Mistlethrush...........................DS1 and his violin

[FAQinglovely]

I have just had DS1 sat with jaw dropped open in astonishment. We went onto YouTube to some of those videos about how to hold the violin and he tried them and said how much more comfortable he felt (I'm not sure it's totally right but it looks better than it did).

Anyhow, after he'd done that I did a search on YouTube for Paganini - and found this video.

He just kept looking at me mouth open and saying "wow" - it was fabulous.

Then I found a clip of Menuhin and watch him play flight of the bumble bee - and was then even more when I told him that I'd met the great man and even taken him a cup of tea (which I did as he was the patron of my school and came to visit it when I was at school there).

bump for mistlethrush in the morning

bump for mistlethrush as she's around

Fantastic FAQ - its great that he feels more comfortable - and also that he is at the clips you found. I find the problem is that I can't play my violin when ds has his out as he says I'm better than him - I do say that I've done more practise than he has - he's not yet 4 !

oh yes and rather than play his (boring hehe) pices again he's just been practicing holding it.

Told me after his lesson yesterday that he was the only one that held it that way - and he says he finds it much more comfortable

lol @ your DS

The more comfortable he is, the more he will feel like practising. I would be off down to the local music shop and getting some advice and getting a fairly beginners tunes book that you and ds can play together (ie with accomp for piano/keyboard) - I did that and it was really helpful - fluency, tuning, and it wasn't really practise that way - it was just doing something nice, and if you can get playing the violin to be that it is really positive (I had some nice G&S arrangements that were my grandfathers!)

I no longer have a piano - I left it in the old house and am in the process of trying to get rid of it........it won't fit here anyhow (but I do have a space just the right size for a Clavinova )

Will try and get down there on Saturday though and see what they've got.

I really think that would help him - it would encourage him to play more - his current lessons don't really encourage him to do much do they.... Make sure you get things that he has already learned the notes for, at least at the start of the book. You could even go for duets and sing the other part

Mistle, my dd seems to get discouraged when she hears people playing the violin beautifully esp if I comment to that effect. She has a thing about her teacher playing better than her as well. Of course I try to reassure her that I get goosebumps when I hear her play!