Hello all, I have been taking lessons for four months but have to stop abruptly because of health problems. I have to pay my medical bills so I can no longer afford violin lessons for now.

Now, will it be ok for me to pick up the violin and play now and then? It pains to stop when I barely started! Or should I totally not touch it until I can resume lessons for fear of bad habits? Would scales be ok?

I'm thinking of going back to the guitar. I had Grade 5 in that before I stopped lessons so I won't do myself damage on that!

Sorry to hear that. I see no reason why you shouldn't carry on practising.

Liz

Yes I don't think it would hurt to pick it up for a fiddle every so often. Sorry to hear about it too.

Oh no I know how you feel - I cannot play my violin much either, because of health problems. I've had all the bones in my spine fused together and my ribcage broken and re-shaped, and holding the violin up for any length of time can really, really hurt and make my muscles go into painful spasms. I hope you will be able to practise as I do, as and when you feel up to it, and be careful not to overdo things. Playing the guitar will hopefully be a rewarding way for you to continue playing music.

I'm having lessons on the violin now but only when I feel able to - my teacher is happy to teach me oboe stuff when I can't play the violin, and violin stuff when I don't have the breath for the oboe (my back condition affected my lung function too). And, oboe reed-making when I am not fit enough to play either!

Good luck Sakura, and please do let us know how you get on.

oboebunny I cxan totally sympathise - my bf's mother has several fused vertebrae in her spine, a crumbling spine and several metal pins in her vertebrae and she spends a large portion of her life in severe pain, so I can totally applaud anyone who tried to keep going through these sort of problems.

As far as aches and pains when playing violin go, I (touch wood) am lucky enough not to have any spinal or muscular problems but even I get sore shoulders and back after an hour of practising, mainly through tension and poor posture. Posture is so important with violin playing, as is making sure you get a really good chin/shoulder rest or any other adjustments you might need. Maybe you could ask your music teacher or seek advice from a good music shop in your area. They may be able to order a rest for you which would provide the right support and help make sure everything is aligned when you hold your violin, which, although it wouldn't solve the problems you have with your back, would surely help a little when you're playing. I've tried so many shoulder rests which haven't suited me and even tried playing without one for a while (worst mistake I ever made!), so anyone getting problems with back or muscular pain when practising should definitely look into this.