Step-by-Step guide to Preparing for your First Violin Lesson

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Congratulations on choosing to learn the violin! Before you start, there are a few steps to help you begin your first lesson with ease. The following is a step-by-step guide so that you can be ready for your first violin lesson.

Getting set up for a video lesson – A webcam and microphone is necessary for online lessons. FaceTime and Zoom are popular options.
Choose the right violin – It is worth some investment of your time to choose the right violin. There are a lot of online resources (YouTube, musiccritic.com, thestrad.com) to help you determine the right size based on your age, height, and arm length.
Rosining your bow – Rosining your bow is a simple, but important task. You should make sure your bow is well rosined prior to playing.
Tuning your violin – Use the tuner (optional) to tune your violin via your pegs and/or fine tuners. If you are unsure of how to do this, your instructor will guide you during your first lesson.

Introducing the instrument – Your instructor will walk you through the basic parts of the violin and the bow.
Posture/How to hold your violin and bow – You will learn how to hold the violin and bow properly to produce a good sound with your violin.
Simple Rhythms – Your teacher will start with short and easy rhythms for your bow practice.
Fingering – The instructor may introduce basic fingering during your first lesson.
Simple Note-reading – Another possible topic would be basic note reading.

Your first violin lesson may vary based on lesson time as well as individual differences in each instructor’s teaching.