The opinions of the instructors on the selection of etude and piece in individualized instrument (violin) education in music teacher training instutitions in Turkey

This study aims to determine, in accordance with the instructors? views, what the instructors who teach individualized instrument (violin) course in Music Teacher Training Institutions take into consideration in choosing the etudes and pieces for the students and what kind of etudes and pieces they concentrate on.In this study, a survey including 39 questions prepared in accordance with professionals? views has been used. The survey has been applied to the instructors teaching violin courses in music teacher training institutions which have given lecture in 2010-2011 Education Year. Obtained data has been analyzed using percent- frequency calculations.As a result of the findings, it has been observed that most of the instructors also consider students? level in addition to the syllabus in choosing etudes and pieces. It has been concluded that they include etudes which develop decipher level to some extent, that they don?t consider excessively the opinions of the students and most of them tend to overrate their own musical tastes substantially and partly in choosing etudes. It has been identified that most of the instructors give place, to a large extent, the etudes that they themselves play; and they give place to the etudes that include double voice practices, chord practices and figuration techniques intermediately in choosing etudes.. It has been seen that %82.5 of the instructors give place to duo etudes partly and on a small scale.On the selection of the pieces, it has been identified that the instructors consider the opinions of the students to some extent, that they give place much to the pieces belonging to Baroque Period and including less of those belonging to Contemporary Turkish composers, that they seldom choose pieces of Traditional Turkish Folk Music adapted to violin education and finally that they give a limited place to pieces of Traditional Turkish Classical Music, school songs and marches adapted to violin education. It has been observed that most of the instructors give more importance to their own tastes in choosing pieces and to a large extent, include the pieces they themselves play. It has been determined that instructors don?t give place excessively to duo pieces. As a result of these findings, suggestions have been presented.Key words: Violin, Etude, Piece