great trouble, help

[ricwyk]

1 )The first question i would like to ask is what is the equivalent RCM (canada) grade is to grade 4 piano of ABRSM?

2) my real-pain problem is-

i came from Hong Kong to Vancouver, i have been learning piano for some years and just passed grade 4 in 2003.

i found an instructor in Vancouver and i found out how different the way she gives lessons. She focuses on teaching the scales and aural things. And she runs the lesson like she is helding a RCM exam. I was told to start on grade 5 RCM, but i think it is way easy for me.
She doesnt quite give me pieces and studies to learn. Just telling me to study 2 pieces at home.

I am already 16, and i would like to finished at least grade 8 or 9 before i turn to 18 or 19. Anyone thinks that's possible?

Plz give me some help.

[johnjwong]

of course it is possible, i also live in canada and do the RCM Examination.  it took me 2 years from nothing go get to grade 9, I did the grade 4 exams, the grade 6, grade 8 in 2 years.

My teacher do the same, in my lesson, at first we spend half an hour on scale and then we play some studies and then we did repetoire.  But we never did sight read or aural until few wweeeks before an exam because sight read and aural only counts so little in the exam.

As my grade gets higher, like grade 6, my teacher will not go over the scales with me because i can do them all myself at home.  Instead he will use the whole hour doing studies and repetoire.  But if your teacher doesn't spend much time on studies and repetoire, you should think about getting another teacher because studies and repetoire counts as 70% of the RCM exam, scale 10%, and the sightread, aural, memory, adds to 20% i think.  Therefore, even if you have all the scale, sightread, aural right perfect u still get 30% which is a fail.  If you decide to get to grade 8 or 9 before you turn to 18 or 19, let your teacher know so that she will speed things up and do some repetoire ^^ GL

[ricwyk]

i think my teacher is too green, she only has one year of teaching experience. She runs the lessons like i am taking an exam =.=

Actually, i did well in technics and sight reading in hongkong, but i only had one lesson with her. ( she is my new teacher ), and that was my first lesson.

do u think i should get another teacher straigt away or i should tell her the problem on our next lesson and give her one more try?

[Daevren]

I think you should help her learn to teach.

All teachers are beginners at some moment.

How do you teach your teacher, I have no clue.


Maybe tell her you aren't that interested in getting to a higher grade but that you are more interested in learning pieces, understanding music, getting more musical, etc.

But maybe she is just a bad teacher, or a teacher that just doesn't fit your preferences. I personally have a hard time being egoistic but giving that as advice is bad.

But as this was your first lesson, this is way early. Maybe she will be totally different next lesson, or in a month or in a year. Mabye she noticed she was doing something wrong. Either way, make sure you tell her what you think about the way she is teaching. If she doesn't realise she is doing something wrong she will never learn.  

[ricwyk]

i will tell her the problem next lesson. i 'll post back as soon as she replied.

Wish me good luck.

PS. today i went to meet another teacher, she is totally professional. But she charges so much that i couldnt afford it.  =.=

[Balakirev]

Good Luck