Christmas songs in violin lessons

[Pieminsterpie]

My child asked her violin teacher to teach some Christmas songs e.g Jingle Bells in her lesson this morning and was told if she brings in the music she will teach it but doesn’t provide it as she doesn’t celebrate Christmas, I find this a bit off.

https://amzn.eu/d/6LsYIwb less than 4 quid

Agreed. Learning to play by ear is a useful skill. That's how I learned, long before I could read music. I found it fun too.

Just google it. Dd can learn it herself and surprise the teacher .

jingle bells in d major violin

In google search

I m intrigued to know what your violin teacher is teaching. Doesn't every beginner violin book include Jingle Bells?

Are you going to pay for the music and the teachers time to source it

Do you think the teacher should have all the specific music a pupil requests?

Double posted

So obviously goady bollocks
yet another " they're cancelling Christmas " daily mail clickbait

Then you need to find those things if you want that song. Arrangements got early learners exist. You just picked the wrong version.

The teacher hasn’t done that work and included this particular song in her private library . there are a multitude of songs and she can’t stock every single one.

Why? My DD taking piano lessons wanted to learn a particular song so brought in the music. It’s normal - in every music lesson it has been the pupil who buys the books.

We buy the books for my daughters violin lessons. A few years ago her teacher asked if she wanted to learn some christmas pieces, and suggested a book for me to pick up. I think it was the one attached. She had been playing longer than your dd, but some of those lessons were group lessons or through zoom due to covid. She did a few of the pieces in the book.

If you want to learn a particular tune that isn't provided then you source it yourself. She is being accommodating by saying she will teach it if the music is supplied. She might well be Jewish. My Jewish friends don't celebrate Christmas.

How is it off? Dd asked to be taught something specific. Teacher agreed to teach her, she just doesnt have the requested music herself? Why should she spend her time and money sourcing something she doesnt normal teach and wont use again?

I think shes been very agreeable. You might even get some free on Google

String teacher here.

You can so easily find music that is the correct key and difficulty level yourself. If you're unsure im sure the teacher will send you some suggested music to buy.

You say you want it arranged, so that implies you want her to write it out herself. This takes time, are you going to pay her for her time? If so it would be much cheaper to find out what music to buy and get it on world of books/eBay etc. If it has to be arranged there won't be a backing track will there? How will there be a backing track for a piece of music that is bespoke arranged by the teacher? Are you expecting her to record one? Again, she would need to be paid for the time it takes to do this, so id again refer you back to simply finding the correct music second hand somewhere.

All my pupils buy their own music. I do not buy music for all 50+ of my students. That would be very expensive, and as I only make about 15k a year this would not be tenable.

What you're asking is not for the teacher to "be accomodating", you're asking for a huge amount of work to be done by her.

I celebrate Christmas, and I have written out the odd Jingle Bells here and there but they all like to go and find their own music that suits their taste and ability. They know what to look for.

Even a new book is only like 6 quid or something, and you will get lots of use out of it. If its Christmas stuff you'll go back to it year after year, so you'll get your money's worth.

When taking music lessons myself I have always always provided my own music
As has every other musician I know, which is lots of people.

Hope this helps.

Why? Its not part of her lesson plan, its literally an arbitrary ask by DD she will accommodate if you have the music.

She could have just said no, you arent advanced enough yet. Instead she said if you have this type of music, ill teach you. She even clarified she doesnt have it because she doesnt celebrate Christmas.

You could ask for her help and offer to pay for her time to source it

It's perfectly normal for student to source their own music if they want to learn a particular piece.

My late mum was a piano teacher for many years - she provided most music for learning and for grades that were part of the lesson (invoicing the student at the end of each term for this). But if a student wanted to learn a particular piece, and mum didn't have a copy, or easy access to sourcing a copy, then the student would have to provide it.

No, the teacher shouldn't be doing that. That's not how instrumental lessons work. The teacher provides the music she uses to teach your child how to play. She will have banks of pieces at the appropriate difficulty level for her various students. If your daughter wants to play Christmas carols, you can get her a 'Carols for beginner violin players' book from Amazon. I can't imagine why you think the teacher should be buying whatever music any of her pupils fancy playing. It's a lesson, not a requests show!

You could have sorted this twice over in the time you've taken moaning about it here.

You could have sorted this twice over in the time you've taken moaning about it here.

Ha- posting twice over for effect wasn't my intention but I like it!

I think the exact opposite. You want the teacher to do something outside her normal lesson plan. Why on earth should she have to take the time and pay extra money for something you want?

Across multiple children and about 5 instruments, some through school and some private, I've always had to buy nearly all of the music. The exception being if the band leader just writes chords out in biro, or Amazon sent someone 2 so they had a spare!

Ah, you're new to lessons. It's normal for the tutor to ask you to get music. It's expensive. In September I brought all the new grade 5 books (pieces, scales, sight reading) for violin and piano, plus new theory books. And the extra books for repertoire. Buckle up.

Plus, if your teacher doesn't do Christmas songs that's life. Your dc will eventually be able to play these herself. We've had bloody Carol of the bells on the piano going here for weeks. Plus every year at primary there was an easy nutcracker medley which the violins all did. Got tedious.

String teacher here.

You can so easily find music that is the correct key and difficulty level yourself. If you're unsure im sure the teacher will send you some suggested music to buy.

You say you want it arranged, so that implies you want her to write it out herself. This takes time, are you going to pay her for her time? If so it would be much cheaper to find out what music to buy and get it on world of books/eBay etc. If it has to be arranged there won't be a backing track will there? How will there be a backing track for a piece of music that is bespoke arranged by the teacher? Are you expecting her to record one? Again, she would need to be paid for the time it takes to do this, so id again refer you back to simply finding the correct music second hand somewhere.

All my pupils buy their own music. I do not buy music for all 50+ of my students. That would be very expensive, and as I only make about 15k a year this would not be tenable.

What you're asking is not for the teacher to "be accomodating", you're asking for a huge amount of work to be done by her.

I celebrate Christmas, and I have written out the odd Jingle Bells here and there but they all like to go and find their own music that suits their taste and ability. They know what to look for.

Even a new book is only like 6 quid or something, and you will get lots of use out of it. If its Christmas stuff you'll go back to it year after year, so you'll get your money's worth.

When taking music lessons myself I have always always provided my own music
As has every other musician I know, which is lots of people.

Hope this helps.

https://amzn.eu/d/8jxTHIL