okay I`m a fifth grader that`s gonna (excuse me) going to play viola next year and I need tips adbice songs anything!!

Pass your classes, go to the sixth grade and tell your orch. director you want to play viola - they`ll get you started (think about private lessons as well). Good luck. Oh, don`t be intimidated into playing violin, because it`s overrated :-)

Try to find a small viola... even proffesionals can have trouble with full size versions.

Zayne, this is for you.... I happen to play the violin, and for your information, it`s not over-rated, it simply more popular than the viola because the viola is simply misunderstood. Most beginners choose to play the violin because they`ve either never heard of the viola, or they confuse it with a violin because of its shape and how you hold it.The only difference between the two is obviously as I`m sure you know, the viola is a fifth below the violin. But, back to Kiwi1120`s question. Learn your clef(Alto clef for violas), notes, fingerings, and music markings(Key, Time Signature, Dynamics, ect.)and if you have questions, ask your teacher, or come back to the forum here. There are pros for all instruments floating over the site, so this can be a good source of information. Also, if you learn the viola, you can learn the other string instruments as well; that`s how I learned to play the viola, cello, and string bass.
Good luck to you!

hey kiwi,
my advice to you would be, once youve mastered the basics, put as much emotion into your playing as you can. the viola is a wonderfully expressive instrument and conveys emotion really well. good luck with the viola!

By all means get private (not group) lessons if you can afford it. And make sure you like the teacher.

If you can start lessons before you start orchestra (say this summer) then you will find orchestra a lot more fun.

I started in 4th grade, in orchestra and I certainly had fun. But I did not learn a lot until I got some individual attention (from my orchestra leader). I wish I had had private lessons. Now that I havbe my own children, they have had private lessons and it makes a big diference.

Violin, viola, cello, and bass--and perhpas all other instruments as well--require a one-on-one approach to really learn well and avoid bad habits.

A private lesson will turbocharge your ability to learn.

However, if you cannot afford it, then try to find ways to get good advice from experienced players from time to time--even if it means buttonholing your group lesson teacher and asking about whatever your most pressing difficulty happens to be.

There are so many nuances that if learned correctly make an enormous difference to getting up to speed. If you are in fact super-gifted this may not matter ;-)

Regards,

Bill