Hi, well, I got a violin back when I was about 6-7 years old. It's been sitting in it's case pretty much since then. Now, I'm wondering if I could pull it out a do something with it. It's not full size, I think it's a 1/2. It says "Knilling Bucharest" on the inside. A couple of the strings and the bow are broken. Would it be worth getting new strings put on it and getting a new bow? About how much do strings and bows cost?

Even if I do get it fixed up though, I'd like to know...

Is it anything like guitar? I mean, not the way you play it obviously, but can you teach yourself through the internet? I can't afford lessons.

Can you do the same things on a 1/2 size that you can on the full size? Is it played the same way? other than being smaller of course...

What are the basics to violin? I know nothing. Any good websites that give tips for free? How hard is it to learn sheet music for violin?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm really interested in learning to play, but I have no clue how to get started.

Thanks!

i'm really sorry i can't be much help cuz i havent started learning violin yet.. i really love the violin and i'm gonna start learning next week!
i don't have access to a violin teacher either (cuz i live in a very small town) so i've got to learn it on my own too =) i've got a whole bunch of music lesson videos and ebooks downloaded free off the net! i'm sure u can find some too! esp in websites like youtube.. or u can even search thru google..
a friend of mine who's really great at violin recommended "Suzuki Violin Method" for beginners. it's a violin book that even teaches how to hold a violin! i havent really gone through it yet but it looks great! u can download books 1-8 from http://www.scribd.com/
i hope i've been some help..
another thing i want to say is, DON'T GIVE UP!! and GO FOR IT!!
violin is a GREAT instrument to learn =)

Actually in my opinion you probably could teach yourself. I played guitar for an eternity before i played the violin, when i picked up the violin i had the first and second positions, along with basic bowing, and a crappy little song put together by the end of my first week. I did take up lessons while i could aford it, and truthfully beyond teaching me a little about vabrato, and some more bowing, it's nothing that you couldnt just transfer over from guitar. Learn your scales, ect. As far as a half size violin goes, i prefer a full sized, and have never bought a 1/2. I'd think it was fully capable of doing everything a full could, just more compact. I, personally, think the worst thing about the violin is tuning it. It takes me forever to be happy with my tuning.

Violin equipment is kinda pricy. A decent bow can run you 40-50 bucks, at least around here. If you know your bows you could probably get one off of ebay or something cheap, but i like to try my bow out before i buy it. When i started, i rented a violin and bow for about $16/month. Both were decent and lasted me untill i saved up enough for the electric violin I have now >=3 (Which imo are even harder to tune). After you mess around a bit, and pick it up some, if you have spare cash invest in a few lessons so that someone that's been doing it for a long time can help correct anything that you may be doing wrong.

I hope this rant helped lol If you need anything else, feel free to send me a message and ask!

btw i found this really cool site which has all the music lesson videos u'll need!!!!
http://virtualviolin.blogspot.com/#articulation
i hope this helps!
all the best with ur violin,k?
don't give up!!!! =)

Hi,
Strings have a range of prices, but you can usually find a more inexpensive set for just a few dollars. Then there are the more popular and commonly used strings that can cost $30-$90, more or less. If you are just beginning, you probably won't worry as much about tone production as working on the basics, technique, etc.; so it would probably be fine if you started out with a cheaper set (like 'fiddle' strings). Strings are also sold separately as singles, but that is mostly for mixing and matching tones, or if you have broken or lost one string and would like to replace it with another of the same brand; you might want to replace all the strings on your violin so they will match.
There are, in general, four types of strings... steel, synthetic-core, gut-core, and just gut. The last is mostly used for older styles of playing, though, and can be difficult to maintain... also, they aren't very commonly used today. You might want to experiment with different brands/types to find which one best suits your playing and style.
Violins are sized differently to fit the player. If you can comfortably grasp the scroll with the violin in playing position, the size is right. (I think in general, violins smaller than full size are intended for children and smaller adults.)
The sheet music is mostly written out in melodic form, and of course you can learn about double-stopping and chords later on.
If you are not taking lessons and have questions, usually you can google key words in your question and come up with some good results... because often other people have the same questions. You might want to be careful about the sources, though.
Or, you can find books on technique, etc. that can give you a good idea of the basics.
Good luck!