Question from a student

[bernadette60614]

I practice with focus an hour a day, but I never feel quite "ready" for my lessons.

Is this just par for the course?

One of my goals has been to get through a lesson without my teacher correcting me in any way, and I feel very far away from that.

[j_menz]

One of my goals has been to get through a lesson without my teacher correcting me in any way

Surely that would be a complete waste of a lesson.

You're there to learn, not to impress.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Surely that would be a complete waste of a lesson.

You're there to learn, not to impress.

What he said.  

That defeats the purpose of the lesson.

[ajspiano]

..and yet such a common attitude.

My adult students almost all at least start out with this attitude and will frequently apologise for errors or being what they consider unprepared for the lesson.

Frankly, if you can play something well I don't really want to hear it..  (except to ensure you can actually play it well) ..My ideal student doesn't struggle all week trying to figure out what they can't yet figure out, they learn what they can learn and then point out the big problems upfront at the lesson and this is where the bulk of our time is spent.

.....

The teacher helps steer you down the right path bit by bit..  It takes a long time before you can just "prepare" a work completely on your own and have the teacher address only minimal things at the subsequent lesson.

[quantum]

One of my goals has been to get through a lesson without my teacher correcting me in any way, and I feel very far away from that.

You would not need to be taking lessons from that particular teacher if you ever reached that situation.  

Maybe you are just looking for confirmation that previous goals you had been working on have been achieved.  You may wish to discuss with your teacher, that you would like more detail specific feedback with regards to your progress.  

However, keep in mind just because you achieved a goal, attained a certain level, or conquered a specific technique, does not mean the road has ended.  There is always something you can do better, and there will always be something for you to learn.  

[keypeg]

I practice with focus an hour a day, but I never feel quite "ready" for my lessons.

Is this just par for the course?

One of my goals has been to get through a lesson without my teacher correcting me in any way, and I feel very far away from that.

This is a common misperception because of how we were trained in school.  When you have math. homework, you try to hand in your work with perfect answers.  That is the nature of academic studies.  Music doesn't work that way.

When you have music lessons, your teacher is shaping your skills.  So as you play, she sees which thing she should shape next - how she can guide you more and more into a musician.  If everything is perfect, then there is nothing to teach.  Your abilities refine themselves over time.  That's the first thing.

Meanwhile most teachers will be stressing some particular thing that they want to see developing in your playing at certain times.  Maybe it's correct notes, or even timing, or a certain way to move for a kind of passage.  Whatever your teacher stresses, that is what she expects you to focus on in your practice.  If it was even notes, and you come back the following week trying to be a virtuoso with emotionally moving music, but the notes are uneven, then you didn't work on what the focus was supposed to be.  If there are signs that you worked on what was asked for, then the teacher can continue guiding you.  She is looking for that thing improving - not for perfection.

A teacher will also want to see if what she asked you to do is working.  So if you practise it, and you come back improved, then it's working - if it hasn't, she might try something new.  So if you practise as you are told, and toward what you were told, your teacher will see that.  Perfection is not the goal - unlike math. homework.

[bernadette60614]

Thank you! This is so helpful.