Nice or strict teacher

[cuckoo]

Hi, just curious.  Do you guys prefer strict teachers or nice teachers?  And why?

Thanks!  

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

I don't think strict and nice are mutually exclusive....
 

[birba]

I was going to say can't you be strict and nice at the same time?

[cuckoo]

My experience with piano teachers is "either or" really...I haven't found one that is nice and strict at the same time.  Who can enforce the correct fingering, hand/body posture, tone, phrasing, etc. on students and nice/tolerable.  -revised-

[keyboardclass]

I'd rather 'informed' before all else.

[omar_roy]

It's hard to find a teacher that can address all of the things one is concerned about as a pianist.  Inevitably, some teachers are more focused on, or better equipped to focus on, certain things.  While one teacher may be excellent at addressing touch, one might be better at helping to develop one's sense of lyricism or phrasing.  This is one of the main reasons I believe it is so important to study with a few different teachers.  It may not be possible for everyone, but it is inevitable if one is on the track to be a professional musician whether via academic means (BM/BA > MM > DMA) or otherwise.  My freshman year as a BM I developed a great relationship with my teacher and I learned quite a lot from him.  He left my school to move on to more promising opportunities, and though I was greatly saddened by it, a new teacher opened up other facets of learning that I had yet to experience.

But to stay on topic, nice/strict are not mutually exclusive of each other.  If your experience with these teachers is "either/or" then maybe you should listen to what those "strict" teachers are telling you and take it to heart.  If you'd listen, then they wouldn't have to tell you repeatedly, thereby making them more "tolerable" for you.  If your "nice" teacher DOESN'T enforce all of the above that you listed, then they're not really a teacher worth having are they?

[birba]

I agree whole-heartedly with everything you said.  I would even go further and say, you MUST have more than one teacher in your life-time.

[asianpianoer]

depends if you are seirous a strict good teacher will do you good.
if you are playing just for fun nice teachers will encourage you

[cuckoo]

You guys are awesome!  Thanks!  Yes, I think learning how to play piano correctly do require discipline and strict teachers.  That's why I tend to be a little skeptical when a teacher is TOO nice but the challenge is kids like them...

[m1469]

I keep wanting to write in here, but then I remember I can't explain myself in words anymore and so I don't write in.  Ultimately though, I realized in words, it's not actually *about* strict vs. nice but rather results.  Whatever is bringing the results, however you call it, and that can depend on what result is being desired.  And, just as important as being capable of getting results is being truly keen on recognizing what results a behavior is getting -- sometimes it's not what it seems.  Once again, though, I'm not perfectly expressing myself .