Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum I don't think I have a very good teacher.

Hi Morodiene.

You are right. Too often people resort to email when they have something difficult to say. I would not do this to my teacher. I think I'm going to try to make it work with her. I will tell her that I am discouraged and that I would like to move to more challenging subject matter. If it doesn't work out, I will tell her in person. We have 3 years of lessons together. She deserves that.

As for the theory part, she has expressed an interest in taking a refresher course at the local community college. Maybe this is something we could do together. Just a thought.

It's really cowardly of students to quit via email. I'm sorry that teachers are treated this way.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. I am encouraged that maybe if I take the reigns, and tell her my goals that things could work out. If they don't, then I will audition other teachers and find someone new.

Heirborne: Good for you. Giving a teacher time to make adjustments is really important. We can't always know what your secret goals are, and so with adults especially, we try not to push them too much unless they ask for it. Simply letting her know you want more is perfectly OK and I'm sure she will try to accommodate your interests. Let us know how it goes!

Wow. 3 years of lessons, working in Alfred book 2, and you are unusually advanced for her??

YEAH. You need to switch teachers. ASAP.

Find someone who regularly teaches truly advanced repertoire without a second thought. Your own skills will skyrocket.

Liz

Prodigal - I wish my skills would skyrocket, it is more like a slow and steady crawl

Slow and steady wins every time

Slow and steady is great as long as there is sufficient forward momentum and the foundation for later skills is being carefully laid. From what you have said about your current teacher, this is not happening, or likely to happen.

Which teacher do you think will have students who progress more quickly and smoothly, with better skills and to higher levels:

A math teacher who only every got to 4th grade level and thinks 3rd grade is "advanced" or a math teacher who regularly teaches beginners up thru college level math?

The third one that you didn't mention. The math teacher who in teaching grade 1 lays the foundations for grade 12, and who, when seeing a problem in grade 12, looks as far back as he needs, even if it's grade 1. The one who sees the whole picture and prepares his/her student.

That's the only kind of teacher I would want to work with.

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I just don't see how any teacher can be effective without a solid knowledge of theory.

Agreed. The OP's teacher does not seem to fit the description KS gave above.

The problem is that any beginner, starting with no knowledge of piano at all, may be the rare future piano major, and then everything that was taught from day one becomes critical.

There is some kind of weird idea that the first few years don't matter that much. That if a well-intentioned teacher who has only very limited knowledge is kind and enthusiastic, *that* somehow is going to avoid major "fixing" some time down the road.

In two different posts that you made, I found something to be inconflict because 3 completed years of lessons would be about 120 lessons over this time - either of half hour lessons, making it 60 total lesson hours, or 120 hour lessons making your investment of time and expense in your piano lessons 120 lesson hours. You certainly have been paying for results, don't you think? Have you been getting results?

When she says you are among her most advanced students, and you say you use the Alfred 2nd level book at lessons, there is a warning sign. An adult with 3 years would most likely be in music literature - pops - classical and fairly independent in their reading of music and their accomplishment levels. THe theory and the technique would begin to be in place so that artistry and interpretation of pieces would be included. You would certainly need an hour lesson by now and your assignment would be full of things to do. An adult can handle all scales and chords, inversions, arpeggios with 3 years under their belt. This is different that being able to read music in all of the key signatures but you should be comfortable in reading music in keys of C,G,D and F and Bb, I would think. This is 2 #'s and 2b's. You should have memorized a number of pieces that you enjoy playing for yourself and others by this point. You should be able to play music with a variety of tempos, your beat should be steady throughout anything you play, and you should have established accuracy with playing rhythms.

Above all your teaching should be teaching you to think and observe and sound like a musician. If you feel your playing is lacking and your lessoning has been incomplete and that you know more than your teacher in some areas it is time for you to find a better teacher.

www.learningmusician and www.getlessonsnow are music teaching directories that you put your zip code and your instrument (piano) in the search and names of those listed with the service appear with a profile and information about the teacher you are considering.

When you make an appointment for an interview and you play for the teacher, ask them what they see and hear in your playing and how would they begin instruction with you in the short term, and what would their long term goals be for you. Do they have a program in mind for you? Ask about their education and musical experiences in teaching adults. You need to be assured that you are making a good choice for yourself. Find the best teacher who fits the budget you have for your lessons.

If you aren't moving ahead at the pace that you feel you are capable of, it definitely is time to part with your present teacher. If you are merely comfortable with a predictable learning situation, think what you could do with a vibrant and exciting, inspiring, motivating teacher who understand your needs and know how to guide you on the way to musicianship.

Sticking with an inadequate teacher is what will set you back. Having opportunity to work with more than one teacher during your piano student years could be the best thing that ever happened to you. And, if you have a totally competent teacher to work with as your first teacher, the same would be true, he or she could be the best thing that ever happened to you. But what you have described does not seem to be working for you.

From my expectations of myself as a teacher, I would feel that I had failed you miserable if you were talking about me as the teacher you are thinking of leaving after 3 years. It would have been a "sin" to take your money and not deliver everything you needed and were capable of doing.

This is a serious business that piano teachers are in: the best critique of a teacher is to listen to the students they produce. It tells the tale over and over about competency and music literacy. The only questions people seem to ask are: "Where are you located?" and "How much do you charge?" These are relevant but inadequate questions to ask someone you are trusting will bring you to musicianship. Ask better questions! Expect better answers! You are in the driver's seat as being the one to find your best solution.

Good luck to you.

Betty,
On behalf of all adult beginners, thank you for this wonderfully articulate, informative, and well thought out posted response.
jagshrink

Thank you for your kind and enthusiastic comment, jagshrink.

I am really an advocate of music literacy and capable musicianship for all who seek it. I would like to be able to assure all who enter piano study that their experiences with their teacher will be wonderful. However, I can't do that. I have to advise about being cautious and deliberate in choosing a piano teacher. There are ways to find answers to questions and to build confidence toward making a decision about who to study with.

Choosing a marriage partner is a big decision.
Choosing which real estate to buy is a big decision.
Choosing which college to attend is a big decision.
We make major decions fairly often in our everyday lives.

Choosing a piano teacher is no less important that any of the above. It is your musical future that you are investing in and gathering information is among the most important things to have available to you. If you want a happy outcome you have to pay attention to the details before the decision is made. This is not an impulse choice of what's behind door #3 - the decision making of finding a good piano teacher affects the outcome greatly.

Caveat Emptor applies here. "Buyer beware!"

Things will go better for you when you make a qualified decision.

This is a great point. A beginner teacher still needs to be excellent, and even if they're not up to teaching difficult advanced rep, they still need to know enough about good technique to install good habits in their students.

Thanks for all the great responses.

After my lesson yesterday it is now clear to me that this relationship is not going to work. So, I have decided to start looking for a new teacher. I tried the two sites that Betty suggested but the closest teacher to me is 30 miles away. This is the problem I had in the beginning. It was just by chance that someone gave me my current teachers business card. I know there are teachers here but I can't seem to find them.

Betty,
Thanks for your advice. You are right. I can't let my fondness for someone hold me back from accomplishing my goals.

I will continue to search for a teacher and hope I can find one soon.

Ummm.... while I agree with your general take in this thread, I can't help but think that choosing one's spouse is just a tad more important than choosing one's piano teacher. Actually, I think *all* of the examples you posted are more important than the choice of one's piano teacher.

Heirborne Groupie, are you located near any colleges or universities with music departments? Perhaps you could call them up and see if they have any referrals for good teachers in your area.

You made this decision prior to my being able to suggest that you do. Based on what I see here, this is pitiful.

Approximately one year ago, I "fired" my teacher because I too saw little progress. I have been self-study for about a year, making mjuch more progress.

I just found about about a a new teacher who sounds good. I plan on stating my objectives, and insisting on a program of study (like a syllabus) so that I can see how he plans to guide me to accomplish my goals and objectives. While I may ask for an estimate of time that it should take, I intend to be quite flexible about that, as I intend to enjoy the journey while working hard to get to the destination.

Hop

Check the local schools too. I keep business cards at the elementary, middle and high schools. A lot of my students found me this way. You know they'll be close by if you call schools near you. You could also check the Community Education offerings. It sounds off-the-wall, but you could also call your local senior center. These seniors are very active in the communities, and know a lot of people.

I agree with Monica that a teacher isn't as important as a spouse, house, or college unless you want to be a concert pianist.

HeirbourneGroupie,

Try Google: Another way to find a piano teacher may be to enter your zipcode/or your city into google and the words piano lessons or piano teacher.

The site mentioned are pretty dependable for coming up with candidates for teachers but if you are in a smaller town at a distance to bigger cities your more local piano teachers may operate totally by word of mouth. This would mean calling a music store or your local church musicians or your local school district and individual schools to see if they have list of piano teachers in your area. If there are community or 4 year colleges in your vicinity there is another source. Do you have a local www.craigslist? Where is your closest piano retailer? Is there much arts activity near you? Brainstorm for ideas of where to look. It may seem like looking for the needle in the haystack!

I would also suggest that you use the www.mtna.org (Music Teachers National Association) which will have a state affiliate (Florida) and a list of NCTM's (Nationally Certified Teachers of Music). This is a list of very professionally prepared teachers who have academic credentials or have tested to be qualified at teaching at the highest levels of piano study. This level of teaching may not be what you are interested in at this time. However, you could ask for referrals to teachers in your area should you be able to contact a NCTM who might be able to give you some assistance. If you determine that there is a chapter of music teachers in your area of Florida - you will be able to find any local teachers who are members. There are approximately 24,000 members of MTNA across the US. Here in Washington State there are between 1000-1200 - I don't know the statistics on Florida.

Keep asking for referrals. The 30 mile away teacher may know others who live closer to you. Call around and ask who is experienced in teaching adults and advancing students. Someone who accepts only beginners is not going to be a candidate for you.

Another thought is that teachers usually make their whereabouts know for September enrollment - back to school is always a big month to acquiring new students.

Again, continued good luck to you!

Thanks for all the ideas!!! I have left a bunch of messages all over town based on those ideas. I have emailed teachers that are too far away to see if they have referrals, I have left messages at both Community Colleges in my area and at my local piano retailer.

I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks again everyone.