music question - changing instrument
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Try a different teacher. DS was sacked by last year's teacher, he was bored. This year he is being taught by a professional pianist and is having a fantastic time. He even wants to take a grade exam, something he has casually avoided so far.
Edit: DS has always loved the piano, so was not at all put off the instrument by an incompatible teacher.
Edit: DS has always loved the piano, so was not at all put off the instrument by an incompatible teacher.
I don't think it was the teacher that was the problem. I wish he would play the piano for a number of reasons mentioned but he is a very tactile boy which is why he likes an instrument he can basically wrestle with whilst trying to play. The Basson was like a complicated light sabre!incompatible teacher.
Back to the guitar then - he can leap around the stage with it, wave it above his head, play it behind his back.... Seriously he is already learning one of the "endangered instruments" with bassoon, I know free lessons on another instrument is tempting, but it might be a good idea to consolidate and get past the earlier grades on one instrument first rather than flitting too much - and if he does get the coveted music scholarship he may be encouraged back to the piano/ keyboard/ organ if only to keep up with the others...
Really honestly. Let him choose his instrument. You can second guess what scholarship panels will say, but the one thing that they will be looking for is joy in music. And there is nothing more joyless than a child coached to play an instrument that his heart isn't in. My niece has been playing the piano against her will for 4 years now. She is very proficient indeed (well taught and loads of practice) but she is torture to listen to - there is no soul or musicality, despite her technical expertise. There is no way she would get a music scholarship anywhere - and she's playing at grade 7/8 level.
And there is nothing more joyless than a child coached to play an instrument that his heart isn't in. My niece has been playing the piano against her will for 4 years now. She is very proficient indeed (well taught and loads of practice)
How true. I knew someone who was a dancer rather than musician, but the same thing. Technically step perfect but utterly soulless..
wheresa as I tried my hardest to dance, lots of passion but the physique and skill of a fairy elephant
wheresa as I tried my hardest to dance, lots of passion but the physique and skill of a fairy elephant
Be sure I cannot force my son to do anything. He's going to sit an exam on the clarinet in March and by then he will want to continue or not. He does like the instrument but I suppose I thought oboe may be best because of the double reed and it may have added scholarship benefit.
I am completely going to throw a spanner in the works now. How about the trumpet? DS spent a year trying the drums (it wasn't pleasant for anybody) and then the school offered a term's free lessons on the trumpet (and the loan of said instrument) as the current brass group were all leaving. He took up the challenge and has loved it ever since.
He took grade 1 in a year and then broke his arm badly so grade 2 has been very delayed and in the meantime he has been playing lots of fun pices instead of grade pieces. Trumpet also has a certain cool factor.
Give brass a thought and buy some earplugs is my advice!
He took grade 1 in a year and then broke his arm badly so grade 2 has been very delayed and in the meantime he has been playing lots of fun pices instead of grade pieces. Trumpet also has a certain cool factor.
Give brass a thought and buy some earplugs is my advice!
Will look into that Doodles! I never knew how painful brass is on the old lugs. DS1 has taken up the sax and brought it home for the first time. He nearly blew my head off and then I realised all the suffering my family and potentially neighbours have been going through! And to think I was very proud of my Danny Boy and Nessun Dorma!