A Structured Starting Point for Adults Learning the Violin from the Beginning

Beginning the violin as an adult can be enormously rewarding. It can also be difficult to know where to begin, what to learn first, and how the different elements of violin playing fit together.

You do not need to assemble your first year of violin study from disconnected exercises, videos, and advice.

The Broadbent School offers several ways to begin, from free lessons and articles to structured courses and a complete first-year curriculum.

For the most efficient and productive use of your study time, I recommend following a structured course. A course gives you something individual videos and articles cannot: a carefully organized sequence in which each stage of your violin study builds upon what came before it.

Learn in a Clear, Chronological Order

Foundations: Violin for Adult Beginners

If you want me to guide you through the beginning stages of violin playing in the order I recommend my course, Foundations: Violin for Adult Beginners is the place to start.

Rather than piecing together individual lessons and trying to determine what should come next, you can follow a structured sequence through violin setup and the foundational physical, technical, and musical skills of violin playing.

The goal is not simply to get you playing pieces as quickly as possible. It is to establish a thoughtful foundation for the playing that comes afterward.

BEGIN FOUNDATIONS: Violin for Adult Beginners →

Your Complete First Year of Violin Study

First Year Violin — Year One Curriculum

For the most complete beginning pathway, First Year Violin — Year One Curriculum brings together four Broadbent School courses and resource libraries into one comprehensive first-year bundle:

Foundations: Violin for Adult Beginners
Violin for Adult Beginners Resource Library
Music Literacy for Violinists
Rhythm & Music Literacy Resource Library

Together, these provide structured violin instruction, supporting materials, music-reading study, and rhythm work for your first year of violin study.

This is not a separate course. It is a convenient way to purchase the School’s beginning curriculum and supporting resources together at a reduced price.

All materials are self-paced with lifetime access. Begin anytime and work through the material at your own pace.

$250 one-time payment

EXPLORE THE FIRST-YEAR CURRICULUM →

Want to Explore First?

There is a wealth of free violin instruction available here and on my YouTube channel. Use it to explore my teaching, answer a specific question, or work on an individual aspect of your playing.

For beginning violinists, however, information is not the same as a curriculum. Knowing what to study—and in what order—makes your practice more efficient and your progress more productive.

For a structured path, begin with Foundations: Violin for Adult Beginners or choose the First Year Violin — Year One Curriculum for the complete first-year program.

Watch Violin for Adult Beginners Playlist on Youtube

Start with Beginner Violin Scales

Violin for Adult Beginners Resource Library

Prefer to work independently?

The Violin for Adult Beginners Resource Library brings together downloadable studies and materials for beginning violinists, including scales, bowing, fingerboard work, notes on the violin, and early musical studies. (Take note this is included in the year one curriculum.)

EXPLORE THE RESOURCE LIBRARY →