Being able and willing to teach others is a noble calling. Imparting the skills that will provide lifelong benefits takes patience and dedication; but like any profession, you need the assistance that the right tools provide. Without them, it can be extremely difficult to teach your pupils.
Imagine that you want to learn carpentry. You’ve located a great instructor and have purchased some basic tools. But, the first time you try to cut a board, the teeth of the very inexpensive saw you bought break off cartoon-style (with or without the humorous plinking noise). Or, the blade is so dull that you have to expend an incredible amount of pressure and time just to make a single cut. The added frustration will probably produce a healthy dislike of woodworking and cause you to abandon the scheme pretty quickly.
Learning to play the violin is exactly the same. While a poorly crafted instrument won’t necessarily present a safety issue like inferior construction tools will, it does make learning to produce the right sounds on a violin very challenging. Beginner violinists need to be able to easily coax the correct tones from their violin so that they can make progress, but very inexpensive instruments lack the playability that they need. Moreover, very cheaply made violins—even at their best—just don’t sound very lovely. Rich, full resonance is lacking, which makes it particularly hard to distinguish pitch, especially for new players.
Learning to play the violin offers so many immeasurable scholastic and physical benefits that can help children succeed in life that it’s essential for new students to be encouraged to continue. As a teacher, you can provide the support, praise, and instruction they require, but having a quality crafted instrument is an vital factor in determining the rate of progress because of the enjoyment and playability it provides.
More Reasoning
Although some of the parents you meet will have a bit of musical background, many will not. As an instructor, you should explain that violins, and similar stringed instruments, are unlike a piano or a clarinet. Students can’t simply strike the correct key or cover the right holes to produce a consistent sound. Subtle nuances are created by finger placement and bowing techniques, but a cheaply-made violin will offer none of those distinctive variations and make it difficult to generate clear notes.
In addition, inferior quality instruments often require constant adjustments that can quickly erode any initial savings that were realized through the purchase. Not only will the student have to struggle to continually keep the instrument in tune, parents will find themselves haunting violin shops to order a myriad of constant, minor repairs.
However, violins that have been crafted with superior methods and fitted out by a professional offer years of playing enjoyment.
Explain the Options
Fortunately, there are now a select amount of great quality violins on the market that combine artisan craftsmanship with manufactured affordability. Brand name outfits include beginner instruments that feature incredible quality materials (one of the most important aspects for a great violin) and the personal set-up of a professional luthier. These instruments include a hard case, rosin, and an exceptional bow, which gives new students the tools they need to develop the playing techniques quickly and provide the gratification needed to continue. Splendid quality violins can be purchased starting at around $500 from a reputable supplier, so there’s really no need to spend an eternity looking for a bargain.
You can encourage parents to purchase a quality-built violin for their child by explaining the advantages that it provides the student, and by pointing them in the direction of an affordable, brand name outfit. These arguments make it easy for parents to understand why it’s so important to provide the proper tools for their child, and offer the solution for finding an affordable, yet quality crafted violin that will make learning this important skill a joyful experience.
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