Recently I have come to the conclusion that I no longer have time to carry on having violin lessons as well as flute and piano (which I enjoy more than violin), so I intend to stop. Am I making the right decision?

QUOTE (Subatomic_Star @ Nov 25 2004, 10:52 PM)

Recently I have come to the conclusion that I no longer have time to carry on having violin lessons as well as flute and piano (which I enjoy more than violin), so I intend to stop. Am I making the right decision?

Only if you have also considered the implications of your decision for the sort of music you like playing and will want to play in the future. Also, you don't say what standard you have achieved so far on your three instruments.

Do you want to play orchestral music? The competition to get into orchestras is far more intense on flute than on violin*, at both amateur and professional levels, while pianists have only rare opportunities to play orchestral music.

Do you want to play chamber music? The flute has lots, but there is a big gap from 1760 to 1880 in which it is relatively rare. Real chamber music for piano starts with Haydn and Mozart. After that it becomes prolific, but much of the best is extremely difficult: possible with lots of work for a pianist below diploma standard, but post Grade 8. The violin is by far the best supplied, with relatively easy parts for the second violin in some of the classical quartets, huge technical demands on all players in the quartets of Janacek and Bartok and huge quantities of great music in between.

Do you want to play in wind bands? The flute is far and away your best option, though there tends to be a fair amount of competition. A few works for wind band have piano parts, usually played by a member of the percussion section who can double on the other tuned percussion (xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, marimba and tubular bells).

Do you want to play jazz? This is possible on any of your instruments, but the piano is the one most widely used. There have been some great jazz violinists: Stephane Grapelli is possibly the best known in Europe, but Joe Venuti was another great player. Jazz flute is usually played by someone who doubles on saxophone. It was one of the instruments played by one of the all-time great jazz musicians, the sadly short-lived Eric Dolphy. He also played alto sax, clarinet and bass clarinet.

Tell us more about your ambitions. They should influence your decision and would influence my advice.

* Orchestras need more than twice as many violins as any other instrument.

QUOTE (kenm @ Nov 25 2004, 11:38 PM)

Orchestras need more than twice as many violins as any other instrument.

And something in the order of ten times as many violins as flutes, yet probably more people play flute than play violin ....

Liz

why don't u stop other imstrument instead of violin?u like violin better then why don't u make up ur decision whether to let go flute or piano?

Hi, I agree with I like Piano. I play piano and violin. I too decided to halt my violin 'cause I don't have time ( important school exam coming up ).I choose to stop violin 'cause piano is my favourite instrument.

Kenm is dead right about orchestras. There was a very talented flautist playing viola in my university orchestra, and one on bassoon, because they couldn't get a sniff of a flute place. However I think if it feels like three instruments is too much, it probably is too much. And if you love flute and piano and are indifferent to violin, it would feel an uneasy choice to give up flute or piano. Lessons are pointless if you don't practise. Whatever the subsequent opportunities, if you don't like violin, you're not going to take them up. I suppose one option would be to stop the violin lessons for a while, thereby cutting down the workload, but play violin in a not too taxing orchestra for an hour or so a week, just to keep your sawing arm in. Stopping lessons doesn't mean you have to banish your instrument - I haven't had a lesson for 12 years and I'm still bungling away but enjoying it.

QUOTE (Subatomic_Star @ Nov 25 2004, 10:52 PM)

Recently I have come to the conclusion that I no longer have time to carry on having violin lessons as well as flute and piano (which I enjoy more than violin), so I intend to stop. Am I making the right decision?

QUOTE

Only if you have also considered the implications of your decision for the sort of music you like playing and will want to play in the future.  Also, you don't say what standard you have achieved so far on your three instruments.

Grade 6 flute, piano 2, violin 4

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Do you want to play orchestral music?  The competition to get into orchestras is far more intense on flute than on violin*, at both amateur and professional levels, while pianists have only rare opportunities to play orchestral music.

Only amateur really if I ever do play orchestral music, I don't intend to have a music career.

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Tell us more about your ambitions.  They should influence your decision and would influence my advice.

I intend to be either a psychologist (criminal psychologist), or in the criminal investigation department in the police.

I think I'm going to go slightly against the flow here.... I would go with the instruments you enjoy playing and want to play the most: music is all about enjoyment so you should do what you enjoy most. If your main interest lies in chamber music then, maybe, as other people have said the violin is your best bet but if you're mainly playing solo repertoire and that's what you want to do stick with the instruments that you like. Piano is valueable to have as one of your instruments (not that the others aren't) as it helps with harmony and understanding deeper structure of the music. I just think that you'll do better at the instruments you really love and will regret it if you give up one of your favorite instruments to do something you don't like as much. If you want to become a professional then definitely go with your favourite instrument: no matter how many more opportunities there are for any instrument no one will ever make it as a professional on an instrument they don't absolutely love because there are plenty of people out there who do and will thus be more motivated to practice. If you want to be a teacher, again stick with what you like (and piano will be good if you want to accompany flute) because you have to live with it for the rest of your life. I think that you're making the right decision.

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However I think if it feels like three instruments is too much,  it probably is too much.

It is! Espcially when I dont get enough time to do my homework, occasionally end up working until midnight on essays and stuff.

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And if you love flute and piano and are indifferent to violin,  it would feel an uneasy choice to give up flute or piano.

Yeah, and I mean it would only be temporary and I wuld be taking it up again when the work load has eased off a bit (after my a levels of course!

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Lessons are pointless if you don't practise.

I've noticed that, and I think my teacher has too!

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Whatever the subsequent opportunities, if you don't like violin, you're not going to take them up.

I do like it I just like flute and piano more. I probably will take your advice and join and orchestra.

Ps, sorry about the two different posts, I can't work out how to reply to different peoples posts in the same post!

QUOTE (Subatomic_Star+Nov 26 2004 @ 08:55 AM--)

I intend to be either a psychologist (criminal psychologist), or in the criminal investigation department in the police.

I think you are right to spend less time on your instruments at present. I tried a module of psychology as part of my music degree at Reading University and found it quite the hardest subject I have ever studied seriously, despite already having the scientific background and some of the statistics that it required. Where do you intend to study it? and do you have any idea of what entrance requirements they have? Reading University Psychology Department has a good reputation and presumably can demand high standards from those of their applicants who intend to graduate in it.

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Grade 6 flute, piano 2, violin 4

These are another argument for keeping the flute lessons.

QUOTE (kenm)

Only if you have also considered the implications of your decision for the sort of music you like playing and will want to play in the future.

I should have made it clear that I meant period, style and possibly specific composers as well as genres.

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Only amateur really if I ever do play orchestral music, I don't intend to have a music career.

My recommendation is that you suspend lessons on violin and possibly on piano also, until you get your A-levels out of the way. If you leave home to go to university, your flute lessons will stop then, and you can decide which instrument to concentrate on when you have surveyed the musical scene at your new location. Your taste in music may be more developed by then too.

Musical knowledge is more general than just one instrument, and much of what you learn on one will carry over to others. I have had lessons on piano, horn and 'cello, but only briefly on more than one instrument at a time (piano and horn for one year, after I had retired). I learnt the cornet at the age of 12, mostly by sitting in the local band and doing it, and took up the instrument that I play most in public nowadays, double bass, at the age of 37. My daughter had lessons on violin and bassoon when she was at school, but her professional career is as a singer-songwriter accompanying herself on electric bass, on which she had a few lessons as an adult, long after she first played it. My son had 'cello and trombone lessons when he was young and now plays mostly jazz guitar and electric bass, as a part time professional performer.

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I think you are right to spend less time on your instruments at present. I tried a module of psychology as part of my music degree at Reading University and found it quite the hardest subject I have ever studied seriously, despite already having the scientific background and some of the statistics that it required. Where do you intend to study it? and do you have any idea of what entrance requirements they have? Reading University Psychology Department has a good reputation and presumably can demand high standards from those of their applicants who intend to graduate in it.

Preferably Coventry university, it is possible to get there and back within a reasonable amount of time, the grade requirements are BBC (so far I am predicted ABCE) and they do the exact course I want (psychology and criminology joint honours).
Although, if i gain grades over that BBC I may go to Birmingham for just psychology.
Although... If these top up fee thingies arent voted in, I could consider living away, Canterbury Christchurch is looking appealing! But will take a look round reading when the time comes to apply next year!

I think you should stay with what you prefer. As you enjoy flute and piano the most stay with those instruments, as i believe that they will act as a method of relaxation from your other studies. If you are reluctant to give up the violin 'keep what you have' ie play the tunes you know. As you have done grade 4 you may have done Scottish Brawl , it was a nice piece or other pieces that you enjoyed.

Well, my lessons are now over. My last lesson on this invoice is on friday. I have decided to keep on with flute and piano but not violin, at last I can put loads more work into my maths exam in 6 weeks, and try to bring up my predicted grade from a fail to a pass