I'm seriously considering giving up the violin. I'm not sure what has sparked this off as I've always loved the Violin and would practise every day. I just feel like i've hit a plateau and I can't get beyond where I currently am. I'm not happy with my vibrato - I have more of a hand vibrato than arm vibrato.

I guess I'm just feeling fatigued by it. When I think about what I've achieved it seems a shame to give up as I've always wanted to get Grade 8 and then do a diploma and teach, but now I don't think that's possible.

I don't expect any answers, just wanted somewhere to say how I feel about it.

On a happy note though I'm really into piano at the moment and am starting to teach myself the Guitar. Really want to play the Stones - they're my fav band and the music I grew up listening to! :-)

Hi Violinist,

Please don't give up yet! We all hit plateaus from time to time. Why not just relax with it and enjoy playing for a while before you worry about where you are or where you're going? I see some of my students doing hand vibrato before they master arm vibrato, but it doesn't mean it will always be like that.

But something else in your post made me want to answer - you mention that you are "really into piano" just now. This happens to me as well; I prefer one instrument to the other two for maybe as long as 6 months, and then another takes over, and then I veer back to preferring the first, or start to prefer the third. It could be that this is just an off phase for your violin. As you say, it would be a great shame to give up now when you have got so far, and there is nothing to stop you getting further - and achieving your dream of teaching. Do give it a while - in a few months you might be raring to go again. Good luck!

Maybe you just need a bit of a rest from it.

I find when I come up against something on the violin that I just can't do I eventually have to leave it for a bit. Spent some time playing pieces I can play and that I love so I can just enjoy playing instead of stressing about the difficult stuff.

Doesn't sound like you should just give up. But give yourself a break
Hope it all works ou for you

You've clearly done so well on it so far, don't give up yet Everyone has times like this but you'll love it again in no time Try playing some more fun stuff etc. or even having a short break from it.
Good luck!

Yes, don't give up !

The more you advance, the slower progress may seem to be - when you start out, just learning how to bow straight makes such a difference to your playing, but once you get better, the things that make a difference are more subtle and we take longer to get them (we're also more aware of how much we don't yet know!) - try looking at how far you've come rather than how far you still have to go, for a bit.

Everyone plateaus from time to time like Misterioso said - and if you're waiting for the 'Aha, now I can REALLY play my instrument' moment - it doesn't ever come, I don't think! Everyone is always working on some aspect of their playing - if people like Liz Carroll (trad fiddle) and Maxim Vengerov still need to work, people like you and I can feel secure in the knowledge that it's ok for our playing to need work too.

You're also enjoying a new instrument and probably feeling like you're progressing much more quickly - but your in the 'learn how to bow straight' phase with that one so it seems like you're getting better much more quickly and it's easy to think 'ah, this is the one for me'.

Perhaps have a little break and see how you feel afterwards? Or play some things just for enjoyment rather than progress for a bit? What about some stuff like recording a simple piano accompaniment and then playing a violin part over the top?

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

Allan

Ok, well same with me with vibrato. You might want to watch Perlman play - that is nothing like arm vibrato So don't get bogged down by that, focus on your sound rather than how you achieve it. Besides, you're not of the standard where you should expect to produce varied vibratos, that's an advanced technique. All of us have times where we feel a lack of progress, and similarly times when progress is quick and we feel we are playing at a great level. This is how music works. I'm sure it will happen in any other instrument you play seriously as well.
Do you have a good teacher?


I'm sure it is Anyone can achieve that with a lot of practice and motivation, and some degree of talent. I'm sure you have it in you, but you're just not in the best frame of mind today. Music is pretty hard going really, it's impossible to feel motivated 24/7. Likewise, we all go through pessimistic times. I'm sure you will come out of it. Maybe you should try playing some chamber music or something a little different and new to make yourself remember why you enjoy violin. Also, don't pressure yourself into grade 8 or whatever. That takes fun off it.

Hi,
Please dont give up, I gave up 20 yrs ago whilst working towards my Grade 8 and boy do I regret it!! When I think now I could have been teaching it or even had a career playing???
I got a Saturday job all them years ago so couldnt go to the weekly orchestra and thought there was no longer any point to having lessons, just to play in the house.
Ive started again and am loving it, Im no where near the standard I was, yes I can play the same Grade 8 standard music but its just not quite there yet but Im determined to get back where I was, albeit quite a bit older .
Take the pressure off a bit and have some fun with the piano and Guitar but please dont give up totally.

Yep I agree with everyone don't give up! That sort of implies you're locking your violin away and never looking at it again.

Take a wee holiday and play some fun stuff. Cut your practice hours but try to play a couple of times a week. Don't walk away completely.

I'm in that boat just now; other things have just taken over, but instead of stopping outright I'm still having some lessons and try to play at least a couple of times a week. I know next summer I'll be able to get back into the swing again so it's nice to just keep 'ticking over'.

What's wrong with hand vibrato? Some of the best players I know use it.

Liz

DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

I totally understand how you feel, because I'm hitting a wall right now as well. My initial progress on violin was super fast, and then after 6 months, it slowed down, now, about a year, it's not going anywhere.

I think you can play some music that you enjoy, not those technically crazy one that will just make you frustrated. I don't know what else to suggest, but don't give up!

Hi everyone,

Just to say thanks for all your replies and to let you know that i'm back playing violin again! I had a break and have cut my lessons down and I'm enjoying it again now and am going to take Gd 7 in the summer.

I'm glad I didn't give up completely and sell my violin (the thought did briefly cross my mind!) because I would have been mad.

Anyway, just thought I'd let you know!

Sarah

Well done!

I had a bad practise session yesterday, followed by a brief halfhour of why-on-earth-am-I-doing-this-I-must-be-mad-how-much-could-I-get-for-this-heap-of-junk-on-ebay, then I called it a day and felt much better about it today (and apologised to my beautiful violin for calling her a heap of junk). Sometimes you have to take a break, whether it be for the night, a few weeks/months or 14/15 years like my last break

Glad to hear you're back on board

Violas are better anyway.

I couldn't argue with that!!

I often feel like quitting as I just don't seem to get any real progress made and feel fed up, (I feel like that about a few things.....), so I understand where Sarah was coming from, although I'm no Grade 7-er! Probably never will be either as I'm struggling so much with the first grade 1 piece!

That is fantastic and I will remember your dip and recovery when I am feeling especially frustrated - thank you for coming back and reminding us all to stick with it, even when times are tough.

If you quit you will never get anywhere. If you don't, you might get to G7

Very true, me dearie, very true. However, I'm allowed to be discouraged once in a while!!!

I may give up lessons once E leaves the area for a while, but that depends on what our plans for spending some time out East are and how much money we have to play with. If I feel like going straight on, even for 6 months and we have the cash, then I will with whoever I can get to teach me, then go for a more perm arrangement when we get back, but I'm also open to going without actual lessons for a while and just playing my way through first position pieces to keep myself going, so to speak. We shall see.

Yeah...I'm not looking forward to her leaving

I went through a down phase in my practicing awhile back. it was then I went into the music shop and bought some new music in a style I wasn't really working in. In this case it was Celtic fiddle music. As a result my interest returned particularly when I saw some of the great fiddle players on the TV.

I have to say a new and better violin also helped compared to my cheapy starter instrument. It is now a real pleasure to open the case!

Please don't give up just try something new and maybe less demanding

You can't get much less demanding than pre-Grade 1 stuff, but I do understand what you're saying!

Taystar - have a wander over to the fiddle thread - we're posting new tunes and discussing authentic celtic fiddle styles - it might be fun!

I went through a similar plataeu phase a few months ago while working on my grade 8 pieces and decided to give up the lessons for a while and just concentrate on playing for enjoyment! I now just play for fun in the orchestra, and I can tell that even with just the weekly orchestra rehearsal and the odd night practicing the tricky bits from our pieces I am definately still improving - and best of all enjoying my playing again!

I'm a full time working mum of two with very little spare time (orchestra rehearsal night is my "mum's night off"), and for me at the moment the spare time I have is too precious to spend it getting bogged down with scales and passing exams. I will go back to the lessons when the time is right and I WILL get my grade 8 eventually, but at the moment I much prefer playing for the fun of it - after all, isn't that the reason we play - for enjoyment?

I think I rather agree with you VB. I'm really not sure about doing my Grade 1 exam this summer. I might, but I just don't want the fuss at the mo. I may feel differently by the application deadline, whenever that is, but it depends on about 24 things!!