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(2 votes) 
Why did you choose to learn/play the violin?
I became curious after my son gave up the violin in a school program.
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I decided to learn to play the fiddle because, aside from the fact that I like fiddle music, I've never played a musical instrument before, and I was curious to learn how to make the fiddle and bow work together to make all the sounds the instrument is capable of. It seems like quite a challenge.
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Most expressive instrument. (Arguably the most expensive too!)
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A string teacher came into our 6th grade classroom with a bunch of instruments and let us try them. Those who were interested could bring home a letter with information to their parents. I was one of the suckers that wanted to dive in. LOL
My early success kept me playing and even though I wanted to quit on numerous occasions others encouraged me not to. Competitions kept me going and made it worth while. Needless to say, I'm glad I never gave it up.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Hmm.. the deciding factor was finding out that there were some violins on amazon that I could afford. In fact, that were cheap enough that it seemed silly NOT to try the instrument.
I'd always liked the sound of both violin and fiddle playing. I had a bit of spare budget and was looking for a musical treat for myself. I was coming to grips with being over 50, and thought, "If I don't do it now, I may never do it."
It was one of those instruments I'd always wanted to try and learn someday. Every once in a while, you have to just decide that it is now "someday", and knock another item off your list. Or else the somedays will keep slipping away from you until they are all gone.
I guess that could all be summed up as: "Why not?"
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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Sure! But violins are cheaper than sports cars.. At least mine are..
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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Daniel, that was an interesting deciding factor well worth keeping in mind and one that I have never even thought of. Glad you did it. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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To be honest Pierre, if I had come across your (at that time's prices) 99$ violin review sooner, that would have been it. I would have rather bought from a fellow musician or a music shop than a faceless amazon vendor that wouldn't know anything about the instruments.
Nobody with common sense would expect a beginner's package that inexpensive to be anything great. But hearing a seasoned professional actually play on it and saying it was a decent deal for the price and good enough for a beginner to at least get started on? That's enough to get some folks to give violin a try, right there.
I would bet that it has made you some sales.
I know for certain it has gotten some people to your website, since that review is how *I* found this place, originally.
"Mid-life Crisis" or whatever one wants to call it.. There always seem to be some folks in their late 30s and up who suddenly decide they want to try playing violin (or probably other instruments as well). It is a piece of the market. So far as "Mid-life Crisis" things go, it is at least a healthy and fairly sensible one. LOL
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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I suppose for me it was because I'd heard someone play it really well. I forget where I heard it (Maybe it was Mr. Krabs.), but I wanted to try and play. That was 4 years ago? Only (semi-)recently have I been able to afford one. (:
DanielB
Mid life crisis is also a possible motive for rewarding new adventures.
I know the excitement of trading 10 years of motorcycle for the lofty experience of the violin. (Besides, the violin has a much longer riding season in Ct.)
I think that most people are drawn by the challenge but I can attest that EVERY* instrument is very difficult at MAX POTENTIAL. After TWINKLE, TWINKLE, it may be increasingly scarey to turn the pages
* That is, every instrument I have tried to play because it seemed easy but was mostly mission impossible at the "good" level. (When in a tough situation just play AMAZING GRACE. That's always a crowd pleaser even with boo-boos.)
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For me, I guess it was just basic insanity.... I have always "pushed myself to understand things" that are beyond my day-to-day limits, knowledge and understanding. It's how we grow, and learn....
Being an amateur (very amateur) musician but "passable on guitar" for 40 years - a fret-less instrument has always sounded like a challenge to me - and having borrowed a fret-less bass guitar for a few weeks many years ago - I always fancied the idea..... I just loved that instrument ! So darned cool !
And now, with (occasionally) spare time on my hands I have come to appreciate what must be one of the most versatile instruments ever made. "Stunning" is the word that sums it up when you hear real good players - if I achieve just a FRACTION of their level, I'll die happy......
I love it and I hate it at the same time. But - love is winning out !!!!! YEAH !!!! I have rarely played guitar since I joined the community ! ( but just enough to keep me focused )
Because I play largely by ear ( and - having said that - this whole experience is getting me well on-track to sight reading - and WOW at that! ) I found I could quite rapidly scrape out recognizable tunes - what I'm looking for now is the passion, expression, fine intonation, good bowing techniques - and everything that this incredible, amazing, astonishing instrument can bring to us !!!!!!!
I just totally understand @DanielB and @oliver - and @Fiddlerman LOL at being "one of the suckers" haaaa - ROFL man!
Too late in life, I suddenly get it.... thanks for the original post Oliver - I had never really stopped to think about it - it's the "crazy things I do!" (and PS - WELL past "mid life crisis" here ! LOL ) but still rockin' on...
Bill
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
In addition to the challenge, I think violin people are introverted.
Actually, I really did not face "the challenge" head on because I figured at the start that I would probably wind up in the "average" class and I was right!
I also suspect, in amateur ranks that the challenge is often greater than the music. If I could only _______ then I would be much better.
Are we having fun yet?
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My reason for taking up the violin is simple. I was told by my roommate the under no scenairo was I getting a Violin.
So for my 59th birthday I bought one and told her it was her gift to me.. lol
Then I found that I really do want to learn to play it. So now I'm hooked, I have 4.
And yes, my roommate still really doesn't think I'm funny at all. But I do.
With violins there is no fretting over the music.
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@OldOgre 
mate - that's the way to do it !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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I have always wanted to play an instrument. As a child I was too shy to ask for things. AT that time there was still music programs at school. The school provided the instruments and a teacher came once a week, those kids got to leave and learn the instrument. My sister was bold enough to speak up and she played violin for four years. I was younger and when she was not home, I would sneak into her room and look at her violin and play with the bow.
I was in the school Choir from 1-5th grade.
My babysitter played 16 instruments. She would bring them and let us play. I was obsessed with the Clarinet.
I always played electric organ with my grandmother. I got to push the chord buttons at the right time. I would always find any piano anywhere we went and I would play and play.
Childhood was good like that.
20's - no musical instrument... lots of singing
30's - no musical instrument....lots of singing
40's - a Casio keyboard interactive on the computer. Late 40's obsessed with getting a piano. When I decided to learn the piano I was encountered with "you need a fully weighted key board, you need this and that."
I was always deterred by people telling me what I CAN'T do or SHOULD do.
By 46, I was determined to play some kind of music for the rest of my life. I wish I could recall the exact moment when I knew it would be violin.
I got my violin in December and went to youtube to learn.
When I opened my violin and played it, my daughter said to me..."oh mom, I just know you will be epic."
I too, was lucky to come across Pierre's video on the 99 dollar violin. I was tempted to send my rental back and buy that one. Anyway.. I found the site and then the rest is history.
I took lessons for awhile, I regret that when I was taking lessons, I did not have self belief at the time. I went through the motions and waited for something to happen. It was after I stopped lessons and I began to believe I could play, things happened for me. Many violinists here added to that self belief, and held my hands while I learned. Some quite literally.
I know this, I can't imagine what my life would have been like the last 2.5 years. I never have had love / hate with the violin.. pure love. Now that I can play the violin, read music (moderately), my life is as I wanted it to be. The only time I miss practice is when an event happens and I can't be home. Otherwise I seek every moment available to play. I play to the verge of soreness quite often lately. I love it.
I know I have told this story more than once...but it is so fun to tell.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
Because all fretted instruments have no those fancy tones. When i played something by ear on piano - i always went mad, because there was no needed note on it. Of course i just later understood that there are different tuning - but there was no way back. I passed the point of no return, LOL!
CoolP
If I had such a happy violin career my wife would get suspicious.
What violin do you play now? ($99)
Anyone looking to avoid notes can also take up the trombone.
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I've always really liked the sound of stringed instruments. Guitar, cello, violin, viola, even the er-hu, but never thought I could play them. My dad and my aunt both played guitar when they were younger and I tried to get into it also. I liked it, but I never stuck with the lessons. Violin stuck out to me because cellos are intimidating and, at the time(6th or 7th grade), I didn't really know the difference between a violin and a viola. Once again, I liked it, but the cost of lessons and the instrument kind of scared me away. I didn't think I'd be any good at it, so naturally I told myself there wasn't any point in trying. I guess you could call taking it back up now a mid-twenties crisis. I started thinking about a lot of the things I didn't do when I was younger and learning to play the violin was a big one. It might sound silly, but it always feels like I'm putting my interests aside because I'm so busy. At least that's what I kept telling myself. Now, I find time to practice and it hasn't really thrown anything off. Just goes to show you how good a person can get at making excuses. I've noticed some real improvement in my playing and it's much more productive than vegging out in front of the TV(my current job is extremely conducive to this habit). Every time I can make something sound recognizable, sometimes even nice, I get pretty darned excited.
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