What we teach
A private lesson, and a class to play together in
Violin from age three and viola from age five. Your teacher fits the lesson to your child's age and to the pieces they know.
Private lessons
One child, one teacher and one parent beside them, for 30 minutes or longer each week. The teacher shows one idea, plays it slowly with your child and writes down what to practice.
Violin from age 3
Viola from age 5
A parent sits in
Group class
Up to 8 children at the same stage play the pieces they already know, together. They learn to start and stop with others and to listen to the room. It sits beside the private lesson.
Up to 8 children
By stage
Weekly
The pieces
Four stages, one piece at a time
Children learn a sequence of pieces, each one building on the last, and keep playing the old ones as new ones arrive. A stage ends when the pieces sound steady, not on a calendar.
First sounds
From age 3, no experience neededSkillsStand, hold the violin and place the bow with a parent's help
Make a clear sound on the open strings
Bow a steady rhythm
Listen to the first pieces every day at home
Moving upYour teacher moves you on when the sound is steady and the bow hold is comfortable. Every child goes at their own pace.
First pieces
After First soundsSkillsPlay the first short pieces from memory
Place fingers on the strings with care
Play with a parent or the teacher playing along
Review the old pieces each time a new one comes
Moving upA new piece starts when the last one feels easy, and the teacher checks it with you at the lesson.
Playing together
After First piecesSkillsJoin the group class and play the same piece as the others
Start and stop together, following the teacher
Wait for a turn and listen to others
Play a piece for a small audience in the room
Moving upThe teacher and the parent talk it over at a lesson. Playing in the group class is the way into this stage.
Longer pieces
After Playing togetherSkillsLearn longer pieces with a piano or a second violin
Begin to read music beside what you already play by ear
Shape the sound with the bow
Play in a recital if you would like to
Moving upThis is where many students stay for years. Some move to viola, and some join an orchestra at school.
Sample levels.
What happens in a lesson
Lessons are 30 minutes or longer, once a week. Every lesson runs in the same order, so your child always knows what comes next.
- 01
Step 1: Tune and greet
The teacher and your child bow, tune and play a piece they already know, so the hands arrive before the head does.
- 02
Step 2: One new idea
The teacher shows it, plays it slowly with your child and then plays it together. You watch, and you write it down.
- 03
Step 3: The plan for the week
A short list of what to practice and which recording to play, written down for you.
At home
What to have at home
Ask your teacher before you buy or rent anything. We can tell you what to look for in a first violin.
A violin in the right size
A child outgrows each size. Ask about renting for the first weeks, and ask us before you buy.
A place and a chair
A quiet corner with a chair for you and a spot on the floor for your child's feet. A mark on the floor helps young students.
A way to play the recordings
A phone or a speaker, so the next piece plays during the day until your child already knows it.
Not sure where to start?
Come to a first visit and a teacher will help you choose a violin size, a day and a time.