Learning to play the violin is not a decision to take lightly for two reasons. Firstly, as with any instrument, learning to play the violin takes patience and commitment. It is a difficult instrument to play straight away and takes time before you can even produce anything which even sounds like a violin sound. Secondly, violins are not cheap and some cost several million dollars. Don’t panic! That is the very extreme end of the scale but to buy a violin will set you back about 600-700 dollars. Professional violins cost a thousand dollars and more.
If you are just starting to learn to play the violin out you can rent a violin first from your local music shop. You usually rent these for half a year, paying 10-15 dollars a month. The last thing you want to do is spend a heap of money on something if you will tire of playing after a couple of months. Even if you do decide to buy one straight away, do not feel the need to spend too much money when you first buy a eastman violin. As your playing progresses and you have been playing for a while, then it is worth buying a good violin.
When you buy a violin you need to make sure it is violin is the right size for you. Doing this is very easy but ask someone in your music store to help you. To determine what size violin you need to buy, you must stand up straight. Extend your left arm so that it is fully outstretched and not bent at all. Get a tape measure and measure the distance from your sternum (the centre of your chest) to the palm of your left arm, not the fingertips.
If the measurement is between 17.5 to 20″ you will need a ¼ size violin, this is usually for ages 4-7. If it is 20-23″ you require a half size violin for ages 6-10. You will need a three quarter size violin if your measurement is between 23 and 25″, this size is usually for 9 to 11 year olds. Finally, you will need to buy a full size violin if you measure in at more than 25″. Full size violins are usually used by 9 year olds and upwards, so it is lilkely you will need a full size violin. You need to have the right size violin to feel comfortable when playing so this is very important.
The most important thing when you buy a violin is to hear how it sounds. This is why it is never a good idea to buy a violin online or from eBay, you just never know what it is going to sound like. Make sure when buying there are no cracks in the body and the neck is straight.
