FAQ's | Order a Rental Online | Services | Recommendations
Rates | Nationwide Shipping | 2008-09 Service Trips
Send More Information
We recommend beginning with a rental instrument. This allows for free exchanges and repairs, as well as a quick and painless retreat if necessary. It also can be difficult to select the right instrument before you have really learned to play. But when you are ready to buy... combine our Rental Discount program with our great selection of higher quality instruments, and we’re ready when you are!
Your teacher will probably require a beginning method book. Whatever they want you to have, we’ve probably got it! See our books section.
Suzuki students will need "Suzuki Book 1" for their instrument plus the Cassette or CD to hear all of the music contained in Book 1. We also have many interesting and helpful books by and about Dr. Suzuki and his method, the most popular being "Nurtured By Love" and "To Learn With Love".
Your teacher may also have other materials they want you to have right away, so be sure to check with them before you make a trip into the store or have us ship out your instrument.
You may want to start with a shoulder rest for your violin or viola, something to help support the instrument on the shoulder. If your teacher doesn’t have a specific recommendation, we suggest starting out with the simple Foam Rests. They’re inexpensive and make learning basic violin position easier. For young students who just can’t get comfortable, the PlayOnAirs or Kuns can be extremely helpful. Adult beginners are also usually better off with a proper shoulder rest. See all of the shoulder rests we offer for violins and violas.
Tuning string instruments is one of the first difficulties a beginner faces, the primary problem being that students don’t usually learn how to tune for a year or more. However, practicing on an out-of-tune instrument has some serious downsides, the least of which is the sound! Therefore, many adult players and parents of young players purchase one of three tuning aides. The first option is a tuning fork which is inexpensive and accurate, but only provides one note. The second option is a pitchpipe which gives all four tuning notes, but is less accurate. The best option is a tuner, an electronic device that allows you to play a note into it and then tells you what note you are playing and whether or not it is in tune. Although it is the most expensive of the three options, it enables folks who don’t yet have ‘perfect pitch’ to get their instrument tuned in between lessons. A good, easy-to-use tuner for the beginner is the Korg CA-30. Click to see our tuners and metronomes.
The beginning cellist will probably need to get an endpin rest, something to help keep the cello from slipping across the floor (it also protects delicate surfaces from getting scratched by the endpin). We recommend the Sure Stop for a beginner as it is very easy-to-use. For the more advanced player the Xeros Anchor is the best bet. Although a little more complex to use, it is by far the surest way to secure the cello.
Wishing your player had a nicer instrument but not ready to make a purchase? (Or perhaps your player or teacher is wishing...?) It may be time to consider one of our higher quality rental options for violin or viola. This is a wonderful opportunity to move into an instrument that allows a student to grow musically without losing the benefits of renting. Available in many sizes...please call to check current stock.
Your player may be ready for some fun music in addition to their lesson assignments. We have a great collection of simple folk, pop, and classical music to help keep your player interested and excited. See our Books and Music section.
Although some students remain happy with the foam rests and other homemade shoulder rests, many students find that as they advance and start shifting they need a more secure shoulder rest option. The Kun is always a good option to try, but with all the differently shaped and sized players out there, we have a good, varied selection to choose from. We are always happy to assist you in finding the right option. See our shoulder rest section for violin and viola.
Sophisticated tuners for sophisticated ears.. There are two reasons an advancing player may want an electronic tuner: 1) The player’s ear has become quite good and the teacher feels that some visual feedback may help them take the next step in fine-tuning their ear. 2) The student is ready to tune their instrument on their own but needs some backup help at home in between lessons. We have several nice tuners to assist the developing ear including the Seiko ST-1100 which adds sound output so that the student can also hear the notes. Another nice feature of a good tuner is that the better the student becomes, the more they’ll use it.
It’s probably time to think about purchasing, if you haven’t already. You probably should base a decision to purchase on the ability and interest (or commitment) of the player, rather than “I’ll just wait until the full size...”. Playing a string instrument is a very intimate experience. Having a wonderful sound can be important even when a player is not terribly advanced, and a beautiful sounding instrument is a great incentive!
Already have the ‘perfect’ instrument but wish it were a little more...? We have a huge selection of strings and rosins that can brighten, enrich, mellow, strengthen or just add zing to your instrument’s natural sound. We also offer tonal adjustments in our workshop; please call for an appointment.
You may have a wonderful instrument, but if you don’t also have the right bow you may be missing out on a whole other dimension of your instrument’s sound. The right bow not only makes technical playing easier, it also enhances and colors your instrument’s natural sound. See our Instrument and bow section.
