Is this normal

[pianochick93]

Ok, I played piano for 4 years, starting when I was 4. I then stopped until I was 13, and have started again about a year ago. I started with a new teacher when I started piano again. I am supposed to be doing grade 4 exams, but I am playing pieces at a 6th or 7th grade level. "raindrop Prelude, Claire De Lune, Rach prelude in C# minor etc."

My teacher has lately been saying that I am better than her, I just lack the experience that she has playing. She is fairly young, in her 20s I think, but she has been playing way longer than me. She is also better technically, and she knows lots of interesting stuff that she is learning at the music conservatory.

I don't think that I am, but I also don't think she would be lying just to get my self-esteem up.

Any Ideas?

[lau]

Like my situation, maybe you play more difficult peices than her, but she plays better than you.

[mattgreenecomposer]

She might be saying that to be nice or have you heard her play and believe that?
I would say anybody who has studied at a conservatory could definately teach you things about performance practices of the time period (depending on who the composer is) and give you alot of useful info., even thogh they might not be the most technically profecient player.
On the other hand if your just taking lessons to up your "chops" then I would find a different teacher who focuses more on technique.

[faustsaccomplice]

i suppose this doesn't really answer the question you asked, but allow me to extemporize on an issue i see here:

It sounds like you need a more experienced pianist to teach you.  The oft-repeated cliche that the best pianists are not always the best teachers, and vice-versa is true.  but it is often misunderstood as meaning that an inferior pianist will make a good teacher. 

where this idea really applies are in cases like neuhaus teaching richter and gilels.  they were better pianists than him, but he played the whole repertoire on a professional level, and even left some immortal recordings.  he had played the repertoire and knew what it meant to be a virtuoso.  a brilliant pedagogue who didn't understand what it meant to conquer a rachmaninoff concerto or a liszt etude would never have been able to teach richter or gilels. 

likewise, if your teacher cannot play clair de lune with ease...indeed, if she cannot easily sight-read that piece for you, she will not be able to take you to the next level. 

if you are intermediate, you must have an advanced or professional pianist teaching you.  if your teacher has the humility which it sounds like she has, she should send you on to a more experienced pianist/teacher. 

[pianochick93]

She can play claire de lune. I think she is talking in that I play harder pieces than her. I don't really want a different teacher, as I am not interested in making piano performance a career. The original reason we went with her is because the other teachers in the area are too expensive. She charges $50 less per term than other teachers, and my mum can't afford to pay more than we are paying at the moment.