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Extra-curricular activities

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Musical devices-pros and cons

58 replies

Worriedandlost · 19/05/2015 19:27

Friend of mine was using this device with her dc
www.amazon.co.uk/Buddies-Violin-Viola-Bright-BHBBB/dp/B002QAWNDE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1432058980&sr=8-3&keywords=bow+buddy
When I asked about it my dd's violin teacher she was very adamant that dd should not use anything of that kind.

Last week I finally gave up and bought it. As well as this one which arrived today
www.amazon.co.uk/Bowzo-Violin-Straight-Bow-Practice-x/dp/B00DBWZ7O8/ref=pd_sim_ce_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0E53TV0VQ2PZ3RAQKCCN

And after a practice with a straight bow thing, I am sitting and thinking now-why I wasted all this time and did not buy something like that in a first place? She still needs to learn to play properly without using all these devices but at least we can avoid constant nagging and my frustration.

Did anyone use things like that? What is your opinion and experience?

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Fiddlerontheroof · 19/05/2015 22:01

At grade three, keep it fun, encourage her to join local orchestras and ensembles, don't make it a chore or a pressure...or she'll ditch it eventually.

That's how it was for me, and you can name pretty much any orchestra in the UK, and I was lucky enough to work for them at some point....

.....until you discover it's an appalling and very difficult way to earn a living once you have kids...and then you retrain in order not to spend your entire life on tour and living out a suitcase, driving up and down motorways ;)

Worriedandlost · 19/05/2015 21:51

Fiddlerontheroof thank you for your opinion, it matches my dh's opinion but I told him that I am doing practice and therefore I need these devices to keep me sane :). But your words are very re assuring and make me feel much better :).
Dd is preparing for grade 3 and I feel it is as much as she can survive with her far from ideal technique, once the complexity increases it may significantly affect her performance and a final result. I already had a second teacher opinion but changing (or improving rather) technique takes time and I am too tired to remind the same thing over and over again, it is my fault though, that I did not take it too seriously from the very beginning and there are too many bad habits now.

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Fiddlerontheroof · 19/05/2015 21:17

If your dd went on to go to music college, her technique would be completely taken apart at the start and rebuilt anyway. Of course you can sometimes spot the difference, but lets be honest...professionals spend hours practicing every day, amateur, or those who have other full time jobs and don't work professionally but play for pleasure...don't. So of course they are going to play in a different way, in some cases. I do however know some outrageously brilliant non professional players, who have superb technique.

I would leave the mistake fixing to the teacher! How old is dd? Because if she's only been learning a year or so...you are getting very worked up over nothing!

Sometimes it's easier to change technique when stamina has been built up.. technique develops over time really, so comparing what she's doing to adults is probably pointless.

If she's been learning much longer, and still has poor technique, then perhaps you might need to acknowledge it may not be her thing, or possibly a different teacher!

Hard to say without more info!

Worriedandlost · 19/05/2015 20:52

I went to concert of a local symphony orchestra recently, a mixture of armature and professional musicians, unfortunately I could see straight away who was one and who was another :(. Same mistakes as dd does, and I don't want her to carry them on into her adult playing life hence trying to find ways to fix them now :)

Does it mean that nobody believes into muscles memory?

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Fiddlerontheroof · 19/05/2015 20:24

OMG....I've seen it all now. I started learning age 6, and then worked professionally for years....really you don't need one of these!

Worriedandlost · 19/05/2015 20:18

Friend's dc are not using bow buddy anymore, and have an excellent bow hold as far as I am concerned (our children started the lessons approximately the same time and are on approximately the same level). It is actually seeing how they bow hold now, that made me to buy one.

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Noteventhebestdrummer · 19/05/2015 19:57

I have one student who has the first one. It's really helped his frustration at constantly dropping the bow. They are very expensive I think!
In general I wouldn't recommend them unless there's an extraordinary issue that needs help.

downandoutindulwich · 19/05/2015 19:50

Strongly recommend you don't use one, or when your child stops they will have to relearn bow hold.