小提琴 ???

hksarah

My friend’s son is learning violin in Argentina with a Chinese Teacher. In fact, his son has learned violin for two years in Hong Kong before move to Argentina. He told me that his son has followed this teacher for another five years. This teacher is followed the violin books that he brought from Hong Kong to Argentina. i.e 條奇 Book 1 to 6. My friend said that Book 1 to 6 is the whole series for learning violin. Now, his son is followed the Book 5 for several months but this book is very boring without any song. This teacher said that it is the way to learn violin, it must be hard work and boring at this moment. My friend feels queries in this approach. Since Book 1 to 4 and 6 has lots of songs. Why Book 5 only has some practices without any song ? His son feels frustrate in this approach and would like to stop. My friend has tried to change another teacher for his son, however, it’s hard to find a Chinese Violin teacher. There is another choice but the tuition fee is rather high nearly double and very far away from his home. It takes one and half hour traveling time to teacher’s home. I should be most grateful if any mom has experience can enlighten me the following questions :-

1.        Why Book 5 only has some practices without any song ?
2.        It that the common way to learn violin at this stage ? i.e. no song but with some practicing pieces and 把位 changing only like the Book 5 ?
3.        It that changing the teacher will follow the same method of teaching ? It is a big decision for my friend to change the teacher. He said that he can’t switch back to his original teacher after the change.
4.        My friend said that Argentina is a poor place. The information is very limited. He want to know what is the standard of his son now. He said that his son can play very good listen song in the books 1 to 4 of條奇. What is the grade of his son now ?
5.        My friend also want to know is completed Book 6 of條奇 equals completed the learning the of violin ?

Sorry for so many questions! The questions may be silly. But your opinion and advice will be very helpful to us. My friend and I are very helpless. Please help us.

kaka0814

To my understanding, there are some gaps between Grade 4 & 5 in Violin learning.

Before Grade 5, students are not required to know:
1) the full use of Position 3
2) virbato
3) Double stop
4) Tuning on violin
5) fast staccato ...etc

So, once they reach Grade 5, they have to learn those skills in a short period and that's why they have a must to use lots of "method" book rather than music piece.

Same theory on other instrument like Piano. If your teacher only use some "piece", but not using some method book like Hanon - a boring but USEFUL finger practise book. Students will be in Troble too!

In fact, I am not familiar with the 蓧琦' book, I use suzuki when I was very young and turn to use lots of method book (WITH NO SONG /PIECE!!) like Mazas / Carl Fisch... Once you have trained up your fingers and bowing, having good pitch with scales, you will find yourself learning music / song much fun.

Get settle with those method/"boring" practise, if you cant stay with that, probably you will not be able to stay with those Bach' Partita, much required skills rather than Musical sense I believe.

Anyway, please comment or correct me for any mistake. In fact I am not a very good string player but did learn it when I was young.

hollyfong

As a violin teacher, I will only use the bk 1 of 條奇. Then I will switch to Suzuki. I know some teachers will still continue to use 條奇, but they will add other pieces or go together with Suzuki.

The teacher of your friend's son is not using a proper approach. For a proper training, violinist should have 1, scale. 2, studies 3, pieces. But the teacher demands the child to practise studies only. I don't think this is a healthy condition. Studies are important, but one can never abandon scale and pieces.

The teacher is being not very honest, I think. Maybe he has a special approach which I don't know. Yet, as far as I know, no teacher do it in this way.

I cannot gaurantee for a grade to the child, but I think he is around grade 3-4.

kaka0814

What I believe is the teacher are not in Hong Kong, and he/she didn't attemp to get other books out of 蓧琦...

Probably you could send some books to him, including method books and pieces. If the violin teacher is really qualified, he/she should know some of the famous piece that allow students to learn.

hksarah

Dear kaka0814 & hollyfong,

Thank you very much for your valuable advice. I will forward the message to my friend for her consideration.


sarah

hksarah

Dear kaka0814, hollyfong and other moms,

My friend asked me to buy some music books for her son. She said that her son is learning 5th position now. Grateful if you could advise which book should I buy for her. Some music co. recommended Suzuki but I don’t know which volume should I buy. Please give me some advice. Thanks a lot !!

Sarah

kaka0814

Ask whether he start Mazas or not?
if have started Mazas, get him a book named "Carl Fiesch"  (similar name, I forgot how to spell).

If you want to buy Suzuki, probably you could get him Book 4 or 5.... in order to save money, there is a 合訂本 in around $50 that you could get from most China-bookstore in MongKok.

5th position is not a good "indicator" of grades, but I guess it would be around grade 5. More scales exercises would be useful.

If time & place allowed, I could come and help you choose those books in bookstore, please PM me.

hksarah

Dear kaka0814,

Thanks a lot for yuor advice.

Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart. However, I can't dare to bother you so much for accompany with me to choose the book. I may first buy the Suzuki book 4 & 5 and mail to my friend.

Thanks again !

Sarah

kaka0814

Sarah,

Not at all. that's just for help.

Get the Suzuki 合訂本 which already have Volume 1-8 in Mongkok China-bookshop 國內書店.... there should be stock in 尚x房, while only $50 for book 1-8, rather than you pay only 1 book for $40!

Get him some studies and the scales book also. I believe there should also be with Mazas or Kasyer...etc. which all of these are good books for violin learner. Get him the ABRSM Grade 6-8 scale book, and I blieve he will be busy in violin learning time....    

hksarah

Dear kaka0814,

Thanks a lot your assistance.

Would you mind to tell me the location of 國內書店 & 尚x房 in Mong Kok ? I 'm sorry that I'm not familiar with this region.

Sarah

kaka0814

there is a number of those bookshop in 西洋菜街,
do you know where selling 龍so糖?
there is one 尚x房 on 2nd floor
and they should have some as I have been there on Monday

any other place that you will go often? maybe they also have bookstore those place.

hksarah

Thanks a lot !

I'll try to locate it this night.