Which Instrument Should My Child Learn?
- Lourdes de la Peña
- May 5
- 2 min read
Your child should learn whichever instrument they want to learn. At StringTime this summer, we offer violin, viola and cello. Here are a few things to take into consideration when deciding:
1) Sound
The violin is high, viola is mid-range, and cello is low.
You can explore some videos of each instrument on the teacher page of the StringTime website.
Here are some other videos to check out:
Violin: The violinist is standing and is accompanied by an orchestra.
Viola: The viola player is standing. He starts playing at 00:28. There are 2 violins seated to his left, the cello behind him, a standing bass next to the cello (who is actually my cello teacher's in high school husband), and another viola player seated to the right.
Cello: It's obvious who the cellist is. There are also lots of cool visuals on this video.
Comparing the same piece "Salut d'Amour" on 3 instruments:
Hearing the same tune on different instruments makes it easy to tell the difference between each one.
"Salut d'Amour" on violin
"Salut d'Amour" on viola
"Salut d'Amour" on cello
2) Volume
- The instruments are all about equal in terms of volume, however, the violin and viola are closer to your ear so it sounds louder for the player.
3) Standing vs Sitting
- Violinists and violists have to stand most of the time. Cellists always sit.
4) Popularity
- Violin is most popular, cello is next, and viola is the least popular.
5) Size
- All instruments come in smaller sizes so regardless of what your child plays, we will have an instrument for them at StringTime at their appropriate size.
6) Just try!
If you made it to the end and still can't decide, I recommend coming to StringTime summer camp for a few weeks and trying a different instrument each week. You don't ultimately know if you like something until you try!
With joy,
Lourdes de la Peña
StringTime Founder and Director
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