Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Trying a new teacher...

Hi Becca,

I am waiting till my first lesson with a new tea cher next tuesday. Didnt get on with my last one, she was too 'nice' and didnt know how to properly explain anything.... i was paying money for teaching us both lol....

My new teacher is a friends dad, similar situation with own studio with a grand yamaha plus an upright of some sort.... been after lessons for a couple of years but he always has been fully booked... now i can get half hour a week, not cheap though so i will have to quit smoking haha...


Because i can only get half hour a week, i know it will go really fast... but it will be intense. Concentration for half hour and using it effectively will be fine i think.... i have written down my goals(grades plus teaching when i cant be bothered with my normal job anymore, fantacy impromptu ect),
things i have worked on , areas i need help on.... (posture, tension, sight reading, pracice structure, playing quiet, keystroke...) and i figure after all that i will leave it up to him to figure out the rest....


Good luck with it all...

Big hugs :-)

That's great! Don't worry too much about what to bring. I'm sure the teacher just wants to get a sense of where you are now. Total beginners are easy, since they're starting from scratch. When I teach students who aren't beginners, it's a little more work to figure out what they already know, good or bad.

Also feel free to ask about the teacher's approach. After you've played, you can have her tell you what she's observed and lay out a plan of action. If it sounds good to you, go for it! Good luck!

Thanks everyone! The first two lessons will both be checking each other out and seeing my skill level etc.. I'm not too worried about it taking up more then one lesson. I'm also only booked for one month right now. After that we will reevaluate and see if I'm staying or going. I also will not be surprised if we go over the time limit tomorrow.

Just to avoid further confusion, I did speak with her at length on the phone. We went over my history with piano, piano teachers, where I'm at, what I'm doing, what I know I need help with, what I'm looking for, general goals, my issues with body placement and movements, her past teaching, what and who she teaches, where she teaches and the need for flexibility on both our parts. I also emphasized on the phone that I want to acquire the skills to play properly and am willing to do the hard work needed.

Tonight my hubby and I are going to take a drive and find her house so I'm not in panic mode tomorrow trying to figure out exactly where it is (it's not far from here but I get panicky quickly when finding new places. lol)

24 more hours! Ugh. LOL I will keep everything everyone has said in mind and watch for flags (really hoping there won't be an issue.) I'm looking forward to someone having an actual plan of action. I think a big part of my issue is I feel really lost. What to move forward on, what to hold back, what should I jump to or what skills need extra help. I have no idea and can only plod along in the method books hoping I'm making ground. I think I'm at the point where a book just doesn't cut it right now.

Paul: You getting ansy yet? LOL Good luck to you too! Let us know how it goes next week!

Hello Becca,

I am in Calgary and having my first class on Saturday! Looking forward to it and I shamefully copied some of your ideas on things to ask my teacher. I am also going to see him for 30 Min, but in my case, it will be every weeks... So no room for slacking off... :-)

I wish you all the best and please let us know how it went.

Cheers!

I am also using Alfred's method.

@becca


I'm pretty excited! I went to another tutor last weekend, but the piano was his second instrument as he has a thirty year violin career.... his piano was awful, an ebay special and although he was intense and could help for the next few years... it was only after the session i decided to have another attempt at getting with nic cope.... i have shared many a drinking session with his son so i used the friendship card and happily it worked out this time!

This is another step on our adventures my dear, hopefully within the month we will both be happily 'under the wing' of worthwhile teachers....

Good luck for tomorrow!! :-)

Becca, for heaven's sake, we're waiting (scattered all around the globe, no less) to hear about those 30 minutes yesterday!

How'd it go, how'd it go??
(Fingers crossed it went great)

Typical.. . We get all excited and the lady makes us wait..

Sorry guys! I also started at a new job (actually my old job) yesterday hence why you didn't hear from me! I worked from 8am to 12 pm!

It went really well.. I played a few things for her. We talked about how to figure out how to give myself more room (I squish myself too close.) We discussed my huge amount of books I'm using. She will get me sorted out as we go on those. She checked out my composition and made me play it. LOL. So now I have to learn my own tune! I showed her my goals so that she can help form a plan for me. We still have to go through a lot of my skills to see where I'm at. Um... She's going to teach me a new song that we are going to duet on so I can begin to learn skills to be able to play with others. I have TONS of homework!

I really liked her. I wasn't very nervous playing for after the first song. She's going to help me get a repetoire because I have none! She's also going to help me get moving more fast (I play slow all the time) and get me to play louder (I play very softly so try to get pp out of piano when you already play at that level for starters! LOL)

I was there for almost 45 minutes and because I'm working again I'm going to full time! Four times a month. I'm very happy so far.

Oddly her grand (it's a baby grand Yamaha) felt very squishy to play. My Roland keys go down farther than on her grand also. Other than that I didn't notice a difference between the two. So at least I know I shouldn't have many problems switching between the two.

So sorry for making you guys wait! I just got off work and have a few!

What makes keys feel like they squish down btw?

Way to go!
Sounds like you are in for a lot of fun!

BeccaBb, what wonderful news!

Sounds promising!

:-) onwards and upwards.

Sounds promising!

:-) onwards and upwards.

Becca,

Glad it went well.



Thats the squishing of the mouse's tail under the key...its how he knows it is time for him to strike the string with his hammer.

Thanks guys!

Jim, that poor mouse! I imagine it would squeak really bad every time we hit a key too! LOL

I'm so glad you got on well with her Becca. Sounds like she will teach you to play piano and not just play songs. Not to say that's all you're doing now.

When I first started with my teacher she was much too nice to me. After we discussed my goals, she willingly tells me when I have any issues hindering my progress. Technique, tempo, dynamics etc, and is so gratious about it.

String? I thought it was different sized mice squeaking!

Congratulations, Becca. Great news.

Sounds like a fine start, Becca. It's great that you're going to try this weekly, and great that your head is spinning with new ideas and ways to practice.

What you call squishiness on a Yamaha grand versus your digital piano may be something "aftertouch." It's an adjustable component of the hammer's let-off point on a good piano that gives you as a player more control, yet could feel spongy (or as you say, squishy) until you get used to it. It's a good thing.

Is a Yamaha grand an acoustic piano?

LOL yes her Yamaha baby grand is an acoustic.

Thanks everyone. My head is spinning is probably the best description of it. Practice is going well so far. Working on two new songs, polishing three other ones, some theory and sightreading work, plus working on my composition!

I'm a busy at the keys!