How to Find a Violin or Viola Teacher as an Adult

Finding a violin or viola teacher as an adult can feel intimidating, but if you know where and how to look, you might just find a long-term musical mentor who helps you begin or improve exponentially on your chosen instrument. If you are a new learner or it has been many years since you played an instrument, you might be wondering if you are too old, or if teachers even offer violin or viola lessons to adult learners. You are certainly not too old to learn how to play the violin or viola, and there are plenty of teachers who are happy to teach adults. However, it can take some time to find the right teacher because it is true that it’s more common to begin playing the cello, the guitar, or the piano as an adult learner, so violin and viola teachers may be less familiar with teaching lessons to adults.

I personally had the experience of deciding to take violin lessons as an adult and ultimately found a mentor who has helped me play music I thought wouldn’t be achievable in my lifetime. But in order to find my teacher, I took some time to look carefully, including interviewing prospective teachers and taking trial lessons with multiple. If you are looking find your own violin or viola teacher, this guide will equip you with some of the strategies I used to find mine as well as some things I have learned as an adult violin student including:

• Knowing where to look
• Identifying teachers open to adults
• Asking the right questions
• Taking and evaluating trial lessons
• Deciding between online and in-person lessons

Where to find a violin or viola teacher

• Local community music schools — Community music schools often offer lessons for adults in addition to children. Occasionally, these schools offer ensemble classes (occasionally discounted for private lesson students) that can be a great supplement to lessons.
• Violin shop recommendations — shops often keep lists of local teachers who have private studios.
• Classical music websites — If your area has a regional classical music publication or website, sometimes these sites have a “classifieds” section that includes teacher listings.
• Community orchestras — Music teachers occasionally play in community orchestras. Contacting the orchestra to ask if there are particular members who teach can lead to connections with a teacher who is actively involved in the local music community.
• Colleges and Universities — Contacting the music department or violin/viola professor at a local college or university can lead to connections with prospective teachers. Sometimes the professors have private teaching studios or can recommend graduate students who do.

How to identify teachers open to adult students

Most music teachers primarily teach children, and not all will be open to taking an adult student. Some teachers are just more comfortable teaching children, and others specifically prepare young people for high level playing or have another particular niche that they stick to. Don’t be discouraged if the first few teachers you contact say they do not teach adults. There are teachers out there who are happy to take on an adult student.

It is more common for adults to begin learning the cello than the violin or viola, so if you are looking to begin learning one of these instruments, you will encounter more teachers who are unfamiliar with adult learners. While the teacher who I have been studying with for a number of years did not have any other adult students, she had taught adults in the past and was very open to teaching adult learners.

If you are brand new to string playing and haven’t settled on which instrument in the family to begin on, you might consider exploring all three instruments. It might just happen that you will find one teacher that seems like a good fit that helps direct your decision.

When I came back to playing violin as an adult and was looking for a teacher, I started with a list of teachers from my local shop and the classifieds section of a local classical music publication, then send emails to many of these teachers after reviewing their websites and bios. I did not receive responses from everyone, and not everyone who responded was taking new students or taught adults. I found that many of the teachers provided guidance in my journey to find a teacher even if they were not the right fit for me at the time, including recommending colleagues who might be a better fit. It may be necessary to reach out to many teachers before finding a few who are willing to teach you.

When the number of teachers in an area is limited, it may not be possible to take in person lessons. I recommend in person lessons to adult learners who are new to the instrument because it is a lot easier to understand posture and basic technique if you can receive corrections and live demonstrations. But I have taken online lessons myself and found that I made quite a bit of progress online, so if an in person teacher is not available, online is a viable option.

What to ask before taking a lesson

Before taking a lesson with a prospective teacher, ask them if they are open to a short phone conversation. This can help both of you get a sense of whether lessons are a good fit for both of you.

If you are a beginner or a returner with only some past experience, you’ll want to make sure the teacher has experience teaching beginners, especially adult beginners. If you are an upper-intermediate to advanced amateur, you’ll want to make sure the teacher has actual experience teaching students advanced repertoire.

When you talk to the teachers in your area, these are a few things you might want to ask about and discuss to help guide the conversation:

• Relevant training and teaching experience.
• Teaching philosophy
• Experience teaching adults, and if/how the teacher uses a different lesson structure for adults
• Teaching methods used
• If the teacher is an active freelance musician, ask how they balance teaching and performance schedules.
• How they think about and address ergonomics as a teacher

Don’t worry if you aren’t sure about lessons with a particular teacher after you speak with them for the first time. The phone conversation is a good way to get a sense of the teacher’s communication style and initial thoughts about if they might be a good fit for you. Most teachers offer a trial lesson to make sure both of you would like to continue with lessons.

How to evaluate a trial lesson

Nearly all teachers with private studios offer trial lessons. These are individual lessons, typically paid at the teacher’s standard hourly rate that you can take before committing to regular lessons. However, it may not be possible to take a trial lesson if you sign up through a music school.

I highly recommend taking trial lessons with multiple teachers if possible. When I was looking for a teacher, I took lessons with both modern and Baroque violinists, and while I decided to proceed with lessons in modern violin, it was a great experience taking a couple lessons on Baroque violin. At the trial lessons, I was able to evaluate each teacher’s communication style, how they structure a typical lesson, and how they assign and proceed through material. There were significant differences in the teaching styles of all the teachers I took a lesson with and it was very clear to me which ones I felt enthusiastic to study with.

When you take your trial lessons, keep the following in mind:

What to look for in a teacher

• A teacher with a regular teaching schedule who will not be away for many weeks per month performing.
• A teacher with significant experience and training in teaching, not just performing
• A teacher who balances teaching both technique and repertoire
• A teacher who encourages students to play in ensembles
• A teacher who teaches students how to practice
• A teacher who is willing to work with an adult even if they don’t have significant experience teaching adults.

What to watch out for

• Teaching philosophies that don’t align with your own, for example a teacher who expects either more or less rigor than you are looking for.
• Teachers who are unable to assist with ergonomic issues.
• Teachers who often cancel lessons or are unable to keep a schedule.
• Teachers who are unable to instruct you how to practice the assigned material

After you find a teacher and begin regular lessons, the next step is learning how to work effectively in your practice room between lessons. Developing a clear method of taking lesson notes can help you practice more efficiently and track long-term growth. I share the structure I use in my article on how I take violin lesson notes.

A note for viola students

While there are many similarities between violin and viola technique, there are also differences that are important enough that viola students should consider a few more things when selecting a teacher. There are quite a few violin teachers who are comfortable teaching both violin and viola through an intermediate level, but if the teacher is primarily a violinist without much viola-specific training, they may not be as aware of the ergonomic needs of viola students. There are some differences in viola technique that can help a student develop better sound, facility on the instrument and be less prone to repetitive strain injuries. If you are seeking viola lessons, look for a teacher with extensive training on the viola who can help you build healthy viola technique.

Online vs. in-person violin or viola lessons

Many highly qualified teachers offer both in person and online lessons. While I highly recommend in person lessons, especially for beginners, online lessons can work well for many people. With in person lessons, you can get realtime advice on posture and some nuances of technique that are difficult to see on video, the sound quality is far better, and you have an opportunity to play with your teacher. Taking in person lessons, my teacher has been able to give me specific advice on my instrument setup (shoulder and chin rest), physical posture, and nuances of sound that are more difficult to see or hear on video.

With online lessons, you have access to a vast array of teachers, including teachers with experience in specialties such as baroque violin or traditional fiddle styles, that you might not be able to find in your local area. While I do recommend looking for in person lessons first, if teacher availability or a specialty interest drives you to find an online teacher, it is possible to customize your software and setup relatively inexpensively to improve the sound and visual image quality to enable your teacher to provide better feedback.

Finding the right teacher is worth the effort

Adults have different needs than children when learning an instrument and are often juggling family and work unrelated to music. It is important for any adult seeking lessons, whether to prepare for an important audition, or for ongoing study, to find a teacher who understands this. It often takes a few tries, and the flexibility to explore both in person and online lessons, but there are many teachers who are happy to teach adult learners and amateur musicians.

If you are considering lessons, start by sending a few emails or scheduling an introductory conversation with a teacher. You may be surprised by how much you can grow as an adult, both in your playing, in understanding the learning process, and about the value of having a musical mentor.