Consider your options to conventional learning in playing the violin. The reality is, that it is not going to an overnight achievement and it will take lots of practise not just in playing but in how you hold the violin and bow, how you use the bow, etc. You are going to need to consider your options to receive your violin lessons. I have seen headlines like "How to play the violin in 30 days!" Okay, you might manage a note or two, but realistically you probably want to aim higher than that. This means that you will need to involve yourself with a professional - an expert in one form or another. You could go down the route of buying books and tapes/CD's, but the personal or at the very least guided touch is very important no matter what genre you wish to play.
Before you even get to learning to play, you need to ensure you get the best quality violin that you can afford. The eventual success in playing will only be at a quailty of sound level that matches your purchase. You also need to consider carefully, where you buy your violin from. The source of the instrument can be just as important as the notes it produces. It is certainly recommended that you consider two purchases - one for practise and one for performance if only because if you wanted one that would one day be your performance instrument it would likely be an expensive investment. Better to practise on one that does not require such a big outlay. A quick tip that relates to this point. It is better to buy a performance instrument when you can actually play so that you can try them in the store before purchase and recognize the quality of sound produced. In addition, don't forget that the bow is just as important as the violin itself.
Determine your reason for wanting to play the violin. Is it for a full blown concert performance or perhaps something less overwhelming such as at weddings or friends and family. This too may dictate your choice of instrument.
Then there is the genre to consider. Blues? Jazz? Or will you take a more conventional route of condenzas, sonatas and solos? Or perhaps you would like to play the violin in a symphony or a string quartet etc.
Whatever your choices, how you actually approach learning to play the violin will be based on your desired outcome. Whatever your route, you should really consider utilizing the eperience and ability of a professional who can deliver training within the area that you are most interested in. Typically, learning always involves practise and practise never really stops no matter what age you are, so you need to ensure that your tutor can deliver appropriate and sufficient practise routines. If you cannot currently read music, you need to ensure they are prepared to help you with that too. All the master violin players had the commonality in that they played the violin, but each one of them would have differences in how they applied themselves to both the music and the application.
At the end of the day, probably two of the key indicatiors to locating a good source of instruction is to 1) Ask previous students and 2) LIsten to the music that your tutor can play!
