Summer Introducing
Violin for Adults
A Group Course for Beginners
‘[An] excellent teacher…always enthusiastic and encouraging. I’ll definitely be recommending [the course] to other people, and will be attending the next stage.’
– S. Wilson
‘I have really enjoyed Violin for Adults at the school, especially the outstanding teaching skills, kindness and patience of the instructor. I have to say that choosing this course was a very good decision.’
– S. Zhou
Course Description
Let’s start by getting rid of the myth: if you want to play the violin you don’t have to start at an early age. True, if you want to be the next Maxim Vengerov, Anne-Sophie Mutter or Nigel Kennedy it helps if you begin quite young, but at the New School we believe that students at any age can learn to play the violin, and play it well. All it takes is time…and commitment.
Designed especially for adult beginners, this summer version of Waltons New School of Music’s popular Introducing Violin for Adults course covers a range of important skills, including posture, holding the violin and bow, basic technique, scales, pieces and ensemble playing. Classes, though relaxed and enjoyable, are designed to build your skills methodically and thoroughly. By the end of the course, you will have learned some essentials of playing music on this magnificent instrument.
In-School & Online Tuition
We offer two versions of this course, in-school, which takes place in the New School, and online, which takes place in your own home.
For both versions, participants will need to have violins, shoulder rests (Wolf Forte Secondo rests are recommended) and a microfiber cloth (for cleaning rosin from violins – available in most supermarkets) to bring to classes and practise with at home. We also recommend having a music stand at home to hold your music at the proper height. (See the Recommended Instruments tab for three recommended student violins, as well as a recommended shoulder rest and music stand, all of which are available at discounts from Waltons Music for course participants.) It is also important for participants to learn how to tune their violins and have them in tune before each class. (See the Tuning Your Instrument tab for more information.)
In-School Version
The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of classroom instruments and furniture between all lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all In-School students and visitors to follow.
Finally, should government directives require the school to physically close temporarily, all in-school courses will move online for the duration of the closure and there will be no interruption of tuition.
Online Version
In addition to violins, shoulder rests and book, online course participants will need:
- An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
- Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
- Headphones or earbuds, if possible.¹
- Free Zoom software or app.²
- Waltons Music has Zoom headphones and microphones that are ideal for online music tuition and are available at 5% discounts for students enrolled in the course. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
- If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.
Before the course begins, the teacher will email you a Zoom meeting invitation that includes a meeting ID and password to join the first class.
This course covers Stage 1 of the New School’s ten-stage system of student progress and assessment, which culminates in a teaching or performing qualification (Stage 10) should the student progress that far. Participants who successfully complete the course can be issued with a certificate of completion of Stage 1. If you are taking the course, please let the school office know if you would like this certificate. See About Our Stage System for more information.
Have you enrolled in this course?
Download our Introductory Handout for tips on how to get the most from it.
Summer Introducing Violin for Adults is one of the New School’s group courses. We also offer private violin lessons for students of all ages and skill levels. See String Instruments Tuition for more information.
Gabriele Braga
Gabriele was born in Genoa, Italy, and at the age of six he began studying music theory at the urging of his mother (a guitar teacher and choir director). He began studying the violin at the age of eight, and at the age of thirteen he won the prestigious regional music competition, Virginia Centurione. During his years of study, he collaborated with the orchestra of the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory in Genoa and with the orchestra of the Federico Ghedini Conservatory in Cuneo. Gabriele graduated from the Federico Ghedini Conservatory with a degree in performance and instrumental teaching, and since his early twenties he has taught violin and piano in a number of music schools and academies, both in Italy and in Ireland. Although he loves performing, teaching is his passion.
David Burns
A native of Dublin, David was born into a musical family and began his violin studies at the Loreto Nelson School of String Playing before going on to study with the late David Lillis, winning numerous awards as a violinist in Dublin’s Feis Maitiú. David is in great demand as a teacher and clinician and has organised and run teacher-training seminars for St. Patrick’s Teacher Training College, the Post-Primary Music Teachers Association and the Music Association of Ireland. He is also widely known for his workshops, which he has given at schools and youth centres throughout the country, as well as for his work with the special needs community, including Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland and St. Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital, among others. He has also taught at the University of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Irish Fest in the US, and he was Musical Director of the Darndale New Life Strings for three years. In addition to teaching at the New School and for our Outreach Programme, David is also the Co-Founder of Music 4 Everyone Ireland, a partnership dedicated to supporting the welfare, well-being and development of young people through music. His two latest workshops, ‘Ceol agus Spraoi’ and ‘Drum ‘n’ Groove’, have both garnered rave reviews from primary schools and corporate clients in Ireland.
Mihály Magyarics
Mihály was born in Budapest, Hungary and began learning violin at an early age, inspired to become a musician and a teacher by his own family’s rich musical heritage. (Both of his parents are musicians.) He studied at the internationally renowned Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest for ten years – focusing first on musicology and obtaining a Master’s degree in the subject, then focusing on violin pedagogy in the Academy’s Teacher Training Master’s Programme and obtaining a second Master’s degree in the subject. Mihály came to Ireland in 2015 and has been busy since then as an orchestral and chamber musician and teacher, teaching in several music schools as well as privately. He has taught violin and viola to students of all ages and skill levels, and although he has successfully prepared many of them for a wide range of grade exams and competitions, he has taught a number of students learning the instruments purely for enjoyment.
Reviews • Testimonials
‘Great teacher!’
– M. Cullivan
‘This course is great! My class has a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere that is a pleasure to be part of, and I’ve learned loads.’
– E. Finnegan
‘[T]his course has opened up new horizons for me. I never thought I could learn a musical instrument, and so far Waltons New School of Music has allowed me to dream that it is possible, no matter what age I am.’
– S. Flonn
‘All the fundamentals were covered, which gave us the best foundations for learning how to play the violin correctly. Terrific teacher, and the atmosphere of the class was always great and positive. I had fun at every class. Thank you.’
– S. Foreman
‘I’m finding [the course] very enjoyable and not at all intimidating. The teacher makes us feel at ease as we learn the violin.’
– D. Forsyth
‘This course gave me a great introduction to a difficult instrument in a friendly, fun environment. It was challenging but thoroughly enjoyable, which I think should be credited to the patience and helpfulness of the teacher.’
– M. Joyce
‘Having just retired from work, I decided to have a go at learning the violin. I was apprehensive about the prospect, not having any experience of playing a musical instrument. However, all my concerns were unnecessary as I found the course relaxing and my progress of learning the instrument quicker than anticipated.’
– D. McKeon
‘Small classes, good instruction, knowledgeable teacher.’
– O. Mason
‘Very relaxed and enjoyable lessons with an excellent teacher!’
– R. Power
‘Great price. Great teacher. Progressed a lot in a short space of time.’
– M. Quinn
‘Stimulating and enjoyable.’
– V. Shortt
‘I had no music background but the teacher was very helpful and made it very enjoyable. I really enjoyed the classes. Thanks!’
– J. Vasseur
Have you taken – or are you taking – this course? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.
2024 Summer Term
Course Schedules & Fees
To be confirmed.
Please contact us (providing your name) if you would like to be notified when our 2024 Summer Term (July-August) course schedules and fees are confirmed and we start accepting enrolments.
Enrolment
Enrolment for this course requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the course fee. Places in each course are limited to eight and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. Many of our group courses fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.
Purchasing this course as a gift?
Please complete a Gift Certificate Booking Form.
Questions about the course?
Recommended Instruments
If students don’t already have instruments for this course, the following reasonably-priced student violin outfits – all available from Waltons Music – are recommended:
- Martini Student Violin Outfit • €112
(Includes bow, case, digital tuner and spare strings.) - Martini Student Plus Violin Outfit • €145
(Includes bow, case, digital tuner and spare strings.) - Martini Deluxe Violin Outfit • €195
(Includes bow, case, digital tuner and spare strings.)
These violin outfits can be purchased from Waltons Music at 5% discounts for students enrolled in the course. Wolf Forte Secondo Shoulder Rests (€36.95) and Apextone AP-3505 Music Stands (€48.80) can also be purchased from Waltons Music at 5% discounts. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
What happens after the course?
Two weeks before the end of each Introducing course, participants will be given options for continuing their tuition with the New School if they would like to do so. Although an ‘improvers’ or continuation course cannot be scheduled on the same day/time as the Introducing course, one can be arranged if enough course participants would like to continue and the teacher has timetable availability or there is timetable availability with another teacher. Participants can also continue their tuition with private (one-to-one) lessons or ‘partner’ lessons with another class member. (See Tuition Options – Private • Partner • Small Group Lessons.) We are happy to discuss these options with you.
Tuning Your Violin
Tuning your violin – and keeping it in tune – is an essential first step to playing it. Below are some general recommendations, as well as two videos about violin tuning and a list of violin tuning apps.
The Basics
Violins are tuned in 5ths, and their strings, from lowest to highest, are as follows (including a link to online note sounds):
G | D | A | E • Online Sounds
Violin strings can be tuned with both fine tuners and pegs. Some violins only have fine tuners on the E string, while others have fine tuners on all four strings. As their name suggests, fine tuners are used for tuning the string if it is off-pitch by a small interval of no more than half a tone or so. When the string is out of tune by more than half a tone, then the pegs are used to tune the note initially, with the fine tuner used afterwards to make sure the note is exactly in tune. To begin with, you should not tune with the pegs unless absolutely necessary, in order to avoid unnecessary string breakages, and in any case always adjust in small increments. When tuning with the pegs, stand the violin on your knee, facing you, and place your left thumb across the strings to avoid a string hitting you in case it breaks.
When tuning any string instrument, you should always tune from below the note, up. This prevents string breakages and systematises the process of tuning, so you eventually become more familiar with the sound of a perfect, in-tune string. When a fine tuner has been wound right down to the end of the screw, you will need to loosen the fine tuner near to the end of the screw before carefully tightening the tuning peg. This way, you prevent the string from being over-tightened.
It is advisable to start by tuning the A string first, followed by the D, G and then E string. When you start to become more familiar with the sound of the notes of the different strings, you can try tuning the strings against each other. This is known as relative tuning.
Tuning Videos
Here are two videos demonstrating some of the basics of violin tuning:
Tuning Apps
There are a number of free smartphone violin tuning apps available. Here are five of the most popular, listed in alphabetical order:
Master Violin Tuner
Android Only:
Pano Tuner
Android:
iOS:
Tuner-gStrings
Android Only:
Tuner Lite
Android:
iOS:
‘A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony.’
– Arthur Conan Doyle
‘I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin.’
– Albert Einstein