Free 20-minute call with a Learning Advisor
A free 20-minute call with a Learning Advisor, to help you find the right place to start.
Free
The UK’s favourite specialist violin school for adults
Learn the violin with people like you
Friendly group classes in London and Manchester, for first-time beginners right through to advanced players. Your first class is £49, you don’t need to read music, and we’ll lend you a violin.
Book your first class
Already learning? See all classes and courses →
Already play? Try a week with the Trial Pass →
Not sure where to start? Book a free 20-minute call
2,500+ adults since 2010, in small, friendly groups.Viola, cello or double bass? Here’s how to join in
Earlybird re-enrolment
£100 off all 10-week courses
Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced courses for the New Year term, which starts on 11 January 2027. The Earlybird price is available until midnight on Monday 7 December.
Re-enrolment is open now. Places open to everyone on Sunday 22 November at 4pm.
See the coursesEnds midnight, Monday 7 December
As featured inBBCClassical Music
- 2,500+ adult learners since 2010
- Small, well-balanced groups
- Founded by professional violinists
Where to start
Where would you like to start?
Most people begin with an introductory class. If you already play, come and try a week with us. And if you’d like some friendly advice first, our Learning Advisors are always happy to help.
- Places available
Introductory Violin Fundamentals Class
A single 60-minute class for first-time beginners. We’ll lend you a violin.
£49.00
- Places available
Starter Violin Programme
Weekly 60-minute sessions you can join any week, building the basics at your own pace.
From £249.00
- Places available
Trial Pass for Violinists
Already play? Try a week of classes, and we’ll suggest the course that suits you.
£49.00
Just thinking about it?
Your first violin: a free guide
Thinking about learning, but not sure where to begin? Our free guide is a short PDF you can download and print. It covers how to get started, and how to find the right violin when you’re ready. You don’t need one to start: we lend you a violin for the Fundamentals class and the Starter Programme.
Our teachers
Taught by professional violinists
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Marisol Craig Hillier
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Javier Montañana
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Andrew Samarasekara
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Simon Hewitt Jones
Your next steps
Where you can go next
Once you’ve started, you can move on to our 10-week courses, where every term ends with a concert, and join our ensembles and the Violin Orchestra.
- Re-enrolment openPlaces available
Beginner Violin Course (10 Weeks)
Ten weekly classes in a small group, for players who can already play G, D and A major scales.
£580.00
- Re-enrolment openPlaces available
Intermediate Violin Course (10 Weeks)
Ten weekly classes to build your technique and your reading, the next step after Beginner.
£580.00
- Re-enrolment openPlaces available
Advanced Violin Course (10 Weeks)
Ten weekly classes for experienced players, working on more demanding music.
£580.00
- Waiting list
Training Ensemble
Your first experience of playing in a group, on Saturday afternoons from January 2027.
Free
- Waiting list
Saturday Ensembles
For Intermediate and Advanced players, with music arranged especially for the group.
Free
- Opening soon
The Violin Orchestra: Winter 2026
Play in one big orchestra of violinists at our Winter Concert. Contribute what you can, from £1.
£1.00
Other strings
Viola, cello and double bass
Our group classes are for the violin, but there are lots of ways for other string players to join in.
Viola
You’re very welcome in our violin classes, as long as you’re happy to learn to read the treble clef. We provide alto clef music (the clef the viola uses) for some materials. You can join our ensembles, the orchestra and our events too.
Book your first class →-
Cello
You’re very welcome in our ensembles and at our events, and we’d love to run cello classes in future. Register your interest and you’ll hear first. If you’d like one-to-one tuition in the meantime, we can put you in touch with a teacher we recommend.
Register your interest → -
Double bass
You’re very welcome in our ensembles and at our events, and we’d love to run double bass classes in future. Register your interest and you’ll hear first. If you’d like one-to-one tuition in the meantime, we can put you in touch with a teacher we recommend.
Register your interest →
Where
Classes in Central London and Manchester
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London
Our studio is on Whitcomb Street, WC2H, just a few minutes’ walk from Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.
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Manchester
We run Fundamentals classes in central Manchester, and the Starter Programme is coming to Manchester in 2027.
M3, near Deansgate, Manchester
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Online
Online tuition is returning soon. Join the list and you’ll be the first to hear.
Questions
Before your first class
I’ve never played an instrument. Is that OK?
Absolutely. Lots of our learners had never played anything before they came to us. The Fundamentals class is made for exactly that, and our teachers will take you through everything, right from how to hold the violin.
How much practice will I need to do?
Whatever you can manage. Even ten minutes a few times a week helps, and our teachers will show you how to make the most of it.
Do I need my own violin?
No. We provide a violin for your first class, and you can borrow one at every Starter Programme session. By the time you join a Beginner Course, you’ll need your own, so you can practise at home.
How many people are in a class?
Up to 16. We’ve found that one tutor for every 8 learners is just the right balance: plenty of individual attention for everyone, and enough people to enjoy the energy and the social side of playing together. So a class of 9 or more always has two tutors.
Is there an age limit?
StringSchool is for adult learners aged 16 and over. There’s no upper limit.
What if I miss a class?
That happens to everyone. Lots of people are away now and then for work or holidays, and our courses are designed so that missing a class or two in a term is absolutely fine.
If you miss a class, we’ll always try to offer you a place in another class that week, if there’s room. We’ll also send you a summary of what was covered, and any new music or material, so you can catch up in your own time.
If your plans change, our school policies explain how it works.
How do I book? Can I spread the cost?
You book online, and you can spread the cost with instalments.
Where are the classes?
Our London studio is on Whitcomb Street, WC2H, in Central London, between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. We also teach in Manchester, and sometimes run introductory classes and events in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Leave your name and email on the class page to hear when the next one is on.
What happens after my first class?
If you continue, the cost of your introductory class is credited towards your next booking. The next step is the Starter Violin Programme, which is rolling, so you can join any week and borrow a violin.
About StringSchool
Specialist string tuition for adults since 2010
For adult learners of every level
Whether you’re picking up the violin for the very first time or returning to it after years away, we teach every level, right through to advanced.
World-class tuition
We’re the UK’s favourite specialist school for adult violin learners. StringSchool was founded on research at the Royal Academy of Music, our teachers are professional violinists who love teaching adults, and everything you learn follows our own curriculum, so you always know what comes next.
Learning in London and Manchester
Our London studio is on Whitcomb Street in Central London, and in Manchester we teach near Deansgate.
Ways to learn
You can come to classes, join one of our 10-week courses, play in an ensemble, and perform in our concerts and events.
Not sure where to start? Book a free 20-minute call
Have a chat with one of our friendly Learning Advisors about where to start. It’s free, and it’s all about finding what’s right for you.
Violin provided · £49 credited towards your next booking · Small, well-balanced groups
Or call us on +44 (0)20 3051 0080