Problem with DD violin teacher

[MarkyMarky]

DD 7 started violin lessons in sept and I don’t feel she has made much progress. I encourage her to practise most days but the noise is atrocious. I contacted the violin teacher to ask why it’s so bad. The violin teacher basically said in not so many words that we must be patient and the violin takes time as it’s a very difficult instrument and implied that maybe she needs to practise more. This rubbed me up the wrong way as we are already practicing.

however DH is an accomplished cellist and said it must be the teacher as he’s musical and knows how to played stringed instruments. He said DD should be using her left hand fingers by now and making a ‘half decent’ sound.

I contacted the teacher again and said I’d appreciate more detail as what is covered in lessons as I wasn’t satisfied. She has ignored me so I contacted the local music service who basically said it’s down to the teacher to liaise directly with us, I explained that she was ignoring us.

I spoke with the school who said the same thing, the teacher needs to speak to us as there’s no-one else who will be able to help us.

AIBu to now make a complaint as we are not being listened to and we are paying a fortune for lessons?

So you want to complain to the teacher because your child is shit at violin!

YABU. If your DH is such an expert why isn't he teaching your child or at least helping her to improve during practice time?

Maybe she just isn't very good and not picking it up quickly but at this point the teacher is too polite to say.

Why don't you sit in on her lessons?
Just because her father is musical, doesn't mean she will be.

Does your daughter want to learn the violin?

To be fair, your DD is only 7 and has only been playing the violin for 2 months. My DD started at a similar age and it's only really beginning to sound bearable 2 years on. There are so many different things to coordinate when playing the violin, so it takes a while for it to start sounding good. The only way to improve is practice - it won't magically start sounding amazing overnight.

Violins sound atrocious at the beginning. Cellos less so.

She needs to practise daily, for at least ten minutes and with good focus, as her teacher instructs her. Then you should start to hear improvement.

But it'll sound bad for quite a lot longer even if she progresses well, I'm afraid.

It's been two months max? That seems quite normal. Violin is a lot harder to make a nice sound out of than some other instruments.

YABU. Played the violin from age 6 to age 12 and I only abhieved grade 1! It is very hard and yes she needs to practice at least half an hour a day.

She may have no talent for the violin, no offence intended. I reached grade 5 trumpet after only one year of playing so it's just about finding the right instrument.

I’d try a different teacher.

If you have the same problem, then maybe the violin isn’t for her?

You're expecting a seven year old to be already good at getting a bearable sound out of a (assuming quarter or half size) violin after 5-9 weeks?

Give over!

If your husband’s so good, why doesn't he help her out.

I am a violin teacher. The children I have started in September are coming up to the point where we might start thinking about learning left hand fingers. Up til now we've had to master holding the violin properly, and latterly the bow (no mean feat, this is hard, and harder on the violin than the cello). They need to have learned to read open strings, learn the rhythms and how to play the properly, practice fluency and playing with other people, playing with a steady beat. Then you introduce the bow and you have to go through the same process. In a group 20 minute lesson a week, this is a lot to ask of most children. You have to bed in the basics or they trip up later on. Even my individual students who learn individually are only just starting to learn with fingers.

You can't rush it. The first part is SLOW. But it's essential. If your husband thinks he can do a better job, save your money paying the teacher and get him to teach your DD.

Get your precious husband to teach her then.

This is why I try not to teach kids of musician parents 😂

You're That Parent, aren't you?

You said she practices every day but the noise is shit. There's no point practicing shit.

If your H is oh so clever, why isn't he taking the time to teach her?

Ultimately, it's been 2 months.
Presumably she has a lesson a week? That's no time at all.

She’s only been playing for two months!

Oh l remember my dd starting the violin and the noise was a nightmare. It was difficult not to plead with her to STOP!! But she got there. I had complete trust in her teacher as l had seen other students she had taught doing well. Just trust the teacher. More time is needed. I hope DH overseas the practice and gives lots of encouragement

Oversees!

I started lessons around the same age and I really feel for my mum for the noise. Me and a small group of others. We were terrible for months! It is a hard instrument to play, and takes a fair amount of coordination. There's not much room for error with finger spacings etc. So it could be that the progress is just really slow. she is very young and September is less than 2 months ago. I'd give it a little bit more time before blaming anyone.

Beginner violins sound awful. I have memories of attending a Music School concert, as my daughter was in a local wind band (flute). In the first half the beginner violins played on and on and on. When they re-appeared for the second half I thought my husband would have a seizure from trying to suppress his laughter.

🤣🤣🤣

It's been 2 months, the teacher is not the issue here. Violin sounds awful played by beginners, your child is young and it's been 2 months!

My daughter was dreadful for about three years. She improved, but it didn’t sound good until she was seven or eight. She went on to gain Grade 8 distinction in her teens but it takes a good while to train the ear.
If it’s a small group lesson or half hour a week, it’s bound to be slow. Your husband can coach her.

7 is actually really young to learn an instrument anyway, it will take longer to be good at that age than if she started at say 10 years old. We are a really musical family and play various instruments between us, DS is 16 and can pick up any instrument and sound pretty good quite quickly, at 6/7 he had to learn slowly.

Oh yes. They most certainly are. Music teacher will be rolling their eyes and dreading the inevitable demand for said child to lead the firsts.