Music has a unique ability to connect with our hearts and minds, often expressing emotions words cannot capture. Beyond its emotional power, playing a musical instrument offers numerous benefits, such as improving cognitive skills, boosting mental health, and enhancing creativity. If you’re drawn to the warm, soulful tones of the viola, you may find yourself pondering whether to rent or buy this fascinating instrument. Both options come with their pros and cons, and the best choice depends on your circumstances and goals.

What’s the Difference Between Violin and Viola?

Although violins and violas share a similar appearance, they differ in several key ways. For starters, the viola is larger, producing a deeper, richer sound that sits between the violin and cello in tonal range. Additionally, the two instruments use different clefs. Violins typically employ the treble clef, whereas violas use the alto clef—a less common clef that gives the viola its unique role in an orchestra. Finally, their bows differ in shape and weight, tailored to the demands of their respective instruments.

What’s the Difference Between Buying and Renting?

The viola, one of the oldest members of the string instrument family, has a distinctive, mellow tone that makes it special. Whether you should rent or buy a viola instrument depends on several factors, including your experience level, commitment, and budget. Let’s break down the advantages of each option.

Reasons to Rent

Renting a viola is often the best choice for beginners, children, or those testing the waters of music. Here’s why:

1. Cost-Effective for Beginners: Renting is a more affordable way to start, especially if you’re unsure how committed you or your child are to learning the viola. It minimises the financial risk should you decide to switch to a different instrument.
2. Flexibility for Growing Children: Children outgrow instruments just as they do clothing. Renting allows you to easily transition between sizes without the expense of purchasing a new viola each time.
3. Room for Exploration: Beginners, particularly young learners, often like to experiment with different instruments before deciding which one suits them best. Renting provides the freedom to explore without a large upfront investment.
4. Maintenance Benefits: Reputable rental programmes often include routine maintenance, such as restringing and minor repairs, ensuring the instrument stays in good condition throughout the rental period.
5. Size Adjustments: For students between sizes, renting allows you to start with a smaller viola and upgrade to a larger one as needed, accommodating physical growth and skill progression.

Reasons to Buy

For those confident in their commitment to the instrument, buying a viola is a long-term investment with several benefits:

1. Cost Efficiency Over Time: While purchasing a viola requires a higher initial investment, it pays off in the long run if you plan to play regularly.
2. Wide Selection: Owning a viola means you can choose the exact instrument that suits your style, preferences, and skill level. From beginner models to professional-grade instruments, the options are vast.
3. Passing It On: If there are multiple aspiring musicians in your family, a purchased viola can be handed down, providing additional value.
4. Resale or Trade-In Opportunities: Should your playing journey come to an end, a quality viola can often be sold or traded in for another instrument, helping you recoup some of your investment.

Some Important Things to Consider Before Renting/Buying One

Whether renting or buying it, the chosen model should be professionally made and set up by a trained luthier. In case you buy/rent one that isn’t professionally set up, you can expect to experience difficulties in playing and tuning it, and a sound that sounds just terrible. This fact can certainly discourage beginners and children, so avoiding this by buying/renting one is the right thing to do.

When in the search for a good instrument, you should also pay attention to its material. Ideally, you should look for one made from solid maple and spruce tonewoods as this is the most quality material for the purpose. The neck, back and sides of a quality beginner’s violin should be made from maple while the top should be made from spruce. The nut, pegs and fingerboard should be made from ebony as this is a hard-wearing, dense and strong wood.

You should be aware of the fact that the cheaper versions of this instrument are made from laminated wood and white wood fittings that are only painted black to resemble ebony. Not only do they sound terrible and are impossible to tune, but they can also break easily because of the poorly used wood.

Before making any decision, first make sure to consult with a teacher or someone who knows about this instrument. This is essential to receive honest advice regarding the instrument’s type, size and quality. In the end, getting the right instrument plays a major role in how well you’ll play and more importantly, in staying prepared when performing live.