But I bought it anyway and it felt great when I was finally holding this magical instrument. It looked even better than the pictures and I could smell the woods around count Dracula’s castle where it must have been slowly built by a master’s hand.

I had been dreaming about playing the violin since I was six or so. I expected it would take a while before I would be able to play any of the songs that give me goose bumps.

Whether it is a bluegrass fiddle tune, an Irish reel or a Gypsy wedding song it always touches me to the bone.

But first I needed to get the basics of violin playing and that would probably mean learning to play classical violin music.

I saw three options to start learning violin:

• take classes at the local music academy
• get a private teacher
• buy a book and CD

A school often has a fixed roster and that ties you down. Irregular working hours make you miss classes and before you know it you give up.

A private teacher is great since you can have your lessons whenever it suits you but it is usually very expensive. And you have to make appointments.

After some more research I found a few online violin courses. To my surprise the price is really low and there is even a 30 day money back guarantee.

So I decided to give Violin Master (by Eric Lewis) a try.

I love the instant access to the videos and manuals and you can download them as well. You can load them in your iPod and practice away from the computer. Even in the garden, which was not a bad idea the first few days …

More videos are added every week so it does not get boring. The more you practise the better you get.

One thing that could have been done better are the jam tracks. But if you love playing along with modern beats you may love them.

You can have a preview of the violin training at Eric’s site here.

Technorati Tags: Gliga Violin, how to play violin, online violin courses, Violin Master