Adult Violin Lessons: How To Persevere Through Common Obstacles

You have probably already suspected that learning the violin is different for adults versus children. Over my years of teaching students of all ages, I have become particularly attuned to the struggles encountered in adult violin lessons. Helping my adult students overcome these struggles is rewarding. I celebrate their accomplishments on the violin, both big and small. Before you get started, it can be helpful to know what to expect.

Managing Expectations For Adult Violin Lessons

Most of the adult students that I have worked with decided to start violin lessons after becoming extremely accomplished in their careers. One such student was a woman in her 30s, an accomplished attorney. She told me she had always dreamed of learning the violin. I could tell she expected to advance quickly in just a few lessons. I could sense her frustration as she realized that mastering just the fundamentals would take months of regular practicing.

Learning a musical instrument is a lot like learning a new language. Young children naturally pick up on the languages spoken around them. For adults learning a foreign language, it can be more difficult, but not impossible. It takes years of practice and studying to become fluent. The same goes for learning the violin. Getting to a level where you can play with ease will take time and dedication.

It may be frustrating at first, especially if you are used to being highly skilled in other areas of your life.  In the case of learning the violin though, the pay-off is rewarding. Making a beautiful tone and playing your favorite music is worth the effort of properly learning the fundamentals first.

Making Time To Practice

Children learning the violin have the advantage of free time after school. Their parents take them to lessons each week and remind them to practice every day. Adult students, on the other hand, have the responsibilities of work, family, and running their households. Practicing the violin is often the last priority of the day, and sometimes the whole week will go by without practicing once.

One of my adult students is a man in his late 50s who works a full-time job and has many other hobbies besides playing the violin. On several occasions he sheepishly admitted that he had not even taken the violin out of the case since the last lesson. Over time, he found a practicing solution that worked well for his busy schedule. Upon coming home from violin lessons, he would open his violin case and leave it in a prominent place in his living room. Each time he walked by the open case, he was reminded to pick up the violin and practice. Sometimes these spontaneous practice sessions would last for five minutes, other times they would last for over an hour. Either way, something is always better than nothing when it comes to practicing!

Finding The Right Teacher

I recently read a comment on a blog post by a young woman who had always wanted to learn the violin. She finally gathered the courage to call a local teacher for lessons, only to be told that she was too old to make any worthwhile progress on the violin. Feeling discouraged, she gave up on the search for a teacher and attempted to teach herself violin by watching videos on YouTube.

Unfortunately, stories like this are all too common. Contrary to what that young woman was told, adult beginners can make worthwhile progress on the violin with help from a teacher. Admittedly, there are some violin teachers who only want to work with young students. Though I also teach many young students, I have found my second calling working with adult violin students. I find it gratifying to help adult students experience the magic of creating a beautiful tone from that wood box. Some people try to teach themselves violin on their own, but I strongly believe having a teacher is a requirement to make significant progress on the violin. There are many mistakes a beginning student can make that only an experienced teacher can spot and troubleshoot.

It is important that you find a teacher who makes you feel comfortable and understands your learning style. Learning the violin cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. That is why I created my online violin studio. I wanted to offer my teaching to more adult students regardless of location and circumstance. If you are curious about learning more, feel free to get in touch by clicking the button below.