Best Piano Teachers in the Philippines

[ph_pianist]

Anyone here from the Philippines who could recommend a very good piano teacher? I'm currently enrolled in Yamaha School of Music with what I would consider an extremely talented teacher (a UP   Conservatory of Music graduate with PP/AP abilities). Don't get me wrong, I might actually rank her as at least among the top 5 in terms of teaching talent in the country - a personal assessment based on the fact that she has authored at least one piano book (clue: its a collection of pop piano arrangements  ) and has been a professional performer in the past. In other words, she's awesome (she could even arrange songs without touching the piano thanks to her PP).

Now here's my problem: she barely teaches me any theory at all. And if I do try asking about some theory, she seems to only barely touch the subject i'm asking (alright for children beginners but not for a fast paced adult). But what I could really not get out of my head is her allegiance to the standard Hanon/Czerny exercises - which I consider to be 50% a waste of time (i convince myself there is some merit to it).

So to all Filipino pianists out there (I'd like this to be a dynamic discussion), can you give me your top recommendations for teachers including which institution they teach (Yamaha, Ryan Cayabyab, etc). Here are some teacher criteria just to guide you:


1.) Exhibit exceptional talent - a graduate of UP/UST Conservatory, a background of performing professionally, perhaps even an ear (Perfect Pitch);
2.) Is not a firm believer of Hanon/Czerny - must be open to new ideas. The more aligned she is to Bernhard's teaching methods / Chang's practice fundamentals, the better;
3.) Has good grasp of music theory - for a working adult this saves a lot of time when you are stumped by some theory/harmony book you've just read;
4.) Is a good teacher - refers to teaching ability, is she approachable when you have questions? Is she patient when you don't have it quite ingrained in your fingers?; and
5.) Has a warm friendly disposition - its hard when you have a teacher whose grumpy all day. That's like living in fear!

[ajspiano]

In other words, she's awesome (she could even arrange songs without touching the piano thanks to her PP).

Not that difficult or amazing.

So to all Filipino pianists out there (I'd like this to be a dynamic discussion), can you give me your top recommendations for teachers

I think enzo is from the phillipines, user name for his mum is "emill" (hope thats the right spelling. If his performances are a reflection of his teacher then he's got a good one.

1.) Exhibit exceptional talent - a graduate of UP/UST Conservatory, a background of performing professionally, perhaps even an ear (Perfect Pitch);

Some of the best musicians didn't study at a conservatory, but the real problem with this statement is the "perhaps even an ear" - because a pianist without an ear, has a real problem. Any good musician/teacher should have outstanding RELATIVE pitch, which is in most cases more useful that perfect pitch anyway, and FAR easier for the student to learn than is perfect (speaking from having learnt both, relative to a high degree, perfect to a usable degree)

My problem with your thought process is that what good is it to you for a teacher to have perfect pitch, - unless that teacher can teach you that skill in a musically applicable way? ...and not a lot of people get around teaching adults perfect pitch successfully, because that is REALLY difficult and time consuming.

2.) Is not a firm believer of Hanon/Czerny - must be open to new ideas. The more aligned she is to Bernhard's teaching methods / Chang's practice fundamentals, the better;

Here's a problem, - bernhard, and chang..  I don't think either of them have a music degree? Both of them have science degrees..  but you want a teacher with a music degree?

3.) Has good grasp of music theory - for a working adult this saves a lot of time when you are stumped by some theory/harmony book you've just read;

I don't know if its avaibable where you are, but I always found dulcie hollands "master your theory" to be pretty self explanatory, and gives good exercises, and there's answer books to check your work. And, the content from the earlier grades here should be covered in its entirety (make sure you have no gaps) before you dive into more andvanced theory books. These books may be an avenue for you to take if you are unable to find a teacher for theory.

This means stuff like major/minor scale construction, scales in all keys, transposition, 4 part harmony, simple/compound time, accents in verse, melody writing, setting verse to music, form, simple modulations.. etc.

4.) Is a good teacher - refers to teaching ability, is she approachable when you have questions? Is she patient when you don't have it quite ingrained in your fingers?

...well i find it disturbing that teachers who arent this exist at all.. :/  -- that said, I would hope that this "ideal teacher" is not only patient, but also gives you the tools to get the content learnt quickly..

[j_menz]

Given that you are (highly) critical of your teacher as regards what she doesn't teach and the methods she uses to teach what she does, I find your assessment that she is one of the 5 best teachers in the Phillipines either completely bizarre or a truly sad indictment of the remainder.

[pytheamateur]

We have a member from the Philippines whose teenage son studies the piano there.  You might try to contact him.  The pianist's name is Enzo.  You should abe able to find threads by his father on this site quite easily; he recently posted some recordings of his son.

[ph_pianist]

Thanks ajspiano, man am I glad to have discovered this forum...

Not that difficult or amazing.

That is true of course. PP is perhaps a coctail of early musical exposure plus genetic predesposition which i could do nothing about at this point.

However, my premise for wanting a PP is that I wanted a kind of all-in-one teacher. Here's what I mean: As an adult learner (i started piano from scratch for about 3 months now by the way), the speed with which neural connections develop from finger repetitions is pretty slow (im sure I've read this from somewhere, Chang maybe?). It takes a lot of deep REM sleep so to speak. If I focus solely on them fingers, I would never be able to catch up with those little 7 year old mozarts over here (Lucky rich bastards, lol). Bernhards' 20x7 technique is useful in this area but I don't wish to stop there.

Now I had this idea in my mind, what if to compensate for this slowness,
i stimulate my brain in multiple areas:

1. besides finger technique; i also tackle

2. sight-reading (this is definitely a pain, I’d rather mindlessly bang the keyboard - this I think is the real benefit of Hanon: minimal mental strain, yet with some development going on);

3. rhythm – I don’t have a sense of rhythm at all! I just sort of estimate based on what sounds good. A   teacher who knows how to develop internal clock would be very good;

4. relative pitch – now here’s where the PP comes in. I have this idea that a PP teacher can teach RP better. Wrong?

5. theory – has nothing to do with piano, but I believe a good grasp of theory
      has a motivating effect. (I try my best to stick to my 2-hr per day practice routine)

Now what if in every session with this ‘heavenly’ teacher we tackle ALL 5 areas. The development
in these 4 areas will still be slow of course – but in time, the growth rate could be geometric
(considering how the brain works). Good idea? or brain fart?

[ph_pianist]

I think enzo is from the phillipines, user name for his mum is "emill" (hope thats the right spelling. If his performances are a reflection of his teacher then he's got a good one.

Out of my league. Probably not cost effective for the level im in. Anyone here tried the Greenhills Music Studio? Any good?

[ph_pianist]

Some of the best musicians didn't study at a conservatory...

True. I did not study at a conservatory too.    But the thing with this country is that our two conservatories DO produce top tier talent. Many of their faculty are winners in international competitions much like enzo. My insistence on conservatory background is under the premise that graduates from these must have at least the bases theory-wise cause im a theory guy!

[ph_pianist]

I don't know if its avaibable where you are, but I always found dulcie hollands "master your theory" to be pretty self explanatory, and gives good exercises, and there's answer books to check your work. And, the content from the earlier grades here should be covered in its entirety (make sure you have no gaps) before you dive into more andvanced theory books. These books may be an avenue for you to take if you are unable to find a teacher for theory.

This means stuff like major/minor scale construction, scales in all keys, transposition, 4 part harmony, simple/compound time, accents in verse, melody writing, setting verse to music, form, simple modulations.. etc.

Now let me clarify, I have not actually read a harmony book because I consider that to be fairly advanced... that comes later. Like I said, I've been in the piano scene for only 3 months now. But I have also devoured thru 90% of ABRSM's AB Guide Guide to Music Theory and have good grasp of major/minor scales, intervals, simple/compound time, etc. Im going to take the grade 5 theory and grade 1 practical this december. Reason for all the fuss with theory. Haha. Anyway, I've googled this book and it seems to complement the ABRSM one. Thanks!

[ph_pianist]

@j_menz:

Given that you are (highly) critical of your teacher as regards what she doesn't teach and the methods she uses to teach what she does, I find your assessment that she is one of the 5 best teachers in the Phillipines either completely bizarre or a truly sad indictment of the remainder.

Lol no. I don't think critical is the right word. You see, I practice 2 hours per day and that's a luxury for someone like me who has to juggle engineering work for a petroleum company with church work. I honestly think she is one of the best in the teaching profession. And I don't think she lack theory sense - maybe she just forgot because of old age, but im sure its there and she talks more than she knows. But yes, its an indictment of the remainder of teachers out here... but is it really any different compared to the rest of the world?... Anyway, the key here is maximize the 100000+ hrs you will be spending with the piano and teacher. At the end of the day, the job of the teacher is to save you TIME. So if there's anyone BETTER out there than 'the best' let me know.

[ph_pianist]

We have a member from the Philippines whose teenage son studies the piano there.  You might try to contact him.  The pianist's name is Enzo.  You should abe able to find threads by his father on this site quite easily; he recently posted some recordings of his son.

I researched and I learned Enzo was under the tutelage of UP's Extension Program at age 10. Anyone here from that program? How does it compare with more mainstream institutions like Yamaha? This might just be my next stop.

[ajspiano]

Now what if in every session with this ‘heavenly’ teacher we tackle ALL 5 areas. Good idea? or brain fart?

Brain fart.

Not that you shouldn't have a broad and thorough spectrum of study - but its not going to happen all at once. You can't just be told everything in a rush and digest it all in one hour long block of time.

Lesson 1 - Score analysis and practice planning - maybe this takes the whole first lesson on a piece depending on the complexity?

Lesson 2 - supervised HS Technique Acquisition and learning practice methods - 20 mins of lesson on a single figure? maybe 1-2 bars?

..This is why bernhard teaches everyday lessons.. because you can not effectively ram everything into one session with beginners. Too much gets left out.

[j_menz]

@j_menz:Lol no. I don't think critical is the right word. You see, I practice 2 hours per day and that's a luxury for someone like me who has to juggle engineering work for a petroleum company with church work. I honestly think she is one of the best in the teaching profession. And I don't think she lack theory sense - maybe she just forgot because of old age, but im sure its there and she talks more than she knows. But yes, its an indictment of the remainder of teachers out here... but is it really any different compared to the rest of the world?... Anyway, the key here is maximize the 100000+ hrs you will be spending with the piano and teacher. At the end of the day, the job of the teacher is to save you TIME. So if there's anyone BETTER out there than 'the best' let me know.

I think you are asking the wrong question.

Beginners, particularly adult beginners, often fall into the trap of wanting to know everything. Now!!! 

You identify that you lack rhythm, theory, reading and sound identification.  I'd probably add quite a few that you don't even know exist yet.  You can't develop all of these overnight, and you will not develop them at the same rate. You need to trust your teacher, at least for a period.

Rather than worrying about whether you have "the best" teacher, I would suggest you worry about being "the best" pupil. Pay attention to what you are being taught, practice what is set. In other words, do your best to learn what she is teaching you and worry less about what she isn't. There's a pretty good chance she knows what she's doing.

[pytheamateur]

I researched and I learned Enzo was under the tutelage of UP's Extension Program at age 10. Anyone here from that program? How does it compare with more mainstream institutions like Yamaha? This might just be my next stop.

What is UP's Extension Program?  Does UP stand for the University of the Philippines?  Is the Extension Program similar to the junior department of a conservatory?  Even if you are not thinking of joining the program, you might still consider contacting the teachers there for private lessons.

[ph_pianist]

@ajspiano

Brain fart.

Not that you shouldn't have a broad and thorough spectrum of study - but its not going to happen all at once. You can't just be told everything in a rush and digest it all in one hour long block of time.

Lesson 1 - Score analysis and practice planning - maybe this takes the whole first lesson on a piece depending on the complexity?

Lesson 2 - supervised HS Technique Acquisition and learning practice methods - 20 mins of lesson on a single figure? maybe 1-2 bars?

..This is why bernhard teaches everyday lessons.. because you can not effectively ram everything into one session with beginners. Too much gets left out.

Actually, I couldn't agree with you more. lol i too do a version of that (like I said, I'm Bernhard's internet disciple!). However, I already do that on a daily basis during practice. My  thinking is that a different neural stimulation ought to be developed (besides finger dexterity/independence) otherwise my weekend session would have little value added at all. Like say a progressive RP/sight reading exercise for 10 mins. But your right, I might have pushed this to too broad an extent that its practically not doable. Such megalomania!

@j_menz

You need to trust your teacher, at least for a period

There's a pretty good chance she knows what she's doing.

This is a good point. I say give her the benefit of a doubt for one whole year.

Beginners, particularly adult beginners, often fall into the trap of wanting to know everything. Now!!!

True. And also, wanting to know everything is a sign of plain ignorance 

@phytheamateur

What is UP's Extension Program?  Does UP stand for the University of the Philippines?  Is the Extension Program similar to the junior department of a conservatory?  Even if you are not thinking of joining the program, you might still consider contacting the teachers there for private lessons.

Yes,No,&NO!. Yes it stands for the state University where I came from (not CoM though). No its not some kind of junior department nor does it lead to conservatory proper (to get to CoM, you follow a different route: UPCAT, then pass talent audition, which mind you is competitive and insane! what with all the child prodigies who apply for a slot). The Extension Program is nothing more than a business enterprise (in my opinion) - but mind you, its cheap. Though not as cheap as Yamaha. The good thing though is that the teachers are top talent to begin with. NO! Trust me, private lessons as in other institutions will always be more expensive (no shared overhead/infrastructure) - unless of course the teacher is your friend or girlfriend (i plan on procreating a hybrid piano alien capable of conquering the guitar world). bwahahaha  . For more information, follow this link:
https://music.upd.edu.ph/Extension%20Program.html

[ph_pianist]

By the way, this is what im currently paying for at Yamaha:
29,000 (54 1-hr sessions)

At the UP Extension Program it goes like this:
5,455.00 (14 ½-hour sessions) OR
10,810.00 (14 1-hour session)

Just for comparison, if we extrapolate UP's rates to 54 sessions:
21,041 (54 1/2-hour sessions) OR
41,696 (54 1-hour sessions)

Yamaha is definitely cheaper, but if I take 1/2-hour sessions at UP il save around 8,000 (although the session is half the time). My question, is it really worth it to take 1-hour instead of 30minutes when you're a beginner?

[ajspiano]

My question, is it really worth it to take 1-hour instead of 30minutes when you're a beginner?

This would depend on you and the teacher.

One of my common experiences with keen adult beginners is that they do VERY well under my supervision, and then struggle throughout the week to replicate the same success in further sections of their chosen pieces. They then return saying "i'm having real trouble here" and we fix it in what often usually only takes 2-3 minutes, and proceed to learn something else. Cycle repeats.

I feel like 30 minutes isn't nearly enough time with them, but this is only because if I had an hour we could cover several different sections which they could then consolidate throughout the week instead of 1 or 2.

But the success of that (if you could call it success) would not be in the hour vs half hour time slot. Its just more supervised practice so they do at least a bit more effective practice rather than meandering aimless ineffective practice. 1 hour isn't a magical lesson length, really they need constant supervision until such time that they can make good effective practice decisions on their own.

Having managed to read chang/bernhard without being told to I would assume that you have an at least semi-reasonable practice regime, which you are probably also assessing and consciously adjusting/improving - so you are probably ok with 1 lesson a week... 

I don't find that adult beginners walk in and are generally like a sponge ready to read/absorb pianofundmentals.com and my giant charade bernhard posts, and bernhard like content that I've written myself (because its better to have organised copies of my own rather than provide forum links) in the first weeks like you may have been, or at least have been doing the last few weeks.