The individual one-to-one lessons at Leeds Violin School are designed to enable students to experience the satisfaction which comes with improvement and achievement, whilst at the same time ensuring that the learning process is fun and enjoyable. The teachers have a warm and friendly approach, and are resourceful in using different methods to communicate with children, teenage students and adults.

These extracts shown here can be seen in full, together with many more recommendations from adult students and parents of young students on our Testimonials page.

The age range of students at Leeds Violin School is extremely broad, from children aged 3+ to retired adults who often discover that learning the violin gives them a new lease of life. Many children have an innate musicality, which they show by singing, dancing, conducting or tapping their feet, and children as young as 3 years old can find an outlet for their musical enthusiasm in learning the violin.

Lessons for children of around 3 years old start with introducing the child to the violin and encouraging playing, but the lessons are also designed to develop the child's overall music awareness. Singing is an important element as it is through singing that children learn intonation, and learning to play in tune is a key aspect of violin playing. In addition to singing, a wide range of other physical and fun activities are used in lessons, such as clapping, rhythm exercises and games, active listening to music and learning about forms and genres.

To assist in developing aural skills, which are deemed important enough by the ABRSM to be tested in their exams, children are taught to play tunes and rhythms on simple instruments such as the xylophone, triangle, tambourine, drum and other percussion instruments. By introducing young children to these fun musical activities, they learn to associate music with enjoyment and are better prepared for the next stage in their journey of learning to play the violin.

Practice at home in-between lessons is an important element in making progress for children and adults alike. It consolidates what has been taught in the lesson and builds a strong foundation for the next lesson. In the case of younger children, parents are actively encouraged to be present at their child’s lesson, either regularly or every few weeks, so that they can help their child with practice between lessons. Parents who are not able to attend lessons with their child can still play an important role by reading the teacher's notes in their child's lesson book, communicating with the teacher and helping their child to practise effectively.

At Leeds Violin School, lessons for children are seen as a three-way team of teacher, child and parent agreeing goals and strategies to ensure progress whilst at the same time fostering the child's love of music and the violin.

Leeds Violin School encourages students to take exams for several reasons. For some students, examinations provide a focus and a motivation to work towards a goal.

The music played in examinations has to be learnt to a highly polished standard, and it is good practice even for beginner students to gain experience of perfecting a piece as much as they can.

Students of Leeds Violin School who take graded exams are tutored in the requirements of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), which is the leading music examining body both in the UK and globally.

The teachers at Leeds Violin School ensure that their students are well prepared before the examination in order that they can achieve the best result of which they are capable. The overwhelming majority of students at Leeds Violin School are awarded a Distinction or a Merit, with the highest mark to date being 147 out of a possible 150, which was earned by an adult student, Dr Katharyn Hall.

Students of all ages are encouraged to think of music exams as a performance, and are provided with plenty of prior experience by performing for family and friends at end-of- term concerts, as well as playing with other students in duets and ensembles.

Leeds Violin School provides lessons at sensible times, day and evening, and also during the weekend. Times can be arranged to suit your individual requirement, or you can join our regular group sessions to gain more playing experience.

Lessons can be arranged at a number of venues in north Leeds. Please see our Venues page for location details.

One-to-one violin lessons are held weekly throughout the year with Christmas, August and Easter time off. For enrolled students the fee for the one hour’s tuition will vary depending on time and venue. Shorter lessons are available on request and we also offer one-off lessons which are arranged on an ad hoc basis. The ad hoc lessons are suitable for students who cannot commit to a regular weekly slot or would like to try a few sessions before committing. For latest fee rates please contact us today.

The tuition includes your teacher's time in your lesson, a weekly review and assessment of your homework videos and audio recordings, plus the provision of sheet music and audio tutorials for your home practice. Each student has access to their teacher's Whatsapp so they can communicate easily between lessons. The teachers take notes every lesson that are scanned and sent to each student/parent. Theory & aural practice and preparation for exams are included as well as regular performing opportunities.

Our lessons are face to face or, if prefered, online. For our online lessons we are able to accommodate local students and students from any other countries.

To book one-to-one lessons at
Leeds Violin School, or to make an
initial enquiry about violin lessons,
please contact Iveta Hlavenkova,
the Principal.