How to choose the right violin size?

The first and most important thing when choosing a violin size is to consult a teacher, because they know best what the steps are when learning this instrument. And in the end, you will need a teacher, because learning to play the violin is definitely not a "piece of cake".  If you need a teacher's contact, we at Anitom will be happy to help you.

Violin Size Guide

1/32 Violin

With 1/32 size, this is the smallest violin available that fits the 1 to 3 old children. Its quite a rare size as many parent choose to skip right to the 1/16th size.

Before investing in a a beautiful wooden instrument for your 2 year old we would recommend getting some toy instruments first to get your child acquainted with making music in a less formal way.

1/16 Violin

Once your child turns three to five years old, they will be ready for the 1/16 size violin. If he or she starts playing at this age, you should pick out this size first. It measures 36.8 cm in total length and suits the child with around a 35.6 cm long arm.

1/8 Violin

The 1/8 size violin is usually the best option for four to six years old students. With 143.2 cm in total length, it will suit the child with an arm length around 41.9 cm.

1/4 Violin

Children ages five to seven often play on the 1/4 size violin, which measures between 47 – 48.3 cm in length. It will fit students with an 45.7 – 47 cm long arm.

1/2 Violin

Once your child turns seven to nine years old, he or she will need the violin that measures 52 cm in total length. This instrument is an excellent fit for violin students with a 50.8 cm long arm.

3/4 Violin

This violin suits nine to twelve years old students. Since this instrument is 21 inches (53.3 cm) long, it is the best option for the child with around an 54.6 – 55.9 cm long arm.

4/4 Violin

It is a full-size, 23 to 23.5 inches (58.4 – 59.7 cm) long violin for tall teenagers and adults who have arms longer than 58.4 cm. In general, players taller than 5 feet (1.5 m) can start playing this instrument.

Can I Skip a Violin Size?

The dilemma that bothers most parents is whether to buy the next violin size in the list or skip one because the child is growing fast. Its the same problem you face when buying your children shoes or clothes which you know they will grow out of!

In general, it is better to skip ahead one size and purchase an instrument of better quality than waste money on a low-quality, cheap violin which will only be the right size for a matter of months in some cases. It makes sense to invest in quality and its easier to play, sounds better and its also generally easier to resell good quality instruments than very cheap laminated violins.

Did you know that Ruse has already a music shop? Yes, this is us - Anitom Music Shop.

In the short time since we opened our doors we met wonderful people from Ruse and the surrounding cities. We were visited by some of the greatest musicians in Ruse, musicians from other cities in Bulgaria, but also from abroad. We managed to make many children happy with new musical instruments and we are happy to have laid the foundations for a young community that will grow with our joint efforts. We are very grateful for the positivity and thank all our clients that despite the strange circumstances in which we live, they keep their positivity and continue to make music. 

If this is your first time hearing about us, but you want to be part of our community, you can follow us on social media.

Stay healthy and don't stop making music!

From the Anitom Team 

“As far as songwriting goes, my inspirations came from love, life and death, and viewing other people’s situations.”- Ed Sheeran

If you ask five songwriters about what inspires them to write their music, you will surely find five different answers from each of them. Music is personal and intimate, and it manifests directly from a writer’s pen to the minds of a listener.

That is why, when John Lennon sang,

“Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today..”

-people all around the world echoed his sentiments.

However, even armed with your creativity, you can hit a writer’s block while writing music if you don’t have the idea about how to frame it properly. You cannot just haphazardly jot down the words that come to your mind and hope your listeners will understand the message you want to put out.

To make things easier, here are ten steps that will take you down the route to song writing. This approach is tried and tested by pros and is a perfect recipe to put out a great song in no time.

So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Begin by framing the title

Try to put down the message of your song in a phrase with up to six words. Elevate the phrase by using action words and images. Make sure people understand the message you are trying to convey with your song just by reading the title.

Jot down the questions that come to your mind by reading the title

Think about the questions your readers might have when they read the title of your song, and make a list from it. Even though you know the answers to the questions, framing them will help you to organize your thoughts and help you with a better writing flow. Some of the potential questions you might want to include in your list are –

• What is the meaning of your title?
• What happened to trigger it?
• What happens next?

Give your song a structure

If you look at the latest hits charts, you will find that most songs are structured in a similar way – verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus.

Well, you might want to follow this pattern if you want to go by the recent trend of popular song. However, don’t be afraid to experiment by adding a lift or pre-chorus, here and there. It is an excellent way to build on the anticipation of your listeners.

Answer the questions

Go back to your list of questions you have penned down. Now, try to answer each of the questions written- one for each verse and one in the chorus.

You will find that your song is taking shape!

Seek out the melody in the lyrics

What is the difference between a few normal lines and a song? Melody, of course!

Read out the lines you have written and try to exaggerate emotions in them. Search for a melody in your lines by noticing their natural rhythm. Try out melody combinations, until you reach a suitable comfort level.

Add chords to the melody

Begin with a repeated chord pattern and strum the melody until you settle on something that you like. Proceed to record your vocals with variations of chord progressions. Save every file you have recorded, even if it is on your iPhone.

Don’t worry; you will find something that feels right!

Go back to the second point

It’s time to ask questions again!

Frame questions for your first verse and then repeat the consecutive steps to find the melody and chords for it.

Create a transition

Once you have completed the previous steps, you need to find the transition between your verses and chorus. Add a word, add a line, anything that will sound right and connect your verses.

Make sure the chorus is catchier than the main verse. After all, most people tend to remember the songs with the chorus!

Repeat previous steps to create a second verse

Now that you are making headway creating a second verse will be much easier for you.

Repeat all the steps mentioned above- start with questions, move on to melody and then chords for your second verse. Also, make sure you maintain a smooth transition between the two!

Record the song

Now that you have all the raw materials at hand, it is time to move on to the final product. Decide your music accompaniments for your song. Try various combinations of them until the song sounds just right.

Make sure you record every version along the way, and you will surely get the one you like best.

And there you go! You will have a perfectly written song in no time at all!