Question about teaching

[outin]

Lately I feel like my teacher is all the time pushing me to the limit...I have found some of the pieces I have quite difficult to learn. I have worked on a few bars for the whole week and then I finally get it. Instead of letting me enjoy my success a bit, we go to the next difficult part immediately. And at lessons we go so fast that I feel I am at least 2 things behind all the time in my head. Only after the lessons at home I slowly begin to understand what I'm supposed to do.

I am not sure if I am complaining or not, maybe I would not progress without the pressure... But when I compare with the lessons of my colleague, it seems totally different...she never seems to have any problems if she hasn't had time to practice  


Forgot the question

Is this how you normally do with students?

[hfmadopter]

Lately I feel like my teacher is all the time pushing me to the limit...I have found some of the pieces I have quite difficult to learn. I have worked on a few bars for the whole week and then I finally get it. Instead of letting me enjoy my success a bit, we go to the next difficult part immediately. And at lessons we go so fast that I feel I am at least 2 things behind all the time in my head. Only after the lessons at home I slowly begin to understand what I'm supposed to do.

I am not sure if I am complaining or not, maybe I would not progress without the pressure... But when I compare with the lessons of my colleague, it seems totally different...she never seems to have any problems if she hasn't had time to practice  

Forgot the question

Is this how you normally do with students?

I do some beginner teaching and base it off of how I was taught and that is to push slightly above the comfort zone. If you think about it, if you stay at your comfort level you won't progress a whole lot ! I do not consider myself an official teacher ( trained with certificate ) but will take on a student who has asked for lessons if I feel we will be a good match..

How is your colleague progressing ? You don't want to go home with your head spinning but if your teacher is doing a good job then I'd say they know you well and how much you can handle. I recall going home from many a lesson thinking how ratty I was grasping what I was just taught but by the end of the week was playing the music. In the next lesson we would either work on the rough spots if they were rough enough or just touch on them and move on . My teacher was fantastic but I always felt a notch behind what we were working on, no question.

[outin]

 My teacher was fantastic but I always felt a notch behind what we were working on, no question.

I guess this sums up well how I feel

[hfmadopter]

I guess this sums up well how I feel

Yes, though I meant to ask how you think your progress is compared with the colleague who seems to have an easier teacher ? Of course if they are advancing faster, that blows my theory !

[outin]

Yes, though I meant to ask how you think your progress is compared with the colleague who seems to have an easier teacher ? Of course if they are advancing faster, that blows my theory !

I can't really compare because 1. She started from scratch with no music or piano background two years ago 2. She doesn't seem to practice much.

I don't really know anyone my age who takes piano seriously (except the people on Pianostreet)...

[hfmadopter]

I can't really compare because 1. She started from scratch with no music or piano background two years ago 2. She doesn't seem to practice much.

I don't really know anyone my age who takes piano seriously (except the people on Piano Street)...

I see.

[outin]

It's really difficult to judge my own progress. All the new pieces seem to be just as hard to learn... although my sight reading is probably a little better. I don't have time to try out any easier things with all this homework...

Something has changed after the summer though. I feel more relaxed when playing and can produce better sound with less effort.

I was just wondering if I should not try so hard at lessons. Maybe if I didn't show any progress then my teacher would give me more slack

[hfmadopter]

I was just wondering if I should not try so hard at lessons. Maybe if I didn't show any progress then my teacher would give me more slack

Seems unlikely now that you have shown the other hand !! Anyway, you don't want slack from your teacher do you ? I mean you go there to learn. I know your point but don't let your teacher lose interest in you, they put more effort in to people who care about turning out nice work, IMO. Also for those who really need help, not someone looking to cruise. Let your teacher do his/her job that you are paying for. If it's too much load, too many pieces, then discuss that. You don't want to derail yourself !

[outin]

You are of course absolutely right! It's my lazy self trying to get more control...

And I guess I thought we would go more slowly since I'm still practically a beginner and I do find many basic things difficult...

[hfmadopter]

You are of course absolutely right! It's my lazy self trying to get more control...

And I guess I thought we would go more slowly since I'm still practically a beginner and I do find many basic things difficult...

It will all pay off in the end. If you are moving rahter quickly the teacher is seeing progress even if you don't feel that way. One day Bam, some piece will come together like no other ever did. Don't let it slide, if you get bogged down tell your teacher you are getting bogged down. Communication is key, I wish I had more than I did with mine, not that it was bad mind you but she was an absolute wealth of both info and musical knowledge.

[outin]

I find it hard to talk to my teacher about anything than the music when I'm sitting in the bench... After and before the lesson yes, but when I'm at the piano it seems like I loose all coherent thought about anything else

[hfmadopter]

I find it hard to talk to my teacher about anything than the music when I'm sitting in the bench... After and before the lesson yes, but when I'm at the piano it seems like I loose all coherent thought about anything else

Normal.

[outin]

I have at least progressed with my scales...
I was only able to play C maj and B maj hands together and didn't seem to get the fingerings to any other into my head last spring. Now I have suddenly learned 4 more in just 2 weeks 

[lostinidlewonder]

Sometimes a teacher not only teaches how to play a piece but takes you through how to practice which can often distract away from just enjoying playing pieces. Do not worry about perfecting pieces just enjoy the constant learning experience, you can always go back and master pieces later your favourite pieces you have a lifetime ahead of yourself to practice them.

I do notice that some students get overwhelmed as I constantly put them at the start of the ladder to learn more and more pieces, I usually ensure that we at least sometimes do things they can easily manage and solve. There is no problems asking your teacher to do easier things with you to take off some of the pressure and allow you to see the final product more rapidly or even asking if you can get help polishing already learned pieces.

[outin]

Do not worry about perfecting pieces just enjoy the constant learning experience, you can always go back and master pieces later your favourite pieces you have a lifetime ahead of yourself to practice them.

I guess... only my lifetime ahead is a bit shorter than some of the younger ones...

I do notice that some students get overwhelmed as I constantly put them at the start of the ladder to learn more and more pieces, I usually ensure that we at least sometimes do things they can easily manage and solve. There is no problems asking your teacher to do easier things with you to take off some of the pressure and allow you to see the final product more rapidly or even asking if you can get help polishing already learned pieces.

I guess I would already be able to learn easier pieces up to resonable standard myself, since we usually don't have that many spots where she nees to go into details to correct/teach something. But it's a time issue. Lessons are every week and not every week I have enough time to practice due to work... But having a lesson every other week doesn't sound that good either. I should have taken better advantage of all the free time when I was a kid and learned to play then 

I do want her to keep teaching me stuff that is hard for me, and she seems to know exactly how, so I just have to manage...I have more productive and less productive weeks. It takes so long to just read the score and get the notes and fingerings even for the easier passages, so the time left to actually practice the more technically demanding stuff is never enough. I usually somehow manage, but it's always lacking the security created by enough practice, and that makes me frustrated on the lessons and frustration make sit difficult for me to focus...

[asuhayda]

I just went to a conference where my old teacher was the keynote speaker.  She says that she always pushes students to play music that is just slightly above their level.  The thought process is that if we as teachers simply give music to students that is not a challenge for them, then the students will not improve.

So, that reassurred me a little bit.  I often give music to my students that's just a little too hard for them.  It pushes them to break through to the next level.  More often then not, they get it.

[sucom]

I think the teacher is right to push you, even if you do feel like the lesson is going a bit too fast because as you said, it is only at home when you practise that you begin to get the gist of what the teacher was trying to get you to do. The teacher is giving you lots of ideas and hoping that when you get home and try them you will gradually achieve them during your practice.

It sounds as if the teacher really is trying hard to ensure you get the most from the relatively short time spent in lessons. Why bask in glory during your lesson when you can spend the time continuing to learn and improve?  Having said that, I do hope your teacher encourages you with praise when you've worked so hard and achieved what you set out to do!  We all need encouragement!

[slobone]

If it takes you most of the week to catch up to what you learned last week, I'd say that's just about right. I would only amend that to say it's always nice to have an extra day or two to enjoy your progress!

But I hope also, that when you do show signs of improvement at a lesson, that your teacher recognizes that and praises you for it. Motivation is very important, we all need carrots as well as sticks.

[outin]

^This made me laugh, since I am actually allergic to carrots 

She sometimes says "that was not too bad" does that count for praise? I think she knows that I am not looking for praise, because I am so self critical that she could really not fool me, I know when I suck...

Anyway, I guess it's just the nature of piano playing to a certain standard that when you think you got something right, 10 other things to correct come up 

[j_menz]

Anyway, I guess it's just the nature of piano playing to a certain standard that when you think you got something right, 10 other things to correct come up 

The higher the standard, the greater the number of things that come up, I'm afraid.

I live in hope that that trend has a sharp cliff (or at least levels off) and everything suddenly becomes attainable, but I have never reached sight of it, and from what I read no-one else has either.