Drum Symphony

I think that stringed instruments are one of the best instruments for the sheer beauty of the sound that can be made form either strumming, plucking or bowing. If you had never seen a stringed instrument it would be hard to convey just what they are and what you can achieve.

So when my daughter said she wanted to learn to play the violin, I was partly excited, and also some what worried. You see I know next to nothing about them, the thought of her getting a sound of a violin, without it sounding like she was strangling the cat was beyond me. But I am a firm believer in encouraging children to have a go at anything they want to, as long as it does not hurt them, but I was worried this might be a pain in my ears.

But now she has been learning for a couple of months, and after the first few weeks of her just plucking the strings, she can now use the bow, and make a tune that I can recognise. At the moment she is learning Jingle Bells for Christmas, and I am so proud.

But the thing is we are now faced with a request to buy one as a Christmas gift, And as I said I don’t know anything about them. So I have had to go for a crash course on buying one.

• First you have to get the right size, either half, three quarter or full. This is so that the violin can be held comfortably.
• A good make is essential for a good sound. For this I have looked at the reviews that others have left.
• The bow is just as important as the violin, so I have chosen a god make, and again gone with good reviews.
• You will need a robust case for it, which also needs to be lightweight, this will keep it safe when being transported.
• You need rosin which is used to make the bow move smoothly over the strings.
• You can choose different styles, and colours, we have gone for a pink one.

So as you can see it is not too difficult, I just hope she continues with her lessons no we have bought a violin.