Revisiting issue-- "teacher plays pieces for student"

[alzado]

About three weeks ago there was a minor flap on the issue of whether students should expect teachers to take time during the lesson to play the piece being studied for the student.

The person beginning the thread had lost faith in his teacher because he or she never pushed the student off the bench and played the piece through.

There was a split in the responses.

I had an opportunity to discuss this with my teacher at my last lesson.  Here are some of her comments paraphrased.  Note:  She KNOWS that I read my own music, and play pieces I have never heard simply by reading piano music.  As a senior citizen, I select my own pieces to learn.  Her comments --

1.  Perhaps the students who feel their teacher should play pieces for them as part of their learning process simply are not very good at reading music at all.  Not "sight reading," which means (as I understand it) the ability to read music so well you can play without practice.  But to read music AT ALL. 

2.  My teacher is very distressed at students who are stopped and corrected for a mistake or misunderstanding of the score, who MUST go back to the beginning and start the piece over.  Or, if a longer piece, at least must go back to the beginning of the section of the piece.  She attributes this to great weakness in the ability to read music from the page.

3.  My teacher just laughed at the idea that she should stop the lesson and play pieces for me, or any other a student.  She will play a couple of measures ONLY where rhythmic issues are concerned-- to show me how 3 against 4 should be done.  And this is done seldom-- perhaps every couple of lessons just one time.

One person who posted on the original discussion of this issue stated that Horowitz gave Byron Janis lessons for years, be never in all those years did he supercede Janis on the piano bench and play parts of pieces for his student.

Note:  If your teacher plays pieces to motivate you, or, if you are a teacher and enjoy playing a student's pieces for him ---  hey, no wish to offend. 

Regards to all--

[Bob]

What's you question?  Someone should add a link to that other thread and from that one to this one.

I think students need to hear the concepts they are learning.   Hear first, so they get the idea of the sound.  I was considering making a quick CD recording and sending that home with the kids so they could listen later.

I don't think it's necessary for the teacher to play through the whole piece.  The student can listen to a recording, attend a concert, etc.  If they can't read the music, then that's what they need to work on.

[alhimia]

A half year ago, I attended Masterclass of professor Mikhail Voskressensky. I think he is one of the very great teachers for many years. He played a lot for the students and for me as for the students it was a really a revelation. Because he gives you in a very direct way a kind of sound image. So everything is clear at the same moment: Rhythm, sound, articulation, color, character, tempo. In fact you can pick what you want. He of course didn't play the whole piece but small sections, and they were advanced students already.
I learned a lot from him; I will never forget his sound, it was really inspiring.

[pianonut]

yes!  me too with my teacher.  i learn much more by his playing that him having to explain all the details.  i just try to imitate it, after he gets up.  it is fresh in my ears and maybe i see his hands doing something different (technique) and i'll ask how did you do that?  then he can show me in slow motion.  patience is a virtue in piano teaching, because if you skip over something the students doesn't understand - you are assuming they understand everything.  much better to go slower.

[sleepingcats]

My teacher(s) will play a piece (or maybe a page at a time if it's a long piece) so that I can hear what it sounds like, especially for pieces I've never heard. I think it's helpful so that I'll know if I even like the piece enough to learn.

I was learning a Chopin Waltz (Op.69, No. 2) which I had never heard before, at my teacher's suggestion. She didn't play it for me at first, and I found it was a bit depressing to practice the first page, partly because it's in a minor key, and just the overall melody. I mentioned it to her and she played parts of the next page for me which sounded nicer. It helped knowing the whole piece wasn't going to bring me down. (I no longer have that teacher, and have not continued with the Chopin piece - maybe later I will).

[pianodump]

For my own experience, i have learned with a teacher who would demonstrate every phrase, every bar  and let me remember the 'sound' and imitate the touch, the colour etc.  It was very inspiring in the beginning but after a few years. i found that i only know 'how to imitate' and i didn't have my own idea of the music, so i changed to another teacher.  so i think certain amount of demonstration is good but not too much. 

[ludwig]

I agree with pianodump, there's so much you can imitate and you will be limited to the style of your teacher in your future playing. I suggest if you want to do some things similar to your teacher, go to a few of them and absorb a few different styles. You then have choices about what styles will suit you, gather a few technical and musical ideas,  and find your own style from what you have heard...A good teacher will probably also give you a few suggestions and demonstrate them and ask you which ones you prefer/like... I like it when my teacher plays bits and pieces for me in several different ways and asks me for my opinion. However, I think it is great to invite your students to go to your recitals because they will be inspired by your playing and also listen to bigger pieces live...They will also appreciate you more as a performer and a teacher