I`m a music major in college and I want to start violin. The way lessons work at the school is that if you meet certain requirements ("play some major and minor scales in two octaves, an etude of the student`s choice and a movement of a sonata or concerto, or piece of the difficulty of the Handel Sonatas" for violin) major can take the lessons for free; otherwise it`s about $600/semester.

Should I try to reach that point on my own with books or should I take maybe a few lessons outside of school to do it? Also, I wouldn`t be focusing too much on violin at first. I also play guitar and am starting the organ this coming semester.

I would definitely advise you to take up lessons to get you started at the very least. If you were talking about the piano, I might agree on learning by self, but playing the violin is not as black and white (pun intended) as a beginner on the piano. You need a teacher to advise you on everything: posture, exercises, techniques and even their idiosyncratic analogies which all help you to progress.

Most importantly, you should have good communication with your teacher, so that you achieve your target, and then you can save $600.

Jay is right abt getting a teacher. But I dun really get what u say about the free major. I understand that yr a majoring in Music. But what is yr major study? Are u talking about a double major in 2 primary instruments or 1 major and 1 minor studies?

Sorry I didn`t clarify. At my school, we don`t have concentrations in the music major (although we do for the music minor). Instead we study a bit of everything, performance, theory, history, composition...

I am using mine as more of a performance major, although not solely in one instrument. The lessons for any instrument I want to do are free, as long as I can do a certain amount.

Take a couple of lessons!