My daughter is planning to start the viola after her Grade 5 violin exam this summer. Her violin teacher (who also teaches viola) recommends stopping the violin altogether when you start the viola, but other local viola players say it's fine to carry on with both. What is the best option? She would like to carry on the violin, but possibly with a different teacher (at school) - playing the viola with her current violin teacher (out of school).

Has her teacher explained why she thinks your daughter should stop playing violin? I'm not a string player, so know nothing about the technique, but I can't imagine it is vastly different. Maybe she thinks the change of clef will cause confusion? Or is it an issue about finger spacing? No doubt some clever people will be along soon...

I've never played the violin, and still have a lot of difficulty with intonation on the viola. I really don't understand how anyone manages to play both instruments without messing up their intonation on both. Likewise I don't understand how a violist can play a viola that's bigger or smaller than the one s/he is used to. I know people can do these things, I just don't understand how.

I did it the other way round ie. viola first then violin. I didn't have any problems. Many teachers play both so i see no reason why she shouldn't continue with both if she wants to.

Liz

Many people, including both my current violin teachers also play the viola and have no problem coping. But I think at a point if you were to go into performing you'd have to choose only one to focus on. I don't play the viola but I heard that it helps with violin intonation. No idea if that's true though. And extensions are a pain on the viola.

Literally!

I know 2 girls who have just staretd the Viola, they both have the same teacher. The teacher let them try playing both for a while. She was worried about the finger spacing. Anway one took to it like a duck to water, the other has stopped the violin, she was getting confused with the clef and did indeed find the finger spacing difficult.

So I guess everyone is different.

Um, what's an extension?

Unless you're Maxim Vengerov. He manages to perform on both instruments outstandingly well, as a soloist!

Performing on both (orchestrally or chamber music) is not unheard of, although perhaps not as common today as it may have been in the past.

AND in the same concerto

Extensions are when you stretch your little finger to play higher notes instead of shifting your entire hand up the neck of the violin. Since the gap between notes on the viola is bigger, you would really have to stretch very far and it hurts.

So, in first position, the F on the A string would be an extension? I don't really understand why it would hurt. I can't stretch all that far, because my little finger is quite short, but it doesn't hurt to stretch as far as I can. Maybe as I improve I'll be able to stretch further, but it will hurt?

Yes, that's correct. F on the A string is a fourth finger extension. It doesn't hurt much on the violin with practice, but it's a pain when you have to play multiple extensions one after another... the little finger does get tired and sore. But then again I have small hands, so others might not have the same problem. I don't play the viola but my friend who does says extensions are even more painful because of the distance.

Something to look forward to, then

Oh, the joys of learning an instrument!!

I WILL practise today, I WILL practise today, I WILL practise today....