My Student hates piano lessons

[kateb]

Hello,

I have one student who is taking piano lessons because her parents want her to, not because she wants to. I am not against this, because when I was her age, I was in the same situation, and now I live for piano and music.

However, I am at a loss for how to make our time productive. She seems extremely bitter throughout the lesson and does not pay attention.

Any ideas? I have suggested that she borrow CDs of mine to find piano music that she likes--as a motivation--but she does not want to do this.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[robert_henry]

I think it depends upon her talent and potential.  If she would be throwing away a possible career as a musician, then maybe I would try to convince her to continue lessons.  But if she has no talent, I would suggest that the world is already full of those who have no talent.  Why force her to join their ranks?  

I also believe it depends upon her age.  It is difficult to convince a teenager to continue, less so for an 8 year old.  I don't think parents should be forcing a 15 year old kid to play.  She would already be at an age at which she can begin making her own choices.  Not so with a small child.  The point is, if the kid is 15, has been playing for a few years and doesn't love music, you aren't going to get very far.

Lastly, it depends upon you.  Is this a waste of time for you?  Do you feel emotionally drained and do you dread the lesson?  If so, is that affecting your other students?  For that matter, does she have contact with other students and spread her discontent to others in your studio?  And most importantly, is there another young pianist on your waiting list who could eagerly be learning from you instead of this girl?

Robert Henry
https://www.roberthenry.org

[james_neher]

Regarding the student who hates piano lessons: To me, "shared strategy" is the core of any piano-teaching relationship.  A sullen student is not learning, and to take the parent's money is not honest.  To turn this situation around, I would say "let's have a little talk." I would say we need a game plan, and I would promise not to tell the parent about this conversation.  Then I would try to determine whether there is anything IN MUSIC we could study that would be of interest to the student.  CD's should be played in the lesson, not at home.  The great variety of piano music should be explored -- all historical periods, jazz, everything.  I promise the student that we will not study boring music.  If ultimately the student remains rebellious, the relationship is at an end -- unless there are circumstances you are not mentioning.  I am not a babysitter.  To allow that mode to persist reinforces bad misconceptions both on the part of the student and of the parent.

[pianodeanne]

Hi!  There is a book out there that is just for students who don't really want to take lessons.  I saw it the other day at the CMA in Steubenville.  It's called something like, "I Want To Quit Taking Piano, But My Mom Won't Let Me".  I skimmed over it and it looks real cute, useful for teacher, student and parent.  

[kateb]

Just wanted to say *thank you* so much for the responses this question has gotten so far. What a wonderful forum this is! As I am new to running my own studio, I will surely have more questions as time goes on. And hopefully I can help someone else out too at some point!  

[franklin]

you have to let your students choose their own music to play.  I used to hate piano lessons, to the point where i quit, but then i starte playing again after a few years, but only music i wanted to play and i loved it.  I have a new teacher now and she lets me play whatever i want and its great.  i play about 4 hours a day just because i like the music.  whenever my teacher suggests a song ill try it but if i dont like it i end up not playing at all.  The key is letting your student pick their own music.

[rmc7777]

It sounds like you have a difficult situation with this student.  If her parents are forcing her to take lessons and she really dislikes it, then it might be appropriate to have a heart-to-heart talk with the parents.  As a parent of two children myself, I know that they must have at least some interest in an activity to make it worth their time (and my time!).  If your student only occasionally does not want to take a lesson, that's understandable.  At a young age children's interest seems to wax and wane, so they will have good days and bad days.  But if the student is always opposed to taking lessons, then I think the parents should seriously consider stop sending her.  The only other alternative I can think of is to give her some pieces she likes to play (assuming she likes to play anything).  However, if she balks every time she is given music she doesn't like, then I have to believe she will never really enjoy piano.  Let's face it, learning the piano is simply a lot of hard work so there should be some motivation on the student's part.

[dkw]

For me practice pays off when I get to hear myself play with other instruments. This shows the capacity I have for making music and takes it to a broader sense. For my difficult students I try to play keyboard while they play piano. Or I encourage them to play with my church band. What a buzz for people of all ages to experience multiple instrument playing. Miusic the students compose themselves is also an incentive to play!

[ludwig]

Yeah, I think letting your student choose what she wants to do would be good, like Franklin said. Also find what she likes, for example one of my students really likes it when I play with her, when she's learning new pieces she likes to play one hand and I the other, or choosing some really good duets to play with her. Maybe a demonstration of your playing. If she is really disliking piano in general after that, you look at her potential like Robert said, if you know she's just a bit difficult with it, but has a lot of potential, then once she gets through this phase, she'll be a great piano player, then push on. If she really doesn't LIKE piano, then you should talk to her parents about letting her concerntrate on something else, instead of wasting her time on something she won't want to do in the future.

[lau]

doesn't every student hate piano lessons, there is nothing enjoyable about them.

[counterpoint]

doesn't every student hate piano lessons, there is nothing enjoyable about them.

Are you joking, or is this really what you think?   

[lau]

what is so unbelieveable about that? what kind of an idiot likes piano lessons? all you do is sit there and play stuff for your teacher and he/she tells you what you did wrong. "oooo how exciting"

I would find it unbelievable to hear of a student who loves getting lessons. and don't tell that it's rewarding because of your learning experience or something. cuz that's lame.

[cora]

To lau,
I am astounded you would write in this forum, never mind find this forum, if you really believe piano lessons aren't fun.

Piano lessons are incredibly fun. I took years and years of them. I wish I could take one every week like when I was a child.

To the original poster, cds will not motivate this child. You have to find a way to make the instrument interesting to that student for other reasons. I have one student, for instance, who will make a fine engineer. He loves calculating the notes, and writing important orderly reminders to himself on the music. Other students come to be entertained. They love the attention I give them. Some like the literary connections between music and stories. So you could find a book that follows a story of Robin Hood, or Snow White. If all else fails, you will have to suggest to the parents that it will not work out.

[lau]

they are not fun, but only rewarding...admitt it.

[escort]

they are not fun, but only rewarding...admitt it.

I am also a bit suprised that you'd say that.  When I started, I was quite young, and I'll admit the music I was playing did not thrill me at all, nor did the thought of attending lessons.  Now going to lessons excites me.  I know I'll come away with something new to work on. 

Lessons also motivate me to practice in that I love when my instructor gives me something he believes will take me months to work on, only to come back in two weeks with most of it memorized.

There are very few aspects I dislike about playing the piano.  If I didn't enjoy lessons, I simply wouldn't take them. 

~Brett

[lau]

k...so it seems as if you are agreeing with me.  you basically said it was rewarding because of what you learn...but in order to learn on the piano...you have to go through some things that aren't that fun at all.

But AFTER you learn it, it then becomes fun, but that is not part of the lesson

[escort]

Not necessarily.  I enjoy working on the piece, improving my technique, and in general: practicing.  Yes, there have been times when I've been frustrated with things on piano, but I enjoy the learning process as well, not just because it's rewarding in the end. 

Maybe I'm odd...

[lau]

i think you just think you are enjoying it because you know that if you practice, you eventually will be able to play what you are practicing. and that is blinding you into thinking you like to practice...I win.

oh, and if you really do like to practice, than indeed..you are an odd freak.   

[andersand]

Does it really matter if the piano lessons are "fun" or not? If the student loves to play, lessons are just there to give all the right tools nessecary to play the pieces he/she likes.

It's all about motivation! As suggested before, let the student choose what to play. The student has to be excited about playing. Most children do not appreciate classic music at all. It doesn't really matter what the teacher likes (also if the student want's to play metallica or britney  ). This is also the reason why I only played piano for 2 years and then stopped (a couple of years ago). I simply wasn't excited enough.

[penguinlover]

Maybe I'm a freak too.  I loved piano lessons!  I couldn't wait for them.  I loved practicing.  In fact, my parents would take away the piano from me as a discipline when I acted up! That was the worst thing that could happen to me!  I wish I could take lessons now, and I'm getting up there in years.  Anyway, maybe this student plays video games, and would like to play some of that music.  Maybe the Final Fantasy stuff.  That's very popular with the kids these days.  Just a thought.

[pianowolfi]

My seven year old a little bit "difficult" student came on Monday last week into her lesson claiming blatantly: "I HATE piano!!!!" Well what to do? I told her to express her whole hate against the piano- ON the piano She improvised for 10 minutes, first very scarily in the low regions, then in the very high regions and then she came to the middle regions of the keyboard, where I tried to catch her again and continue with our "songs" we are working on. And this week on Monday the lesson began in a much better mood already. I don't know what it is with this girl but every other case like that would have left me feeling pretty helpless and desperate Not this one. She uses to make a lot of "theater". And supposedly she is very sensitive to critique so this may be the point where I can improve. This Monday I realized that she was recognizing a sort of pattern in my speech and associating it with "a problem", She said to me"Always when you talk like that you want to tell me that there is a PROBLEM" That made me think and now i try to reflect what I am criticizing and how I am criticizing in her lessons. I am far from thinking that every mistake is mine, just thinking and reflecting and sorting things out.

[pizno]

Lau - I have to say at first I laughed at your post - I mean, yeah, not every moment is fun, that's for sure.  But most of my kids show up with a big smile and we laugh the whole time.  They are clearly having fun.  I LOVE my own piano lessons, but I am not a child.

So, give it up.  You're wrong.  Piano lessons can be fun.  And I think that point has been made so admit that YOU don't find piano lessons fun.  I'm a little worried if you are a teacher! 

Pizno

[pianowolfi]

But most of my kids show up with a big smile and we laugh the whole time.  They are clearly having fun.  I LOVE my own piano lessons, but I am not a child.

Pizno

Ohh this sounds really nice . I am often at the point where I can say that my lessons are fun for the students but not always. Ok it's a different question if this is really necessary and you can also consider a lot of the subjects of a piano lesson to be hard work. And you can have either fun with hard work or you can be frustrated about it. But there is always a sort of balance I think. And as much fun some of my lessons are, there are also others that are not fun actually. Not for me and not for the student. I try to minimize the quantity of the latter sort of lessons.

[lau]

..k. piano lessons are not excruciatingly painful or anything..i mean it depends on yor definition of fun. if your going to go out and have fun and have a good time, would you go and have piano lesson? i think not.

Does it really matter if the piano lessons are "fun" or not? If the student loves to play, lessons are just there to give all the right tools nessecary to play the pieces he/she likes.

i doesn't matter..but this is what the discussion is about, geeze

[penguinlover]

I think it is admirable that a seven year old could even articulate that!  That's great.  She knows what she wants, and was able to tell you about it.  You are a very creative teacher.  (sorry, this is to pianowolfi)

[pizno]

OK, PIanowolfi, I have to admit I may have exaggerated a tiny bit.  And, I have only been teaching for 6 months, so I am probably annoyingly optimistic.  So, maybe we're not laughing the ENTIRE time.  .  Some of it is hard work and I probably annoy the heck out of kids sometimes with my enthusiasm on steriods.  I have to admit I definitely felt like it was not fun last week with this student I have been coddling along - trying to get her past whatever learning deficiencies she apparently has so she can read the darn music - and she came to the lesson 10 minutes late, having not practiced once all week.  Oh boy, let's go over the notes in the staff ONCE AGAIN!  Oops - I'm sounding sarcastic.  I want her to succeed, and all she could say to me was 'I'm bad at this' and I wanted to say 'You sure are - because you NEVER PRACTICE'  OK, that was not really a fun lesson.  I wondered if she'd go home and tell her mom I was mean (my worst fear).  But, I do have fun with most of them.  Love those practicers.  Those non practicers are really getting on my nerves - when I see we are getting nowhere.  I hold to my point, though, that most of my kids have fun in their lessons.  And they really do greet me with a big smile!  But of course, I greet them with a big smile too.  I'm a nice teacher.  Nice nice nice. 

[pizno]

Kateb
In response to your initial post.  I don't think I could put up with it.  I had a 13 year old who clearly did not want to study piano.  It was a joke.  I'd dutifully write down these assignments, she'd dutifully ignore them.  So what would I do, but ignore that fact, and have her do everything in her lesson as if it were all OK?  I was not OK, and I was sick of it.  It was a waste of time.  Fortunately she quit.  I would talk to the mom, ask her why she was there, tell her she's not getting anything out of it.  Sure, it's money, but it's also a big energy drain.  On the other hand.
I have a boy who's enthusiasn goes up and down.  He's a 5th grader and much more musical than his pianistic abilities.  I made a leap last week - and gave him something that was a stretch.  I could see him just light up.  We'll see how he does this week with it.
I don't know the level of your student, but try something like Catherine Rollin's Jazz Cat - kids love it.

Pizno

[pianowolfi]

Lol is this possible, the initial post is from 2001 . I wonder if her student is still there or not?
Thank you pizno and penguinlover! It's so good to have motivated and positive teachers here around!

[ramseytheii]

Lol is this possible, the initial post is from 2001 .

Yes, and still so controversial - apparently!

Walter Ramsey

[john v.d.brook]

For those of you who believe piano lessons are fun, you may have a difficult time comprehending that most students do not believe lessons of any kind are fun.  Think back to your school days.  While you were thrilled to be off to school every day, were you aware that most of your comrades were not?  In high school, we came up with a pejorative term for this small minority who loved learning for the sake of learning - geeks.   

This is not a criticism of you, rather, if you are to teach the majority of students successfully, you should be able to empathize with them. 

Even though I love teaching, can't wait each day for my first student to arrive, and of course, love playing the piano, the fact remains that even when I fork out thousands of dollars to study with a master teacher, I still find lessons a gut wrenching experience. 

[timothy42b]

Is math fun?

Do we let kids drop math because they don't like it?  (That would be just about all of them.)

No, we force them to continue, because we think there is value.

I think there is value to piano lessons, and therefore I would *cautiously* force a child to continue for those benefits.  But in this type of situation it would be time limited and fairly carefully structured.  This might even work better - none of my own kids ever "forget" to do their math homework;  that grade is important to them. 

We don't consider piano to be similar to math.  Maybe that is because we secretly don't really value it. 

[666666]

Hello,

I have one student who is taking piano lessons because her parents want her to, not because she wants to. I am not against this, because when I was her age, I was in the same situation, and now I live for piano and music.

However, I am at a loss for how to make our time productive. She seems extremely bitter throughout the lesson and does not pay attention.

Any ideas? I have suggested that she borrow CDs of mine to find piano music that she likes--as a motivation--but she does not want to do this.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Have the parents sit in on all of the lessons until the student's attitude improves.  This way you and the student's parents can work as a team to incourage her, instead of having to do it all on your own.  Also, encourage them to attend concerts as a family that would be enjoyable for her age level. 

On a side note, consider yourself very lucky to have only one student who is being forced to take lessons.

[pianowelsh]

Do you need the money - to put it craseley?

[groggy]

YES math is fun, but then I have a math degree. At least math class is not about being critisized, its about learning.

The piano lessons I hated when I was 8 stopped because my teacher moved. She told my parents to not let me stop. Hating lessons, they paid me to play. By the time I was 14, I was quite good but lacked in some areas of course and I loved the piano. I asked to take lessons again, AND I still hated them but I knew I "needed" them.

[chocolatedog]

I will have to write a report this week for a pupil I have not seen all term!!  OK so I was on holiday one week and ill the following week but that still leaves 7 lessons unaccounted for.......... (this is in a school by the way - not privately!!!  )

[stevehopwood]

I will have to write a report this week for a pupil I have not seen all term!!  OK so I was on holiday one week and ill the following week but that still leaves 7 lessons unaccounted for.......... (this is in a school by the way - not privately!!!  )

I wonder if anybody else has seen this pupil?

I hope the parents don't think the child has been at school, whilst the school thinks the child has been at home, whilst the child.........................

 

[chocolatedog]

I wonder if anybody else has seen this pupil?

I hope the parents don't think the child has been at school, whilst the school thinks the child has been at home, whilst the child.........................

 

Oh yes - she's a boarder and she has been in school...........    Ehup, by the way!!!!! 

[joanyi]

Hello,

I have one student who is taking piano lessons because her parents want her to, not because she wants to. I am not against this, because when I was her age, I was in the same situation, and now I live for piano and music.

However, I am at a loss for how to make our time productive. She seems extremely bitter throughout the lesson and does not pay attention.

Any ideas? I have suggested that she borrow CDs of mine to find piano music that she likes--as a motivation--but she does not want to do this.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Basically, all my students dont like playing piano at all, they do it because of their parents...
but i kind of teaching them more theory technique like analyzing the music pieces, more interesting is that i tell them some of the composer's history
they seem like they are kind of interested in it and start focusing and practicing the music mre
and i also send them some of the music that they are playing
they seem they have found the interesting thing in music

i hope this will help...and try to talk with them more
it will help...

rachel

[becca91]

I am almost 16 years old and currently have eight piano students. Two of them, ( an almost 13yr. old girl and 9yr. old boy) are siblings and were my first students. I am very appreciative of their parents who gave me a chance at teaching, and since then I have gained more students. Anyway, those two kids do not like the lessons. And it's not even the fact that they don't like the lessons, they refuse to listen to me. The boy will play "Heart and Soul" over and over again, despite my requests for him to play his lesson song, until his mother yells from the other room. And then he just plays it quieter so that she can't hear. For each 1/2hour lesson, he probably plays for 15-20minutes. The rest of the time is just me coaxing him. And the sad part is that he could be an excellent piano player. He knows all the basics and is good at reading notes only when he applies himself. The girl will blatantly tell me that she is not playing that song again. I am completely frustrated with them and do not look forward to my time with them. I'm positive that the feeling is mutual. Can anyone help?? Thank you!

[pangurban]

Perhaps if a group-oriented component were added to the  private lesson/learning environment, piano lessons, might be a more fulfilling experience.  Some activities to add might be: monthly gatherings of music students who play for one another in informal settings. Even learning to play several familiar songs for sing-alongs at infomal gatherings, together with more emphasis on playing by ear, learning to improvise.  Choose your own pieces/repertoire.   The standard lesson, is completely, in most cases, exam dominated; which has its good points, but when one is faced with constant criticism over one's playing, the playing of three pieces often in most cases lasting the full academic year, what is there achieved? Another cert./grade and burn-out to add to an emotionally negative experience.  One has to question the teaching methodologies of the average teacher, especially the one in the private/home situation. Playing/teaching is more than mere imitation and requires a great deal more in the form of musical understanding and knowledge.   The teacher who believes - I play an instrument; therefore I can show you or anyone else how to play it,  needs to know there is much more to it. These people let loose to 'teach'  do the most damage. Negative exhortation/as feedback and CONSTANT CRITICISM makes for poor teaching methods. 

Proper training, and  registering is needed of piano teachers,  to maintain high standards.
Students' thoughts and feelings about their lesson greatly affect their learning and the level of enjoyment of their experience.  Rid the system of bad teaching. 

[milk_cookies_and_piano]

Im not sure if it is okay for a non-teacher to post on here.
I am a student , I have been playing piano for 14 years, I was brought up doing so.
After turning 13 I stopped winning competitions and stopped getting accepted into places because I was just lazy and I hated practicing and was always afraid before my lessons because my teachers were all mean and told me " If you just practiced you would be better than mebut for now you are not a pianist but a nothing." I just shrugged this off and assumed they said this to everyone. So for now to be 2 years I have studied with another teacher. You described your student just the way I am ( by the way im 16) It will take time for your student to realize his/her potential it took me 1 and a half years. I was always uninterested in my lessons, Whenever I didn't bring my music I thought he would get angry and I asked him are you angry? and he said " No, why should I be angry?, if you don't like the piano you don't like it. My job is to help you learn how to play and encourage you but not to make myself angry for something you did" whenever I didn't feel like playing he would always tell me the history of the piece, lol I now know the music history of every single piece I have played     He would tell me the meaning of music, is not to win anything it is to experience it in that moment He told me that many want to go to julliard but he said that place isn't about the music anymore, it is about being a robot to them. It didn't change my mind that juilliard might have many musicians that do care about music, but it made me have a different outlook on the meaning of music.  He told me to try to pick up a pencil, without thinking about ANYTHING and I couldn't lol, he said, you can,Just like when playing a piece you shoudlnt be thinking abotu anything..just experiencing the piece and connecting that to your emotions but music is not about being smart or thinking or being perfect it is about "feeling" not concentration but feeling the music through your veins letting everything stop and flow like an ocean That helped me especially during performances, I didn't feel pressured to play without mistakes, it just happened naturally. I thought this was corny but it has helped, note, this didn't help me the same day he said it but it did inspire me to practice.  In my last lesson, he told about Chopin's life, and told me to think about the saddest thought I could think of , then play the piece ( Chopins Nocturne in c# minor) and When I finished playing I was crying it was so surreal, and just amazing. Since that lesson, I love practicing. There are also many other things he did  but to many to name here. Just remember this takes time, It took me 1 and 1/2 years to realize my love for music.

https://www.artofpracticing.com/

^ book he suggested to me.

Hope this helped.

[becca91]

Thank you! I'm headed over there tonight, so I'll try to implement some of the guidelines I found on the forum and see how it goes with the two kids.

[pizno]

OOOoh, heart and soul, that's bad.  I have a boy who insists on playing the 'Jaws' music (minor second) over and over.  I think, Becka, it is time for a talk with mom - you cannot teach them until they are ready.  This is just craziness. 

I just taught a girl who so clearly does not get anything.  I think her concept of playing piano is to play heart and soul.  In fact she said today she wanted to learn it.  I said NO!  It is very frustrating to teach her, but I think she doesn't have the best self esteem, so I am constantly trying to be positive with her.  On her latest piece she wrote in all the note names.  I am really trying to figure out how to teach her.  Quite honestly, teaching her is like the movie Groundhog day.  We kind of start all over each week.  She doesn't practice, and when she does, she ignores everything I have told her, so we get nowhere!  Oh well. 

Pizno

[pianowolfi]

Im not sure if it is okay for a non-teacher to post on here.
I am a student , I have been playing piano for 14 years, I was brought up doing so.
After turning 13 I stopped winning competitions and stopped getting accepted into places because I was just lazy and I hated practicing and was always afraid before my lessons because my teachers were all mean and told me " If you just practiced you would be better than mebut for now you are not a pianist but a nothing." I just shrugged this off and assumed they said this to everyone. So for now to be 2 years I have studied with another teacher. You described your student just the way I am ( by the way im 16) It will take time for your student to realize his/her potential it took me 1 and a half years. I was always uninterested in my lessons, Whenever I didn't bring my music I thought he would get angry and I asked him are you angry? and he said " No, why should I be angry?, if you don't like the piano you don't like it. My job is to help you learn how to play and encourage you but not to make myself angry for something you did" whenever I didn't feel like playing he would always tell me the history of the piece, lol I now know the music history of every single piece I have played     He would tell me the meaning of music, is not to win anything it is to experience it in that moment He told me that many want to go to julliard but he said that place isn't about the music anymore, it is about being a robot to them. It didn't change my mind that juilliard might have many musicians that do care about music, but it made me have a different outlook on the meaning of music.  He told me to try to pick up a pencil, without thinking about ANYTHING and I couldn't lol, he said, you can,Just like when playing a piece you shoudlnt be thinking abotu anything..just experiencing the piece and connecting that to your emotions but music is not about being smart or thinking or being perfect it is about "feeling" not concentration but feeling the music through your veins letting everything stop and flow like an ocean That helped me especially during performances, I didn't feel pressured to play without mistakes, it just happened naturally. I thought this was corny but it has helped, note, this didn't help me the same day he said it but it did inspire me to practice.  In my last lesson, he told about Chopin's life, and told me to think about the saddest thought I could think of , then play the piece ( Chopins Nocturne in c# minor) and When I finished playing I was crying it was so surreal, and just amazing. Since that lesson, I love practicing. There are also many other things he did  but to many to name here. Just remember this takes time, It took me 1 and 1/2 years to realize my love for music.

https://www.artofpracticing.com/

^ book he suggested to me.

Hope this helped.

Thank you! this is very interesting and important to me.

[becca91]

   The standard lesson, is completely, in most cases, exam dominated; which has its good points, but when one is faced with constant criticism over one's playing, the playing of three pieces often in most cases lasting the full academic year, what is there achieved? Another cert./grade and burn-out to add to an emotionally negative experience.  One has to question the teaching methodologies of the average teacher, especially the one in the private/home situation. Playing/teaching is more than mere imitation and requires a great deal more in the form of musical understanding and knowledge.   The teacher who believes - I play an instrument; therefore I can show you or anyone else how to play it,  needs to know there is much more to it. These people let loose to 'teach'  do the most damage. Negative exhortation/as feedback and CONSTANT CRITICISM makes for poor teaching methods. 

Proper training, and  registering is needed of piano teachers,  to maintain high standards.
Students' thoughts and feelings about their lesson greatly affect their learning and the level of enjoyment of their experience.  Rid the system of bad teaching. 

I agree with this, that crticism is not the main point of the lesson, and encouragement and applaud is a big motivation to any student - myself included. However, I have also learned by observation that the students who are constantly praised and minimally corrected (for fear of hurting someone's feelings) since they began lessons, become impressed with their own playing even though it is honestly pretty bad. I've been to recitals and seen this multiple times. They see no problem with being on stage and not even knowing what note to play next. Literally. So to sum it all up,  a teacher must be firm and encouraging at the same time, as well as making lessons fun and exciting while a student learns.

[counterpoint]

So to sum it all up,  a teacher must be firm and encouraging at the same time, as well as making lessons fun and exciting while a student learns.

That sounds convincing, if the student is interested in music and in piano playing and if he is practising regularly.

But if the student is not interested and doesn't practise at home, the teacher can climb walls ... it will help nothing 

[becca91]

But if the student is not interested and doesn't practise at home, the teacher can climb walls ... it will help nothing 
[/quot

I agree.

[penguinlover]

It can raise your blood pressure for sure!  If you are not careful, it can effect your feelings about teaching.  I almost gave up when I had a few students like that.  I wasn't sad a bit when they quit!

[philippa]

what is so unbelieveable about that? what kind of an idiot likes piano lessons? all you do is sit there and play stuff for your teacher and he/she tells you what you did wrong. "oooo how exciting"

I would find it unbelievable to hear of a student who loves getting lessons. and don't tell that it's rewarding because of your learning experience or something. cuz that's lame.

That's ridiculous! I adore my piano lessons- I look forwards to them all week! Your teacher must be doing something wrong if all they do is point out your mistakes.  It's much more than simply a rewarding learning experience I used to have an awful teacher, that I did not get on with at all. I guess she must have felt similar to the authour of this thread- I never practiced and I hated attending. My new teacher can barely believe the progress I've made in the past 2 years, but honestly, it's because I love my lessons, and I love to practice

[counterpoint]

That's ridiculous! I adore my piano lessons- I look forwards to them all week! Your teacher must be doing something wrong if all they do is point out your mistakes.  It's much more than simply a rewarding learning experience I used to have an awful teacher, that I did not get on with at all. I guess she must have felt similar to the authour of this thread- I never practiced and I hated attending. My new teacher can barely believe the progress I've made in the past 2 years, but honestly, it's because I love my lessons, and I love to practice

philippa, It's really interesting, what you write! You write you never practised and hated attending  Why was that? What is the difference between you first teacher and the teacher you have now? Would be very helpful, if you could explain some more details of your piano lessons