Violins for beginners

Violins for beginners are usually sold as a set: alongside the instrument, you will generally find a bow, rosin and either a soft gig bag or a hard case. Sizes range from full-size 4/4 violins for adults down to 1/16 instruments for the youngest children. Stentor and Valencia account for most models, with Stagg, Cascha, Latone and Yamaha also represented. This page is for children starting music school and adults who want to learn to play the violin.

What size violin does a child or an adult need?

Violin sizes are expressed as fractions and chosen according to arm length; age is only a rough guide. Adults and children from around 11 years old play full-size 4/4 violins, while younger children use smaller instruments.

Measuring arm length is straightforward: ask the child to extend their left arm out to the side with the palm facing upwards, then measure from the neck to the centre of the palm. If the measurement falls between two sizes, choose the smaller one, as an oversized violin strains the arm and makes it harder to play in tune. Before growing into a full-size violin, a child will usually work through several sizes. Their music school teacher can tell from the way they hold the instrument when it is time to move up.

What comes in the set, and what is worth buying separately?

Almost every model on this page includes a bow, and most also come with rosin, without which the bow will not make the strings sound. The violin is protected by either a soft bag worn on the back or a hard case, which copes better with the journey to school in a packed bag or in a car boot. Some sets also include spare strings or a string cleaner.

Only a small proportion of sets include a shoulder rest. It holds the violin securely between your chin and shoulder, allowing your left hand to move freely along the fingerboard. If one is missing from the set, buy it at the same time as the violin, in the matching size.

How can you recognise a better student violin?

The top is usually made of spruce, with solid spruce used on some models, while the back and sides are mostly maple. The fingerboard is another distinguishing feature: ebony is hard, so the strings do not wear it down as quickly as a fingerboard made from maple or another wood that has simply been stained black. Stentor Student I has a stained fingerboard, while Student II and Graduate use ebony, as do Yamaha V3 and Cascha sets.

The names Stradivarius or Guarneri del Gesu on some models refer to a body shape based on historic Italian violins; for a beginner, getting the right size matters more. There are also coloured violins for children, such as pink, blue or purple models. If your child prefers a deeper tone, take a look at violas for beginners; for quieter practice with headphones, there are electric violins for beginners, and you can find all the bowed string instruments for getting started in the String instruments for beginners category.