Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread

DD plays violin & piano (both G4, now training for G5)

DS plays violin & piano (both G2, now training for G3)

As they progress I am aware that we will soon need to tackle the dreaded G5 theory paper to take the practical any further... any tips?! Am planning to start practice papers over the summer hols...

only might be worth asking the cello teacher if she could join in and play her violin.

Dd plays violin but still on 1/2 size, so no advice unfortunately....
But it looks like more expensive violins keep their value on second hand market....

Need some advice please... Dd is doing violin and piano and around grade 4 level on both. I was thinking of enrolling her on cello group at school. It is very basic - not further than Cello Time Joggers. My question is-would it be possible to get away with the minimum practice or no practice at all? I don't want to get her into another instrument if it needs a lot of time investment but I would like her to do it for social reasons.

Hi Neverever my 2 are string players as am I. May well be worth buying rather than renting. My strings dealer sells 3/4 violins of equivalent and better standard than school rental models for just over £100. You can then part exchange them for a full size later. If you have a 10/11 year old on a 3/4 they are only probably a 6 month growth spurt away from full size though.

I like the idea that music is always something they can go back to and take up again as a hobby. It stays in them doesn't it? It's such a gift. I wish I'd had that chance as a kid (to do music) but was one of seven children and we were fortunate that there was food on the table tbh.
I see it at our music centre -A chunk of adults who last played as teenagers when they got to grade 5 practical level and then gave up. They got to a decent level where they can take it up again fairly easily.
I like the idea that even if she gives it up ( unlikely at this stage) I've got that in the bag for her future .
She can always go somewhere and do this thing ,meet people and be part of a sound.

Any violin learners? We are renting DS2's instrument but I wonder if it's worth buying the 3/4. How long do people normally stay with 3/4?

I think I am prepared that DD may give up music completely or switch instruments once she is a teenager, I've seen it happening around me a lot, the giving up that is.

I would be sad though because I have two very different children and I can see so clearly what is their "thing" and Dd's is music. I always thought that if they progress and get to a high level before teenage years in music there are less chances to give it up but I'll just have to wait and see.

I also thought that I'll keep Dd's activities to a minimum of 2 so she can give it her best but now she'll have 4 in September luckily two of those won't require home practice so won't take so much time.

DS told us off the other day saying that DD does too much in her spare time, DD though jump in to say she loves it.

Fleur it took DS1 4.5 years to move from trumpet to tuba/trombone. DD tried violin for 2 years, then cello for 4 years before abandoning strings completely.

Please tell me what is the cigarette paper approach. It looks like I must know all about it.

raspberry I suspected so, that kids just take it in and don't question it. I am a bit precious about piano and told her she can learn clarinet if piano is not affected (practice mainly). I do know she may give it up but I usually ask her to stick at a new activity at least 6 months.

Loose

Thanks, I forgot about Brecon, how could I

Musicmom

If you anybody who doesn't like the cigarette paper approach even though they are inexpensive, just as good if not better are the foundation paper things, very fine things.

I just googled Brecon - they are apparently going to announce the line-up this month. The festival is always in August but the last time I went was years ago. It was great fun, though! I'm going to check out the ones on your list!

Anybody got any suggestions for good Jazz festivals this year.

We have a few but dd wants to see as many as she can.

Dh is working at a few anyway, but I'm sure there are probably more.

So far have got : Manchester, Wigan, Llandudno, Marlborough.
Prefer to be the well known names ones.
Any singing ones too, have only got llangollen, we love this one

Don't look too far ahead though, clarinet may turn out not to be 'her' instrument. We've had a couple of instrument changes with my older DC.

Fleur DS started on piano and added clarinet (and trombone, descant and treble recorder) He's never been been confused, just seems to soak it up and get on with it!

Jumping in on the clari talk

I have an a and Bb both Edgeware and very old.
It sounds more mellow than the Bb but it's not that much different.
I don't have a C though.

It sounds lovely for Mozart concerto though, which I am working back up to again
It has been all over Europe with me and seen a bit of life.
Poor thing has a crack now and won't sound the same if fixed, they never do. So don't play it as much as I'd like.

So now I have a 10.10 far superior, but not the same old hard slog to play.

I don't know the answer to that one fleur as clarinet came first in our house ( before the piano) .... There was no confusion.
Dd also has a buffet e11 A ( council loan) . She says its a bit heavier than her Hanson b flat but not too heavy

I was reading earlier about the Bb clarinet and A clarinet and I did wonder if DD would be confused that the C on a Bb clarinet is a Bb on the piano. Would she?

I think it sounds as new fleur in which case it will be good to go.

When dd first started playing (when she was 7yo) on a student model she used a neck strap for the first year.
There are plenty of instruction videos on YouTube re putting it together / taking it apart... But yes you press down on certain keys to put together and remove the keyed pieces so not as to cause damage . It's fairly simple though

musicmom DD will start in 4 months officially as the slot she is taking isn't free yet till July and then we are on holiday for over two weeks end July till middle of August but the plan is to have a trial lesson before our holiday just to discuss what else I need to get (method book, maybe neck strap, music stand, reeds) and yes, maybe a bit of playing but nothing serious till September. I hope the Buffet will last her till grade 5-6 but then it depends if she really shows the same commitment as with piano.

Fleur - I agree with Waffle. Only time we have needed any type of service was when pads etc fell off and some bad setting up/mishandling damage. DD now knows how to look after it (NCO taught her the whole cigarette paper and screwdriver stuff). Can the teacher give her one lesson explaining the instrument pre summer as I am not urge you (or DD) is going to resist for another 9mnths :)

FYI DD was on a Yamaha plastic until grade 5; now on the buffet e12f which is really nice and adding a e11 A to our instrument collection this week!

Thanks Waffle let me know if you want a quick meet up when around here. I'll pop around to the teacher in July also so I'll take our new friend with us.

Thank you both Waffle and NewLife last question before I think of something else of course would you recommend a service now or wait a bit, start lessons and service a few months in, providing it is 6 years old but has been touched only three months from new and it is from a trustable person (I know them very well, no reason to lie about it)?

She said it is three months max, se thinks it is more like two months but just to be certain definitely not longer than 3 months.

I am asking as I do need a tuner for the piano pronto, buying the clarinet and accessories, clarinet book(s), music stand, and not forget the lessons.

While I can finance it, I do think it is less of a shock and easier to go unnoticed over a longer period of time.

But be honest, if it needs to be done I'll do it no doubt as I don't want to spend more later on if anything goes wrong.

Lucy, wonderful advices, I have saved them for my toddler for the future use, can't believe my second "baby" soon will join her sister with any musical activity. I am dreaming of a day my elder child can show her sister on either piano or violin ( with a small fainted hope it's even theory...she could even teach me one day!)