all of a sudden i have doubts of my own violin playing..

ive got my Grade 5 violin in 2003.. and that was my first ever violin exam.. meaning i skipped g1-4.. i learnt the violin for about 3 years plus and took my grade 5 because i was preparing for a local exam in 2003 and it needed a g5..

after g5, i kinda stopped having violin lessons because my parents refused to pay for BOTH my piano and violin fees.. so i decided to stop violin and continue my piano studies..

until a few months ago, being able to pay for my own lessons, i picked up violin again.. this teacher aims to prepare me for grade 6 exam..

however, i really doubt my own standard of playing.. i do not have a wide repertoire of songs.. i cant even do VIBRATO!! can u imagine.. and my tone isnt that good..

i feel as if my grade 5 was fake.. like i passed the exam with a MERIT with sheer luck.. hmm.. how can i actually assure myself that i AM of standard? what should a grade 6 student be able to do?? i feel as if im not sufficiently exposed to the world of violin playing as compared to piano..

Hey, don't panic, jas_eng! You can't expect to pick up your violin after 4 years and have it sound just as it did when you took grade 5! I'm sure your new teacher will understand this and give you some time to remember all the good technique you've probably forgotten before he enters you for grade 6.

Maybe you have gone backwards a bit, but that's quite normal and it shouldn't take too long with good practice habits to get back to where you were. By grade 6 you should have vibrato; has your teacher given you exercises to help with this? Perhaps you are trying to go a bit too fast at the moment. Just practise what your teacher tells you to the best of your ability, and believe that you will improve.

Best of luck!

To add to the last comment, I think you need to make sure that your teacher is really aware of your real standard and feelings about it. Perhaps you need to tell them to concentrate on music making for pleasure for the time being and less on 'getting to G6'. After all, as someone's sig line reads: Music is for life, not just for exams.

If I don't play for a few days, then I can't do very well, so I don't think you need punish yourself for feeling a bit rusty after 4 years!

I had two weeks away during the summer, and when I picked up my violin again I was so appalled and disappointed at the sound quality, the horrible stiffness of my bow and fingers that we nearly had some really expensive firewood that night.
After a week or so either I have become accustomed to the awful noises or I have got back to my previous standard. Don't be too discouraged...four years is a long time and it is much harder than riding a bike! Give yourself a 'recovery period' where you aren't too hard on yourself and see where you get to in a few months: all that earlier experience won't have been wasted or your teacher wouldn't be so confident about you.
N

I agree with the others, give youself a recovery period. Ease yourself back into violin playing gently as it doesn't require the most natural movements in the world. I'm not saying it will take you years and years to get back to how good you were, but just a little bit of info I know: I takes an athlete on average 3 days for every day of training missed. (Apparentely...) But I don't think violin playing is quite as long, it is still the same idea. Just give yourself a chance and enjoy. Ask your teacher to give you some exercises to help your vibrato. Ask him/her for some good studies for you to find your feet again etc.

All the best,