Can we really call it a lost cause after only 2 weeks ? <| sep |> The isn ' t exactly about acquiring the knowledge . Yes , today you can probably find almost complete training on the violin from books and online , however , the issue is feed back . You need someone experienced to be able to guide your every micro movement . Someone to correct intonation , timing , rhythm , bow distribution , and bow technique , etc . , I ' ve played many pieces I thought were okay to have 500 things corrected by a teacher . Could you get to the point of playing okay music just for fun on your own ? Probably not ! The better you get the more you notice and the more you won ' t accept mistakes , mistakes that you didn ' t even know existed the day before . The better you get the more unhappy you ' ll get with your tone and your playing in general . It ' s a lifelong journey . If you just want to hash out a few songs pick an easier instrument . The problem with new violin players is that they don ' t know what they don ' t know .