FAQ
Q) When do you offer violin lessons?
A) We offer violin lessons Tuesday to Thursday from 3:00pm – 7:00pm.
Q) How much do the lessons cost?
A) All one to one tuition is £15 for half an hour and £30 for the hour.
Q) How often should I have lessons?
A) We would recommend at least 30 minutes tuition once a week.
Q) Do you offer discount for block bookings?
A) No, we work on a pay as you go basis. This allows our students to book as many lessons as they want without being committed into a set amount.
Q) What if I need to rearrange or cancel my lesson?
A) We have a cancellation policy in place whereby we require at least 48 hours notice to rearrange or cancel a lesson. If 48 hours notice is not given the full fee is still payable.
If more than 48 hours notice is given then there is no charge.
Q) How do you accept payment?
A) Card payment through our online booking system.
Q) Do you offer home visits?
A) No, all lessons take place here in one of our purpose built teaching studios at Teesside School Of Music.
Q) How long will it take to learn to play the violin?
A) Basically this all comes down to how much effort the student puts in. If the student practices regularly at home between lessons then progression will be a lot faster than a student who doesn’t practice.
As a guide we would expect complete beginners who practice regularly at home to start getting the basics down at around 6 weeks or so.
Q) Do I need to book or do I simply turn up?
A) All lessons are by appointment only. To check availability and book a lesson please visit our lessons page.
Q) What do the lessons entail?
A) Violin lessons are based around what the student wishes to do. We do however make suggestions and offer different plans for learning; for example some students come to us specifically wanting to earn a recognised qualification. So we will offer the grade exams operated through the ABRSM exam board. These are recognised qualifications and grades 6 to 8 have the added bonus of extra UCAS points.
Others may simply wish to learn for fun and want to be able to play songs they listen to and enjoy. We would then teach them how to play these songs and the necessary techniques to accomplish this.
For complete beginners however the first few lessons are generally the same for all students, that is, learning the basic notes and playing a simple melody applying rhythm and technique.
Q) Do I need my own violin?
A) In a nutshell…yes you will. However we do respect the fact that an instrument can be an expensive investment which people don’t want to make only to find a few weeks later is no longer being used. With that in mind you may wish to have a couple of lessons first before purchasing an instrument.
We may be able to offer the use of one of our violins for your first lesson or two. This would be during lesson time only and would not be available to take home. Please let us know when booking if you need to use one of our violins.
Q) Which Violin should I buy?
A) For beginners we would recommend the “Stentor Student 2 Violin Outfit”. However you need to pay particular attention to what size Violin your going to buy with the 4 most common sizes as follows:
4/4 (Full Size) – 11 Year Old to Adult
3/4 – 10 to 11 Year Old
1/2 – 8 to 9 Year Old
1/4 – 6 to 7 Year Old
The above sizes should be used as a guide only.