Our Roadmap Viola Playing Success

Getting started playing the viola may seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be! 

After serving the string community for over 30 years, we have observed that there are 5 key things that all successful violists understand. We call these things the 5 Ps; Purpose, Partner, Purchase, Practice and Perform. Follow these steps and we are sure you will succeed in learning the viola and have fun along the way!

1. Purpose

It’s important to understand why you’re learning the viola, what you want to achieve and match your instrument to your goals. At the Sydney String Centre we believe that the benefits of learning music go far beyond the ability to simply play an instrument and that everyone should have access to music education. Some of us are aiming to be virtuosos, but not all of us. For your convenience, based on 30 years of experience and feedback from our customers we have categorised our violas into four categories, beginner, intermediate, advanced and professional.

If you’re a parent thinking about music lessons for your kids, you may enjoy this short interview with author and music education advocate Dr Anita Collins. 

2. Partner

Before you even think about buying a viola, we recommend partnering with a great teacher. Your teacher should be aligned with your purpose. Time and time again we see people giving up the viola because of a mismatch with their teacher. If your purpose is to play for leisure, you won’t get very far with a teacher whose aim is to audition you for the Sydney Symphony, so it's important to make sure your goals are aligned.Your teacher should inspire and motivate you to play and get better, whatever your goals may be. There are many online directories for violin teachers, and we’ve developed our own list which you can find here.

3. Purchase

Once you understand your purpose and have found a great teacher, you’re ready to buy or rent a viola! Your viola needs to support your learning. The right choice can accelerate your progress whereas a poor match can hold you back. You don’t need to buy a Stradivarius but the viola needs to have some basic features.

• If you’re buying a viola for your child, it is important that they are learning on the right size. If the viola is too big or too small, it can seriously affect their learning and in some cases even cause physical harm. Check out our sizing guide here.
• A good quality viola should be made from solid wood. We make violas out of spruce for the top and maple for the back, sides and neck. The fingerboard and pegs should be made from ebony. Beware of cheaper violas that are made from laminated wood and painted pegs and fingerboard.
• It needs to be well set-up. We are yet to find a manufacturer of student violas that offers a playable set up out of the factory. The set-up therefore needs to be performed by a qualified luthier. At the Sydney String Centre, every viola is professionally set up and the set-up on our beginner violas is specially designed to help facilitate the learning of a beginner. Learn more about our set-ups here.
• It needs good quality strings. Factory strings will give you a sound that is sure to put you off playing. A good quality set of student strings might cost as much as $70-100 but it is worth every cent. Good strings will help you produce a warm sound that will encourage you to keep playing! All of our violas come with good quality strings from Germany, Denmark, France, Austria or the USA. Find out more about string types here.
• You’ll also need a few accessories to get you started including most importantly a comfortable shoulder rest. Check out our complete guide to viola accessories for beginners here.

All of these points often put good quality student violas in the price range of $600-$900. This may scare you a little! Many of our customers feel that $300 is the price that they’re prepared to pay to ‘just get started’. We understand this way of thinking, however we are yet to find a working viola that we can sell for $300. You’ll find these violas are made from poor materials, from factories with poor working conditions and the result is something that sounds terrible and is difficult to play. Violas at that price are sure to accelerate your journey to giving up! For this reason, we offer an affordable rental program with the option to purchase once you’re sure that you’re committed to learning, that way you can start on an instrument that supports your learning and gives you the best chance at success! Shop beginner violas here.

4. Practice

You’ve got your viola and you’ve started lessons… what’s next? At the Sydney String Centre we believe that growth in learning is a result of intrinsic motivation + repetition. If you’ve nailed your purpose for learning the viola then the next part of the equation is consistent practice. You don’t need to practice for hours every day to progress and get enjoyment from playing, but you do need to do a small amount of regular, quality practice, even if that's just 10 minutes a day to start out. Whether it’s yourself that’s learning or your child, we have found that scheduling a regular time and place to practice is key to progressing. Check out this great short video from Anita Collins about practice.

There are lots of accessories that are available to help with your learning and practice. Check out our range of viola teaching aids.

5. Perform

What better way to mark your progress than with a performance! Many musicians young and old use performances to mark a milestone in their learning. Performing doesn’t necessarily have to be on stage at the Opera House, you can get just as much benefit from performing in front of friends and family at home! When you’re a little more adventurous you could consider joining an orchestra or ensemble. We believe playing with others can really accelerate your learning. There are countless community groups and ensembles with great opportunities to play. We’ve created a list of some here.

Got questions? Ready to get started? Click here to see our range of beginner violas and buy online or click here to schedule a time with one of our team in store. If you can’t make it over to the store then you can also give us a call or book a zoom consultation here.

Happy playing!

Doug Glanville is the managing director of The Sydney String Centre. A cellist since the age of 4, he is passionate about music education and seeing his customers succeed with music.