Uploaded January 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
I started learning violin without private violin lessons for several years. A lot of people cannot afford private violin lessons, too, so I thought I'd share my experiences. I was "self-taught" while I was a kid and teenager, so many of these experiences may be different for adult learners. I thought I'd share my particular experiences so that other people learning violin without a teacher don't feel as alone with self-doubt. It's normal to have doubts while trying to learn an instrument by yourself. The most important thing is to form your own personal goals, to find positives in situations, and to not quit.
In this video, I discuss ways you can learn the fiddle on your own, and ways you can analyze your playing to try to improve it. I also talk about some of the stigmas I faced as I became an older, and some of the bad habits I formed. I also discuss ways I learned how to undo some of those bad habits once I started having classical violin lessons.
After about eight years of trying to figure out the violin on my own, I was able to find a good teacher willing to work with me to undo a lot of my bad habits. I took lessons from her for about 2 years, and I'm very thankful I had that opportunity. If I hadn't had those years of lessons, I don't think I would have ever made it into a university-level music program. Although I strongly believe people can go quite far teaching themselves violin, I think investing in a teacher is essential at some point -- especially with the "classical music" genre.
I currently do not take violin lessons, although I've been thinking I should take them up again. It's never too late to start taking lessons, and to learn and improve more advanced violin technique.
I'm a bit nervous about this video -- I'm not sure how well it's going to go over with people, but we'll see! =) I hope people come away from the video thinking it's possible to get quite far on the violin on your own, and that it's still possible to become a musician even if you need to wait until you have your own income to afford private lessons.
I was going to post a tutorial this week, but instead, I had to send my Canon 70D camera to the Canon factory for repairs. =( Apparently it was recalled:
usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/product-advisories/detail/service%20notice%20eos%2070d%20error%2070%20or%20error%2080
=( This was the last video I was able to film on my Canon camera before it broke, so......I guess that makes this a special video??
In the meantime, I'm exploring other options to film tutorials! A nearby library has some resources that I reserved. Hopefully it'll work out, but time will tell! ^_^
Thank you for watching, and I hope you have a good rest of the week! =)
~ Katy
------------
Download/stream my "Tune Collection" album:
fanlink.to/TuneCollection
Hashtags:
#Violin #Fiddle #selftaught #beginningviolin #ViolinBeginner #Fiddlebeginner #Beginningfiddle #KatyAdelson #Music
Software and equipment used:
Full list of all my basic violin equipment:
katyadelson.com/about/violin-equipment-and-recommendations
Current Violin gear:
Violin: 1899 Ernst Kreusler “Copy of Antonius Stradivarius” violin from Germany
Bow: CodaBow Luma
Strings: Pirastro Oliv Violin Strings (with a ball E)
Rosin: Salchow Rosin
Shoulder Rest: Bonmusica Shoulder Rest
Software used (for Macintosh):
Final Cut Pro for video editing
PicMonkey.com for the ending cards
Camera:
Canon 70D + 18-135 mm kit lens, RIP...
I started learning violin without private violin lessons for several years. A lot of people cannot afford private violin lessons, too, so I thought I'd share my experiences. I was "self-taught" while I was a kid and teenager, so many of these experiences may be different for adult learners. I thought I'd share my particular experiences so that other people learning violin without a teacher don't feel as alone with self-doubt. It's normal to have doubts while trying to learn an instrument by yourself. The most important thing is to form your own personal goals, to find positives in situations, and to not quit.
In this video, I discuss ways you can learn the fiddle on your own, and ways you can analyze your playing to try to improve it. I also talk about some of the stigmas I faced as I became an older, and some of the bad habits I formed. I also discuss ways I learned how to undo some of those bad habits once I started having classical violin lessons.
After about eight years of trying to figure out the violin on my own, I was able to find a good teacher willing to work with me to undo a lot of my bad habits. I took lessons from her for about 2 years, and I'm very thankful I had that opportunity. If I hadn't had those years of lessons, I don't think I would have ever made it into a university-level music program. Although I strongly believe people can go quite far teaching themselves violin, I think investing in a teacher is essential at some point -- especially with the "classical music" genre.
I currently do not take violin lessons, although I've been thinking I should take them up again. It's never too late to start taking lessons, and to learn and improve more advanced violin technique.
I'm a bit nervous about this video -- I'm not sure how well it's going to go over with people, but we'll see! =) I hope people come away from the video thinking it's possible to get quite far on the violin on your own, and that it's still possible to become a musician even if you need to wait until you have your own income to afford private lessons.
I was going to post a tutorial this week, but instead, I had to send my Canon 70D camera to the Canon factory for repairs. =( Apparently it was recalled:
usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/product-advisories/detail/service%20notice%20eos%2070d%20error%2070%20or%20error%2080
=( This was the last video I was able to film on my Canon camera before it broke, so......I guess that makes this a special video??
In the meantime, I'm exploring other options to film tutorials! A nearby library has some resources that I reserved. Hopefully it'll work out, but time will tell! ^_^
Thank you for watching, and I hope you have a good rest of the week! =)
~ Katy
------------
Download/stream my "Tune Collection" album:
fanlink.to/TuneCollection
Hashtags:
#Violin #Fiddle #selftaught #beginningviolin #ViolinBeginner #Fiddlebeginner #Beginningfiddle #KatyAdelson #Music
Software and equipment used:
Full list of all my basic violin equipment:
katyadelson.com/about/violin-equipment-and-recommendations
Current Violin gear:
Violin: 1899 Ernst Kreusler “Copy of Antonius Stradivarius” violin from Germany
Bow: CodaBow Luma
Strings: Pirastro Oliv Violin Strings (with a ball E)
Rosin: Salchow Rosin
Shoulder Rest: Bonmusica Shoulder Rest
Software used (for Macintosh):
Final Cut Pro for video editing
PicMonkey.com for the ending cards
Camera:
Canon 70D + 18-135 mm kit lens, RIP...
