2 years of flute lessons and dd can't read music!

[Dancergirl]

I am horrified to discover today that after 2 years of flute lessons at school dd is struggling to read the notes on the stave. Tbh, I already knew her general progress was poor due to consistent changes of teacher. She has had 3 teachers since taking it up in Year 4, she has now just finished primary school.

Teacher 1 seemed ok but her attendance was erratic. Teacher 2 was excellent and dd seemed to make progress, there was talk about moving towards doing Grade 1. This teacher left at the end of Year 5 after getting a place to study music therapy. Teacher 3 (start of Year 6) seemed ok but didn't really take up where teacher 2 had left off so instead of carrying on with Grade 1 preparation, he wanted dd to take a music medal. She did copper towards the end of Year 6 which I reluctantly agreed to as I really wanted her to take a grade.

I have piano lessons myself and my teacher gave me a book of flute and piano duets which she thought dd might enjoy. But she really struggled with even an easy piece, doesn't know all the notes on the flute and was unsure of reading the notes on the stave!

Do peripertetic teachers not teach theory as they go on? The lessons aren't cheap and I feel disappointed that dd has made such slow progress. She is about to start Year 7 at a girls indie school and I have paid for her to have her flute lessons there. I'm hoping the teacher will have a bit more staying power plus she will have the opportunity of playing in flute groups, wind band etc which should increase her confidence.

The peri teachers at school usually do their best with very limited time. Were her lessons individual or group? Also how long were her lessons?
I have no alternative with dds voice teacher than through the LEA as she doesn't live local. However, 20 mins at a music centre seems hardly long enough.
I do think its also down to the pupil as well, dd also has violin lessons privately, along with Piano and dh does Saxophone. She is far better at singing/voice than other instruments, despite a 20 min lesson.
I am not surprised your dd can't read music through this system though. Have you tried to find a private teacher, most of the time they are the same price as lessons at school.
Don't count on the teacher at indie school being much better as time is also an issue here from accounts I have heard. I wish you luck, it's certainly not easy finding a working solution sometimes.

One of dd1's friends who was touted to be good at music said when she was doing about grade 2 piano that she couldn't read music. I have to say that I was a bit , which her loving dm was rather irritated by as I think she expected me to say how wonderful she could play by ear.

I asked dd1's piano teacher and she said it was a method used because they could progress much faster at the early levels. Often used by teachers who didn't expect to take them beyond the lower levels. They then would reach a point when they had to learn to read music to progress and then often found it too hard to continue as they had to, as it were, take two paces backwards.

Notably dd1's friend, from that position of 1 grade above dd1 at the time that conversation happened, is now 1 grade below her, and dd1 isn't rushing through the grades.

DeWe.

I couldn't have put it better. I think it is far better to learn the basics properly and also believe early grades being easier progression a myth. Sure, if a dc is particularly talented or has played other instruments a grade 1,2 or even 3 may not be necessary, especially regarding the latter. Obviously gr2 is the same standard whatever the instrument and I know some teachers skip this if dc already doing gr3 on another instrument. But to rush under other circumstances does the pupil no good. I find it strange that so many parents judge ability on grades passed. They are an indication as to a level achieved on a particular day. Far better to gain a good repertoire, technical ability , musicianship and to be consistent at a particular level. Than have a musical career that contains 24 or so pieces and nothing else.
Soap box issue with me, lol.
My dd just done gr2 violin also does voice, piano, and saxophone. No idea as to grades, some she plays better than violin some to a lesser ability. It doesn't matter as long as they enjoy it.

DD had a two brief spells of flute lessons in school.
The first was with a good teacher but it's a popular instrument, the time was shared with lots of others some more demanding of attention than others. Lessons often began late or were cut short through no fault of the flute teacher.

I managed to wangle private lessons with the same teacher and terrific progress was made. It's all much calmer done after school in peace. It was the same cost but better value for money and I got much better feedback.
That teacher took her through grade 3 and had taught music theory along the way so well that DD only needed a brush-up for G5 theory.

Then when DD began secondary school I was persuaded that it would be better for her to have lessons in school again. It was a disaster. She almost gave up. Ghastly man.
I found another private teacher who took her through grade 6 and then DD got a place at a junior conservatoire.

She had 4 flute teachers in all up to grade 8.
I would expect someone teaching beginners to teach them to read music. If your DD hasn't been taught this so far then flute lessons provided in secondary school aren't going to help her much so I really do think you need to find a private teacher and book 30 minute lessons.

Thank you for your replies.

She WAS having 30 mins private lessons at school. Same as I had as a child learning piano and I was taught properly, learning both theory and how to play the instrument.

Time-wise it will be v difficult to find a private teacher. Dd does a lot of ballet, the flute is a secondary hobby although she does enjoy it v much. What with a longer day at secondary plus ballet plus homework, it will be hard to also fit in a flute lesson which is why I want her to do it during the school day. I'll see how it goes with the teacher anyway, I can always help her with the theory at home.

I would be inclined to let school know how unsatisfactory the teaching is. That's shocking after 2 years of lessons even if they had been shared, never mind being individual.

As for shared lessons, it varies completely by teacher and child. two of my DCs have been very lucky My older DCs learnt to read music initially through school recorder lessons done properly, followed by various instruments. DS1 and 2 others achieved Grade 3 trumpet in a shared lesson by Year 6, and as there is also a very good school orchestra he was very competent at this level.

DDs violin lessons were not nearly as good though, the teacher used to write the note names on the music which drove DD mad, as she coud read the music.

DS 2 has to share his trombone lesson with 2 trumpets in a very mixed lesson, but they are all doing really well. After 1 year they play in a local junior windband, played as an ensemble in the summer concert and will go into orchestra in September. For what its worth they are also doing Grade exams in November.

i have stopped DD2's piano lessons until she can read music - i am teaching her the recorder myself in the meantime. It's quite easy to teach from the book. If she has a good ear she'll get away with not learning to read music ime.

The reasons why DD's shared lessons at primary school were disappointing have more to do with the chaotic management of the school than the flute teacher. In-school lessons seemed to work perfectly at her second primary school but by that time she was committed to lessons out of school.

She had already learned the basics of reading music before she began flute when I taught her to play the recorder. Somehow the recorder seems to lend itself well to this.