Piano vs Violin – A valid question that almost every beginner musician face. When you want to learn music but have no particular preference, it can get difficult to choose one instrument.
No matter what you choose, music has an immense effect on the human brain. Music instruments create strong brain activity in both hemispheres, which increases activity in the corpus callossum (the bridge between the left and right hemispheres). This makes musicians cognitively advanced.
So, Congratulations that you want to learn a musical instrument. Let’s now get to which one!
Piano vs Violin: Detail Comparison
Both piano and violin are string instrument. And that’s the only similarity they have. Honestly, its difficult to compare these two instruments but we will do it and we will do it together.
| Feature | Piano | Violin |
| Sound | It is easy to produce sound by pressing any key on the piano. | Creating sound on a violin requires rigorous practice. |
| Posture | Holding posture for playing piano can be mastered quickly. | Maintaining the position of holding and playing the violin is a huge task. |
| Learning Resources | There are many resources for beginners to learn piano. | For violin, resources are limited. It is only possible to learn violin with help. |
| Group playing | Pianists are solo learners and performers from classical times. | Violinists learn in collaboration as they must perform in orchestras. Therefore they must string in harmony. |
| Portability | The piano is not at all portable. | The violin is a portable instrument. |
| Expense | The piano is quite expensive to begin with. | Violin is comparatively cheaper than piano. |
| Fragility | Piano is less threatened by the surroundings. | Violin is fragile and needs careful hands to maintain it. |
| Maintenance | The piano costs a few bucks on maintenance in ages. | Violin needs regular maintenance, and it costs a reasonable amount. |
1. It’s Easier to Produce Sound on Piano than Violin
Producing sound from a piano is always easy. Press any key, and it sounds melodious. The more force you use to press the key, the more intensely the strings will hammer to give out an intense note.
You need no prior knowledge of hand and finger position or any technicalities to produce a sound. On the other hand, if you do the same with a violin, it will create a screeching sound to chatter your teeth!
With a violin, one must learn how to grip the strings and draw the bow for that perfect effect.
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2. It’s Harder to Learn Violin Posture than Piano Posture
Playing piano requires proper posture and the correct position of hands on the keyboard, and you need to sit straight up. That’s it! You are ready to give it a go. After a few days of practice, piano position and posture will become intuitive for you.
Violin, on the other hand, involves awkward positions. One needs to use the head, shoulder, cheek, and chin to hold the violin. Once you master that, your struggle with the bow begins, followed by the fret less strings.
3. Lot of Free Learning Resources are available for Piano but not for Violin
Do you like to self-learn your musical instrument?
Piano has a lot of free resources to self-learn. Watch and listen to top-notch pianists and composers to learn piano. Music sheets are available free on websites. If you are serious, you can buy songbooks from Amazon too.
You can use apps such as Pianote and SimplyPiano to polish your skill or join an online piano class to learn from a piano teacher.
Alternatively, learning violin on your own is an arduous task. Sheet music for violin is only available for a few classical ones on the internet.
Though advantages of applications such as SmartMusic, and Trala are present in the market, one needs an expert to learn correct finger placement and proper ways to hold and draw the bow.
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4. Piano can be played Solo, or in a Group. Violin is mostly played in Group
Pianists can play in group, duet, or do solo performances. They can be independent musicians like Krystian Zimerman or lead an orchestra like Mozart.
Violinists mostly learn in groups pacing up with each other in harmony. This helps to beat stage fright. Everyone can become confident enough to perform alone!
5. Violin can be easily Moved. Piano cannot
One of the challenges with piano is portability. Being huge, you cannot carry them with you. Though, digital pianos are enough lightweight to carry around.
Violins can be easily packed up without difficulties whether traveling by car or flight.
One can carry one’s favorite instrument and practice before the shot. This makes a beginner confident as they can access their familiar instrument.
6. Violin is Cheaper than Piano
The truth be told, every musical instrument is expensive.
The more you practice, the better you become, and the better you become, the better version you need.
A brand new upright piano costs anywhere from $3000 to $5000, while grand piano starts at around $10000. The modern version of the piano, i.e., the acoustic piano, starts from around $3000 and goes up to and beyond $10000 and $2,00,000. You can opt for a digital piano which ranges from $50 to $500.
A violin, on the other hand, is a cheaper choice. A violin for beginners can cost about $500, an intermediate violin comes around $1000-$2000, whereas a good professional violin starts from $5000 and mounts up to $50000.
P:S: If you want to stick around your musical journey, you must prepare for serious investments.
7. Violin is Fragile.Piano is Robust
Violin is delicate and fragile. Violin needs to be handled sensitively. As its delicate parts are open, it becomes more fragile. While learning, if learners cannot grip it properly; there is a chance of falling. Even during string adjustment, it tears out if the strings get too tight.
Piano, on the other, has a dedicated space to practice. Little bruises and specks of dust are only threats to a piano which can be avoided by using a piano cover easily.
Check out EnthuZiastic piano classes for a personalized piano learning experience.
8. Violin needs more Maintenance than a Piano
Piano comparatively has less maintenance costs. The maintenance that a piano needs is the maintenance of the home temperature and the piano cover.
If something happens to the tuning, it costs around $150-$200 to mend the strings and chords. It is not that bad!
Violin, on the hand, being fragile, needs more maintenance. Violin needs routine cleaning, string replacement, and adjustments. And by any chance, if the violin gets trampled, you have to buy a new one!
How much does it cost to maintain piano?
Read all about piano tuning to know how much it costs
Piano Vs Violin: What to Choose
Choose piano
- If you have a space in your house to install a piano.
- If you are confident and enjoy solo performance.
- If you want to make a big investment once and avoid regular maintenance costs.
Choose Violin
- If you can work hard to learn the hold and curve to play a violin.
- If you can take gentle care of the instrument.
- If you like to take your instrument out and enjoy the ensemble.
While deciding on which instrument is easy to learn, you must find your comfortable instrument first. Consider the above points, and you can choose what you like!
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FAQs
Can a violinist play piano?
Piano is quite easy to learn initially. You need to make your hands and fingers strong. That is something all instrumentalists need to do. Gradually, it becomes advanced in technique. But a violinist can definitely play piano if he is passionate about it.
Does violin become easy if you know piano?
Violin and Piano are two different musical instruments. The first step to learning any musical instrument is music theory. Hence, if you know how to play piano and basic music theory, it would certainly benefit you to learn violin.
What is the hardest instrument to play?
The hardest instrument to play is the violin among many. Other hardest instruments are french horn, oboe, accordion, harp etc.
Can I learn violin and piano at the same time?
Yes. Of course, you can learn violin and piano altogether. But I would suggest beginning with piano to clear the idea of basic musical theory.
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Conclusion
Piano or violin, both have their pros and cons. Both instruments are beautiful and versatile. Learning depends on your passion and practice.
Hopefully, this article will help you find the right instrument to ace your favorite tune.
Happy Learning!