to take DD's piano books out to the garden and burn them?

[oneofthegiantsisme]

I won't, obviously, because that would be a shocking waste, but I bloody well feel like it at the moment. She failed her grade 3 exam back in April, because she didn't practise enough, so is retaking it in July, and is going to fail again, because SHE WILL NOT BLOODY PRACTISE!

I've just been up to remind her, and she said "I'm coming at the end of this song" (she is in her bedroom listening to music) - that was 4, or maybe 5, songs ago. Now it's nearly bedtime and she has done no practice at all.

Aaaaaargh.

As you say merrymouse she can always take it up again later.

Is it so hard to start playing again if you regret giving up?

It depends at what stage you gave up, I suppose.
I couldn't pick up a violin and know how to play it these days - I'd be starting from scratch. I maybe could manage to play something simple on a flute because I had many more lessons and played for longer.

In the early days I wished Dd had chosen a different instrument!

It really is an atrocious racket in the first few years. Parents definitely need to be able to tolerate it.

I learnt the violin and for the first few years I had to practice in the garden shed winter or summer as my mum couldn't stand the noise

Could you just stop exams for a while? I hated piano exams...the same pieces again and again and was on the verge of giving up when my dad said if I didn't want to do exams I could continue lessons but choose my own music. It worked a treat when I was learning from books id chosen, and music I really loved.

Ds didnt practise enough and failed grade 3. He chose to play the piano and has never wanted to play any other instrument. He refused to do another grade but wanted to continue with lessons. He has a great time with his piano teacher learning pop tunes and he plays the piano loads in his spare time now that he's doing something he enjoys. There is no need to take grades.

I really don't see the point in paying out for lessons for a 14 year old who isn't bothered about learning.

She'll have the basics by now anyway so why doesn't she just teach herself?

Does it matter if they take exams? Surely just being able to play music that they enjoy is far better than learning a piece just so they can move on to the next grade.

I think that's very true Doinmummy. Dd finds that if she is doing some band stuff either at school or with her friends then she is happy to just do that and play for fun but when there's not much going on outside of lessons she likes to do grade work.