Hi there!

I'm getting a bit impatient with feeling like I'm never making any tangible progress. One reason that I've said 'no' to the next Leeds forums concert is that I can't play much more than I could last year (although I can play those things better now....) and I feel I need something to work towards to make more and faster progress. I'm finally on book 2 of the method we're doing (which is hardly and achievement given how short they are), but my teacher is always very hesitant as if even the prep test is still many moons away. I have had a LOT of illness and other crud to deal with over the last 6+ months, so it's not like I've been held back, but I do feel like I need a booster now, even though I'm about to go away for 3 weeks and can't take my viola with me, sadly!

I feel I could be ready for the June series of exams just fine, esp for the prep test and I'm considering (sneaky being that I am) just entering for it without her knowing when I enter for the G2 theory exam. It's not as if I can fail this 'test', it's just a practise thing and I don't even need to get an accompanist.

So, what do you say? Should I go for it?

By all means go for it, but do tell your teacher what you are planning. It won't do your relationship with him/her any good to be entering exams without their knowledge. You are paying for lessons and should have a say in what goes on, but listen to your teacher's advice. If you seriously can't agree, then perhaps you should look for a different teacher.

You are right that prep test is not a pass/fail test and the comments are invariably positive. It is really a 'dry run' for the later grade exams.

Edit : Sometimes it feels like you aren't making any progress - try making a recording of yourself playing now, put t away for 3 months then get it out and listen again - you will realise how far you have come!

Mmm, good point. I never thought of that, to be honest!!! I think I'll probably enter for it and then ask her to hear me through the set piece and so on a week or two before and say why. I can see the look on her face right now.

She's a great teacher and I wouldn't dream of changing, she just is very hesitant about certain things. I think she's the type who enters you for G1 when you're ready to get a distinction at G2 and working on G3 material, if you see what I mean!!! Maybe she's afraid that I might lose heart if I don't do so well, but I think I can do better than that. I need something to make me work more! Actually, I think I'll ask her why she seems so worried about stuff like this. That might help us both a bit.

Yes, have an honest discussion!

She sounds like a good teacher - some people use exams as something to strive towards. Others view them as something to drop in along the way and would prefer you to be well above the required standard. Both approaches have their merits - some people only really get going when they have an exam or other deadline to work for.

If your teacher is a cautious type, springing an exam on her is likely to cause some upset. Be nice to your teacher - they have your best interests at heart!

I'd say have a chat to your teacher Elisabeth, but present it as something you've decided to do and would like help, support and preparation for - tell her that you enjoy having tangible goals - like SueHM says, she will have your best interests at heart and will probably be really pleased that you're taking some initiative.

And you ARE making progress, you said so yourself (I can play those things better now...) well done!

Allan

Yes, talk to your teacher and go for it

It will give you a tangible goal and I bet you've achieved more than you're giving yourself credit for. It will also give you wonderful sense of achievement because it will be an 'event' you've 'performed' at.

I'd agree with everyone else that's posted. Keep your teacher in the loop about what you're doing, and go for it.

Even if you haven't progressed at all since our duet at Leeds last year (which I suspect isn't the case - I think it's more likely you're selling your abilities short), you're more than able on your instrument for the prep. test.


Best of luck both with the negotiations and with the test itself


Cheers

Katyjay

And nobody is measuring your progress at a forum concert.
We are just getting together to enjoy playing.
I usually stick to 'safe' things that are well below my supposed playing level (and can still make a pigs ear of them!).

Hi guys! Thanks for the comments and encouragement. Don't worry, I wasn't planning to put the wind up my teacher, and I certainly would never consider a real exam on my own, just the prep test. Anyway, I've just had my lesson and talked briefly about wanting to do the prep test in June and G1 in November and, to my surprise and delight, she said that sounded like a good time scale, so all's well there. I think she may have been very hesitant for some time as I was rather stressed out and unwell over my old teaching job, but am now ready to power forward with life again! I think that's one reason for wanting to get some tangible achievements under my belt - feeling like having gaffed the job (which I didn't, I just deep-down hate class teaching and it made me ill), I want to do something else and succeed!!! Having been a teacher (although not music), I know how everyone has their own methods and expectations etc.

Katyjay, no, I really haven't learned a great deal more since I played with you. I changed teachers just after then and then had a load of stress and yack all through the autumn, so couldn't get much done. I also had to do some going backwards to correct bow hold, work more intensively on bowing etc. So, what I said is literally true - I can't play much more in terms of pieces, notes etc, but I can play the former things better!! I can't play a single note or scale more now than I could 9 months ago, but I can do more in terms of dynamics (just beginning that really) and so on. Maybe we can do something next year, but I'm not going this time as I just don't feel ready for it and want to concentrate on both the prep test and G2 theory I have planned for mid-June and also a language proficiency exam in May (nothing did my own Chinese ability more harm than teaching the language for a year!!!). I know you're not going this time too, but maybe we can do something later on. We'll see.

Yes of course you should! I've just seen your post and I was surprised that you should feel so uncertain about your ability...I did hear you play last year and you sounded perfectly competant to take the prep test then, in my opinion.
Naturally you would talk to your teacher about it but surely it's ok for you to set some goals yourself? Maybe you could think about what would stop you doing well in a test, and talk about those issues with your teacher; sometimes it works to have some set tasks to focus on.
I do hope it sorts itself out, good luck!

N

Nova, that was sweet of you! I should be ready for the test by June OK. I wasn't anything like ready for it last June though really - you heard me play only 6 notes, open string and 1st & 2nd fingers on the D and A strings. The main thing then, I think, was that I could play in tune!!!! Well, I did on the day anyway... Other than that though, my bow arm heights were all over the place and I would catch the wrong string continually because of it. My bow hold was causing un-necessary problems, I had no dynamics and my left hand position and habit of opening my hand up far too much when I took my fingers off the strings was making it harder for me to play much - esp when changing strings. I've been working on a lot of that recently and think I could now be ready to do well in the prep test. I'm actually amazed that my first teacher, a pro violinist, allowed me to develop these habits and did nothing to correct them (she seemed mostly interested in intonation, which whilst important, isn't the whole story), whereas my new teacher has spent months on them, even reminding me of arm height exercises and having me do them in the lesson and my own practice etc.