When a young child is starting their first lesson on violin or viola, you might think that the first step as the parent is to get them the actual instrument. But stop right there! In many studios, the first step of a child learning violin or viola is actually to start on a box/foam violin and not the real, beautiful wooden instrument. It might seem strange at first to think that the first lessons are not with the real thing; however there are many benefits to starting with a foam instrument.
The foam violin allows students to understand the basics of how to hold, handle and care for a violin, before they actually start working with such a delicate instrument. Here are the several reasons that Suzuki violin and viola educators at Lakewood Suzuki Strings are strong advocates of the foam violin:
CARE
The foam violin allows the student to learn how to take care of the instrument before getting a real violin or viola. Musical instruments are very fragile, and must be respected and handled with care. The worst thing that can happen is that a child accidentally spills food or drink, sits on, or drops something on their very nice violin while they are still learning how to take care of it! Instead, the child learns how to take care of the foam violin without an actual instrument ever being harmed.
POSTURE AND FORM
While the child is learning how to hold the foam instrument, they don't have to worry about the weight of the instrument since the foam weighs very little. This makes the violin posture comfortable for the student without ever having to strain, allowing them to learn relaxed posture from day one.
FOCUS
Another benefit of the foam violin is that it is silent, thus helping the student focus on their posture and form without the distraction of sound. When students first start playing their instrument, good form is the only way to produce good sound — and if the student tries playing on a real instrument before learning the proper form, they might be disappointed by the sound that comes out at first. By focusing only on one thing at a time without having to worry about the actual sound, we avoid the lesson becoming overwhelming for the child. Breaking it down into manageable steps helps the child’s brain focus on the task at hand and build concentration, all while practicing good form.
MOTIVATION
After using the foam violin, the child will eventually get to the point where they will need a real violin. This is incredibly motivational for the child since they know they will eventually graduate to the real thing! Additionally, it builds delayed gratification as an attainable goal they can easily work towards. It is also a very special moment where the child becomes excited to apply all the prior skills that were created and honed on the foam instrument.
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