My lesson room is located directly in the center of Esslingen at horse market 13. The room is about five minutes walk from the station. From Stuttgart-Hbf to Esslingen it takes about 20 minutes by S-Bahn or by car. The numerous parking garages in the city center offer good parking facilities. You can find a map here.
Is online violin instruction also suitable for beginners?
For young and adult students, learning to play the violin is quite possible from the beginning online. The missing possibility of playing together due to the latency (caused by the delay in data transfer) can be compensated very well by working with playbacks. The development of playing technique can be taught quite well online, but the evaluation of sound and sound quality depends strongly on the technical components used on both sides. In this respect, it is recommended to occasionally supplement the online violin lessons with face-to-face lessons.
What should a qualified violin lesson cost?
After extensive research and exchange with numerous professional organizations in the music field, the Association of sound artists Baden-Wuerttemberg for the year 2021 its fifth updated edition of the Fee standards for qualified instrumental teachers before.
Accordingly, the tuition fees for a single violin lesson a 30 minutes individual lessons between 35,- and 40,- Euro, for a single violin lesson a 45 minutes Individual lessons between 47,- and 55,- Euro and for a single violin lesson a 60 minutes Private lessons between 63,- and 75,- Euro.
My teaching fees are based on the above mentioned fee standards – I will gladly inform you about the current prices on request.
Which instrument is suitable for a beginner?
As is well known, there is hardly any other instrument with such a wide price range as a violin, for which one can spend between Euro 80,- (these instruments mainly come from Asia) to well over a million Euro (for authentic Stradivaris and Guarneris).
One well playable student violin, complete with case and bow, one receives from about Euro 550,-. Instruments like these are fine for beginners. Special attention should be paid to the quality of the bow, because with the bow the whole playing technique of the right hand develops. The bow stick should not be too heavy, with a well-balanced center of gravity. It must also be absolutely straight and should have a balanced elasticity with good stability. For learners, bows made of carbon have become especially popular, as they offer the above-mentioned playing characteristics at a very good price-performance ratio.
Which violin size is the right one?
For children there are violins in different sizes: One 1/8 violin you play until about the age of 6, a 1/4 violin between 6 and about 8 years, one 1/2 violin between 8 and about 10 years and a 3/4 violin between 10 and about 13 years. From about 13 years can then be transferred to the final 4/4 violin change.
But these are only approximate values. I myself usually have student violins in different sizes in stock and use them to determine the exact violin size for the child during the first violin lesson.
Can you rent a violin to get started?
The best address for renting a violin is a Violin maker on site. In any case, here you can get instruments that are well maintained and technically in order. If you have problems with the instrument, you also have a competent contact person. The rental prices are – depending on the quality of the violin – from about 18,- Euro per month upwards.
With some online providers you can even already find violins from 6,- Euro per month to rent. However, especially at the beginning you should a good quality violin because many cheap violins are almost unplayable and have a very unsatisfactory sound.
I will be happy to advise you on the selection of the right instrument and can also provide you with a suitable rental instrument to get you started.
Can you start violin lessons as a beginner with an electric violin??
an electric violin differs from an acoustic one basically in the way and technique of tone production, the playing technique of the left hand, however, is absolutely identical for both instruments (as far as four-stringed violins are concerned). That means: You can learn a good playing technique on an electric violin, but you have to be aware that the bowing technique is slightly different. Experience has shown that it is easier to switch from an acoustic violin to an electric one than vice versa – but this is also possible.
Can my child start violin lessons at the age of four??
Decisive is that the child do it yourself by themselves and repeatedly expresses the desire to play the violin. Then it makes sense to play in one or two lessons "Trial lessons" determine whether it is really what the child imagines "playing the violin" to be. If the trial lessons are positive, violin lessons that are appropriate for the child and focus on the child’s individual stage of development can be quite useful, because putting off to other instruments or to early musical education is often rather counterproductive in such cases and takes away the child’s joy in music altogether.
I am an adult and have never played music and can’t read music – can I still learn to play the violin?
Basically it is Possible at any adult age, to learn a new musical instrument – also violin! However, if you have never played music at all, you should have some patience with yourself. A focus in lessons will be on basic motor exercises (with the violin) and on ear training (with and without the violin). Learning to read the notes, on the other hand, is no problem at all for adults.