Cost of Studying Violin or Viola: How Much Can You Expect to Invest?

Participating in any activity has a certain cost associated with it – Whether you are looking at sports, music, photography or more! As students and their families start music lessons, they might wonder what all will be needed for their studies. Today I’d like to list some of the materials and expenses to consider as you start out on a music journey for the violin or viola! These price points are just a starting point for the most requested materials in my studio so families can anticipate the investment they will be making over time.

I hope it helps you prepare for your musical journey!

General Materials

  • Instrument, bow and case – Many of my thoughts on acquiring an instrument can be found here: Rental Programs: What to Consider Before Signing that Contract! Please resist the temptation to go through Amazon or EBay, where the cost to get the instrument properly set up will end up being more in the long run! Outfits of beginner violins and violas can be found from reputable string instrument shops starting around $200, with intermediate outfits starting between $500 – 1000 and advancing instruments going above the $1500 range.

  • Shoulder Rest – We will need to try out a couple sizes and varieties, as everyone’s body is different! The most popular brands in my studio range from $15 – 30.

  • Strings – Plan to replace strings once a year, and more frequently with more practice. As students mature and develop their own opinions about how they want to sound, there are countless options and string makers to try out. If students do not have a preference for their sound yet, I typically recommend one of these three:

o   Tonica Pirastro

o   Thomastik Dominant

o   D’Addario Ascente

For the brands above, prices range from $22 – 65.

  • Bow Rehairs – Plan to rehair a bow at least once a year, and more frequently with more practice. Local rehair services start at $70 from Joshua Henry.

  • Rosin – Once you have rosin, expect it to last up to ten years! That is, assuming it doesn’t break from being dropped on the floor. Prices range from $5 – 30.

Suzuki: Volume One

  • “I Can Read Music: Volume One” by Joanne Martin $14

  • “Solos for Young Violinists: Volume 1” by Barbara Barber $13

Suzuki: Volume Two

  • “I Like to Play Scales” by Samuel Flor or “Two Octave Scales and Bowings” by Susan Brown – Depending on age and maturity level. $12

  • “Sixty Studies, Op. 45 – Complete” by F. Wohlfahrt $9

  • “Introduction to Positions: Volume One” by Harvey Whistler $7

Suzuki: Volume Three

  • “Melodious Doublestops” by Josephine Trott $9

Suzuki: Volume Four

  • "Introduction to Positions: Volume Two” by Harvey Whistler $7

Suzuki: Volume Five

  • “Scale System: Scale Exercises on all Major and Minor Keys for Daily Study” by Carl Flesch, Revised by Max Rostal $25

In addition, each of the Suzuki method books cost $20 a piece including the CD recording, which all students are expected to listen to regularly. Recordings are available through free resources like Spotify and YouTube, so for intentional families they can cut their costs down to $9 a Suzuki book if they go that route!

Students and families should also budget for their lesson payments – Whether they are to be made by semester or month. Lesson payments can vary widely depending on your area’s living costs, the studio’s extra offerings and the teacher’s expertise. Other costs you may want to consider will be participation in local community orchestras, competitions and more!

It is my hope that through this post students and their families are better informed about what costs they can expect as they prepare financially for their new journey in lessons! Looking at this list will hopefully give my students an idea of what books and materials they’ll be expected to purchase and give a rough time frame for when we will need these materials. As individuals share their unique requests and interests, other materials may be added or subtracted, but I tried to keep this list focused on the individual and solo material we are most likely to work on in my studio!

If this list makes music study daunting for you and your family’s budget, continuing reading at my blog post here: Four Ways to Afford Music Lessons. There are many clever ways to make a dollar go further without jeopardizing the quality of instruction or your materials. I shared some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years and plan to use with my own family when we start our own music journeys with our children! Hope to see you there!

Renee ShawComment