Things to consider before buying the best violin for kids
The best violin for kids is one that meets all your needs and preferences, including violin size, the materials of the instrument, weight, warranty, shoulder and chin rests, bow, learning kits, and any additional accessories. Prices can vary widely for violins for kids, and the high price tag doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the best product on the market. Sometimes you can find high-quality instruments at affordable prices. Check the parameters below to help you choose the best starter violin for a child.
Violin size
Violins come in eight different sizes, measured as a fraction. 4/4, also called full size, is the largest available and works for large children, or even any adult who’s looking for a beginner violin. After that, the sizes go from larger to smallest: 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, 1/32. The size of the violin represents the length of the instrument so it’s important to choose the right size for the arm length of your child.
You can figure this out by measuring the length between the neck and the middle part of the palm and comparing it to the chart. Or simply asking a violin teacher.
If the violin is too big, it can be hard for a kid to play the instrument, but too small and the child will quickly outgrow the violin. If you have a very young child, then look at the
Sky VN202 which is made for very young violin students.
Materials
There are many materials that are used to craft a violin. Some instrument parts like body, neck and scroll are usually made of different types of wood, fine tuners can be made from metals such as nickel, and the bow can be made from wood or plastic and strung with horsehair. The choice of wood influences the sound of the instrument.
A good sounding instrument may convince a beginner student to keep up their studies, and so buying a beginner violin for your child with high-quality wood can be an important consideration.
All of the violins in our list are made from a maple body and spruce top, but the fingerboards materials are ebony, maple, and even rosewood in the case of the
SKY(Paititi) SKYVN102 .
Weight
Weight can be an important consideration when shopping for the best starter violin for your child. If the instrument is too heavy, it may tire the child out before they’ve finished the lesson, or make the child not want to practice. As well as too light violins can’t produce rich tones, so the child will treat it as a toy. For a violin with a mid-size weight, check out the Paititi Artist-100, which weighs less than 3 pounds.
Warranty
It’s understandable that you hope never to have to use the warranty on your best beginner violin for your kids, but sometimes accidents happen, especially when the instruments are delicate. If your violin comes broken, has some parts missing, or the quality of the materials is very poor, then a warranty can save your money and nerves. Almost all of the violins on this list come with a 1-year limited warranty against manufacturer’s defects.
Shoulder and chin rests
Shoulder and chin rests are essential parts of any violin. Chin rests will always come attached to the violin, since the instrument cannot be played without one. Usually, the chin rest that comes with the violin fits perfectly and never needs to be changed. Shoulder rests, however, are a separate accessory that most students will need to play their instrument comfortably. The violin, however, can be played without one, so not every violin comes with a shoulder rest. If having a shoulder rest from the start is important to you or your child, check out our editor’s choice – the Cecilio CVN-300 with the included shoulder rest.
Bow
Every violin player needs a bow to play their instrument. Many violins come with a bow, and sometimes even more than one in case a bow breaks. The bow is usually made from either plastic or a higher-class wood, and it’s strung with horsehair. The bow requires rosin to be rubbed on the horsehair, in order to make a sound when the bow touches the string.
The right bow can provide you with great sound, so picking a beginner violin for your child with a worthy bow is a must.
For example, the
Mendini MV500 comes with two amazing brazilwood bows.
Learning kits
For beginner students, picking a violin with a learning kit can be the way to go. That way, you don’t have to search for and buy a bunch of books, guides, and accessories separately, so your child will be ready to learn as soon as the instrument arrives. We recommend the Cecilio CVN-300, which is the only violin on this list that comes with a lesson book.
Additional accessories
Many of these instruments ship with additional accessories, from extra strings and bridges to tuners and fancy cases. Some of the additions, while not necessary to learn how to play the violin, can come in handy or help your child get started sooner. A tuner can assist your child in getting the right sound from their violin, and extra strings on hand are always great to have when an inevitable string snap happens. Polishing cloths can keep the violin clean, and fingerboard stickers can help your child learn their patterns. For a beginner violin that comes with it almost everything, look at our Customer Choice the Mendini MV500 which comes with two bows, extra bridge and strings, tuner and metronome, rosin, and shoulder rest, all accessories that can get your child learning the violin as soon as possible.
Violins for beginners vs. violins for intermediate players
The violin is a beautiful instrument for your child. It can lead to a career in music, increase learning rates, and improve memory. But the violin can also be a difficult instrument for some children to learn. And because professional violins can cost thousands of dollars, it can be a huge financial burden to undertake, especially if you’re not sure that your child will stick with the instrument long enough to justify the expense. Buying a starter or beginner violin can be a great financial decision compared to violins for intermediate players. Many of them come with wonderful beginner kits, such as the Mendini MV500, and many of them can be purchased for less than even 100 dollars, like the Paititi Artist-100.
It’s important to note, though, that with many musical instruments you get what you pay for, so beginner violins, while a great option for many, are not meant to last for the lifetime of the violinist.
Your child will be expected to trade up to a better-quality violin over time if they want to grow as a musician. But if your kid is young when they start, they’ll need to change to a larger size instrument at some point anyway.
This post is clearly sponsored by Cecilio. These are terribly made instruments. Cheap, poor quality wood makes them impossible to tune and break easily.
Thank you for your comment. We appreciate your feedback and understand your concerns. However, we would like to clarify that this post is not sponsored by Cecilio or any other brand. We aim to provide unbiased information and reviews on various musical instruments, including those from different manufacturers.
Regarding the quality of Cecilio instruments, it is important to note that opinions may vary among musicians. While some individuals may have had negative experiences with certain instruments, others may have had positive experiences. It is always recommended to thoroughly research and try out different instruments before making a purchase decision.
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