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Original poster

Would this timescale be mad for next grade (violin)

36 replies

anamenotanumber · 29/08/2014 22:20

Ds is 9 and has been playing violin for about 2.5 years. His teacher is lovely but the slowest ever and has a reputation for being very, very plodding and cautious.

Ds likes the structure of doing grades and got much more interested when he started on grade 1 preparation. The teacher took three terms on this and they did no other pieces so it did get a bit dull although he didn't complain. He did well in the exam and then wanted to do and did a violin summer camp for a week of mornings as he is so happy when playing. The feedback from the camp teacher was very positive about how musical he is and how strong his sight reading is, and she is known not to say things for the sake of it, just to be kind.

Now they are working on grade 2 (since mid- July) and he had a few extra lessons so has made progress with the first two pieces. He has started annotating the last piece himself as he is desperate to move on it and really self motivated.

The scales are coming on. Dh is very musical and is helping him where he needs support. Some technical stuff needs work still.

Soooo...would we be mad to ask the teacher if he can do G2 in November? Ds is very keen and does lots of practice nowadays. Teacher said Spring or maybe summer if he doesn't practice enough but even Spring seems s-l-o-w for a motivated, musical 9 year old who has been playing this long.

Views please?

OP posts:
cingolimama · 30/08/2014 18:55

I'm with several here who are urging a change of teacher. Really, she sounds terribly cautious, which is more about her needs and comfort than responding to her talented, motivated pupil. Also, the fact that your DS technique is faulty would really send alarm bells.

Please. Change.

and Good Luck.

JulieMichelleRobinson · 30/08/2014 18:49

By timescale I mean 'three years for grade 2' is not ridiculously slow for the violin, because I think two years to grade 1 is still in the realms of normal.

JulieMichelleRobinson · 30/08/2014 18:48

The overall timescale seems fairly reasonable to me (I teach violin), but what doesn't seem right is only learning the exam pieces for each grade. Your son should be learning lots of other music, hitting the appropriate level, and then learning the exam pieces fairly easily. It can still take more than a term to get them up to examination/performance standard, mind. The term after an exam, we don't touch exam material, but we do work towards the next level with other repertoire.

AlpacaMyBags · 30/08/2014 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
anamenotanumber · 30/08/2014 13:36

I will PM you Petra.

The summer school lady isn't replying to my email but might well be on holiday still. We are on her waiting list and high up so if someone drops out we are in.

In defence of the existing teacher, he is very good at ensuring children are learning to love the instrument rather than focusing on grades. That has succeeded but ds also wants to progress and again, we are concerned that when he goes to (selective) secondary the orchestras will be of a very high standard and there's no way he will get in on his current slow track! This would disappoint him I'm sure.

OP posts:
PetraArkanian · 30/08/2014 10:06

Ok if his bow hold is wrong you do need to switch teachers...my dd had been learning 5 terms with the wrong hold and it's taken 2 to fix....can you contact the summer school teacher for recommendations in your area? Where are you?

Original poster
anamenotanumber · 30/08/2014 09:40

No not suzuki.

The teacher enters kids but on a very slow timescale. The only exception is two parents I know who got on the case and insisted they do it quicker.

OP posts:
Noteventhebestdrummer · 30/08/2014 08:33

He's doing Suzuki?

Does your current teacher enter many kids for exams?

Original poster
anamenotanumber · 29/08/2014 22:37

It was three terms Floella not even just two.

He really loves the instrument and likes the teacher very much so I'm reluctant to change, plus the other one I know of who is good locally has a huge waiting list.

Can anyone come up with some wording so I can just ask the teacher if he can do it sooner without sounding pushy. Ds is really up for the challenge and I'm sure he can do it. Very musical 'loads of grades' dh says he thinks he can do it but probably wouldn't get a distinction if he did. Fine by me.

Some of the secondary schools round here also require a pretty high grade to get into orchestras and it would be such a shame for ds not to be able to do so if he wanted to because of this teacher being so very cautious.

Petra, the summer school teacher assessed him and was very positive about his ability/ potential but not about his bow hold and the way he had been taught...

OP posts:
PetraArkanian · 29/08/2014 22:28

That sounds very slow. My dd's teacher isn't going to get her doing the pieces until she is ready to do the grade, so she only has a term or so working on them (and doesn't get bored). There is absolutely no way he should be playing the same 3 pieces for a year. If nothing else you will be bored out of your mind with them!

Sounds to me like you need a new teacher tbh....regardless of how good or not your current one is she obviously isn't on the same wavelength as you/ds!! Do you have another teacher you could go to for an independent assessment of his standard?

FloellaDaVille · 29/08/2014 22:27

It sounds like it might be time for a new teacher. Grades are not the be all and end all, but it sounds like your son is keen to progress. Two terms just spent on exam pieces sounds very dull ...

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