it's hard to make a conclusion without knowing your current violin's quality/condition. sometimes, you find RM900 violin sound better than RM1500 violin, and vice versa.

if your current violin has got setup problem, you can change bridge (RM120~150), soundpost adjustment (usually free). then, good quality strings (RM100+), good quality rosin (RM30+-). sometimes, fingerboard might not have proper scoop or overall shaping too. bow is entirely different matter, just like buying new violins, the more you pay, the better quality you get.

then, all the above problem might present on the RM1500 too if you don't choose carefully (along with knowledges and experiences), so you might end up buying another problematic violin.

at this price point, playability and setup is priority.

finally bought a violin from amadeus. brand's scott cao. am really happy with it

3 years sharp, i actually prepared my grade 8 pieces at the beginning of 3rd year, or was it like around 8 months before the exam?

to be fair, before i started the violin i already had good deal of musical trainings in general since 4 years old, as well as grade 8 in piano. so i can just focus on everything about violin, and sight reading was extra easy cause mainly just single line melody.

then, teacher and environment played a big role as a whole. my teacher is that kind of "the more you hardworking the faster you learn" kind of teacher, means, he will NEVER reserve any inputs for the students. if the student is ready, he'll straight spoon feed all kinds of necessary things to student. whether the student want to follow and practice hard, it's up to the student. back then, i was a full time music student too, so i have free time to practice all day long, and people around me are all being competitive (in a good way) so i was kiasu and practiced hard.

not to say my teacher is suitable to everybody, obviously i reckon finding the right teacher is essential as a starting point, hence i highly recommend my teacher. mind you, i'm not his only student to scored grade 8 under 3 years.

hey dey....juz wanna share with you guys the new bow I just got.... its a brand called dorfler made from pernambuco wood. I'd spent my last 6 months working like hell and save like hell just to get this bow.



I had a student who finished Grade 8 in 16 months, believe it or not. 

of course, I wasn't the one who guided him for 16 months fully.... He enrolled in April. he has Grade 6 piano and good ears ( dun relaly know whether its perfect pitch anot, but if it isn't then he has really good relative pitch). In April, that was my mum started to guide in all the basics...how to hold violin etc... then he finished grade 1 scale in 1st month, then started to play grade 2 and 3 songs in 2nd month....  It was in August, I started to guide him... my philosophy in training student is 50% scale, 40% studies and 10 % songs. it means I will focus alot on scale and studies.

here's the deal. If you are grade 3 onwards...you should start playing kayser (a study) and focus more on 3rd position (try to familiarize your third position by continuously playing C major on 3rd position)

so in August, I trained his 2nd position...it took him 2 months to master 2nd position, at the same time, I make him master his Grade 5 scale. So for his studies, he played Kayser, positional study (a china book that let you master different position)...songs? I used suzuki ...

In November, he registered for his Grade 5 exam. In November itself, I started his Grade 8 scale ( to those who are doing Grade 8 now or done it....you will know only one word can be referred to Grade 8 scale- HELL ) . Its hard but he didnt give up.... I will wanna cry out if I was him. he is a tough guy at the age of 17 at that time. In December....I realized he mastered half of his Grade 8 scale.... I made him registered for his grade 8 exam.

now as a tutor...I realized...I have only 8 months to prepare for his grade 5 and 8 exam.... He finished most of grade 8 scale in January and I started his first piece of grade 8 song. but then I stop. I further trained and try to perfect only his scale and studies..... In February, I passed him to my teacher who got a shock when he knew that hes gonna take grade 8.... my teacher keep on saying he's not gonna make it  for some times.... I said... he is not a skipper....he's got basics....that was what I had been training him for the past 6 months. Through hard work....He passed his grade 5 (which he didnt care at all ...lol) and grade 8....

now this student....how did he make it?
-he practised about 6-8 hours a day.
-he got good ears
-he's discipline and determine
-he listen to his tutor and so he practised nothing but basic.....
-he did studies....after he went to my teacher. my teacher gave him kreutzer (another more difficult study). and I became his friend eventually and lend him some of my studies....including Hrimaly, sevcik...etc.

see? everything is possible...but practise is a must!

my teacher charge RM100 per hour. although i don't recommend, if financial is an issue, he's able to give you lesson per 2 weeks, so it's about RM200 per month, regardless of what grade you're in. he don't do 30mins per week lesson though.

but since liez has produced a record breaking grade 8 holder. why don't you try to learn under him?
i reckon that you don't get carried away too much by all these grading things. acquiring a certain grade only means the player can play those 3 exam pieces, scales, and others that're required in the exam. no more, no less.

in the professional world, examination board gradings are practically meaningless. it's about either one can play, or not.

dont waste time la about all these grade 8 la..diploma la..whatever la. so many people with diploma cant even play by ear! Must have a score in front of them. NO score...cant play. Really meaningless!

Sure...you learn the rudiments and 'proper' technique...but beyond the silly 3 exam pieces and scales a year...whaty good is spending so much money just to get the paper?? I have seen so many people like these.

If you think I am not qualified to say this...you can ask little ice. He can tell you whether I am qualified or not.

huh? I thought this is a forum. Its better to have the more knowledge, the merrier it is right? 
with correct daily basic exercise and hours of hardwork practise everyday, ok lar...and at least some good ears lar... its achievable.

-its not diligence that achieve you something, its hardwork and proper guidance. and try not to give too much attention to examination songs that you are playing... Its the basics that you have to do well. Normally we can't paly well a song becoz we have yet to adapt to the necessary skills involved in the piece. e.g: fingers strength, shifting, fingers movement, and most importantly intonation and bow controlling.
I dunno whether its record breaking or not. Coz as far as I am concerned, there are more students than I know had achieved this feat. I know guys at my age who finished piano grade 8 in 2 years, a few more who finished grade 8 in 1 year. I did not break the record and the grade 8 student I mentioned earlier was not completed by me alone. And I can't guarantee to achieve this feat to anyone who comes to me. If I am able to, I would probably be millionaire now. Fact is, I am not too fierce type of teacher thus resulting about 80% of my students don't practice their violin/piano. But if they do, I will give them what they need of course.

its not the tutor who produce a good student. with a decent hearing student who practices violin as you told him and with proper method, even you can produce one. Serious.

playing notes...read the score and play...
playing music.... read the score, understand the song and play with suitable touch.... many definitions. 

don't have to care much about those definitions first... just play the violin well is more than enough for lower grade students. all the philosophies should come when you got into Grade 7,8  or diploma.