Violin, from open strings to the stage.

We can point you to the right size and a sensible first instrument, and as an authorised Yamaha dealer we can help you buy one when you are ready. Many families start with a modest violin and move to a larger one as the child grows.

Violins come in fractional sizes, from a quarter or a half up to full size, matched to the length of the child’s arm. We measure and advise at the first lesson, and adjust as they grow.

Children often begin violin in the early primary years, sometimes earlier, depending on size and attention span. A trial month is the surest test. We will confirm start ages with you.

The trial is a paid trial month, four weekly one-to-one lessons at the usual fee, not a single free lesson. A month gives teacher and student time to get to know each other properly: the teacher learns how your child hears, bows and paces, and your child has room to settle in and connect with the teacher and the music. One lesson rarely shows any of that. It is a considered start, not a taster.

No. The grades are there for those who want milestones; others simply learn to play. The choice is always the student’s, and we prepare them either way.

Yes, when they are ready. We do not lock a student to one grade a year: a capable, well-prepared student can skip a grade, while another takes the time they need. We advise honestly on what suits your child.

The first months ask more of the ear, since there are no frets and the player makes each note’s pitch by hand. It is very learnable with patient, one-to-one teaching, and that early stretch is exactly what a good teacher is there for.