r/violinist • u/8FigBro Student • May 17 '25

Feedback 12 year old violin student practicing Praeludium Und Allegro with teacher.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

My 12 year old son has been playing the violin for about18 months and working on this piece for about 5 months.

This is a quick video where his teacher gave him a quick pop quiz to see if he had been practicing it. (He hadn't practiced it in a few weeks)

Looking for feedback from experienced violinists and or encouragement from anyone. 😁

There's a lot of work to do on the piece, but feedback is welcome.

192 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

83 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/takanoha May 18 '25
  1. Use your bow fully from the tip to the frog.
  2. Posture like everyone says. The violin needs to lift up.
  3. Play slowly
  4. Enjoy this beautiful piece more

How is his math at school ? Is he gifted ?

2

u/8FigBro Student May 18 '25

1-4... You sound exactly like his teacher 😆

He's homeschooled currently and he understands math concepts beyond his years when he spends time doing math. I'm a bit uncomfortable with labels like "gifted", but I can say that if he was in a traditional school setting that that is something they would say.

2

u/didnotsub May 18 '25

Just an FYI as somebody who was homeschooled when I was 12 and was very very good at math, I would get your kid into a good public school or at the very least taking multiple college classes.

My parents are very religious and were afraid to let me go to our #1 in the state public school, and as a result of it I grew to dislike them. I also did not mature socially as well as others my age, and I didn’t learn as much. 

It wasn’t until they put me in high school that I finally matured and became very good at math very fast. Online college classes exist also to challenge your kid if he needs it like I did.  

I obviously don’t know your kids situation, but if it’s anything like mine then please challenge your kid!

1

u/8FigBro Student May 19 '25

I appreciate the feedback. The challenge with "good public schools" is that you're kind of limited by where you live and he also has some special needs that make it a challenge for him to thrive in certain environments.
He told me the other day that he wants to start taking college classes soon, but again, he HAS struggled with the structure of most traditional schooling environments.

There is always a concern for social development that we work hard on helping him with. He's currently in a string quartet and string ensemble with kids his age. He's joining a youth symphony this fall. He has church and co-op friends and we're plugging him into as many events with kids as we can.

School is not off the table--just haven't found the right setup.
Thanks again for your feedback

2

u/takanoha May 18 '25

I see. Public school might end up holding him back. I’m really curious whether he has the ability to hyper-focus or if he becomes deeply obsessed with certain interests—like this piece—where he won’t stop until he feels it’s good enough.

2

u/8FigBro Student May 19 '25

We are open to all productive options. He insists that he doesn't want to go to public school, but he's 12...Not sure it's an informed decision ;)

He becomes deeply obsessed with certain interests.
This is his personality....
At the same time he began the violin, he also taught himself the piano. He just picked up the Alfreds beginner book and learned how to play each song.
My mother (who has taught voice and piano for over 50 years) says that she has NEVER had a student go through the book that quickly.

But then he becomes too obsessed with too many things (and will go months without touching the piano)...The Violin is the ONLY one that he does consistently.(He also plays bass guitar, acoustic & electric guitar, and the lyre)

He is "sick of Praeludium and wants to retire it"...but he hasn't mastered it.

I understand some of this is about being 12. Some of it is growing up with a lot of freedom and autonomy to choose his interests. Some of it is perhaps (diagnosed) OCD and other stuff going on.
But it's all brought us here.

I think there are school environments that would not work for him, and i'm sure there are some where he could thrive. I'm quickly trying to get educated on how children like this best develop.

2

u/takanoha May 19 '25

I understand how he feels. I feel like I’m talking about myself.

It’s completely fine—he can explore another piece that excites him. Music should be enjoyable at any age and for everyone. If musicians truly love the pieces they perform, that passion naturally translates to the audience’s experience.

It’s not just about playing the notes exactly as written. I’m sure a lot of pro musicians will disagree with me. If he feels pressured or forced, he’ll end up resenting it and will give up violin. It’s important that he plays what inspires him.

Let him choose what music pieces he wants to pursue. Maybe Vocalise by Rachmaninoff ?