In-person/online/self-taught: Comparing violin learning options

In this post, I’ll compare the various options that are out there for a new student who wants to learn the violin. There are in-person lessons and online lessons, private lessons and group lessons, and even a huge set of DIY resources for the independent learner. If you look up any advice on the internet, the consensus will be the same: in-person, 1-on-1 lessons are by far the recommended way to go! But, recognizing that this might not be available, affordable, or practical for everyone, I want to give some explanations around why this is the recommendation as well as some honest discussion comparing the various options.

I’m going to be focused on the beginner student, which means there are two concepts I’m going to keep coming back to: basic posture/mechanics and sound production. These are the two main focuses of the first years of lessons, before an intermediate shifts their attention to musical expression, intermediate/advanced skills, ensemble playing, and so on.

In-Person vs. Online

It is preferable to find an in-person teacher if possible. Here are two main reasons why in-person violin instruction works better than online instruction.

Physical learning

The first years of violin training emphasize posture and mechanics. The goal here is to make sure that the student has a relaxed, comfortable foundation that they will use to build up future skills. In general, much of this information is best communicated through physical touch. Physical touch is important both for diagnosing issues that may not be visible (i.e. tension stored somewhere inside the body) and also for teaching specific skills (i.e. by asking the student to touch your arm as you demonstrate a motion). Visual demonstration from multiple angles is also important, which is a bit easier in person than online.

Sound quality

The major focus of the first years on the violin is on sound production. Many of the first lessons of the instrument focus on creating the ringing sound that comes from a correctly played violin —Suzuki calls this “tonalization,” and incorporates an entire set of exercises focused on this throughout the first student repertoire. A student learns what that tone sounds like by listening to demonstrations, and, unfortunately, it isn’t possible to completely recreate the experience of a well-ringing acoustic instrument in the digital listening environment. If you’re online, you can at least try to get the best possible audio setup — but otherwise, you’ll just have to listen super hard to your sound in order to find the sweet spot!

Private vs. Group

Private lessons are the first priority recommendation for a beginning student before group classes. This is mostly due to the continuous correction that is required in the first years of learning, before you have internalized the correct mechanics and sound quality of the instruments.

Full attention of the teacher

In the first few years, there will be many moments in the lesson where the teacher pauses to correct the student’s technique. This is perfectly normal as your body is developing its new posture and your ear is learning to discern good sound quality and intonation. In those first few years — you’ll benefit from the full attention of a teacher that can pay attention 100% of the time to your technique, correcting it as soon as it goes off. In group lessons, you‘ll only get a certain percentage of the instructor’s time.

Individualized feedback

The first few years of learning consist of acquiring a set core violin skills — violin and bow holds, different mechanics of the left and right hand, variations of bow strokes and arm positions. Naturally, every student will acquire different skills at different paces. And, when they begin to combine multiple skills, some combinations might be more or less difficult. Private lessons will be more adjusted to your pace; group lessons must either go at a much slower pace or risk leaving some group members behind. Furthermore, in many cases students will require unique diagnosis of a physical or mechanical adjustments to make while learning a new technique. This is especially true as multiple skills are layered. A group teacher may be able to give personal feedback from time to time; but in general, the student will need to proactively identify any posture/technical issues.

Group lessons

All that being said, actually group lessons have benefits that individual lessons can’t replicate! For example, learning to produce a sound that blends with other musicians is a specific skill that requires ensemble playing to develop. Group lessons also allow a student to watch and hear others play, giving them a third-person perspective that helps improve their understand of the violin. Finally, group lessons offer a sense of community that is inspiring and motivational in ways that a private teacher can’t offer. In fact, the Suzuki method highly recommends that students participate in both private and group lessons. If choosing between the two, private lessons are the preferred option. But, group lessons are often less expensive and may be the only option. You will definitely still be able to learn and receive valuable information, so it can be a great idea. But, without the 100% personalized attention of the teacher, you will have to be much more diligent about watching for and practicing correct technique.

Guided vs. Self-Taught

Finally, let’s talk about why it is important to have a teacher at all. There are an incredible amount of DIY resources on the internet, but most experienced players still recommend having a teacher. Here are a few reasons why.

Skills progression

The first few years of playing violin are all about building up the fundamentals in a step-by-step progression. Once these fundamentals are in place, the intermediate student will develop and add new skills in many different directions. Progressing through the first left and right hand skills in a methodical order is critical — at worst, this will cause you injury down the line; at best, you will struggle as the repertoire becomes more demanding. One of the most useful things a teacher can do is provide judgement for when a skill has been learned well enough to continue. For example, as a DIY student, it will be hard for you to know exactly when the forearm motion in your bow stroke is “good enough” to move onto the next bow skills, or whether you need to spend more time getting comfortable with it. Furthermore, a teacher will be able to quickly identify what you need to work on in order to “pass” this skill. As a DIY student, you’ll need to diagnose and prescribe the fix yourself.

Modeling and motivation

One of the most useful things a teacher brings to the student journey is the modeling of short-term and long-term playing goals. Much of the violin is learned via mimicry (visual, aural, and physical) — and lots of time is spent in the first lessons observing/listening and playing back. With an instructor, you’ll get demonstrations that are far more helpful than pre-recorded videos. A great teacher, for example, doesn’t play repertoire for their students using their highly advanced techniques; instead, they demonstrate repertoire for their students with techniques that meet them on their level and show where they should be aiming next. As you are working on a new skill or fixing an difficult issue, the back and forth exchange with a teacher is very helpful.

Summary

Overall, I hope you can see why the recommendation for beginning students is to consider private lessons as the default and group lessons as a very helpful addition. The individual attention is super useful in the first years when you want to avoid developing bad habits.

You should also see why in-person over online lessons are recommended, because of the fine detail adjustment and audio experience that are much more effective in an in-person setting. But, online lessons are still fine if it is your only option!

From supportive communities on sites like Reddit, to phone-based tools that can analyze your violin posture, to an ever-growing library of YouTube demonstrations, learning the violin is more publicly accessible than it has ever been before. For those of you who are set on the DIY approach — my main advice is to find a great, consistent set of learning resources and follow whatever program they offer as methodically as possible. Though, you should still consider signing up for group classes or the occasional private lesson… it will be extremely helpful to get a check-up now and then, and may even prevent you from unintentional injury.