what kind violin should I buy for a 6th grader middle school music class ?
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Anonymous
| DC wants to learn violin at middle school music class. We know nothing about music so it is a risk investment at the very beginning as we don't want to have an expansive/decent instrument hanging at home if DC finally has lost interests in music. Any parents would like to share an idea ? I know most musicians want to start with a decent one at the very beginning. I don't mind of getting a decent one if DC really shows me her passion on violin after getting into it. |
Anonymous
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Rent first, for a couple of reasons. First, your DC may be between a 3/4 size and a full size at this age, and you will be better off spending more on her full-sized instrument if she stays with the violin. But I also recommend renting because many kids simply don't stick with the instrument. I'm not sure, but Potter's Violin in Bethesda may offer rentals, and your school can also recommend shops.
I hope your DC enjoys the violin! It's a very rewarding instrument. |
Anonymous
| Rent. We do, from Potter's Violin. |
Anonymous
| Honestly, I'd ask the teacher. |
Anonymous
| I agree that you should rent. Go to Potter's Violins in Bethesda or Lashof Violins in Gaithersburg. |
Anonymous
| Chuck Levin's Music in Wheaton rents violins for reasonable price. |
Anonymous
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My children are band kids so I can offer general advice about instruments but nothing specifically for a string instrument.
1) Rent or see if there is a school instrument your child can use - Even if your child sticks with music as an elective, to balance out the orchestra your child may be encouraged to gravitate from violin to another instrument that will balance out the orchestra's sound. Sometimes the school owns instruments that children can use. Check/email the music director. 2) Look into a rent to own program. I specifically rented from L&L Wind Shop because of the rent to own program but they do not carry string instruments as far as I know. The rent to own program has allowed my sons to start with a modest beginning instrument then gravitate into intermediate then professional instruments. The key is to trade up before the instrument is paid off then all the rent that was paid goes into the new instrument. 3) Have your child go with you to try out several different violins. The music store should help you pick out the instrument that fits your child well. As the previous poster said, the sizing may differ as your child grows so start with a basic beginning violin at first. If you don't know where to go, ask the music director for store recommendations. Go before the August rush (the week before school starts). Late June and July is a good time to find a nice, less expensive, used instrument because of kids returning them after the end of school. |
Anonymous
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OP here, Thanks all for kind and valuable suggestions.
DC is almost an young adult height. I guess it should be a full size of violin. I am thinking of buying a cheap violin at Amazon first to let DC to play with instructions online (youtube) even before the class begins. It won't be a risk of breaking an expansive rental instrument. Once the school starts, and once DC gets instructions from the class at school and once DC finds the violin not good enough, then it will be safe to get some decent one (rental or purchasing) Sounds a right approach ? I am a dumb on music instrument, so I might be a bit over cautious |
Anonymous
No, don't buy cheap. Rent the expensive instrument and pay for the insurance. It's only a couple of bucks extra a month. Another reason not to buy is eventually you may want to upgrade. My dd plays the clarinet. When she started in 4th grade, she rented a plastic one. In middle school, she upgraded to wood. eventually if she joins marching band in HS she will need plastic again (for obvious reasons) |
Anonymous
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Do not buy violin on Amazon. You do not want bad instrument. Your child will never learn to play.
It may be old instrument, but it has to be good quality. Do not waster your money and your child's time. |
Anonymous
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we rented a viola from House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park. They have a school year deal for Montgomery county students to rent instruments for school. It is $99 for the school year. We pay also for the insurance, so we don't have to worry about loss or damage. That brings it to almost $150 for the year.
I don't know if other counties have a similar deal. Or if it's pro-rated if you start before the school year. You might not need to have her practice before the year starts. I find that in the school music programs they move quite slowly, and as long as your daughter does the suggested amount of practice, it shouldn't be hard. (Unless you know it's the kind of thing she'll need more time for) |
Anonymous
No, don't buy one! PP's suggesting renting first are correct for various reasons (1- your child may not be interested after this year; 2 - your child will NOT be in a full sized in 6th grade - unless he/she is full sized him/herself; 3- If you rent, usually a small part of the cost is for insurance - you won't have to worry about damage and if the instrument needs tuned, etc. - you can have the rental place take care of it; 4 - If you rent, you can "trade up" to the next size when your child is ready. Granted, my daughter is small in stature, but she has traded up twice since 6th grade). Violin quality varies quite a bit! If you buy a cheap one, you're better off just renting. DD has been playing since 2nd grade (now in 8th). She ended up paying enough over the years to own the standard rental quality instrument. Since she's serious about playing, we RENTED another violin, of a higher quality - you can absolutely tell the sound quality difference. Since she's still not in a full size, we will continue to rent until/unless she decides to drop violin - which looks like it may be next year... Since she has two violins, she leaves one at school (in 8th grade, orchestra is every day and the kids have music lockers at her school) and one at home - so she doesn't have to carry her instrument back and forth every day. Anyhow, just my opinion. |
Anonymous
I agree. Don't buy a violin on Amazon. You might as well buy a shoebox with rubber bands. Rent it from a reputable place. |
Anonymous
| My DC played for about 5 years and we rented the whole time. It's not that much and she changed sizes several times. Absolutely no need to buy at this stage. Go to Potters and they will get you the right size - they are very knowledgeable. |
Anonymous
Agree with others that you should not buy cheap! I'll add that the instrument we rent is not brand new and shiny, but it has a beautiful sound--it's obviously a quality instrument. Being able to make a beautiful sound helps in getting through those earlier stages of learning an instrument. We do pay for the insurance--which helped when we needed a repair, but also for peace of mind. I don't think starting out with youtube instructions is the right way to go. It's too easy to learn bad habits. |