So, I heard the Viola played beautifully a couple months ago, and now that I have saved enough money, I'm going to buy one and then take lessons.

So, I was wondering, is there any particular brand or maker I should buy? Do you have tips on viola playing in general?

Please and thank you. 😀

P.S; I'm very poor and without a job, so make sure anything you recommend is under $200.

Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?

To begin with, $200 is really...really low. But you could get a student instrument and learn from there I suppose, but it's going to be crappy (really crappy--the sound, tone, and the quality of the strings). I play violin and in an orchestra. I've been playing for almost 6ish years, and have lots of viola friends who tell me these things. 🙂 Fiber bows are going to suck too, but they're the cheapest I'm afraid. Decent bows are going to expensive (Over $200). I'm not quite sure about brands but yeah, try to stray away from anything from Ebay or online. You could try rentals too, I guess. And uh, practice vibrato? Lol.

Simple - start with a used one until you decide you really like it and want to go further with it. Then spend the real money after you've researched what you want. =)

(Played the viola quite a long time ago...)

If you've ever thought or said "Nice Guys finish last" and really meant it, then you should probably read this LJ post by DivaLion. It's incredibly insightful whether you're male or female.

From a bumper sticker I like:
"If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair."

I was actually planning on a used one; I'm not doing this for anything other then my own enjoyment and liking of the particular instrument.

Thanks for the advice moca, but I already know that anything I get for cheap is probably going to be crappy, but alas, tis' the life of a poor highschool student who doesn't have a job.

Thanks for the advice.

Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?

The other two comments above are right on the mark. With string instruments there really are no specific brands per se, so it's hard to recommend something in particular. Other suggestions I might have are these: Some places allow you to rent instruments for much less than buying them or have rent-to-own plans. If you want to know how the viola sounds, see if someone at the store can play some of the instruments for you (if they have more than one). Make sure you get all the things you need for playing: viola, bow, rosin, shoulder pad/rest, and a case to put it all in, at least.

Another thing to consider is that string instruments in general are not particularly intuitive to learn how to play, so it's a good idea to start lessons basically as soon as you get a viola so you don't tie yourself up in knots and ingrain all sorts of weird/bad habits trying to figure out how to play it. A lot of instrument shops can set you up with a teacher as well.

If you can wait until school starts again, you might consider talking to the orchestra director (if there is one). They could give you all sorts of useful and more specific information, and if you're really lucky they might let you rent a school instrument for cheap.

I have played the violin for 12 years, and I really like it. It's not always easy, but it's fun (my older brother wrote most of this post, and he's been playing the violin for 19 years...yeah... 😀 ). One advice on playing would be to try not to bend your wrists, if that makes any sense... (also sorry this is ridiculously long...)

Playing a string instrument can be really exciting, so I hope that the information overload doesn't discourage you too much. Good luck and have fun! 😀

Thanks for the helpful advice. 😀

Actually, I'm starting lessons next week, which is why I'm all in a hurry to get one.

I would wait until school starts, but it wouldn't help any. My highschool is extremely small with only 200 students, and the only sports/music programs we have are basketball and football. We don't even have 1 music class, let alone an orchestra.

Thanks! I'm planning to.

Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?