My piano teacher (not that she'd know) told me that if you get a violin/viola teacher, make sure they only teach one of these because the instruments are similar but are different and so it is terrible if the teacher mixes up the teaching of them and teaches the violin like the viola and vice versa.
Is this true from experience?

My viola teacher teaches violin and viola and I haven't had any problems. I would prefer to be taught by a violist (rather than a violinist who plays the viola as a second instrument) but I still have a lot to learn from my teacher and I don't think I'm good enough for it to really make that much difference.

You're grade 6, I'd say that's pretty far!

I want to play all the instruments you play, a violin instead, but pretty much the same instruments!

I suppose gr6 is quite far but what I've found with piano is that the further I go, the further there is to go (if you see what I mean) and as my piano teacher said to me, "Grade 8 is the beginning, not the end". Why do you want to play the violin rather than viola? What do you play at the moment?

True say, but I mean in terms of developing ability, its quite far.
I'm a grade 8 pianist.
About the violin, I've always wanted to play it when I was younger and I still do, so I think its a sign that I should I guess. However, a teacher I really respect at school plays the viola and I loved the sound, but I've always liked the violin and I think I could force myself to learn it rather then the viola. Probably makes no sense, but its just the way I've thought. If I could, I'd learn both.
Also, I have pretty small hands and the gaps in violins are smaller then violas, not by much, but it still is, so I think I'm better suited for it. (I can reach an octave on the piano and a 9th if I try, but i can't in a piece.)
Repertoire for viola is also pretty limited too and you ahev to learn a whole new clef for viola and I'm pretty abd at sight-reading.

What are your views on the viola and violin?

Well, obviously I prefer the viola as I am violist! A while ago I decided I wanted to play a stringed instrument, and immediately thought of the violin but then I went on a music course and was put off the violin as it was so common and I wanted (as always!) to be different. I couldn't decide between cello and viola but after listening to recordings I chose the viola.
I understand what you say about the difference in size. It's not a problem for me as I have large hands and extremely long fingers. Bear in mind though, that some violas are smaller than others. I play a small viola (15.5") which I find much easier to handle than a larger viola.
Yes, I admit it, the viola repertoire is a bit limited, but the viola repertoire has expanded quite considerably since the beginning of the 20th century and will probably continue to do so.
I haven't found learning the alto clef too much of a problem, apart from when it goes really high and has lots of ledger lines.
Another thing to consider if you want to do ensemble playing is that everyone always wants violists, whereas it is often more competitive on the violin.

No. The best teacher I ever had, and the only one I would want if I ever got round to attempting a diploma again (it wasn't HER fault I never did any practice!) is a violinist.

Liz

Our daughter's orchestra conductor is a violist but he's a very good teacher who teaches both. Violin up to grade 6 and viola all the way. He teaches some friends of mine and they say he's brilliant at both. Note however, that he does not teach violin after grade 6.

My friend is a violist who studied at Guildhall. Her daughter learns the violin from a violist, too, but giving her opinion as a violist, she told me that she's happy for her girl to stay with a violist all the way to grade 5.

Looks like to these folks, it doesn't matter unless you are already doing grade 7, 8 and beyond.

I know, there's so many good points of both. Its annoying! I don't know what to choose! I'm not put off by the fact that a lot of people play the violin, I don't see why taht is a problem.
Are the stretches in a viola big? The piano irritates me sometimes beacsue I have a small span but ahve to reach quite far!

my teacher plays both the violin and viola, and i'm learning violin...

he studied a high diploma for viola, but he teaches more violin students.

i don't think he mixes up violin and viola while teaching, at least i feel my learning is ok. but i don't know how (or why) he can play the violin at the moment then play the viola with no mistake in the next minute...

My "upper string teacher" teaches me both violin and viola....I use to like the violin more but now my thinking has changed.I won't get muddle up if I learn both similar instruments but I notice when I play the violin after the viola, I found that a violin is sooooooooooooooo small and soooooooooooooo light!!

Mountain, I think the point about so many people playing it is that you have to be that much better to get a place in any orchestras or chamber music or courses etc, because they have a wider pool of people to choose from.


That IS impressive!

Maxim Vengerov learnt to play the Viola (in only three weeks to play a concerto for violin and viola with one of his students, he later (presumably after a little more practice) recorded the Britten viola concerto to great acclaim); I doubt that suddenly made him a bad person to have as a teacher! A wider experience would most probably be a benifit rather than a bad thing; but being taught the violin by purely a violist (or vice versa) would probably not quite be the same as being taught by a violinist, just because they have a real interest in your exact instrument.

(Just on a small point of accuracy it was the Walton viola concerto (the Britten is on the violin), and he did this after 9 months of learning the viola, he always likens this brief sojourn as an affair with the viola as his mistress, the violin being his wife ).

And I certainly would not baulk at having Maxim for a teacher but then not many teachers can claim to be as experienced or as talented.

I am now on my 3rd violin teacher, (don't know what I do to 'em )....the first two, although I was learning violin, both played viola as their first instruments. I don't think it did me any harm, and I was never aware of any problems. I think it is all a matter of how good the teacher is, not which instrument they major in.

True, but i meant on average. I doubt there are many good teachers who teach both instruments. That's all. I'm guessing that if I take up either instrument, my first teacher isn't going to be very good (I'm guessing as it'll be my first teacher and I won't be sure of how a good teacher for violin/viola is supposed to be like). So I was wondering just to help me choose a teacher really.

Hmmm yes, we sort of went off into a fantasy world for a moment then didn't we

I have found the main difficulty is finding a teacher at all, however if you do have a choice, and as a beginner it is true you will not be able to assess if they are good or not, then you need to listen to the recommendations of others.

I would not worry about the violin vs viola aspect at all. Many teachers play both anyway, and as a beginner the initial technique (how you hold instrument and bow, how you bow straight etc) will be the same. The main criteria for me would be to get someone good who was not going to instill any bad habits, but make sure I start with good technique.