Can an Adult Learn to Play the Violin or Viola as Fast as a Child? Yes!

Written by Zlata Brouwer
Published: October 30, 2013 at 1:52 PM [UTC]

In this video I share secrets from violin teachers around adult beginners...

Did you know that adult beginners can learn to play the violin or viola faster than young children?

You need to know what's holding most adults back in the learning process AND how you can overcome them to learn as fast as a child... or faster!

Watch this video and learn!

Is this video useful to you? Please let me know in the comments!

Love,

Zlata

PS: Do you have questions for me on violin or viola playing? Post a comment below or send an e-mail to info@violinlounge.com

From Laurie Niles
Posted on October 30, 2013 at 7:05 PM

So true, Zlata! I would add one more thing: Adults sometimes underestimate how long it takes for a child to learn to play the violin. Even someone who starts as young as four may take more than 10 years to get through all the Suzuki books! But they don't question this, they just do it. So be patient!

From Jim Hastings
Posted on October 31, 2013 at 9:56 PM

Thank you for sharing this. Although I started as a kid, I've thought often on this subject of adult beginners. I don't know who said this, but it's so true: "Age is a number, not an excuse."

One reason, I believe, that adults sometimes think they can't learn as fast as a child is that they have more on their minds, more business and family obligations to keep track of. Also, a child may never have heard someone say, "This instrument is hard." So the kid just goes ahead and makes the attempt. I started playing simple tunes by ear on a half-sized fiddle before I had lessons. Then, still without a teacher, I started reading from my first violin instruction book. I'd already had some basic piano training, so I could already read notes.

By contrast, one factor than I'm sure helps adult learners grasp violin basics faster than a child is that the adults are learning the instrument by choice; whereas some kids have had the instrument forced on them and may have little or no violin motivation of their own.

BTW, your English is VERY good. A German-born friend told me her experience in learning the language: "You have to reach the point where you think in terms of English. If you continue thinking first in German, then translating everything into English, you won't gain full speed and fluency."

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on November 1, 2013 at 9:24 PM

Nice blog! Also, adults have a harder time than kids to be in the moment... and we all know that beeing in the moment, calm and flexibility are vital qualities to have for any performing art or activity...

From Paul Deck
Posted on November 2, 2013 at 3:49 AM

I also tune with a fork. I knock it on a chair and then hold it against the scroll. Much easier than tuning against a piano.

From Zlata Brouwer
Posted on November 2, 2013 at 11:59 AM

@Laurie I didn’t thought about it, thanks! I will tell adult students if they are not happy with their results or want results to quickly.

@Jim You are right, adults have so many assumptions in the beginning that you first need to take away that, have them focus on the moment and then starting learning. A child as a blank page.
Thanks for your compliment on the English! Yay!

@Anne-Marie Yes, you are totally right and that’s exactly why playing an musical instrument is so important.

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Can an Adult Learn to Play the Violin or Viola as Fast as a Child? Yes!

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