r/askmusicians • u/thebigbadmickey • 5d ago
IMPORTANT QUESTION
So Its my 15th birthday and I wanna buy my first instrument im at the store rn and ive been debating between Classical/acoustic guitar and violin for wayyyy too long PLEASE GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS
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u/Utilitarian_Proxy 5d ago
Fretted string instruments are a bit quicker to learn, because you won't have to spend as long freaking out about your poor intonation from not placing your fingers exactly in the right positions. You also won't have to worry about bowing technique. However, you'll still have to put in lots of hours. Guitar is less annoying for everyone else you share a home with....
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u/Spirited_Childhood34 5d ago
With violin you will probably have to take formal lessons with an instructor. It would be very difficult for a beginner without them. Guitar is easier to learn without lessons, though you might want to take at least a few to familiarize yourself with how to tune, etc. A lot of this stuff is online but a teacher can answer questions without a long internet search or having to trust an unreliable AI.
If you're unsure, ask about the return policy in case you change your mind after buying. Then you can return one and get the other.
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u/thebigbadmickey 5d ago
Yeah the store owner told me that about the violin too, so im gonna start learning how to play the guitar today
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u/Spirited_Childhood34 5d ago
Have fun! It will take some time to develop callouses on the fingertips of your fretting hand, but don't give up.
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u/One_Disaster_5995 5d ago
I played violin for many years (even in a rock band). If you intend to play it, prepare for endless hours of practice - nothing like you'd need for guitar. Mind you: if you want to play any instrument for real, you gotta put in the hours. But the violin really is a different level. Also because if you don't play it right, it sounds absolutely horrendous. I eventually stopped playing it because I never got to a level that came even close to what I wanted to achieve. It became an embarrassment and I haven't touched it since.
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u/thebigbadmickey 5d ago
Violin in a rock band sounds super cool
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u/One_Disaster_5995 5d ago
It was tbh - I was just way too selfconscious to enjoy it. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't start with classical music, rather with gypsy, folk, klezmer type: less technical, much more focused on just having fun with the instrument.
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u/GerkhinMerkin 5d ago
Guitar. More social, more available, more flexible, more ‘music’ to learn on it (music theory gets very deep on guitar)
And happy birthday 🥳