There's more to playing a stringed instrument than putting the bow on the string. After one year, what will your child be able to do?
Firstly, the sound should not be like a cat being strangled! In fact, youngsters can make a beautiful sound using long, smooth bows, though this takes several months to achieve.
Your child will begin their journey on their stringed instrument by plucking the open strings. Violinists often start with holding the instrument in a guitar-like position but soon afterwards they will hold the violin in the correct position, just like the professionals!
At the same time, they will be learning how to handle, care for and hold the bow. As it is vital that they develop a relaxed and flexible bowhold, it may be several weeks before they actually put the bow onto the string.
Lessons at this time will probably include bowing practice, plucking simple tunes which use three or four different notes and learning to read simple tunes and exercises. Don't worry if your child has not been asked to buy any music. At this stage, the technique is far more important than reading the notes.
It won't be long before your child's teacher invites you to attend the local Music Centre. There you will find lots of young string players aswell as children who are learning other instruments. There will be several groups for children at different stages of learning and at Music Centre concerts, you will have the opportunity to hear the other groups perform. Learning to play in a group is an enjoyable and important part of playing an instrument and we take a lot of pride in the quality of our groups.
The most important thing you can do is to encourage your child to practise, by any means! Set aside a regular time for practice and share that child's practice time with them; for example, ask them to show you what they did in the lesson. In the beginning, it is better to practise little and often - this is the best way to reinforce learning which has taken place in their lesson.