tone and encourage them to develop the skills to create the best tone possible on their instrument.

  • There's nothing wrong with factory-made, store-brand instruments for beginners. However, I do always recommend against whatever cheapest option a shop has – start at a step above the cheapest and you'll at least have some confidence that the instrument itself won't be contributing to your struggles.

  • Only your budget determines the upper limit of what you should pay for a violin, but generally beginners do not need a violin costing more than about $500-700, and often something around $200-300 is perfectly acceptable.

Recommended Shops

In Fort Collins, I can happily recommend Boomer Music. They stock good quality basic instruments for rental and purchase, all of the accessories you might need, and Suzuki materials. Support your local music shop! (No sponsorship, just a genuine endorsement)

Reputable online retailers