Category: child violin

My 9 yr. old daughter has been taking violin lessons since she was 4. She is quite good at it now, but hates it. My wife thinks that it is very important and won’t let her quit. I feel conflicted between my daughter and my wife. I think we should support our daughter in what our daughter wants to do, rather than forcing her to do what her parents pick for her.
But, I think my attitude has made things worse, since then our daughter picks up on the fact that her parents are divided on the issue and this makes it even harder for the two of them to get along. I know the parents should try to be united, but my wife is quite insistent on this and there is no convincing her to back down.
Besides your opinion on the mandatory music lessons question, I would like to know what you would do given my situation. Should I support my wife to try to make a united parental front for our daughter, or should I try to get my wife to change her position. thanks.

We have to expose our children to the different thinks of life in the hope that we can help them to be well rounded individuals.

I would think that we should encourage them to do things but not force them.

We should not live our life through them.

It is important to have discipline & music teaches this well.

I look at your issue as one of trade offs. Try to find some thing your daughter likes to do. Like after practice stopping for a treat. You don’t tell her that you are rewarding her though. If she is having a recital maybe your wife can take her to the mall for some thing special to wear.

The important thing to watch for would be, is she improving her skills & is she one of the better players in her group.
Progress is important. If she isn’t keeping up with others it would be best to let her do something she would like to do better

If she isn’t then she will be just going through the motions & will dislike it more & more.

It may not be important but many stars had stage mothers,
who must have pushed them at some time.

I would guess that you have to step back & not make this a big issue between you & your wife.

Find some little things that your daughter likes & that you & your wife feel are OK and work them in to your routine.
But don’t call them a reward.

Those of you who have had children take lessons, do you think it helped your children’s development? Was it worth the time & effort? Why or why not?

I played music from the Suzuki Cello book.

It’s really, really good.

I don’t plan to become a professional violinist, but i’ve been playing violin since i was 6 or 7 years old, and now i’m 13. I’m not sure if i should continue playing, because there doesn’t seen to be any use to it. So, is there any purpose to continue playing violin even though i’m not going to play it professionally as an adult? thanks!

If you don’t enjoy it, don’t play.
The "use" I get out of playing is enjoyment. But if you feel like it’s a chore to play, then I don’t see any point in you playing anymore.

She is 6 and loves music. I was thinking piano or violin.

Well, of course most people might say piano just because it teaches you both clefs and you just have to press a key to make a sound….

BUT

I say violin!

I started violin when I was 4 through the Suzuki program and then 2 years later learned piano. Suzuki method teaches young students to play by rote first (meaning copying) and reading notes second. They incorporate games to make what others deem as "difficult" very easy for little ones to do! You’d be surprised how easily a young child can manuever the bow despite the opinions on this page. They are big in immersing little ones in music as if it were a second language. I can’t say enough how successful this is when it’s done right w/good parental support. Your child will have a huge advantage over others later on if she starts violin now.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I should also point out that, yes, I wanted to quit after a few years, but my parents didn’t let me–look where I am now–career in music–plus had most of my college tuition paid for with music scholarships. When they feel success on it (which it through fun practice), they will want to play and the opposite is true–just keep encouraging and staying firm–I think–until high school–then they can decide for themselves.

E-mail me if you have any more questions!

I need it for bass, viola, 1st, 2nd and 3rd violin…

Try SheetMusicPlus.com – if they don’t have ti there I doubt anywhere will…

I am trying to find a good website for fiddles. I would rather buy a used one, & one adult size & child. I want to learn & so does my 5 year old. I went to amazon.com found a few things not much. This is the important question maybe stupid but I can’t figure it out so bare with me please
what is the difference between a fiddle & violin? Is there really? Im finding violins everywhere when i look up fiddles but few fiddles. Any help would be nice thank you in advance.

In terms of the instrument there is absolutely no difference between a fiddle and a violin; they are exactly the same, really. The difference is the type of music played on them.

See:

http://beststudentviolins.com/violins.html

I don’t plan to become a professional violinist, but i’ve been playing violin since i was 6 or 7 years old, and now i’m 13. I’m not sure if i should continue playing, because there doesn’t seen to be any use to it. So, is there any purpose to continue playing violin even though i’m not going to play it professionally as an adult? thanks!

Even if you do not want to play professionally, music can often be your best friend. It will always be there for you, even if others leave you. Music is what got me through middle school and high school. It is a way that you can really express yourself, a way you can let your emotions flow. It picks you up when you are down, lets you vent your frustrations, and lets you sing for joy in times of bliss. I would highly reccommend that you keep playing your violin, even if you want to just do it for a hobby, because I believe that you will find that it is so much more than just a hobby. It is a healthy and fun way to express yourself. You will always have your music, even when things are at their worst. So please continue with your studies…it will bring you more joy than you could ever imagine.

My aunt and cousing brother also suffers from some form of depression. My cousing sister suffers from Down’s Syndrome. These have been a major issue and bottleneck for our family planning. Knowing the kind of long term medication that my brother is into, we are scared to even take on the risk of having our second child.

Having said that we strive to have an active life style at home and practice good all round development. My daughter (6 yrs) is thankfuly healthy and intelligent. She sings and plays the violin too.

Your thoughts/advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

A genetic counselor can give you factual information. That person would get lots of info. about you/your wife and both of your family backgrounds. Then you would be given the statistics about how likely different problems would be to occur.

I did that when I was thinking of having my 2nd child at age 40, and of having "amnio."

I can tell you, as a mom with a son who is bipolar (my first child), that it’s rather complicated and if you REALLY want facts you need to do a genetic screening.

It might give you some peace of mind…or at least you can make an educated decision.

Congrats on your healthy, intelligent, AND apparently musically talented daughter.

i’m 22 and want to start learning…. i used to know how to read music (played piano when i was little) and i think i can refresh my memory but i’m guessing its not the same with the violin….. i always wanted to play but i couldn;t afford the classes and didn’t have time until now…….. but at my age is it worth it??? some people tell me that it is nearly impossible and it isn’t worth it because it will take me years to learn what a child can do in two,,,,,,,,,,, what do you all think??

im 49 and started the violin about two years ago – i played guitar for about ten years and (in my opinion) never really got the hang of it – but after two years with the violin im pretty good – some people are meant for some instruments – if you always had an interest then you might pick it up much easier than you think –

when i started i rented one from a place that usually rents to students – i paid 28 dollars for three months – and then i bought one – i also rented a sax for 3 months and didnt really care for the playing of it – love the instrument but i didnt like playing it (ya know?)

i now own 4 of them – and i have learned that the chinese made violins are some of the best deals on the market now – if you spend 300 to 400 one you wont be sorry – and a quality violin will really make a big difference to your learning curve

i dont know why i have a nack with the violin when the guitar (another very similar stringed instrument) always eluded me – i have a feeling that its got something to do with the different angle from which you view the fingerboard (looking down along it instead of down across it)

anyway ….. its not too late – if you want a good source for a chinese violin let me know

WE KNEW IT AS THE GERMAN MARCH BUT I DONT THINK THAT WAS THE NAME REALLY I THINK THERE WAS A PART WHERE YOU STRUMMED THE STRINGS WITH YOUR FINGERS ANY ONE ASK THEIR PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY POPULAR TUNE AT THE TIME.THANKS
sorry mura i didnt mean to shout as you say but i so anxious to get the tune that my late father played to us [he was killed young in a crash]

This question seem like a stab in the dark to ask on YA. I would suggest listening to lots of fiddle music of the genre you think the tune is from. This may take forever to find the piece but it also could only take a CD or two. Hope you find it!