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I am not a piano teacher.... however I am looking for one. Now here is what I would suggest to anyone teaching piano. Some advice.

NUMBER ONE!!!!

I don't care about your "star" 12 year old student that can play anything while i am trying to learn. keep it up I go away.

NUMBER TWO!!!!

I don't want to hear about your student's recitals and hear about how older students won't be as good or make it to concert pianist quality like a student that started playing in their Mothers womb because in my situation my parents couldn't afford piano lessons as we needed groceries more. again I go away.

NUMBER THREE

I don't like clock watchers,

NUMBER FOUR.

Some "star students" learn certain ways and the suckier students may not learn the same way so if you truly care about the student maybe find a way to crack their brain. some bad students are practicing and they are LONGING to be good. But every brain is different. try all approaches there is a way to get them to be stars as well if you work to try to find it. remember learning is a two way street. I teach Dressage and Banjo. I am a teacher and I also teach CCD in my Church. So i have some experience.

A good teacher will have patience with their students and bad teachers don't. I learned to play banjo with Bill Keith the best teacher i ever had only banjo teacher that knew music theory and I learned it which is helping me drastically in keys. I never met a piano teacher like him.

It also isn't all about money it is about spreading the art and sharing the art. (Do you know how many really cool church organs I get from churches? for free? TONS) There are students that are broke sometimes you need to give in order to receive. and being generous won't take your knowledge away. it only enhances it. Whilst knowing teachers deserve groceries. but sometimes student stacking is crap and annoying and I don't like it.

I am speaking of experience. both as a student and a teacher. and some riding instructors can make that little old Nun with the ruler a joy to be around. I am still looking for my dream piano teacher. I hope it will be God. but till then I have no choice but to teach myself and it is working out better so far. Some students (Myself included) don't read well (Virgil Fox as well) and the hesitation will drive me out of my skin. Now i am working on putting hands together and then will try to read. I thought i would share my feelings. I may be wrong but I am going on what I found in my search.

Mike, I'm with you 100%. I still feel bad sometimes that there were some students whose brains I couldn't completely "crack," as you say. I feel somewhat like I failed them, but not for lack of trying. Teaching is not about the prestige or satisfaction of producing prodigies. It's about sharing music: sharing the ability to make music, the joy of appreciating music, the care to be deliberate with music. And it's about students first and foremost.

I remember in college, when I majored in secondary English teaching, being told that I shouldn't choose that major if I loved English more than I loved teenagers. I should have listened because really, if you don't like students, even the "difficult" ones, you're going to be a miserable teacher.

I am defining fast reading/sight-reading as the ability to play music correctly and get to that point quickly. A student who has glaring rhythmical weaknesses is not going to be able to do that.

The same thing is true of someone with physical limitations, because such a student will be unable to turn what is on the page into a "playing-result". That's clumsy, but I can't think of a better wording.

However, this brings up an interesting point - are there people who hear the music in their heads much better than they can play it and who would also be capable of listening to others and making valuable corrections?

Well, we know some very famous composers have not been strong pianists, so if they wrote music which they obviously had to hear it all and be very comfortable with what they wrote down, and then some were excellent conductors, I don't know where that puts them, though obviously in a place I both do not understand and that humbles me.

For an example of a non-pianist there is the bio of Toscannini, who was a "mere cello player". He just started conducting opera out of nowhere, and I have read that he had a photographic memory. His talent goes far beyond anything I can hope to understand.

It gets complicated, doesn't it?

But for our rather limited focus here, just talking about what pianists have to do to be successful as pianists, I would say that all of us who work with scores have a huge advantage if we are able to read fast, meaning PLAY from score, quickly and easily. And in my world playing the right notes is not music, because music has rhythm.

Someone is probably going to accuse me of having a bias towards readers, as if people who are weak readers or non-readers are inferior, and that is NOT something I believe.

But I have never met a pianist, no matter how talented, who did not regret not being able to read better if s/he had a weakness in that area, perhaps for the same reason that I envy people who can play better by ear than I can.

I feel that being a well rounded piano player. Sight reading playing by ear is the dream of dreams. I have a friend that plays the organ. he is not a sight reader and he uses fake books. His excuse was that his hero didn't sight read and that was Virgil Fox. Virgil Fox i am sure would have told him that it would be much better to do so. I can read the treble clef. I am getting to where Fake books are understandable.
I know I am weak in reading and I envy (God hears me trust me) those that can take a score and just play it and I think it sucks when I can't. But I have qualities that others don't. I have great dexterity and I know i could play stride once I get the pianist in me out. I was told my left hand was excellent as fretting the banjo for thirty years has helped in that area. I also have large hands and I hear music in my head and can hear the chords and the key (most times) and I just lack the reading skills. Will i ever get to be a sight reader. I don't know. I play by ear and learning to read fake books. I am going to give it that college try. If i never sight read as long as i can play i don't care. but I'd surely rather.

I wouldn't feel bad. I went to seminary as i thought I was called as a delayed vocation to the priethood I had to take undergrad courses. I took piano and the teacher I had was a nun. She was very unfriendly, The organist at the seminary was friends with her. I told him I really want to play the organ. Well she shared with him how I am not talented in the piano. I am one of those students that so far haven't met the right teacher. She was a witch. But often like with Dressage (riding horses) some students are not compatible with their instructors. I met a woman in SD that had 5 grand prix horses. She coached me and I went from 4th level to riding grand prix horses. We were a perfect fit. It is not the teachers fault if he/she is doing all he/she can. it is a compatibility issue. Some may think that person has no talent and the student is a lost cause. I however feel that it is a compatibility issue and with some instructor/student relationships it is like an Apple tying to run PC stuff. it is a tough fit. I am going it alone and I have gone so much further than with that nun or the other teachers I had which weren't many had one that I thought may be good and I had to relocate. As a student of the piano. and was a student of dressage and banjo the student MUST have that I can do attitude and the fortitude to forge on even if that means you are told you have no talent. That is for me as the student to believe or not. I am sure they thought Einstein was a dumb person. but he proved them all wrong. I also feel that miracles do happen. but I think that the student must find a compatible teacher and I believe that there is a match for 99% I hope to find a great teacher.

Mike - what do you mean by "I don't like clock watchers."?

For lessons to start on time, they need to end on time - also, it is unreasonable to expect more, or less lesson time than you pay for. Or am I misunderstanding you?

I'm still stuck on this:


The part I am stuck on is that it is seen in terms of careers. Someone may have the skills of your 4, but not be aiming to be a professional, or may not become a professional. Someone might teach (your 4) without having much in the way of skills.

The most important thing for me is that students get solid foundations. Those foundations are essential for the higher levels, or else it falls apart, but they are built in the very beginning. My concern is if this is not done in the first stage, because "this student won't need it - they are not going to become professionals". Reading ability is one such component, but there are others.

Keystring, I've run out of time. Weekends are kinda bad for me... Thus my lack of replies. I'll get back to you...

what I mean is that some teachers stack students to the the second. they want so many students that there is no time for questions or any extra time once and a while. Music is more than money. Also I meant teachers that constantly look at the clock. I also think half hour lessons are too short. when I teach a student to ride horses sometimes I would ask them to come for a 15 minute touch up the next day I don't charge,I see something that needs attention and sometimes the student needs a break and a lot of the time the next day the issue is quickly resolved when refreshed. the next day they are refreshed but not too much time has passed to where that would be uneffective. . I am different. I love to teach and give. God gave me talent to do things I like to show God my gratitude by giving what he gave me,God didn't charge me for every whip stitch thing he gave me, why should I? He also understands we need groceries and rent and all that. but at the same time compassion charity and giving back is also part of the equation. Some teachers don't get that part. Why is it unreasonable to ask for generosity once and a while?

I read somewhere that you are self-teaching atm. Have you had experience with piano or keyboard teachers, and if so, does what you write reflect your experience(s)? In youth or as an adult student? For any length of time? One teacher, or several?

Well, I have to work to a schedule, and I teach to make a living. I have never worked in the kind of environment where I have had the luxury of keeping a random schedule - when you work alongside other people's schedules, you have an obligation to keep strict time.

I have been known to be very generous with my time, when it has proved necessary - however, this would most certainly not be apparent to a new student.

As for "God"? I don't recall ever taking piano lessons from any such entity. I most certainly had to do my own practice, too

As for "God"? I don't recall ever taking piano lessons from any such entity. I most certainly had to do my own practice, too wink


He gave you the DESIRE to learn and play. He gave you the students and he gave you the piano to practice on he gave you a family that had enough means to give you piano lessons I am sure at 2 years old. God works in mysterious ways. and i wasn't directing my feelings to anyone person. just some observations I have lived through myself and getting riding students from other instructors. what the OP posted rang true to other arts like Banjo and Dressage. I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers just tired of some of the things the OP posted I was in total agreement with him/her. and I stated that there are a few things that [censored] me off with piano teachers and I posted it as i am sure there are other students that feel the same way. also i never said you aren't generous just was answering your question on what I meant on being a clock watcher. I don't schedule students on times of 1;00 then 2;00 then 3;00 etc. i schedule my lessons for 15 minutes between for quick questions and not to be rushed. Just me. I just feel that some piano teachers are looking at that watch too much. Stringed instrument teachers like Mine wold charge me 40 bucks a lesson and we would spend all day Saturday (Bill Keith) and I learned in a year how to play the banjo and he scared the heck out of me so I practiced and was able to play really well in two years. The piano I never EVER found a teacher like Bill and never will. The only helping hand I find with piano is at the end of my own arm. and youtube and online sources are all I have and they are working. Finally I am not trying to upset you. just wanted to answer your question. And praise be to God on high that you can play and teach. I truly thank you for helping to keep the piano alive and sharing it with the future so it can live on. Michael.

Mike, teaching is a practical thing. You may not know that this post was addressed to you. Since you had questions and concerns, and I assume possibly looking for help:

Mike - if you truly don't want to ruffle feathers, then perhaps it might be a good idea not to proselytise like that on a forum that has no religious connotations. I, for one, find it deeply offensive that you should belittle me and my father's efforts to acquire musical instruments for our respective families, develop our skills, fund the lessons, etc, etc by attributing it all to a deity for which there is no objective proof of existence. I also find the idea that I should be singled out for such gifts over others utterly repugnant.

But that's just me.

Apologies for the thread derailing.

Looking for help but also agreeing with the thread and posting from my bad experiences. I have had bad experiences and decided to teach myself. I have had three teachers two were awful one I think was a good one then had to relocate. I took riding lessons and found a wonderful instructor who got me into Dressage and I took banjo lessons from Bill Keith and that was a divine intervention. Piano being a very popular instrument and many many more people play it..... it is much easier to run into a bad teacher than more obscure professions. I guess I am looking for that in a piano teacher and just have to accept that i won't. So it was a post of lament a post of agreement and a post looking that maybe in the silliest of silliest hopes that i may find a really cool teacher. but so far nope. and I had oen teacher that kept telling me about this 12 year old that wasso wonderful that he was a genius and that I am too old to be concert quality but this 12 year old he is concert pianist quality. Just can't take that abuse. So yes I have had real awful teachers and one decent one in the piano.

So it was divine intervention you got good banjo lessons but God had nothing to do with the bad piano teachers? Something to think about there, no?

(Sorry I couldn't help it. I'm going to bow out not and leave the capable Ben in charge of our spiritual guidance. )

To Ben,, why did you ask me to expand on that one thing about clock watching if you didn't expect my honesty and all that. I also am offended by your attitude to me. were even. Again glad for you that you can teach and play I truly am. Now lets be friends and agree to disagree.

Yes you're absolutely undoubtedly totally correct. Clear as a bell correct. Thank you. Yes It's God telling me to do it myself and save me a boatload of money and stop relying on others and the helping hand will be found at the end of my own arm. Now off to positive things and if you don't like me,,, for everyone that don't like me there are 10 that do.

clap clap clap!

And sincere apologies to keystring, for not replying to her comments properly yet!