8 arguments and tips to make it work for you too. First of all: YES, you can still learn to play the violin as an adult,

 

 

as people remain capable of learning well into old age.

Of course, children learn more easily and playfully, but if you create the right conditions and take a few tips to heart, you can still learn the violin as an adult and have a lot of fun with it.
There are even some advantages that adults have over children:

1.you have the motivation
You may have dreamed of learning and playing the violin as a child, but for various reasons it wasn’t possible in the past: your parents weren’t interested or didn’t have the financial means, or there was a piano and all the children “had” to play the piano… But now you have the time and the financial means and, above all, the will to take up and realize your childhood dream. Nobody needs to motivate you to practise or use various tricks to make you do it, as is sometimes necessary with children, because you want to do it yourself.

 

2. you have stamina
From your life experience, you know that success is always associated with work, which is why you have greater stamina and usually also a greater tolerance for frustration than many children when things don’t go the way you want them to. Keep at it.

3. you have the ability to think abstractly
Many adults can also practise more effectively as they are not only able to repeat passages, but can also think through movement sequences better and think along with them. This sometimes requires a different type of teaching.

The pitfalls with adult violin students usually lie elsewhere than with children, so it is important to follow a few tips:

4. make time to practice regularly
I know… It’s old hat, but the most important thing of all is to practise regularly. More often rather than longer and with rest.
Half an hour a day and with full attention to what you are doing and how you are doing it. Later, more if you like.

5. take a teacher
I am convinced that you can’t do without a teacher, at least not at the beginning. The movements involved in playing the violin are very complex and can only be learned with good lessons. Once mistakes in posture have crept in, they can only be “unlearned” again with great effort.

 

6. rent an instrument from your local luthier for the beginning
from your local luthier that is well adjusted. You can get by with this for the first 2-3 years.
Do not buy cheap instruments on the Internet, as these are usually not adjusted at all. If you fail because of your instrument and lose the fun, that would be a great pity for you. Renting from a violin maker is an inexpensive alternative and part of the rent can be offset against a later purchase.

7. say goodbye to unrealistic goals
Perfectionism and excessive demands on yourself are triggers for frustration when learning the violin as an adult.
It is nice to listen to violin concertos on CD by superstars, but you will probably never achieve this. So set yourself other, smaller goals that you can achieve and put the joy of playing in the foreground.

8. play together with others
Join an amateur orchestra or look for partners for chamber music in your “weight class”. This will provide even more fun and motivation.