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Helping Children Succeed at Violin Study
by Felicia Giocatorino
http://www.foundviolin.com
Most of us associate the sound of the violin as being
sweet and pleasant. . .unless in the hands of a child
beginning violin instruction! Then, an instrument of
great beauty seems to often become an instrument of
unbearable torture.
Are you and you child at odds when it comes to the
subject of her violin study? If so, the tips that
follow may be of considerable use in bringing joy back
to her experience of playing the violin.
1. Children can be as overwhelmed by information
overload as we are. Typically, a lot of information
is passed from teacher to student in a violin lesson.
You can help your child process that information better
by sitting in on lessons as his "secretary." During the
lesson, keep your comments and questions to yourself.
At the end of the lesson, clarify anything you don't
understand so that you can help your child remember both
specific assignments and concepts over the following week.
And, like your mother said about comments, if you can't
say something nice. . .
2. If you've studied an instrument, you have an
for the challenges faced by student musicians. If you
haven't studied instrumental music, or if it's been so
long that you've forgotten what it's like, sign up for a
few tutoring sessions on the violin yourself. You don't
have to achieve a virtuoso skill level, but by learning
to play simple tunes well you'll gain considerable
appreciation for every little bit of progress your child
makes and you'll have much more credibility as a home
"coach."
3. Does your child play on the best violin available to
him that you can reasonably afford? The value of the
instruments made by the old Italian masters isn't as much
due to their historical significance or their artistic
appeal. They're valuable because they're easier to play!
Simple changes like a new set of strings, a pernambucco
bow instead of fiberglass, or a fully-carved instrument
instead of a laminated one can make a huge difference in
how well your child plays.
4. Not all students can learn from all teachers. Not all
teachers are capable of teaching all students. Everyone
has their limits, no matter how good they are reputed to
be at what they do. Look at whether the teacher-student
relationship is working optimally, and carefully consider
whether a teacher change would make a positive difference
or not. If you think it might, interview and observe as
many violin teachers as you reasonably can before making
the decision to leave a particular studio.
5. You already know that some people are "morning" people,
some people are "evening" people, and some people fall
in-between. Choose practice times that coincide with the
times of day that both you and your child are at your
physical, cognitive, and emotional peaks. Avoid those
times that find either of you, especially your child, at
the opposite end of that continuum.
It's not a coincidence that one learns to "play" the
violin instead of learning to "work" the violin. It's
also not a coincidence that "fiddling around" is
synonymous with having fun. Make the violin a vehicle
for fun again if it's stopped being one by implementing
any one or several of the tips above.
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