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?

Maybe your DH could teach her as he appears to be an expert in the field.

After three months of lessons my son had only just stopped pretending his violin was a machine gun.

Do the teacher a favour and pull your child out of lessons. And £68 per term for music lessons is a real bargain. Individual lessons are £20 a lesson here.

YABVU. She is 7 and it has only been a few weeks. Change teachers if you’re not happy but I would suggest you give it time. These things don’t happen within a few weeks.

😂😂😂😂

Why don't you start learning to play to ukulele next week. Then, when we're all bored in January there can be a MN podcast and we'll hear how awesome you are.

Oh you’ve got years of it sounded atrocious yet!! Wait til she starts using her left hand and has fingers in the wrong place so it’s all out of tune 🤣
2 months for a new instrument, and if they’re learning to read music is nothing. Perhaps your maestro of a DH could help her instead of criticising.

As a violin teacher, I would say her progress is exactly what I would expect, particularly if your daughter is having group lessons. Holding the instrument and bow properly is vital. It is also very important that children can read the open string notes first before going on to fingers. Beginner violinists can make a truly dreadful sound but you could help by ensuring that she has a regular time to practice and encouraging her to use the full length of the bow.

You husband sounds like a total wanker 🤣
And you sound a bit silly, not even knowing how good the teacher’s qualifications are.
And no, at £68 a term, even for group lessons you are not paying a fortune.

Professional cellist and cello teacher here. I spend a lot of time correcting the technique of people when they come to me who have progressed too quickly and then got stuck at grade4/5 where they become unstuck. Or develop pain problems - very common with string instruments if you haven’t taken the time to ensure good technique. Sounds like the teacher is doing a really solid job here at helping make sure your daughter won’t have those issues. When I teach beginner cellists they follow the same kind of timeline. Also, focussing on open strings for a few weeks is a really good way to help students listen to and develop the sound they are making without all the stress that adding the left hand in can do. They used to do that to us in our first year of music college!

I started the piano and the violin at the age of 7 and I passed grade 4 on the piano at the age of 8 and was a lot slower at first at progressing on the violin. Interestingly the only instrument I have kept up as an adult is the violin / viola. String instruments are very tricky to learn at first, you have to be able to pitch the note, unlike most other instruments and singing is an excellent way to learn to do this. A little beginner violin will also sound intrinsically more scratchy and squawky than a cello as it is higher pitched.

If you arent happy find a different teacher.,

Something tells me MrMarkyMarky thinks he’s an expect in a lot of fields 🔔end.

@MarkyMarky

if you really are serious… you can have 1:1 lessons… and sit in on the lessons, taking notes… and then supervise your DD practicing for 20min a day, paying attention to teachers guidance, how to hold the violin, the bowing, etc. all whilst encouraging, clapping, etc.

I did that when I was much younger, totally stressed out by competitive parenting and generally clueless. It does work but is exhausting. Would never do that again. My younger DC is very grateful 🤣.

I suspect that the problems will remain.

10,000 hours OP. Ten thousand hours. That is the time it is estimated you need to practice to get to a good standard with most instruments. so your daughter has a bit of a way to go yet.

Half a term of lessons and you think she'll be playing some tunes and making a nice sound???!!!

You're in for a surprise.

Spare the poor teacher and pull her out ASAP. Insist your dh takes over. Your daughter deserves the very best his expertise can offer.

Come and give us an update in 5 years when she nearly sounds decent.

Does DD mean darling dad?

It's you, btw op, not the teacher.

Two months is no time at all. Accomplished cellist or not your DH is wrong. My GS progressed very slowly and found just holding a good position tiring. If you’re not careful you are in setting your DD up for failure. Stop complaining; go along with the teacher; encourage DD.

Just because your husband is good at it doesn't mean your daughter will be. I had violin lessons for years and years and even went to orchestra practice every week. I loved it so much but found it very very hard and even after years I was awful and everyone knew it (but was kind enough not to say!). Since September really isn't very long. Be patient and give encouragement. Her enjoyment is the most important thing.

op have you watched the episode of young sheldon where he trys to learn the violin? watch it for the crack
on a more serious note you really need to lay off. my husbands nephew plays the piano. has the past 11 years. God it was horrific the 1st few years listening to him. now he is unreal and part of the orchestra in school. but it took years. be patient

Why is your DP attempting to compete with a 7 yo? Nothing less attractive than grown men who compete with their own children. One of DH's siblings does this, I find it repulsive. YABVVVU

Doesn't mean that's the usual age for kids to start, or particularly beneficial to most kids. DS started around 7/8 yrs old and is a semi-professional musician at 16. He didn't need to start at 4 and is better than most people his age.