I stopped piano for several years already. My first and last exam is Grade 4, piano ABRSM. And I got a distinction for both theory and practical. And the examiner wrote on the paper that I had "a stylish performance"! I was so happy! Well, I had a fight with my mum, so she stopped my piano lessons. I took only 1 year to finish grade 1 to 4. But actually I already finish learning grade 5 theory, just didn't take the exam.. I start during form 1 and stop during form 2. And now I am in University. So, you can see the large gap and I really forgot most of the scales, major, minor, dunno what etc. etc. etc.

I really do wish to continue, but due to the large gap in between, I kinda lose confidence now. And I heard only people who have grade 5 cert only can continue grade 6,7,and 8.

And KL fees is so expensive! The fees is so so so much more expensive compared to my kampung. I just moved up here recently.

I am starting my degree on May and moving to Kampar. I will be spending my time there for 3 years. So now I am thinking of picking up an intrument again.

The reason is, Kampar is boring, so I need some "entertainment". LOL but I dunno I can juggle in between degree course and music. And I am thinking of taking violin instead. because violin is small and mobile. And because I am studying outstation, there's no way I can have a piano in Kampar.

So guys, should I just buy a cheap keyboard and continue piano or take a new one like violin? Is violin easier than piano? I still can play the piano, my weakness in piano is my sight reading is very bad. I tend to hafal the way the teacher's hands movement instead of really reading the notes. I know, it's a bad habit but I really do like classical musics.

Please give me some advice please?

Or maybe I should just take guitar? Another reason why I take violin or piano is because maybe I can be a piano teacher if I can't find a good job with my Business Information System Degree cert? Maybe I think too much.

Please Help Me!

This post has been edited by toccatina: Apr 21 2008, 07:00 AM

Wow 1 year to finish from grade 1 to 4!
It took me 4 years to accomplish that

I think that you should continue your Piano but since your new place don't have a Piano I think should reconsider. Because grade 5 exam is very important (I'm gonna have one this year).
If you practice using a keyboard at home, then when it comes to exam your fingers would not adjust to the touch of the upright piano.

I am taking violin lessons too. I personally think Violin is easier to play compared to Piano in terms of sight reading, because Violin only uses one staff and most of them are single notes.
But the technical works in Violin is way harder than Piano as you can easily play if off-tune and hit the wrong string.
Also, Violin is SO NOISY! If you have housemates they might get annoyed when you practise XD

Maybe guitar will suit you the most
Since you like classical music, you can go for classical guitar
Its fun and sight reading isn't that hard either once you get used to chords.
Also you can strum and sing a long a few songs if you are bored there.
But do note that the tip your fingers will get a little rough once you start playing guitar you might want to consider that as well

Off Topic: are you studying at UTAR?

OBVIOUSLY!!!

---

Added on April 21, 2008, 6:23 amhey, you MUST have grade 5 then only can take Grade 6, 7 & 8?

This post has been edited by toccatina: Apr 21 2008, 06:23 AM

im in university too. back when im young. i learnt piano, till grade 4 i think. then, stop coz moved.

then last year, i started pick up instrument again. i start with guitar. well, i like it, but, just tat, its not the tone tat im looking for. then i tried violin. and thats the tone tat im looking for. now learning violin. its quite easy in term of technique... just need to practise more. well... now tat im learning 2 instument at the same time.

guitar more of like... play with fren kindda thing and violin... well so far no body knows im learning even my housemate also dunno thanks to the mute and my good sound isolating room.

perhaps u can also learn both at the same time like me

I personally think it all depends on you, whether your passion lies with the piano or violin..

If you are really interested in violin, maybe u can consider getting a cheaper china made one to try out, there is one in the garage sales rite now.. Go take a look..

Also, maybe it ll make life less complicated for you, more mobility, less costly. Difficulty wise, i think most instruments are difficult in their own terms.

However, as you said, you are doing quite well with your piano, perhaps you might think about not wasting you talent. But since you are staying out of home, and a student also add on the factor of such a long gap year, you might not be able to take it up as well as you did before, and might be a determent when you really do pick it up later.

My suggestion is look for a fren who really have a piano, or rent a piano from music school, some allows people to play there and rent an hour or two for practice like cyber cafe, that would be on the safe side.

Piano tend to be costly, you cant just buy it and chuck it by the side if you decide not to play. same goes to keyboard. A decent one would probably cost a thousand or close to one.

thts my few cents.. So the rest is all up to you to consider.. Good luk! ;-)

Ah I'm studying at UTAR too
And yea grade 5 is your passport to grade 8, its compulsary
Grade 6 and 7 are optional
My piano teacher say that grade 5 exam is actually the hardest one

jikolo, can I know how you mute your violin? I would love to mute it while practicing

well, i bought mine along with my violin. there's 3 type selling there. i dun really know the price of other type. but from what i see, those mute is seriously over priced.

anyway, mt kind of mute is a piece of quite heavy metal tat is clip into the bridge. not tat heavy, 500~700g i think. it can cancel off 70% of the sound. then there's a piece of black rubber tat slide to the bridge, which cancel off 50%. i didnt pick coz still too loud. living at hostel

then there's the official concert mute. which i think will cancel off all the sound. and judge from the name, it will be very expensive. it is attach to the string.

i got mine at rm35

just an advice tina, don't become a teacher just because you scare when you're jobless. if you want to teach, you can at least lecture in college/uni with your qualification.

as for your request, pick an instruments you really love. cause the passion on the things you love will lead to you success. you've grown up, you should know which instrument's sound that'll hook your soul.

This post has been edited by little ice: Apr 21 2008, 03:33 PM

dont become a teacher just because u are jobless, you will spoil the student's passion as u are not dedicated.

Anyway, piano is far easier than violin, and you are required to finnish grade 5 to countinue.

i would recomend piano as you already know how to play it, if you pick up violin, u need at least 4-6years of learning before you could even perform a single beautiful peice infront of a person.

Anyway, you can choose any of these as long as you are comited.

Nuf said, dont be a music teacher as you are most likely not suitable, but be your own proffesion!

but I only have 3 years, how far can I go with violin?

---

Added on April 21, 2008, 6:01 pmhow much is a decent violin these days huh? if time allows, I might take both piano and violin. but the time being, maybe just settle for 1...

---

Added on April 21, 2008, 6:01 pmWhich UTAR kampus? currently I'm at FICT.

---

Added on April 21, 2008, 6:05 pmi do have my passion towards this job. I'm just widen my choices only, maybe.. for backups? LOL

This post has been edited by toccatina: Apr 21 2008, 06:05 PM

you only have 3 years to spend?

as long as you practice everyday, 3 years is enough to hit around grade 6 since you already know piano.

decent violin ah, boleh listen one around rm800 at the least lo. lower than that your ear suffer.

---

Added on April 21, 2008, 6:07 pmdoubt no further, start going for lessons asap.

This post has been edited by little ice: Apr 21 2008, 06:07 PM

but which instrument to choose..

First of all, do u have a budget?
Well, u can start off with a cheap violin or second hand violin.. make sure to bring a fren who knows their stuff with you..

ok, to think in a commercial way, violin teacher has HUGH demand in the market now, even in KL.

actually i think its best to find one which really rocks ur boat..
And bear in mind, there is no ultimate instrument.. Each instrument will have their drawback and advantage, as far as i know..

it will be nice if a violin is below rm1000..

then i think little ice just solved your problem.. he did said a decent one would be somewhere there.

Piano would be way higher for a decent one

how far can i go with 3 years to spend with violin?

I can continue it when i move back to KL after degree.

but the fees are so much more expensive than it used to be!

totally blood sucking!

i know a violin teacher where a lot of his students can hit grade 8 within 3 years.

it depends how hardworking you are. if you already know piano, hitting grade 6 ain't no problem.

This post has been edited by little ice: Apr 21 2008, 06:20 PM

I guess it all depends on how fast can you absorb, if you can utilise what u remember, all u need to do is train the technical skills...

Playing music aint cheap anymore unless you are talking about the guitar and the harmonica..

that really lighten me up!

maybe I take violin first, continue piano after that.

if time allows me so, both at the same time.

I wanna ask, violin only plays treble only?

---

Added on April 21, 2008, 6:25 pmI don't have any friend which plays violin!

This post has been edited by toccatina: Apr 21 2008, 06:25 PM

of course, you can always take the challenge to go for both instruments.

violin only read treble clefs, not like piano have to read 2 lines (some times 3 lines!).

I think that should not be a problem for me? I think the only problem for me is to learn how to actually play it. Hahaha. I see many people after graduating grade 8 piano then move on to violin. But no more news after that.

that's why you need pas si on.

you can try a few lessons first and decide if you really love the instruments. most importantly, somebody who can inspire you (normally it's also the job of the teacher).

i beg to differ, reading is one thing, playing instrument like violin will develop their own frustration, although u do not need to play so much more notes, problem inherent to these instrument is the difficulty in producing a good tone which is usual for all beginners.

That would probably be good enough to deter u from continuing at one point of time..

I'm thinking of starting from scratch. Start all over again. Anybody been to YAMAHA music center at PJ area? They teach musi there too? must be very expensive too huh.

This post has been edited by toccatina: Apr 21 2008, 06:39 PM

if you only learn 3 years and become teacher, u are not experince enough to be a teacher. eventhou you have passion, BASED ON MY OPINION, a good teacher must at least have a degree or above to teach a student about true form of music. even without a degree, the teacher must have experince many great deal of music, music history, dynamic, technical works, understanding of music, and ultimately, educated the student to understnad the beauty of music at a very young age.

thinking of being a teacher as a backup job is not good. u will just ruin the student's future.

just put urself as a student, 1 day u start learning the violin, and a teacher who only learn violin for 3 years since 23 years old and is only grade 6 already teaching violin, how will you feel? you feel that the teacher is not good enough, the teacher is just doing this for the money.

sorry to blow ur bubble, but, learning the violin/piano as a hobby
being a teacher
if u are determined enough and spend 3 hours a day on the violin, u can hit grd 6 in 3 years.( i pracitse the piano a minimum of 3 hours a day).
the fees are expensive if u want a good teacher. but u can get a rm50/month teacher who has no good experince in teaching and has a poor knowlegdge of music.

nothnig good comes cheap
nothing cheap comes good.

Wow after reading all your replies I notice that I am very slow, 1 year 1 grade

Last time my violin teacher told me that to be a good violinist, you have to be a good pianist.

My violin teacher do not have piano background, and now her violin is up to performance level (I don't know her grade ) But she told me that she could not proceed further, and she starts to take piano lessons

Is this true?

1 year 1 grade is normal speed loh. because I dun wanna waste too much $$$. so i do fast fast.

so which utar campus are u in?

lolz.. i am in same situation as you
but mine is chinese instrument vs violin.. haha

decided to take them both during next sem if my allowance enough

which uni are you in?

i was from UTAR FICT PJ Campus as well..
but then i transfer to Help edi... too bad
how is PJ campus now?

i started guitar at 1st...
then i found out that i was too lazy to learn n memorize the chords...
so i learn thru songs oni..
u play wateva songs i like by the tab...

then, i picked up drums...
and i like it...

now, planning to pick up guitar again n oso bass...
kinda interested in violin, but cant afford to learn so many at one shot lar...

btw i'm 20... would it be too old to start?
really feel regret for not started at the young age...

Ah I'm at UTAR FICT PJ campus!
PJ campus still remain the same, wont upgrade anymore because all will move to Kampar already but FICT will remain at PJ campus until I graduate

I think age 20 wont be too late, when finish grade 8 at most is 30 years old still can teach part time and earn

But if you play for your own interest, then any age would not be a problem!

By the way, saru means monkey? XD

This post has been edited by Momotaro Kun: Apr 22 2008, 01:38 AM

same campus! tomolo I have programming paper! you're in degree already?

i assume you are local? learning musical instruments in pj is very expensive. mind to share where are u learning it right now?

This post has been edited by toccatina: Apr 22 2008, 01:46 AM

Tomorrow I cuti
I Wednesday and Thursday continue exam
Have test still forum haha I love programming
I'm currently in Year 2 Sem 1 degree in Computer Science

i'm i foundation, my c++ is dying.

Nothing much they can ask, just remember always start with int main ()
And read some if.. else statements as well as looping as far as I remember

die lo die lo

oh.. good luck for u toccatina...

still rmb last time in UTAR, after class, we always go to the futsal centre near Skynet play futsal... lolx...
one thing for sure, utar staff sux to the max!!!!
especially the gals from DSA...
everyday oso show the father-passed-away face... lolx...

actually, c++ is not that hard if u understand it...
this was how i scored A in it... lolx...
some ppl juz try to memorize... it's useless...

i'm juz sucked in the circuit thingie.. thatz y i gave up on computer engineering.. haha..

and yeah, saru meanz monkey in japanese...

oh gosh... my post is totally off topic.. haha..

ok letz get back to the topic...
there is a Yamaha music school in Kelana Jaya...
i'm not sure abt the fees there...

u can always drop by n check it out...
TGS is offering music courses as well... which i think will be slightly cheaper than yamaha...

or u can always find a private tutor wut that come to ur house n teach...
i think it's much cheaper than goin to music schools...

I am in KL TARC.
Guess they are not moving the college to kampar oso i guess

the futsal? it's so hot like sauna! and SP corner sucks to the max!

DSA was never helpful. so-called 'the most happening' in UTAR. bluff people one.

today my paper..

TGS? what's that?

haha... which futsal centre provides u centralize air-cond 1? haha...
SP corner... haha... biasa lar...

most happening place??
totally speechless abt that...

TGS is The Guitar Store...
can always drop by n check it out...

alrite guyz, c'mon..
i think betta stop talkin abt ur college or uni...
this is musicians section...

tiz thread is getting out of hand and turning into an utar thread.
well, if i would honestly answer, then YES.

its based on alot of factor and its too long to explain. take up some reading on the net and u will understand more.