Buying the Best Violin for Beginners

It’s understandable that quite a few parents are looking for the best violin for beginners to introduce their children to classical music. It’s great for small homes and apartments, unlike a huge grand piano. Violins are generally beautiful instruments, and there’s also a certain cachet attached to owning one.

Of course, newbies can be adults as well. It’s never to late to pick up the violin. If you’re interested, then just get to it. You may find it soothing to relax when you play the violin. Maybe it can even make you smarter—in the books, Sherlock Holmes plays the violin, too.

Check best violin books for beginners.

If you or your kids are beginners, then it just makes perfect sense to start with a violin that’s expressly designed for newbies. These are generally more affordable, as they may lack the features that beginners don’t really need yet. Many of these violins for beginners are also easier to learn.

FAQs

How do you pick the best violin?

The best way to learn is to get yourself a violin teacher. That way, you get the guidance you need at the start. Once you get started, then you can improve yourself with online lessons. But you can take advantage of your teacher’s expertise by asking for their recommendations.

We’re pretty sure that they’ll find something to recommend with our list of the best violins for beginners. Then you can pick one based on the price and your particular preferences.

Is the case really that important?

Yes, which is why we often went with a starter pack with a hard case. Violins aren’t like cheap guitars that you can just toss around.

Why do some of the strings need a lot of retuning?

This is normal at first, because new strings stretch. These new strings need frequent tuning until they “settle”.

Check how to change and tune violin strings.

Why can you do when the tuning pegs keep sliding?

These things happen, even with the best violins. Your best bet is to apply a black paste called peg-soap to the tuning pegs. That gives the pegs the needed friction to keep them from sliding.

Reviews for the Best Violin for Beginners

In a hurry? Check the Best Violin for Beginners from Amazon. 

Product Name		Rating & Highlighted Features		Price
Cecilio CVN-300 Violin		It sounds great, considering the price
Cecilio Mendini Full Size 4/4 MV300		comes as a complete kit.
Cecilio Mendini Full Size 4/4 MV400		It offers an upbeat sound.
Cecilio Mendini MV500		It can hold its tune for weeks at a time.
Stentor 1400 3/4 Violin		It comes in many different sizes for children
ADM Full Size 4/4 Acoustic Violin Set		Light weight makes it easy to play
Cremona SV-175 Violin		fantastic workmanship with this violin
D Z Strad Violin Model 101		You have plenty of size options.
Kennedy Violins Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit		it’s ready to play right out of the case.

To help you find the best violin for beginners, we’ve compiled a list of terrific options for you to check out. These are all generally affordable violins, and they offer special features that make them especially suited for newbies.

Cecilio CVN-300 Violin

This is one of the most popular violins in the Cecilio lineup, and it’s been expressly designed and crafted to suit the requirements of violin newbies. In fact, we picked the starter pack to check out, since this pack comes with accessories you need to get started with your violin right away.

Features

The starter pack includes the solid wood Ebony fitted CVN-300 violin, which also comes with a nice rosin cake, an adjustable shoulder rest, and an extra bridge. These also come with D’Addario Prelude strings.

You also get a lesson book (“The First Lesson”), a lightweight hard case, and the 92-D chromatic tuner metronome. The pack also includes a pair of brazilwood bows with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair. The bows aren’t all that bad and should be good enough for beginners, but you may want to change them for better bows once you gain more skills with the violin.

This comes with 4 size options, and the smallest available size is the ¼ with a length of 18.5 inches. But if you’re an adult, you’re better off with the 4/4 adult size that’s 23 inches long.

The violin looks gorgeous, with the ebony fingerboard and fittings. The antique varnish finish really looks classy, and it goes well with the nice combo of the spruce wood top and the maple for the back, neck, and sides.

More importantly, the sound is great for a violin for newbies. The full-sized violin may weigh 5 pounds, but that’s okay for adults as it’s still should be comfortable to carry around. But the weight also boosts the sound quality, so you get a bright and rich tone.

All in all, the price is very reasonable, considering that you get an excellent starter violin with the accessories you need. You get full value for your money, with a violin that can serve you well enough even as you graduate to the intermediate level.

You may want to upgrade the bows, as you can do better with higher quality bows once you get better with the violin. Some adults also have complaints with the shoulder rest, which you may want to replace for a more comfortable experience.

Pros

• It sounds great, considering the price.
• The strings and bows are decent.
• It comes with a lesson book and a battery-powered metronome.
• It looks nice too with its high-quality build, and it can last a good long while.

Cons

• You may want to replace the bows as you get better with the violin.
• The shoulder rest may have to be replaced, if you’re unable to adjust it for a comfortable playing position.

Cecilio Mendini Full Size 4/4 MV300

We also went with the full-sized 4/4 version of the MV300, though you have 6 other sizes available. The smallest size is the 1/32, which is only 13 inches long compared to the 23-inch length of the 4/4. This is also another starter violin from Cecilio, and this time they have the variety of sizes available for kids of all ages.

The top is made with hand carved solid spruce, with solid maple for the back and sides. The fingerboard, chin rest, and pegs are all made with maple. The alloy tailpiece comes with 4 integrated fine tuners. The whole thing comes with a nice satin antique finish.

Of course, if the satin antique finish isn’t your type, you have alternative looks to pick from. There’s a darker varnish finish, or you can go with the white or black option. You can even opt for the blue, purple, or pink!

This particular model line offers a lot of variety, so you (or your kid) can get the look of the violin just right. Newbies tend to be more motivated to learn and play, when they’re excited about how the violin looks.

Features

Since we want a violin for beginners, it made sense to get the starter pack that came with lots of accessories. This particular pack included:

• A brazil wood bow, with unbleached genuine horsehair
• 2 sets of violin strings
• 2 violin bridges
• A nice rosin
• An adjustable shoulder rest, with soft rubber feet and foam padding
• A lightweight, form-fitting hard case, with pockets, a backpack, and shoulder straps
• 1 lesson book (“The First Lesson”)
• A Cecilio clip-on tuner

The MV300 is more affordable than the CVN-300, so it may not compare as well with the more expensive violin. This is most evident in the quality of the strings. While these strings do work nicely enough for newbies, you may want to replace them with something better sooner rather than later.

In addition, the bows are also fine for beginners. But you should upgrade them once you get better with the violin.

All in all, this is a nice violin, especially considering the budget-friendly price. It’s no wonder that it’s very popular online, with lots of people heaping it praises.

Pros

• It comes as a complete kit.
• You have plenty of options for size and color.
• It offers good quality for a very low price.

Cons

• It does need a lot of adjustments.
• You may have to replace the bows and strings before long.

Cecilio Mendini Full Size 4/4 MV400

This is a bit more expensive than the MV400, but then you may still want to cough a few extra dollars more. After all, you’re still getting a full kit of accessories with this package. With all the stuff you get here, you should be able to graduate from beginner to intermediate violinist fairly quickly.

The sound you get here is quite energetic and crisp, helped along by a bright tone. The sound matches the rather lively look of the violin, with its varnish finish and inlaid purfling.

Features

Let’s start with what you actually get with this package, aside from the MV400 violin itself:

• 2 sets of violin strings
• 2 violin bridges
• 2 brazilwood bows with unbleached genuine horsehair
• 1 rosin
• The “First Lessons Violin” book
• Lightweight, form-fitting hardcase with backstraps, shoulder straps, and pockets
• M-92-D tuner metronome

We went with the full-sized 4/4 version, but there are 3 smaller sizes for kids. The violin we got also had a hand-carved spruce top, with maple for the back and sides. The fingerboard, chin rest, and pegs are all made with ebony, while you have 4 integrated fine tuners in the alloy tailpiece.

Keep in mind that this is meant for beginners, so those with extensive violin experience won’t be satisfied with this. But newbies tend to like its upbeat sound. The setup can be rather complicated, but you can help yourself by doing your own research and watching YouTube videos to tune this properly.

Once you do set this up properly, you may find yourself enjoying your violin lessons. It looks good and plays nicely, and the sound is quite nice as well. Considering the price, you sure get a lot for your money.

Pros

• It looks great.
• You get a complete kit, with lots of extras.
• It offers an upbeat sound.
• It’s very playable.

Cons

• The correct setup may take some doing.
• Once you get to the intermediate level, you’ll find yourself looking to buy a better violin.

Cecilio Mendini MV500

As you may have guessed, this one is just a bit better than the others, as it comes with a higher model number. Consequently, it costs a few dollars more.

Again, we went with the full-sized 4/4 version with the length of 23 inches. But here are 2 smaller sizes available, with the ¾ variant at 22 inches and the ½ version that’s still a bit smaller at 20 inches. There are no smaller sizes, as this version is a bit too advanced for very young kids.

Actually, many consider this just a bit better than the basic lineup of violins for beginners available from the Mendini line.

Features

Since we want the newbie-friendly option, we went with the MV500 that comes with the complete starter pack. This pack also includes:

• The lightweight hardcase
• The Cecilio 92-D tuner metronome
• 2 brazilwood bows with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair
• 2 bridges
• 2 sets of violin strings
• A rosin cake
• 2 bridges

This comes with the solid hand-carved maple for the back, neck, and sides, while you also get hand-carved solid spruce for the top. For the fingerboard, pegs, chin rest, you also have ebony. The darker color that you get with the varnish finish doesn’t really appeal to kids, but lots of adults like the classy design.

What’s more, the tone, is rich, deep, and quite powerful. You’re not the only one who will enjoy the excellent tonal quality either. With its superb ability to project its sound, your audience will appreciate your music as well. The sound really sings and resonates, with a tone that may even come off as somewhat sensuous.

The build quality is terrific, and it can really hold its tune for weeks before you need to adjust the tuning again. The great sound matches the elegant look, and adult beginners will surely appreciate its playability. You may have to break this in for a few weeks, as the sound won’t open up right away.

The good news is that this can suit your needs even when you graduate to the intermediate level of violin-playing. That should save you money in the end, since you won’t have to buy an upgrade too soon after getting this one.

Pros

• The look is quite elegant.
• The sensuous sound is rich, and projects nicely.
• It can hold its tune for weeks at a time.
• The build quality is terrific.
• It’s good enough for intermediate violin players.
• It comes with a complete kit for newbies

Cons

• You do have to consider upgrading the bows as you get better.
• It may require a few weeks for breaking it in.

Stentor 1400 3/4 Violin

What if you just want a violin instead of a starter pack? What if you also want something a bit smaller? If you’re buying for a teenage kid, then you may want to consider this option. It’s actually available in a wide range of smaller sizes, down to the 1/64 version. With 8 sizes all in all, you will be able to find the right size for you or your child.

Your purchase does come with the wood horsehair bow you need, and it also comes with a lightweight canvas covered case.

Features

This comes with a top made from carved solid spruce top, with solid maple for the back and sides. For the fingerboard, you have blackened rosewood.

These features are mostly to help children take the violin seriously. With the design and the choice of woods for the various parts, it really looks and feels like a “real” violin. It doesn’t look like a toy at all, even if you get a much smaller version for your child.

You do need to get the right size, because that’s the most important thing for kids. That way, they learn how to hold the violin properly, and they can then also learn how to play a single string at a time. The sound doesn’t have to be topnotch.

This is great because of the many available sizes, and also because it’s extremely affordable. With the bow, your kid can go online and find lots of free violin lessons, so they can get started already. The sound is good enough to train their ears, while they also get used to feeling the vibrations of the bow grip.

It’s even sturdy, which you’ll appreciate when your kid doesn’t treat it as well as they ought to. The canvas bag even lets kids carry around the case like it’s a backpack.

Pros

• It comes in many different sizes for children.
• It’s extremely affordable.
• It looks like a real violin, instead of a toy.
• The sound is adequate enough for newbies.

Cons

• This doesn’t come with the accessories you may find in other starter packs.
• It’s not really meant for adult newbies at all.

ADM Full Size 4/4 Acoustic Violin Set

This is another starter pack, complete with lots of accessories that lots of newbies will appreciate. We got the 4/4 full-sized version for adults, which makes sense. That’s because plenty of people consider this the best starter violin for adult beginners. With this particular violin, adult newbies will find it much easier to learn.

Features

Since this is also a starter pack, let’s list all the accessories you get aside from the violin itself.

• Foam case
• 2 sets of violin strings
• A tuner
• A brazilwood bow
• Rosin
• 2 violin bridges
• A music stand
• A cleaning cloth

This comes with solid spruce for the body top, with solid maple for the back, sides, and neck. You also get a technical wood fingerboard with an ebonized chin rest and pegs. The overall look is extremely elegant, so that you won’t have to be embarrassed by its design.

In fact, for a beginner instrument you won’t be embarrassed by its sound either. The sound is really good considering the price, with a tone that’s quite deep and rich. It projects its sound nicely, so you won’t be drowned out when you play in public (or for your friends and family).

The case protects the violin nicely, but it’s so lightweight that it’s not all that hard to carry this around. The violin itself isn’t all that heavy either at about 3.1 pounds. That should let you play long hours when you’re trying to learn.

You do want to replace the strings sooner or later. These are good enough for absolute beginners, and you even have an extra set of strings. But when you’ve progressed a bit with your violin skills, you’ll find that a better set of strings can really enhance your violin sound.

Perhaps the most notable missing piece in the pack is the lack of the lesson book, but it’s not a big deal. Just go online and find some violin lessons on YouTube and other sites, and you’ll be fine. While this may be used as kids, it’s really great for adult newbies to violins.

Pros

• It comes with lots of accessories, including a music stand.
• It looks great, and it even looks expensive.
• It doesn’t cost as much as it looks.
• The light weight makes it easy to play with even for longer time periods.

Cons

• The strings may have to be replaced once you get a bit better.
• There’s no violin lesson book as part of the package.

Cremona SV-175 Violin

The Cremona brand has been around since 1899, so it’s fair to say that they know what they’re doing. They must be doing something right, to stay alive all these years.

Cremona actually offers several violin models for beginners, but the SV-175 is perhaps the most highly regarded among them. It’s also the most popular violin among all the Cremona violin offerings. It comes at a low price appropriate for newbies, but you get superb tone quality with excellent playability.

Features

The SV-175 is made from carefully selected tone woods, and built with high quality workmanship. It looks terrific, with the gorgeous translucent brown that shows off the grain of the wood. You have an ebony fingerboard with ebony fittings as well.

But there’s more to the SV-175 than just its looks. It has been adjusted superbly, to conform to the standards set by the National Association for Music Education. This has been explicitly designed to meet the needs of beginner and intermediate students. It even comes with the US-made D’Addario Prelude strings, which is generally the set of strings that violin teachers recommend for beginner students.

The bow it comes with is also terrific. It’s made with brazilwood, and it comes with an ebony frog and genuine horsehair. You also get a travelite oblong violin case, which even comes with its own built-in hygrometer. The hygrometer measures the amount of water vapor in the air, so you can be sure that you’re keeping your violin in optimal conditions. The case is perhaps among the best for newbies, as it has enough space for accessories like your rosin, tuner, and some extra strings.

Keep in mind that this isn’t a violin that’s built for professionals. But for students, it’s excellent. Everything fits in nicely. The strings do need some time to settle down, but after that you get fantastic tone. The bow is good enough for students, but you may want to replace it for something better as you also improve your playing skills.

Pros

• You get fantastic workmanship with this violin
• It looks great.
• It’s set to official NAfME standards. 
• The case is terrific.

Cons

• It may require constant tuning, especially at first.
• The bow will need replacing after you get better.

D Z Strad Violin Model 101

While the D Z Strad brand name evokes the mythic Stradivarius, don’t be misled to think that this will sound anywhere the same as that iconic violin. The 101 is a violin for beginners, and in this role it’s excellent. In fact, plenty of private violin teachers recommend this specific model.

Features

First of all, you have a wide range of size options to pick from. While we tested the 4/4 full-sized version, you actually have 7 sizes to choose from. The smallest is the 1/32 size, which is just 13 inches long. You still have plenty of other size options in between this one and the largest at 23 inches long.

Just keep in mind that the prices are the same, regardless of which size you get. In addition, this is not exactly cheap. It costs more than twice as much as starter violins that come with a complete beginner’s kit.

But then again, you get both great looks and terrific sound. This may be a fine investment on your part, as you won’t have to upgrade too quickly to a better violin even as you get better at playing it.

There’s no doubt that this violin looks gorgeous. The aged tone woods have all been carefully chosen so that they’re all in high-grade, tight-grain quality. You have solid spruce for the top, maple for the back and sides, and ebony for the fingerboard. It’s been carved by hand, with a quality spirit varnish that also optimizes the sound.

The tone is very clear and simply brilliant, leading to a sound that’s undeniably radiant. The sound is probably 10 times better than what you’d get from most starter violins. The bow is terrific as well, and you won’t have to replace it either.

You do get a shoulder rest and rosin along with your violin, plus you get a case as well. All in all, this is most likely one of the best starter violins you can get.

Pros

• It looks terrific.
• The sound is fantastic.
• You have plenty of size options.
• The bow is excellent, and you won’t have to replace it anytime soon.
• This is recommended by a lot of violin teachers.
• You also get Prelude strings with this.

Cons

• It’s somewhat expensive, and it doesn’t even come with a tuner or a lesson book.
• It costs the same even when you get the smallest size.

Kennedy Violins Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit

This is less expensive than the D Z Strad on this list, but it costs more than the other options as well. The price remains the same regardless of the size you get, but at least you also get an entire newbie’s kit with plenty of accessories. You don’t even have to worry about the durability of this particular violin, as this is designed to last a lifetime.

While you may want to graduate to better violins as you get better, you can save this for the next generation of students. If you’re buying this for your first-born, then their younger siblings may later inherit this, and not feel like they’re getting a poor hand-me-down.

Features

This already comes assembled and properly setup, so you can basically play this right out of the case. The ¼ model we got has been hand-crafted with solid carved maple and spruce tone woods, while the fingerboard and the fittings are all made with ebony.

You also get the terrific D’Addario Prelude strings, and an extra set of Portland violin strings. This features a Giulani rosin, along with 4 professional-quality built-in fine tuners in the composite tailpiece. The satin oil finish offers a great look and terrific sound, unlike the lacquer finish in subpar models that result in a tinny sound. It also comes with a

Even the bow here is fantastic, as it’s made with high-grade Mongolian horsehair. You also get the half-mounted frog made with 100% ebony, along with the silver winding and the grip made with genuine leather.

The case is terrific as well, with lots of compartments and a lined protective blanket to protect the violin.

Pros

• It’s already been assembled, so it’s ready to play right out of the case.
• Both the looks and the sound are fantastic.
• The case is fine, with lots of features you’ll appreciate.
• The bow is terrific, and you won’t need to replace it.

Cons

• It’s a bit more expensive than the other kits.

Conclusion

With our list, you can find the best violin for beginners that should be easy for you to play, produce great sound, while still affordable. The key is to pick the right teacher, who can then help you find the right violin and the right size.

Once you get your own violin, you’ll be able to understand why this instrument has been popular in classical music for hundreds of years!