Lessons around here are scheduled every week. The instructors probably want that time slot reserved guaranteed every week, which, I can understand. With studio time, they pay a monthly rent. That has continued with the online, the slot is reserved and we pay for the month. If we are going to quit in the middle of the month and know before we pay for that month, we can pay that partial month, but otherwise, we pay for that time slot for a month. I think it also makes things easier to keep track of, than a lesson here and there. There are not many cello, violin or viola instructors in this area. I don’t think there are many students, either. 

The studios have opened up again, but I won’t go there. My instructor is still giving me FaceTime lessons. I told him that if that becomes a problem, I will have to drop them. So far, no students have returned to the studios in the music store. I feel bad for him. From what I know, I am my instructor’s only student now. I think that if I only asked for a lesson here and there, he would no longer be available, not sure. I doubt it would be worth it for him to do that. So, they are every week. I would not feel right asking if I can just get a lesson here and there. 

Just a thought, maybe not so much assigned every week? Or nothing new added every week? Now, that is an idea, maybe do a repeat lesson before adding more measures of the piece to my lesson? 

I just wish I could get the gist of the pieces quicker so I have a few days where the section I am working on makes sense so I can have a few days to hone it before my lesson.

I am going to ask for that same section I had for today to do for my lesson next week, without adding anything to it. Those 10 measures, B and C octave slides on the A string, the F major broken 2 octave scale, and B flat broken 2 octave scale were too much for one week. I will have to talk to him about that. I can’t get any of it with any confidence if I have all of it. I would rather have less so that what I am doing actually sticks.

Oh, I like my instructor. I think it is more me. We really spent a lot time with bowing today. When the lesson started and he asked how it went and I told him it is choppy, he immediately figured out what would cause my issue. I have a new way to bow the piece to help me be aware of leveling off before crossing strings and prepare, etc. I was trying to do something like that all week, but didn’t know how to do it. I will bow that way this week and then we will putting it to work to make the prelude right with the slurs and non-slurred notes.

My instructor is really patient with me, which is why I think it is me not being patient with me. 😁 He is actually very patient and encouraging. He is giving me special FaceTime Lessons because I won’t go into the music store studio. I was going to have to quit, otherwise, which he did not know before he said he would do that for me. I really think he wants me to get this as much as I do. So, again, that points to me being impatient. 

For some reason, the day or so before the lesson, I start feeling like I need more time, but at the lesson, I feel much better and more encouraged. It was worse this time because this prelude is slurred a lot, and I have watched it being performed on YouTube. That usually helps, but this time it made me see how drastically far off I am. 

So, I just have to be patient with myself 🤪. It actually went well today. 

@ELCBK, Not until there is no COVID risk. 

No apologies necessary, ELCB. I had to got back and read to see what you were apologizing for😂. We are all in the same boat. We do what we have to do. So, no problem. Stay safe. 😁

When I was getting lessons in the studio I was getting hour long lessons. I learn more online with the half hour FaceTime lesson.  I already did a thread about why, but two lessons a week would not work for me. I need the week to practice the lesson.