A question for musicians

[Pecos]

Hi:
How hard is it for someone to learn to play the violin? Just for my on amusement. I don't think I have a lot of talent although I do play the Apache flute which you real musicians would probably laugh at.

Anyway, I've always wanted to play the violin but didn't have the money or for whatever reason have never tried. I am nearing retirement and thought of it again the other day and thought I'd get some opinions.

[Shapley]

Jack Benny practiced his for all of his 39 years, and never mastered it. (Actually, I've heard that he was able to play the thing if he wanted.)

Anyhow, I can't help you. I think that, if you want to just fiddle around, you can probably scratch out a tune with not too much practice, but I've never tried it.

Perhaps one of our resident violinists can help.

As for me, I've always wanted to play the organ, but I have too much respect for the instrument to insult it by trying!

Good luck!

V/R
Shapley

[barfle]

I must admit that I'm one of those guys who can play with musical instruments, but not play them.

The answer to your question, of course, is dependent on how well you want to play it. I'm sure you will spend a couple of years learning very basic stuff before you actually get to make music come out of the box.

My brother-in-law is a violinist, and has played in symphony orchestras. He says the stress of playing the same thing as the other players caused him to give up the profession, although he had no problem as a soloist. I've been married to his stepsister for 32 years, and I've never heard him play.

[piqaboo]

If you have any ear at all, you'll be playing simple tunes in a couple months.
After that, its up to you. A good teacher knows the simpler and more difficult classical pieces available.
Just keep your expectations realistic!

Violin means training two hands to do independent things, translating info from the eye, and being checked continuously by the ear, while counting.

If you can already count time, you're ahead. If you can already read music, you're ahead.

If you cant, you are not just learning to play the violin, you are learning all the above, so it will take longer.

Be prepared to check out more than one instructor. I found some very difficult to work with, and others very easy tho equally demanding.

Have fun, good luck, and feel free to resist requests to play for other people.

[Trumpetmaster]

Practice lots of scales!