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?

Re a deadline.
Say you want to be able to sight-read, play some beautiful pieces, and join the school orchestra. To get to that stage by say about age 12 -13 even if that is just around grade 5, then you want to be practising a bit everyday from about 7 or that may not be possible. After that age life gets busier and more complicated, so it’s nice to have reached a level of competence as a basis for as much enjoyment and further progress as possible before leaving school.

it’s a bit like saying ‘Is there a deadline?’ for basic maths or reading. Of course there isn’t but it will be a lot easier to get well started by 7 or 8.

Agreed, but I think the important thing here is what the OP's DD wants out of the lessons, and I personally feel that's getting sidelines. I don't think maths or reading are useful comparison points as those are essential skills, music competence is a 'nice to have'.

^getting sidelined, not sidelines, obviously

IMO (and IME) that's far more likely to happen if a child starts feeling pressured.

Ime the main reason people give up (aside from disliking it) is because they don’t make sufficient progress for it to be enjoyable.

Good teaching from the start ensures that progress is made while learning is fun and enjoyable. No need for pressure.

You’ve got a kid who is very young starting on one of the most difficult instruments. When my kid started on the violin it was a horrible noise. She will need to have a very good ear to play the violin. Mine didn’t as a hearing problem. So take it easy. Not everyone is going to be a Sarah Chang

My DD is mostly interested in playing duets with me (on the flute or violin). We've got a load of stuff with open strings plus "teacher" part and still play the easier things as well as the new pieces.

Her tone is ok (as far as 1/4 size goes) but her teacher does still help her with bowing

You can have a good musical ear and have hearing problems. I have heard problems with my ears all my life and wear two hearing aids. It has not stopped me from my achievements as a professional musician. I have perfect pitch, which helps. I think learning music is a very good idea for children with impaired hearing as it teaches them to listen. Perhaps not necessarily the violin but there are many other instruments to choose from.

bringincrazyback · Today 17:29

I don't think maths or reading are useful comparison points as those are essential skills, music competence is a 'nice to have'.

I realise what you mean here by essential, but there is an argument for saying it is essential, it just isn’t recognised as such in.our society. If everyone were taught music properly quite a lot would get turned around for the better.

Please please let your kid give up those lessons so a kid with supportive, understanding and respectful parents can get the place!

Yes ^this. It is very early days, and DD is only 7. It does take time to get a good sound out of a violin. It also depends on the violin itself.

I played the violin growing up starting from age 11. Some of my friends started aged 8 and still didn't sound great at 11 ( neither did I). By 13 we sounded great though. Just give it time.