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Look at it this way, if you went in to take music lessons and your music teacher told you that in order to get to 'level 3' trumpet player you'd need to spend X

Look at it this way, if you went in to take music lessons and your music teacher told you that in order to get to 'level 3' trumpet player you'd need to spend X years and Y thousands of dollars, you'd instantly see it was ridiculous. There are widespread teaching systems for musical instruments that work exactly like this. Especially for piano and orchestral instruments. There are organized competitions for different "levels" and books of exercises and pieces also divided into levels. Even within orchestras, there is leveling - you're either violin 1 or violin 2, within those groupings you're first chair, second chair, and so forth. I always found the piano contests a bit ridiculous, but with an orchestra you do need some sort of leveling system to filter people into the various roles.

nostrademons 17y ago
Having played violin 2 for most of college and violin 1 for most of high school, I'd like to believe that the difference between first and second violins is whether you enjoy playing in the high register, and not your level of ability. Certainly the principal second of an orchestra is usually a better player than all but the first few stands of first violins. Though you're right, there is a pecking order by stand number, and another one for outside vs. inside players. Curiously, when I was in MA All-States in 2000, the conductor did an experiment. He reversed the seating order, temporarily putting the worst players up front and the best ones behind. And the orchestra as a whole played a lot better. When they couldn't hide in the back, the weaker players played out and followed the conductor much better, yet the better players continued to do so regardless of where they were placed. Unfortunately, we couldn't do this for the concert (social conventions being what they were), but the hour or so devoted to the experiment certainly worked out. Make of this what you will.

nostrademons 17y ago

Having played violin 2 for most of college and violin 1 for most of high school, I'd like to believe that the difference between first and second violins is whether you enjoy playing in the high register, and not your level of ability. Certainly the principal second of an orchestra is usually a better player than all but the first few stands of first violins. Though you're right, there is a pecking order by stand number, and another one for outside vs. inside players. Curiously, when I was in MA All-States in 2000, the conductor did an experiment. He reversed the seating order, temporarily putting the worst players up front and the best ones behind. And the orchestra as a whole played a lot better. When they couldn't hide in the back, the weaker players played out and followed the conductor much better, yet the better players continued to do so regardless of where they were placed. Unfortunately, we couldn't do this for the concert (social conventions being what they were), but the hour or so devoted to the experiment certainly worked out. Make of this what you will.