Two teachers at the same time

[faa2010]

Is it possible to have two piano teachers at the same time?

Is nothing wrong about it?

[gleeok]

I already have enough conflicts learning by myself, 2 teachers at the same time would probably drive my to insanity hahahah!

Well, I can't answer that one seriously because I never had 2 teachers at the same time.

But...Wouldn't one teacher's method get in conflict with the other and vice-versa? Why would you want 2 teachers anyways?

[perfect_pitch]

No offense... but I would be insulted if a student went behind my back and had another teacher, teaching them.

I know I'm a good teacher and I wouldn't want some bugger screwing up all my good work and giving them bad advice.

[1piano4joe]

Yes, it is possible.

This could require longer daily practice sessions on your part if your doing different things with each teacher. Also, money comes to mind as your paying for two teachers as well as materials.

Possible reasons and/or advantages might include:

1. Different teachers will have different strengths and weaknesses.
2. They most certainly will have different personalities.
3. Hearing something explained differently might be easier for you to understand.
4. One teacher might catch something the other teacher missed.
5. One might teach only classical and the other pop, jazz and blues.
6. Improvisation as well as composition and orchestration perhaps might be addressed.
7. More experience in one area than the other teacher. Say, music history for instance.
8. A new teacher with limited teaching experience but who uses the newest teaching techniques who is familiar with electronic technology might be a useful adjunct.
9. A seasoned teacher with a doctorate and 25+ years teaching experience with upwards of 30 students per week. Contrast this with number eight above.
10. One may be more of an expert with a particular composer. One teacher I know is something of a Chopin expert while another one is a Bach expert. Check out BachScholar on YouTube for instance.
11. Different teaching styles, methods, requirements, expectations could be radically different.
12. Just for laughs. One may smell better or be much prettier.
13. Different practice suggestions, helpful tips, a lending library of music CD's or scores, recording setups, etc.
14. Exposure to two different interpretations of a piece.

It is impossible for any one person in any field of endeavor to be all things. Piano teachers are no different in this regard. It is impossible for one person to "know everything" there is to know about piano. This is why very often a student "outgrows" a teacher and moves on to another. Although, this is different than having two teachers concurrently, it does validate the point.

I personally, would  neither be overwhelmed nor confused with two teachers but I could certainly understand how this could be the case for others.

I'm sure this is just the "tip of the iceberg". I believe use as many resources, tools, teachers as you deem necessary. However, the "norm" seems to be one teacher, one book, one lesson per week.

Hope that helps, Joe.

[keypeg]

If you have two decent teachers who know what they are doing, are sane (the worst is a teacher with ego problems and limited ability or vision) and probably if you are not an absolute beginner so that you can weigh things.  If you are not a beginner then if you get conflicting advice, you might see what they have in common, or that you're seeing two sides you can use, and similar.  Plus the things that 1piano4joe has said - an explanation from another angle can make you understand better what the first teacher meant, and getting other aspects where each teacher specializes or has interest.  

On the down side, a teacher may be building things in a given way over time, and a second teacher may put a spanner into the works.   Or what if what they teach is in conflict.  Imagine for example a teacher who teaches a modern way of using the body, and another who insists of "holding an imaginary ball" and each is looking for signs that you are doing what they say. It can get interesting.

Question to teachers:  If your student intended to also study with a second teacher, do you prefer to know?

[sucom]

I wouldn't teach a student who was also taking lessons with another teacher.  I cannot see the point in this - a student either has faith in his or her teacher or he doesn't and if he doesn't, he really should be looking for a new teacher.

There is bound to be conflict unless both teachers are of a similar standard and take a similar approach, and from a teaching point of view, having a student who simply does not follow instruction because at the back of their mind they are thinking "Hmm, the other teacher says the opposite," is going to cause a lot of frustration for the teacher and in all honesty, life is just too short for this kind of frustration.  It's not worth the frayed nerves it might cause for the teacher.

Why would someone wish to pay two teachers anyway?  One teacher is expensive, let alone two! 

[faa2010]

Thanks for sharing your opinions.

It's only that I have a dilemma: I have been with my current teacher for more than 10 years.  She has taught me and has given her best in teaching me, but even though she can teach me more plus she is a kind person, I have felt some gaps in the learning at some moment.

I was thinking in getting another second opinion in my piano, a "more" objective opinion (in the end the opinions are subjective) and how to improve my technique.

I heard that in a more formal music school are giving workshops which last only 20 days and where I can interact with other people, different from my private classes.

I don't want to hurt my teacher, even though she told me she is open minded and that I can look for others who can teach me more.  Maybe I am trying to find another learning sources because unconsciously I want to try new things. However, I don't want to leave my teacher.

[keypeg]

I think that fact that you are not a beginner and have had lessons for 10 years is an important factor.

[slobone]

I don't think any responsible teacher would object to you participating in a short-term workshop or master class. It can be very useful to get advice from a second pair of ears.

Two teachers over a long period of time probably wouldn't work very well. But I have to say, I've had 5 teachers in my life (one at a time!), and each one had a different approach. Now that I'm just playing on my own, I find myself going back and using things I learned a long time ago.

[danhuyle]

If you studied music at University, then it's nothing unheard of. You have your 1-1 teacher and the other teacher teaches the weekly workshop for pianists where we play nothing but exam pieces.

Basically, you have 2 piano teachers. I tell my 1-1 teacher what the other teacher said about how I played the pieces preparing for the exam.

The topic of whether having 2 piano teachers is subjective. It can be good or bad. That's for you to decide.

[j_menz]

I heard that in a more formal music school are giving workshops which last only 20 days and where I can interact with other people, different from my private classes.

That's quite different to having two teachers. Your current teacher sounds as if she would be fully supportive, and it is in any case a good idea.

I think you can have two teachers if they are complimentary. I for a time had a seperate teacher for theory.  They should know about each other, though, and, if possible, work with some sort of mutual understanding of what the other is doing.

In the longer term, it seems that what you actually need is not two teachers, but a single more advanced teacher.

[lostinidlewonder]

I teach some students who have more than one teacher and they use me for sight reading lessons. This is very different to normal lessons concerned about performance and technique. It is difficult to fit both sight reading and performance/technique into one lesson.

[danny372393673]

OMG!
It is unbearable to imagine that having two teacher at the same time. I mean I'm having a single one and that isn't so good I'm not feels comfy with him and I just wanted to just ran away.
jitterbug cell phone

[danielekstrom]

I actually have three right now. Well, I'm currently looking to replace one as he's moving away I think it has helped me a lot. One of my teachers (the one who's moving), I work in detail on repertoire, the second, I work on accompaniment, the third, I work on my composition and improv. I never share the same material between teachers as to avoid confusion and it works out wonderfully. I find that I can be much more focused in lessons and really dig into detail. It also helps me see different teaching styles. My repertoire teacher is very strict and detail oriented and has given me things that other teachers haven't even noticed, but he doesn't improvise or compose. I could have him work on accompaniment, but I would rather work on that with my third teacher since I really enjoy having lessons with her and she really has an awesome, more modern approach. So, I think it can be very rewarding to have more than one teacher as long as you do so constructively. I don't think this approach is for everyone. I'm very well aware that it's extremely unconventional, but whatever works, right?