How Was Your Lesson And What Are You Practicing? Options

[moon]

I thought it'll be interesting to start a thread where we can talk about our lessons and what we're learning. I have no one to share it with, none of my friends are musical and I don't play with other people (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I haven't done any practice since mid December when I had my last lesson. I've got a lesson on Sunday, I better start practicing! It's difficult being an adult learner and trying to fit in practice time when you have a full time job. I don't know how some of you manage it!

I find it hard to concentrate after work, I prefer lessons on weekends. My last lesson was in the evenings after work, I was being so slow! I was struggling to concentrate and read music. Lol, infact I can't remember what I did in my last lesson! I just remember learning 4th position, sight reading and working on a piece of music and struggling. My teacher is so patient with me. I was getting frustrated with myself for being so rubbish at it. I better do more practice before my next lesson. But sometimes, I can play something to a reasonable standard when I'm at home but when I have a lesson, I get self-conscious and totally mess it up. I wonder if that is more common with adult learners, we have higher expectations and try too hard.

[Fran*Piano]

I'mnearly sixteen, so not an adult learner, but older than many of these child prodigies that start when they're barely out of nappies! I just began learning violin about two months ago, and although I'm having proper weekly lessons with a teacher, I seem to find it far harder than learning piano-I'm self taught and began learning at about thirteen. Although it's only a little bit of difference between the two starting ages, my teacher has suggested that being older and having more to think about could be the reason-so I can well imagine how much more difficult it is for an adult with all the pressures of just general life.
I'm going in for my grade one in March, so we did a little bit of work on scales (I think-haven't had a lesson in two weeks, and my memory's terrible at the moment!) and then spent the rest of the lesson making doubly sure I was getting fourth fingers in tune on every string most of the time (I wasn't, I confess!) I think the thing with being able to play something perfectly well at home and not in a lesson is something to do with having someone else listening in and ready to offer help with it-even though we know they're teachers, and they are here to help, it's so much harder when someone else is listening just as intently as you are! These string instruments are a nightmare mind, and yet I still love them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[jojo]

I thought it'll be interesting to start a thread where we can talk about our lessons and what we're learning. I have no one to share it with, non of my friends are musical and I don't play with other people (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I haven't done any practice since mid December when I had my last lesson. I've got a lesson on Sunday, I better start practicing! It's difficult being an adult learner and trying to fit in practice time when you have a full time job. I don't know how some of you manage it!

I have violin lessons every week on a saturday morning (saturday being my only day off work, I work 6 days a week!), my double bass lessons are every 2 weeks usually on a thursday evening after work. Double bass is my second instrument which I like but am not passionate about like violin.
I don't find evening lessons after work any harder I have to say, but we are all different!
I have changed violin teacher 6 months ago, this teacher I have now is very experienced, very good and talented, he is kind but boy, is he tough???!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

My last violin lesson I spent almost in tears as he was ripping apart all I was playing and every other note I was either out of tune or out of rythm or with not enough dynamics!!! We were playing Andaluza, piece B2 from grade 5 list. I was almost in tears because of how much hard work it was and how it just was not getting any better, not because of him, he's great!!! I love a strict teacher!
we did some sight reading from ABRSM book and that went very well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) He has taught me a little bit of theory too.

He gives me very specific things to practice and he has asked me to do ALL the exercises he gives me, I said I find it difficult to do them all in one practice session as the maximum I can practice each day is 1hr and 20 minutes tops (as I Have to do 30 to 40 minutes on double bass too), he said so long that I cover each exercise at least once in a 10 day period then its ok, so I now keep a practice diary and write down all the exercises and place a tick next to them when I get round to do it, I keep the diary for 10 days and by the end I have to have at least one tick next to each exercise (but end up having at least three (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

as for how I manage to do 2 hours on instruments each day:
I don't do anything else with my life, and that is the truth (apart from sleeping/cooking and eating dinner/post on these forums and work), but I wouldn't say to anyone that's what they should do, not unless that's what they WANT to do. I prefer to put all else on hold for now as violin is my priority, but that's my decision which is good 'for me' and is by no means any better than any other person's decision.
at times other priorities prop up (ie once I had to visit a friend daily for 3 weeks as she had an operation and needed help) but then I still fit in my practice 99% of the time, it just means that I go to bed later (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Violin Hero]

My last lesson, which was about 10 days ago was spent going over the piece Polichinelle by Kreisler, doing some scale and then some theory.

[moon]

Fran*Piano - Good luck with your grade 1 exam. I'm sure you'll be fine! I find string instruments a bit harder as well, there's a lot more to think about it - bowing, fingers, intonation on top of playing the music and rhythm. Sometimes I'm so busy thinking about my fingers, I forget what I'm doing with my bow and the rhythm.

Jojo - I know what you mean when the teacher rip apart what you play. I think thats why I don't feel relax in lessons cos I know I will be criticised about my playing. But in a good way, we have to remind ourselves that is good for us. Sometimes it can be hard work, I know what I have to do but I just can't do it! I do find that in general, as an adult, I don't like being criticised, I get defensive and think "oh its because I'm naturally rubbish at it then". I think my teacher is really good at staying positive, so that helps a lot. Its good that you're so passionate about your instrument. All the hard work is going to be worth it, you're going to be really good at it one day! It's good that your teacher gives you a lot of homework :-) Keeping a diary is a good idea, thanks for sharing that tip!

[jojo]

My last lesson, which was about 10 days ago was spent going over the piece Polichinelle by Kreisler, doing some scale and then some theory.

sounds nice, I will look that piece up, not sure if I know it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
when's your next lesson violin hero? how often do you take lessons?

Keeping a diary is a good idea, thanks for sharing that tip!

Moon,
what are you working on at the moment?
I am doing quite a few of the grade 5 pieces (plus scales/arpeggios/dominant-diminished sevenths blah blah)
the grade 5 pieces I am doing are
A1 Tambourine
A6 Giga
A3 bagatelle
B1 Romance
B2 andaluza
B3 sicilienne
C?5 (not sure of the number) the dance of the snowmen
C1 Cavatina
C6 Cossack Dance

I don't know if I will do the exam, but if I do I might play: A3 Bagatelle, then either B1 Romance or B2 Andaluza, then either C1 Cavatina or C6 cossack Dance (this is my favourite so I'd like this one)

At my next lesson I think I will start learning vibrato

I know it's kind of 'late' but my previous teacher was no good and NEVER taught me anything about intonation, so just as well I have not learnt it before as you DON'T want to put vibrato on top of dodgy intonation!!!

Am doing some interesting Kreutzer thing (n.4) to get better with my staccato bowing, my teacher insists I do the downbow ones the 'Heifetz' way (wood of bow tilting towards bridge, I call it the Heifetz way as the very first time I saw downbow staccato was in his video called 'Hora staccato' watch it on youtube, it's really good (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

I'm going in for my grade one in March

best wishes for your exam (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)
my grade 1 violin was my very first music exam in my life, taken at age 37 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) in 2007
It was a nice experience (of course I was nervous!!!) and quite shocking when I received the result of distinction! was not expecting such a high achievement, but I do usually tend to over-criticise myself and put myself down I have to admit, I used to be an obsessed 'perfectionist', though with age I am learning to relax and 'let go' a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[2childmum]

My last lesson was the Friday before Christmas, and I'm not sure how much of it i can remember.

I'm working on a sonata by Pepusch - the 4th movement is on the grade 4 list (viola) but I'm mainly working on the first movement which is really slow. We've been working hard on bowing, and I thought it was going very well, but then discovered in my lesson that the timing had gone to pot - there are lots of dotted crotchets, tied to the beginning of a run of semiquavers and it's so slow the crotchets go on for ever - only mine didn't, and the semis were speeding up too! We also went through the grade 3 scales, which I thought were a bit disastrous, but can't have been too bad as I now have to learn all the grade four ones by my next lesson (in a weeks time). I was also set a new piece to learn from the Time Tunes book (is that what it's called? - can't be bothered to go and get it to check.) I really dislike almost all the pieces from it but as I paid for it I suppose I ought to learn some of them. I've also just started some exercises from the Sevcik bowing book, so lots I should be practising - easier said than done over Christmas with the 2 children and husband at home!

I keep a diary where I write down which scales, exercises and pieces i have practised each day. I also used to write notes to myself about each piece, but found i would start practising the next day and forget to check my notes, only to rediscover 20 minutes later something i had actually sorted out the day before. Now i write little notes to myself on the music (if it relates to a particular note) or on small post -it notes stuck to the page, so when I open the music my notes are there for me to read - and also my teacher to read if i forget to remove them!


I find learning as an adult has its advantages and disadvantages. I'm definitely less patient with myself, and can often hear what i want to sound like in my head, only to be disappointed when i hear what i actually sound like! My memory is not so good - i don't always remember what my teacher has told me, and it's hard to find the time to practise. On the plus side, I'm much better at practising - much more focused that i was as a teenager learining piano. i also enjoy my lessons, which are a much more 2 way thing and a bit more like a consultation rather than a lesson! And I enjoy learning so much more, because I've made a much more conscious decision to go for it this time around.

[jojo]

I find learning as an adult has its advantages and disadvantages. I'm definitely less patient with myself, and can often hear what i want to sound like in my head, only to be disappointed when i hear what i actually sound like! My memory is not so good - i don't always remember what my teacher has told me, and it's hard to find the time to practise. On the plus side, I'm much better at practising - much more focused that i was as a teenager learining piano. i also enjoy my lessons, which are a much more 2 way thing and a bit more like a consultation rather than a lesson! And I enjoy learning so much more, because I've made a much more conscious decision to go for it this time around.

your post is very nice and inspiring (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

nice to hear you comparing from where you were a teenager, I never took music lessons in my life so have nothing to compare with, I started for the first time 3 years ago!

I did something 'different' tonight with my practice, I pulled out 'waggon wheels' the book I was learning on 2 and a half years ago!!!! (pre-grade 1 to grade 1 only just I guess)
and 'boy did it bring back memories or what???' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
I remember how hard I found some of those pieces, and how fast I thought they were and how 'plain' and scratchy they used to sound like back then, and now how they sound clean/nice/professional (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) and how NOT fast at all they are and how NOT hard at all they are (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

it has given me some 'positiveness' back in my 'violin life' as I was getting really depressed lately as some of the grade 5 pieces are way too fast and I don't think I can do it that fast yet. But then seeing I was thinking the same of these pieces and now they are a 'piece of cake' then one day these grade 5 ones will too be a 'piece of cake' right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

I LOVE the sevcik exercises, I LOVE scales, I LOVE technique!!! I just get lost in it and could do it forever!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[JLW]

I had a lesson last night which didn't sound good at all. It's amazing how hard it is to practice over Christmas when all the kids are back home.

I'm in that getting worse before it gets better phase after my grade 5 exam, and now have to start holding the think correctly (again!) and must keep my left wrist straight with my forearm and not let it go flat.

Meanwhile I'm learning Largo from Winter (Four seasons) and Corelli's Preludio and Allemande from Sonata in Em. Plus lots of etudes etc.

[Violin Hero]

I had a lesson last night which didn't sound good at all. It's amazing how hard it is to practice over Christmas when all the kids are back home.

I'm in that getting worse before it gets better phase after my grade 5 exam, and now have to start holding the think correctly (again!) and must keep my left wrist straight with my forearm and not let it go flat.

Meanwhile I'm learning Largo from Winter (Four seasons) and Corelli's Preludio and Allemande from Sonata in Em. Plus lots of etudes etc.

I was going through the same phase after grade 4. At least you could practice, my bow was being rehaired, I pick it up today, and I didn't feel like using my cheap £70 spare bow.

You wouldn't when you have a £500 bow, would you?

Plus I love Largo from Winter, I play it sometimes after working hard on a tough piece, because it is something simple for me and it always makes me happy. Apart from the not using vibrato because it is baroque music.

[jojo]

I'm in that getting worse before it gets better phase after my grade 5 exam, and now have to start holding the think correctly (again!) and must keep my left wrist straight with my forearm and not let it go flat.

I was going through the same phase after grade 4. At least you could practice, my bow was being rehaired, I pick it up today, and I didn't feel like using my cheap ?70 spare bow.

You wouldn't when you have a ?500 bow, would you?

JLW, what pieces did you do for your grade 5? Did you also find it very hard to get up to speed with the last 3 lines in Tambourine? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) after a year of trying I STILL cannot do them up to speed, I got better, but not good enough yet!
Did you have the 'collapsable wrist problem' earlier in your 'violin life' and now has cropped its rear ugly head back up? or is it a new thing? I never had that problem (have many others though) so wondering whether it will attack me also!

As for 'tough patch' in the violin learning curve, a friend of mine (violin teacher) told me that for most violinists the 'roundabout grade 5 mark' is one of the toughest places to be, you 'hit a plateau' kind of thing she said....she was telling me this as I was getting ever so depressed about my playing, that I felt I sounded rubbish, I could not play anything, I cannot 'move on' etc etc Now having read about you and violin hero it kind of consolidates what she told me...... I feel better because I know that soon I'll come out of it and it will all 'flow again' (well for a while anyway, there MUST be another sticky patch somewhere! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) )

Violin Hero
a new bow is what I need I 'think'
I am waiting for a tax refund, I am expecting it to be approx ?300 which is not much but do you think might be 'only just enough' for a bow that will help me go ahead with my progress?

At present I have the bow which came with my violin outfit (an Otto Jos Klier 72 outfit priced at ?750 3 years ago), wonder how little is worth? and how do I know how good/bad it is? shall I ask my teacher??

[JLW]

JLW, what pieces did you do for your grade 5? Did you also find it very hard to get up to speed with the last 3 lines in Tambourine? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) after a year of trying I STILL cannot do them up to speed, I got better, but not good enough yet!

Tambourin
Andeluza
Cossack Dance

I thought Tambourin would be my lowest mark , but it ended up the highest (nerves kicked in after it?). I played it at "my speed". I had criticism for lack of accuracy in the last section (i.e I couldn't play that fast!)

Did you have the 'collapsable wrist problem' earlier in your 'violin life' and now has cropped its rear ugly head back up? or is it a new thing? I never had that problem (have many others though) so wondering whether it will attack me also!

I'm always susceptible to it, as a renegade bass guitarist. Left hand problems keep coming back when I'm not thinking! Its probably trying to learn to quickly... a common adult fault.

John

[jojo]

Tambourin
Andeluza
Cossack Dance

I thought Tambourin would be my lowest mark , but it ended up the highest (nerves kicked in after it?). I played it at "my speed". I had criticism for lack of accuracy in the last section (i.e I couldn't play that fast!)

makes me feel better to hear you did not play it at the speed of the ABRSM CD, was beginning to think there was something wrong with me that after one year of trying I STILL cannot play the last 3 lines at the ABRSM CD speed!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

I 'might settle' for Bagatelle A3/Andaluza B2 (I don't have a real problem with any of the B pieces) and either Cossack Dance or Cavatina for C piece, IF I am doing the exam (still thinking about it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) )

Tonight I could not practice 'properly' my 'head was not in it' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Violin Hero]

I do have to admit that I was suprised to find spicatto on semi quavers at grade 5. I used the book to practice sight readings several months ago.

[Tixylix]

My first lesson after the Christmas break was on Wednesday, only got home on Tuesday from seeing relatives elsewhere in the country so was a bit out of practice, next week's lesson should go a bit more smoothly.

At the moment I'm focusing on my Grade 5 piano pieces:
A3 Giga
B2 Norwegian Air
C1 In the Groove

Also working on Tarantella and La Chevaleresque from Burgmuller Op 100, and I've promised my teacher I'd bring along some Tim Minchin songs to my next lesson. I've been grappling with Insect Nation by Bill Bailey for a few weeks now, but keep stumbling on the chords in the second verse.