Online violin lessons have been available for over two decades, dating back to the early 2000s. With the advancement of internet technologies and video conferencing platforms, this form of learning has grown increasingly popular. During the COVID-19 pandemic, online education—including violin lessons—proved highly effective and has since become as common and accepted as traditional in-person instruction.
The violin is considered one of the most challenging musical instrument in the world. In the early stages of learning, the physical presence of a teacher is essential. A beginner needs proper guidance to position their fingers, arms, and wrists correctly. This process usually takes between six months and two years. After that, transitioning to online lessons becomes an option. As a general rule, online violin lessons are typically suitable for children starting at around seven-eight years old.
To achieve exceptional results, we recommend making lessons a regular part of your schedule, ideally one to two times per week, every week. If you choose two lessons per week, it’s best to space them two to three days apart. For instance, if one lesson is on Tuesday, you can schedule the second for Friday or Saturday.
Geographical distance and time zone differences are no longer barriers to professional online violin lessons. With a reliable internet connection, you can take lessons from virtually anywhere in the world. Surprisingly, the required internet speed for high-quality online lessons isn’t very demanding by today’s standards. The recommended speeds are: 10–20 Mbps for download and 5–10 Mbps for upload.
We highly recommend Zoom, a platform many regard as one of the best and most popular for video conferencing worldwide. It is particularly well-suited for professional music education due to its advanced audio settings. Our second recommendation is Skype, followed by FaceTime as a third option. Please note that FaceTime is only available on Apple devices, whereas Zoom and Skype are compatible with multiple platforms.
Online violin lessons can be valuable at any time. However, they are especially helpful in three key situations:
Yes, there are some limitations. In general, online violin lessons are suitable for students aged seven and older. However, it’s not just about age—it’s also about the student’s physical and psychological readiness for this type of learning.
Online lessons are not suitable for complete beginners, as we’ve mentioned before. Additionally, a child needs to be comfortable processing information from a computer screen and interacting with a teacher they see only on the screen.
The best way to determine if your child is ready for online violin tuition is to schedule a trial lesson (see the bottom of this page for details).
Unlike online lessons, violin masterclasses take place in a traditional, in-person format and typically last from a few days to a week. At the end of the masterclass, participants often have the chance to perform in a final concert, showcasing their progress and achievements to an audience.
For those living outside Switzerland and learning violin online, periodic in-person masterclasses can be an excellent complement to their studies. This is especially true because masterclasses provide the opportunity to perform in concerts, which, at the Zakhar Bron School of Music, we consider an essential part of violin education.
It is crucial that masterclasses are led by the same violin teacher who conducts the online lessons or, at the very least, by a teacher from the same violin school. With numerous violin schools using different—and often conflicting—teaching methods, attending masterclasses from other schools can sometimes be more harmful than beneficial.
Based on our many years of experience, the best approach is to attend violin masterclasses once every 2–4 months. These in-person sessions are an important complement to online lessons and should be conducted by the same teacher who leads your online classes.
To apply for a trial online violin lesson, simply contact the school administration. Sending a WhatsApp message or a short email is sufficient. We do our best to respond to such requests within 24 hours.
If you have any questions about violin education, including online lessons or masterclasses, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always happy to help!