Are you secretly losing money on your (or your kid’s) first violin, viola, or ‘cello?
In this guide, we’ll uncover why cheap beginner instruments often cost more in the long run, compare hiring vs. buying, and show you how to start learning on the right note - without wasting money or motivation.
Before you rush to the nearest general music shop with your credit card (or worse: click ‘BUY NOW!’ on a bargain violin, viola or cello you spotted online), stop for a moment and read this guide first.
The truth is, thousands of parents and adult beginners potentially waste hundreds of pounds every year on instruments that look like a deal but end up sabotaging progress, draining valuable tuition time (and money!), and sometimes crushing a new musician’s confidence before they’ve even begun. And they don’t even know it.
This guide reveals the real numbers and ‘opportunity costs’ behind buying vs. hiring, and the hidden costs most people overlook, and how to give yourself or your child the best start in music without breaking the bank. Is it all doom and gloom, trouble and strife? Absolutely not, there are many hidden powerful benefits to learning an instrument as well. To help you unlock these critical skills for life in the best way and recognise a good investment vs. a bad one, we have created this guide.
Who should read this:
Parents considering a first violin, viola, or cello for their child.
Adult beginners wondering whether to hire or buy before starting lessons.
Anyone tempted by second-hand ‘bargains’ at car boot sales, pawnshops, or online seller platforms (amazon, eBay, Vinted, facebook, Catawiki, Gumtree, etc.), but unsure of the risks and common pitfalls.
Families who want to invest wisely in music lessons (for all of the developmental and social benefits music brings) and avoid wasting time and money.
If this is you, keep reading as the answers will save you money and make learning smoother from day one.
Costly or Expensive? Understanding Value
Before we dig into the main issue, there is an important difference between something which is costly and something that is expensive.
Costly can mean a higher outlay, but with strong value for you in return. For example, buying a well-set-up instrument from a professional workshop might look costly, compared to buying the cheapest violin you can find. Yet the progress, enjoyment and confidence it brings make it excellent value for money. By the way, this is why hiring should not be seen as throwing away money at all. It rather is investing a bit every month to leverage the use of a high quality, high value instrument (to accelerate your learning) for a fraction of its cost each month to obtain it.
Expensive is paying money for something where the value is not there at all. This means any amount of money! So it can both be an instrument with a high price tag or a low one. An instrument that looks shiny but is poorly set up, or tuition wasted on constant tuning problems, is expensive because you pay without receiving the benefit.
The hidden costs of buying a cheap beginner violin, viola, or cello
Whether you’re an adult picking up the violin for the first time or a parent supporting a child’s musical journey, the question often comes up: should you buy or hire your first instrument? As you or your child start out on this journey that can literally be lifechanging, (and to list all the benefits of a good musical foundation is plenty of food for a different article) every violin (or viola or cello) looks practically the same to you at that stage. So why can you find one on amazon from £37.00 and at your local luthier they start from £370? Are they ripping you off? The answer is yes. Amazon is ripping you off. That perfectly advertised £37.00 violin kit is not actually fit to use when it arrives. I am not talking just about the £37.00 you spent. There are a few more costs and wastes to consider as well.
For instance an extra (full price) professional setup. IF you can find a luthier within reasonable distance who is willing to work on a toy, because not everyone accepts that kind of work. Had you bought the violin from a luthier to begin with, the cost of the set-up would be included in the purchase and possibly a bit cheaper as you buy the instrument from them as well. That £37.00 violin now costs £187 - £237 plus getting to the luthier and back home for drop-off and pick-up.
Whatever the purchase price of the instrument may have been, the time a professional luthier spends on it is still at their professional rate!
Cost of lessons. ‘But lessons always are a cost’ you say? Not always. If you can use them wisely and efficiently, they are an investment. But if you bought time with an expert to benefit from their experience, which is then used on getting your not-set up amazon violin to work during a lesson, that is absolutely an expensive waste. How much waste this can amount to we will explore later.
Regardless of the extra hidden monetary cost that a too-good-to-be-true bargain buy can bring, the next one is priceless. As in: there is no price tag that can be put to it.
A good set up instrument inspires to play, it sounds better and easier, it is more comfortable to play and there is no struggle to progress technically - if you practice regularly. An unadjusted instrument that resists you every step of the way, drains your motivation and your will to progress. New players also feel that it is their own fault that they themselves are not able to learn where so many succeeded before them. Crushed hopes and dreams, as well as broken confidence that translates to other areas of life. This is what opportunity cost means: the cost of an instrument that isn’t fit for purpose is the opportunity to have a good foundation and a good chance to learn.
So when the Dutch say: ‘goedkoop is duurkoop’ (= buying cheap is expensive) they mean this: you also buy the hidden costs and waste you don’t realise are there, as well as the value you expect to get from your purchase just isn’t there.
Mura, Muda, and Muri: the Japanese ideas of waste and efficiency, applied to music
These are three key terms from the Lean Manufacturing mindset and although they come from the Toyota Motor Corporation, they are surprisingly applicable to music and musical education. Toyota looked at their manufacturing process to streamline it so the only things that they did added value for the customer.
Muda (means ‘waste’): Wasted time, effort, or money (as a result of buying something that does not add value to your life, and music tuition time as an underutilised resource).
Mura (means ‘unevenness’ or ‘variation’): inconsistent progress where some weeks go well and others don’t, because the instrument can hinder development as it reacts to variations in the weather or atmosphere it is kept in.
Muri (means ‘overburden’): when learning becomes too hard as poor equipment leads to frustration, fatigue, or giving up entirely.
A well chosen instrument minimises these three hurdles to you adding value to your life, ensuring tuition fees, practice time, and emotional (and physical) energy are all used more efficiently. And as a beginner (or parent of a beginner) do you know the difference between a costly, but good instrument and a cheap, but expensive instrument? I didn’t, when I started back in the day, (too long ago for comfort)!
So how much value could be added with a good instrument? Or rather:
How much could you be missing out on using a “bad” one?
A badly set-up instrument of insufficient quality can hinder a learner to a point where it interrupts their concentration, their quality of playing and with added building frustration can lead to stop the lesson altogether even. Also ill-fitting pegs can slip, or suddenly jump forward at the risk of breaking a string in the process, rendering the rest of the lesson practically useless - or spent fitting a new spare string and tuning it over and over (if you carry spare strings) as new strings stretch a lot when they first get installed.
It would not be outrageous to say that up to 10 minutes of each lesson can be spent wasting time adjusting the poorly adjusted violin, viola, or cello.
An average lesson in the UK costs £22,50 per half hour. Take 5 minutes off for natural arriving, settling, unpacking, and repacking at the end of the lesson, that leaves 25 minutes of actual valuable tuition time for that £22.50.
That is £0.90/minute. 10 minutes time wastage is 40% of the lesson and could add up to £9.00/lesson of tuition paid and not received.
In 39 weeks (a school year of lessons) that is on average £351.00 lost. That is nearly a luthier bought, beginner violin EACH YEAR (or a 3rd of a cello)!
This also means, that if you were to invest in a better purchase instrument from the start, the fully utilised lessons almost take care of the instrument in 1 year.
Now what about hiring?
The numbers: hire vs. buy
Let’s start comparing:
Hiring: A properly set up violin from a specialist shop might cost around £15–£25 per month for a starter model, rising if you want a higher-tier instrument
Buying: A decent entry-level violin outfit from a reputable shop usually starts around £350–£575 for a beginner’s package with proper setup included.
If a lesson investment is £22.50 for 30 minutes, a 39 week schoolyear costs £877.50 in tuition fees (or £73.13 averaged out per 12 month period).
If you hire a classic violin for a year, with 50% of rent paid being able to be applied towards a purchase after, the actual cost of violin hire plus tuition would be £81.63 per month. (£7.50/month, since the other £7.50 can be reclaimed when making a purchase later). That means the cost of using a properly set up instrument is roughly only 10% of the monthly tuition.
Apart from this math, you can also leverage the use of a higher quality instrument for a fraction more when you might not have been able to comfortably pay for one of the higher level instruments. I mean, everything costs so much these days, doesn’t it? Pounds from wages are often already spoken for when you got paid at the end of the month. The financial analysis is scary: 1 in 3 Brits have only up to £5000 in the bank to shield them from the wolf at the door. 1 in 10 runs on empty all the time and another 2 in 10 have less than £1000 to call upon in an emergency.
With these economic statistics it is hard to imagine lots of people being able to put money in a purchase of a violin outright on an experiment or an ‘oh please, please, please’ from a child. Let alone for a cello! But it is still possible for everyone to benefit, or offer to your child the benefits, of learning an instrument and practice a very cool skill. Learning to play an instrument is about building unique neural connections (this doesn’t stop with age either, at 80 you can still build new neural connections). It is about learning a different language (translating dots on a line into finger positions, which in turn translate into music). And an opportunity to learn to work as part of a team towards the same goal.
Why hiring often wins for beginners
Affordable each month: Hiring spreads the costs whilst letting you access a properly set up, good-quality instrument from day one. Not everyone can afford £370,£475 or £575 (our classic, premium and deluxe instrument packages) at the drop of a hat, but almost everyone can afford £15-£20-£25 per month.
Plus you still have the opportunity to use that £355, £455, or £550 you saved by not buying that instrument and invest it elsewhere.Better instrument, accessible now: You don’t have to settle for a bargain-bin violin that holds you back and costs you £351.00+ in missed tuition each year.
Hire loyalty rewards: Many shops offer loyalty bonuses where part of your paid hire fees can be calculated toward buying a better instrument from them later. You can already be paying towards owning an instrument later without even feeling it!
Avoiding beginner mistakes: Starters rarely know what to look for in an instrument and can easily be misled by cheap-looking “deals.” Hiring protects you from this when you are most vulnerable and impressionable to it.
Flexibility: You can scale up or down a hire outfit quality or size when you feel you are ready and could benefit from a different instrument more. With a growth in skill over time, so also grows the demands from the instrument you use. And if these grow past what the beginner instrument can give you, it is time to upgrade. And for growing kids, a size upgrade is usually quickly and easily done.
“Starters’ ” remorse: If you tried everything and set the scene for success in the best possible way and it still doesn’t work out, a hire instrument is usually easily returned (after the minimal hiring period) and you haven’t bought a costly instrument you are now struggling to rehome.
When buying makes sense: the smart path to success in music
When you have played for a year or two, you will probably have figured out whether you are going to stick with it. And you probably have gotten a bit of a sense to what you like and need from an instrument. At that point, it is good to discuss options with the shop you are hiring your instrument from. You could buy the instrument you are currently hiring, but you could also apply the loyalty bonus you have saved up by hiring towards a different instrument of even better quality, accelerating your learning and inspiration even further.
For some players the time to explore purchase options comes sooner, and others might like to continue the hire for all the bonuses listed above.
When you’re ready to buy, you can make an informed choice with experience behind you, often with loyalty discounts reducing the cost.
In short: hire first, buy smart later. It’s the best way to set yourself or your child up for musical success.
Here is a handy article to find out if you are ready to step up your game.
The hidden dividends and benefits of learning an instrument
We’ve talked a lot about numbers, costs, expenses, tuition and pitfalls.
The truth on the other side is, that the value of learning to play an instrument goes far beyond lesson costs, hire fees or purchase prices. When you (or your child) start on a well-set-up instrument, you’re also unlocking benefits that will last a lifetime.
For children
Stronger brain development: Music supports memory, focus and problem-solving, and it is known to help with school subjects like maths and literacy.
Confidence and self-esteem: Every milestone, from the first C-major scale to the first concert, builds self-confidence, pride of achievement and motivation.
Patience and resilience: Practice teaches perseverance and how to turn mistakes into progress. Determination, diligence and hard work can overcome many obstacles.
Friendship and belonging: Playing in school groups or youth ensembles gives children a real sense of community and a positive identity.
For adults
Stress relief and mindfulness: Playing provides a calm, creative space away from the demands of daily life. One might go as far as to call it a form of meditation, where you focus your mind on concentrating on one thing and block out everything else for a little while. Mental health benefits aplenty!
Lifelong learning: Taking up a new skill later in life keeps the brain sharp and flexible. And also brain development as neural pathways are continuously being built, strengthened or re-routed up until a very high age. And don’t forget improved dexterity and eye-hand coordination either!
New social connections: Community groups and orchestras are a great way to meet likeminded people.
Personal fulfilment: Few things are as rewarding as creating music with your own hands and letting that music positively move another person.
For everyone
Better listening and language skills: Training the ear through music makes it easier to pick up new languages and communicate clearly.
Creativity: Whether improvising or interpreting a piece, music encourages fresh ways of thinking.
A legacy skill: Music is something you keep for life, and something you can share across generations.
A possible career: Even though it wasn’t my first choice graduating with A-levels from school, somehow I found my way into the world of music and carved out a very exciting and varied career where I get to help others improve and achieve their dreams in music. I help starters find their feet in a world that is fully new to them. I guide advanced and gifted amateurs to find their perfect companion instrument and I assist young professionals to find their ideal partner for a lifelong rewarding career without restraints. And my love for music and the violin started with learning to play it, under the guidance of a great teacher and with a good instrument to help me along the way.
‘al fine’
A proper instrument hire or purchase may look like a cost on paper, but what it really represents is an investment in sharper minds, calmer moods, stronger friendships and lifelong joy. That’s why starting with a carefully set-up hire instrument is often the smartest first step. It keeps costs manageable while giving you or your child the best chance to fall in love with music and thrive. And when you are highly motivated to invest in an instrument you own outright, it is good to consider the hidden costs before you get tempted by the cheapest price tag as the opposite side of that tag can be fraught with opportunity costs. Caveat emptor: buyer beware!
You should now feel more empowered and armed with knowledge to better decide on your best path forward.
To help you start your journey in learning to play the violin, viola, or cello right from the start, why not send us a message to see how we can make that happen for you? At Bridge Street Violins we always put the needs of the musician first!
Head on over to our contact page to tell us about your hopes and dreams in music and we’ll give you the best help to help you get there. After all: why does Bridge Street Violins exist? To empower our clients to live a life free of restraints, so they can meet their potential and inspire others to do the same.