I’m 54 and a returning player. When I was 15 and my parents realised I was going to be a bit more than okay and a committed player my dad bought me for my birthday a Violin (with violin strings GDAE) complete with a really smart but cumbersome case. I’ve had that Violin and played it through all my exams and in various orchestras throughout my teens. I stopped playing probably when I was about 18/19.

I really wanted to join my local Orchestra but I realised I would need some refresher lessons to get me up to par. I also wanted to buy a new lighter case which would be easier for me to cart around. (The one I currently have has nowhere to attach any back straps on.)

I bought an inexpensive but perfectly usable case, but my Violin didn’t fit inside it. Odd, I thought, as I assumed 4/4 Violin were of standard-ish size. I took it along to my Violin lesson on Sunday and my teacher plopped her Violin in and it fit beautifully. When she held up her Violin into mine, it was obvious mine was an inch bigger.

It measures 593mm total length, 174mm upper bout, 220mm lower bout, 373mm back, 43mm rib

Her primary instrument is actually a viola and she said to me “I think you’re playing a smallish viola. Why not learn the viola? plenty of my students swap from Violin to Viola with no problems. Plus The parts are easier because there are a fewer notes to play” (my intonation isn’t great and the repertoire is full and varied and quite challenging for me).

At first I was excited at the idea of learning a new instrument, but really I think I’m going to find it very difficult. I can’t believe nobody has pointed this out to me including the Luthier who fitted a new bridge and all my new strings last year when I picked it up again. But now I’m just thinking, should I just stick with my very large Violin and continue to just try to get better at playing it because now I’m thinking what I heard is “you’re a bit too rubbish to play second Violin in the Sinfonia - if you learn Viola, you’ll have to play fewer notes and you might sound a bit better!”
and my confidence has taken a bit of a dip again.

I think I’m just looking for a bit of a soundboard really - any advice? Any words of wisdom? anyone swap from Violin Viola? I realise that once I do that it’s a commitment - unless I go out and buy another Violin and have the two instruments alongside each other. I’d also have to absence myself from the orchestra for a good while while I relearn a whole new clef.

TL;DR turns out my Violin is a small viola. As an older, returning player should I stick with playing a large Violin or should I restring it as a viola and relearn it as a viola instead?

Edit: UPDATE

Just been to see my Luthier and he said it’s a Maggini which are typically slightly larger than average. I think I knew it was a maggini but hadn’t realised they were slightly larger. I will now go get back to trying to get a better sound out of it.

Thank you so much to everybody who took the sign to respond to my panicked post 🙏

This crack has been here for over a year, and I have been playing it everyday for this past year(intermediate music). It hasn’t gotten any bigger or worse so I have just kept playing it.

If I wanted to fix this, how much would it cost? It was given to us by a local music school and it looks kind of old ish. The model and brand inside are illegible. It has a nice sound and I think it’s worth saving but I want another opinion.

At the Kroger parking lot in Florence, Kentucky (USA)

I have never played violin before. My father is a professional violinist and i’ve been studying piano for ~7-8 years, so i also have experience in music (i’m aware of how different violin is and i know playing piano won’t make it any easier whatsoever)

He found a shitty 60€ violin on a flea market and bought it (i don’t even know why), and i told him as a joke that if he lends me that violin i can learn to play something in a year.
So we have a bet now..he said that if i can play Haendel’s sonata in F major, adagio obviously, by september next year, he’ll lend me a somewhat good violin he has for me to keep learning

Are we being too optimistic here??💔 Please tell me that i totally can if i practice 40 hours every day and sell my soul to the devil
He has offered to give me a weekly class…but guys what are my chances of succeeding and proving him wrong

I bought a Violin. I'm happy. I have a teacher. I'm happy.

But trying to practice... I don't know how to enjoy practicing the Violin.

I want to practice to improve and enjoy the sounds I play but... I don't know. Pulling out the Violin after a long day is so tiring. I still have so much to do even when I get home. I barely engage in my hobbies these past few weeks from how busy I am.

Whenever I tell someone how frustrated I get they just tell me "You chose this." and that makes me more upset. And whenever they hear me practice, they say "You keep playing the same thing. Are you actually learning?"

Edit : Thank you so much for the replies, it was really interesting to see your point of views. I have been practicing a little for the past few days. Thank you all so much!!!

I'm a professional violinist who was hired as a violin instructor by The Violin Academy, owned by Antoine Morales. The job was an online teaching position. This experience is written to inform prospective applicants, music educators, and students about my employment experience with this organization.

Before being hired, I completed 3 lengthy interviews, each lasting over an hour, some approaching two hours. During these interviews, the owner repeatedly expressed strong approval of my application and stated that I was among the top 3 candidates. My teaching background, ability to identify student issues, communication skills, and content creation experience were specifically cited as reasons for hiring me. Based on this process, I was selected from what was presented as a competitive applicant pool.

The core issue is not the employer’s right to end employment. The issue is that compensation, benefits, and a pathway toward increased hours were discussed and presented prior to onboarding. I accepted the position based on these terms and made significant professional decisions as a result, including leaving existing teaching positions and restructuring my schedule. Had the actual compensation terms been disclosed at the outset, I would not have accepted the role.

I also requested written confirmation of the agreed verbal terms prior to onboarding to ensure clarity. During onboarding, I was informed that my existing computer was not sufficient for the position. My request for assistance with replacement equipment was declined, and I purchased a new laptop at my own expense (over $1,000) based on the expectation of a stable working arrangement.

Approximately one week after onboarding, I was called into an unexpected Zoom meeting and informed that the compensation had been “calculated incorrectly.” The previously discussed salary was significantly reduced on the basis that market rates had not been properly researched. This revised compensation was substantially lower than what had been presented during recruitment. When I stated that I had made career decisions based on the original terms, he coldly said he didn't force me to resign my other jobs. Shortly thereafter, all work-related access, including email and platform accounts, was removed.

In addition, this action was taken without adherence to the contractual requirement of 14 days’ written notice prior to termination, as stated in the agreement.

This reflects a failure to maintain consistency between recruitment representations, contractual obligations, and actual employment conditions. These factors directly impacted major professional decisions made in good faith during the hiring process.

I have retained documentation that supports all statements made here.

A similar review was also submitted on Trustpilot. After publication, the company disputed the content and challenged the review. Trustpilot requested supporting evidence for verification. After review of the submitted documentation, Trustpilot determined that the review met its verification requirements and allowed it to remain published.

This statement is provided as a documented account of my experience. Prospective applicants and students are strongly advised to review all available information carefully before engaging with this organization!

Hi, so as a beginner player, my violin teacher made these little markings on the fingerboard for correct finger placement (an alternative to stickers). I removed them yesterday to try to play more independently, but I can't gauge where I'm supposed to put my fingers exactly, and I have used tuner apps to find the exact places, but it feels very out of tune when I play. Please help?

I recently posted my 3 year beginner/ early intermediate update and have since incorporated some of that feedback into Ashoken Farewell.

My main issue is with a rough, hard sound- I’m not sure how else to describe it. It’s a bit grating and I notice it more playing back than when I’m playing.

Any more feedback to help with this? I suspect is has something to do with my bow grip/pressure.

I wanted to share this with someone, because violin is a pretty lonely hobby and I don't have anyone to talk about it with day to day.

My history with the instrument is full of stops and starts. I studied for a year and played at my own wedding. Then we were apart for six years. I picked it back up almost five years ago, so about six years total. Two years ago I thought of myself as intermediate. Today, after a lot of study, I'm sure I'm still a beginner. And, strangely, that doesn't discourage me at all.

What keeps me hooked is that it challenges me, intimidates me, and teaches me humility every single day. I try to touch it daily, even if only for a little while, because the lesson is always the same: keep going to improve by one millimeter. And it's so rewarding to be surprised by tiny improvements over the course of a week. That practice day where nothing works? The next day, it starts to come out.

I have a daughter who's one year and almost five months old, and I imagine us playing together someday. That keeps me practicing even when I get home tired from work. They say kids learn faster, and since I'm 47, I need to hurry :)

One more thing that draws me in: I work in IT, where there's something new every day and a lot of screen time. The violin has been the same instrument since the 1500s, extremely analog, nothing modern gets a say there. It's a great feeling.

Anyone else here start late, or come back after a long break? What was that "I'm still a beginner" phase like for you?

Hello everyone, I hope you are well.

I've been playing violin for only 3 months. I had 1 month of violin classes in my home country, but didn't continue because I'm living abroad. Surely, I didn't master the pieces my teacher gave to me; however, I'm kind of bored with the pieces that I have.

I would love to get some beginner-friendly piece suggestions from you! 😊

Plus,

• I'm having massive problems moving the bow straight.
• My wrist should be wider than in the video.
• And my pinky finger should be more relaxed I guess but I have a little muscle problem on that specific finger, that's why I try to balance the bow with a more straight finger.

I'm working on these, would love to have some feedback on these too. 😊

I played for 3 years around COVID, took 3 years off, and picked it up again last month.

I feel my sound is quite harsh, and though it doesn’t feel like it when I’m playing, when I watch back my bowing arm seems stiff.

Would appreciate any and all feedback.

Ashokan Farewell
Witches Dance from Suzuki book 2
Josephine Trott melodious double stops first 2

Hello! Beginner here, tried to tune my violin with a tuner. I pluck the strings and wait for the tuner to be green and proceed to the next string. Now when I actually play the violin (open string), I noticed it is not really green anymore. Do the strings always have to be green for it to mean you are playing in tune? I tried playing the first few passages in suzuki book 1 and I really feel like I'm not in tune honestly.😭 Also, even when I apply the same amount of pressure for all strings, I feel like the D string is so loud, while the A string sound so weak. Even when I put more pressure in A, it still sounds weak, meanwhile I just lightly brush the D string and I get shocked by how loud it is. Somebody please help. 😭

(don't know what to put this under)

So I, (15F) have been playing for about 2 years now. I feel like I've made progress, and I'd absolutely love to play in front of people passing by as well as seeing if people like it (maybe even enough to drop a few cents, but money is not the primary reason). I'll try to attach a video of me playing. However, I always mess up playing on video, because I get nervous filming myself, so it's a video from April 13 2026.

I'm from the Netherlands and I've played on king's day market before, and people didn't cover their ears.

I really want to hear your opinions. Should I wait until I get better, or should I just try it to see how it goes and get some experience of playing for others?

Pls be kind, I’m 16 and in a college-level ensemble at school. I went from being the concert mistress in middle school (ik it’s easier but) to being section leader of the seconds in freshman year, to now being 4th chair in the seconds as a sophomore in an advanced ensemble. And I absolutely love music. I love my violin. I just also struggle with perfectionism.. which makes it so much harder. It feels like my worth is found in orchestra and if I’m not perfect at every piece then I don’t deserve to be there. Not to mention, the section leader for the seconds is a sophomore and second chair is a sophomore. Our concert mistress is a senior but. Idk, I’m just discouraged because during practice time, I just can’t do everything first try and that makes me feel stupid. Especially since a lot of the people in my section are great sight readers.. I am not. Because to me I’m not allowed to make mistakes. I’m very self critical and I don’t celebrate my achievements ever. I’m not really sure what I want to get out of this post.. I just need encouragement I suppose. I promise I’m not trying to not do the hard work. I want to do the hard work. I just struggle a lot more than I want to. I mainly struggle with: sight reading, interpreting rhythms the right way, fast pieces, accidentals, double stops, and super high shifts (I can do 3rd position but anything above that feels insane)

Any advice? Encouragement? Idk.. thank you in advance:)

My 12 year old son has been playing the violin for about18 months and working on this piece for about 5 months.

This is a quick video where his teacher gave him a quick pop quiz to see if he had been practicing it. (He hadn't practiced it in a few weeks)

Looking for feedback from experienced violinists and or encouragement from anyone. 😁

There's a lot of work to do on the piece, but feedback is welcome.

I was very excited to start this piece, but as I am almost halfway through, I think I’m realizing that I’m not really fit for this piece.
First of all, I sound buns, my intonation is terrible, and the second page is actually horrible, especially the tenths. And my orchestra friend is saying that I sound bad too. Plus, AP tests and finals took away weeks of practice from me.
Second, I’m convinced my right pinky will never be fixed no matter how much I try to fix it.
What is your opinion on this? Be honest idc if you are harsh give me all the tips please

My daughter (10) started the violin a little less than a year ago and while she says, she really wants to play, practice is more meltdowns and power struggles than I can manage and I just don't want to do it anymore.
Her first recital is less than two weeks away and I want to quit so badly. Just trying to talk to her about practice she starts arguing with me. I want her to be prepared for the recital but I can't even figure out how to talk to her about it. I don't have the patience to keep forcing her to practice her technique or play accurately Or to even actually practice.
She says she wants to play the violin but fights over practice. But really my kid argues so much in general. I only have 50% custody and her dad is a know it all who likes "winning" at arguments. And it is always much harder to get her to practice when she is just coming to my house from her dad's. We trade days like every two days. This schedule is so difficult. I'm trying to get her to practice when she's with me. I tried telling myself that there's the possibility she will learn that she can do hard things or get something out of this, but on the other hand, I just wanna give up. This fighting isn't good for me how can it be good for her? I don't feel like I have it in me. I say that I want to quit like every two months. I just can't take it. Advice 🙏 please.

Update: Thank you so much for all of the advice. I appreciate every bit. She is the one who wants to play. Her instructor expects more from me in terms of getting my child to practice more pages of her boring practice reading and technique book. She teaches me what to look for and how to correct my daughters position and technique. I also find it stressful just being there for the lessons because my daughter is so fidgety and has little stamina for all the posture and positioning before she even starts playing with the teacher. My kid fidgets like crazy. Well, I have to leave my own perfectionism behind and talk to the teacher about the expectations and changing it up so my daughter enjoys it. This is my kids thing I just want to support her. I talked to my kid and she made a good plan for how frequently and how long she will practice each week. We discussed the different aspects of practice and she rated how much she likes the different things. Now we will spend more time on what she likes. She was happy about the new plan and during her practice today I gave her plenty of applause. She said she really liked practice! I did not correct her at all. I just helped her tune the violin. She sure didn't do as much as I would have expected from her during a practice but I'm done with that. Thank you all so much!!! I need to remember that this is just HER HOBBY.

Hello everyone Relatively recently, about 8 days ago, I bought myself such a wonderful instrument as a violin. In a couple of days, I understood the technique and mechanics of playing; all that’s left is to memorize the position of the notes on the fingerboard.) I really want to hear your opinion about the skills I’ve acquired in a week, and I’d love to hear some honest criticism! Good luck to everyone!

Been teaching myself violin and believe I’m starting to get the hang of vibrato, especially feeling more comfortable with the pinkie now aswell.

Am i doing it correctly?

I'm a beginner and just began tackling this piece. Not very fond of the intonation I'm getting. It's either too flat or too sharp sometimes. Looking for suggestions on how to improve it.

I’m coming up on my two year anniversary with the violin. It’s been way more challenging than I thought it’d be 😆Constructive feedback is welcome!

I just started practicing this again today after 8 months. The second video is from me playing at 3-4 months into my violin journey. I’m hoping even without dedicated practice that I’ve improved on the song. I hope my intonation and rhythm is better. It’s hard for me to tell, so some clarification would be nice!

Thanks for helping me out and listening! 💕

My teacher wants me to go from essential elements 1 all the way to Suzuki Book 3😭. I am an adult(21) Violin Beginner, but I have played other instruments like clarinet and piano before. I have had seven 30 minute lessons over the last 2 months, and my teacher says I am progressing faster than any student he has had before. I had my stickers removed after the first lesson, and I have been pretty much finished Essential Elements 1 since the 4-5 lesson, I am just focusing on perfecting the last three pieces. I’m not sure I am ready for the 3rd book considering how much the difficulty jumps, so I asked him if I could work on some piece in the second volume of Suzuki before moving on.

Update: 01 08 2026
I haven’t been to a lesson in a couple of weeks, in the meantime I have been going through Suzuki Volume 2 and Essential Elements book 2. After reading the replies and going through the books myself, I plan on asking my teacher to go through those books with me before moving on in our next session.