Importance of having lessons on a good piano.

[pytheamateur]

Is this more important for the beginner or the advanced student.

[awesom_o]

I would say that the more advanced the student, the more a good piano will help their development, both in lessons and at home.

[le_poete_mourant]

Certainly it would be more helpful for the advanced student because there are many concepts and ideas that you can demonstrate much more effectively on a good piano. However, with beginners it also is important to help them understand certain things about the mechanics of the piano from the get-go. Either way, ideally everyone should have a good piano to work on in lessons and at home. Unfortunately that's not always possible. Neuhaus said, however, that if you are able to play beautifully on a terrible piano, it will be very easy for you to play beautifully on an excellent piano.

[bronnestam]

I'd say it is even more important for beginners.

- they need to play on a perfectly tuned instrument in order to learn how it really sounds
- they need good encouragement. I admire and respect those who do their best under dreadful circumstances, practicing on truly bad pianos (both acoustics and digitals) in what looks like an untidy closet - yes, it is certainly admirable to work seriously when the whole environment signals "garbage!" at you, and I know that so many have no choice at all in this aspect. But when this can be avoided, it should be avoided. So, when the student starts to take lessons, it should be in the most welcoming and nice environment possible - most of all, at good piano. It is a signal that piano playing is to be taken seriously, that the student is respected.

Advanced students also need encouragement, OF COURSE, but they are more experienced and hopefully they have already encountered the real thing. You've got to learn playing on bad pianos as well, because every pianist will be forced to do that from time to time.

So ... yeah, every teacher needs a good piano then.  

[pytheamateur]

Thanks.

So when looking for a teacher, is it quite ok to ask the potential teacher what piano she teaches on?  If the quality of the piano is an important factor, should one use this as a criterion to screen out those teachers who do not have a decent instrument?

[piano1mn]

Depends on what state you live in.

[pytheamateur]

Depends on what state you live in.

I'm talking about a large city where one can choose from both full-time teachers and concert pianists.

[j_menz]

Neuhaus said, however, that if you are able to play beautifully on a terrible piano, it will be very easy for you to play beautifully on an excellent piano.

There's quite a bit of truth in this. I've played on some shockers over the years, and you have to work really hard to make it sound even bearable. Then when a good piano comes along, all that effort can go into making it sound spectacular!

Of course, that only works if you make the effort on the crappy one. If you just blame the piano and live with it, it won't help at all.

[pianist1976]

Neuhaus said, however, that if you are able to play beautifully on a terrible piano, it will be very easy for you to play beautifully on an excellent piano.

But Boris Berman said that this is true... but you must practice on a good one. I completely agree with both staments.

Back to the subject of this thread, IMHO you don't need the best piano (although it would be very nice to have) but a nice one that gives you enough response in oder to practice. A nice tall upright (I think on a U1 or better) can be enough to develop technique and tone (although obviously a minimum quality grand such a RX-2/3 or a C-2/3 will be far better). What in my opinion cannot give good results, or make it harder, is practicing every day on a non-motivating instrument such a short upright with bad sounding and loose mechanics. Imagination is great... but has a limit.

[pytheamateur]

I am fortunate to have a decent piano to practise on, just a terrible one for lessons. 

I'm sure Neuhaus and Berman knew what they were talking about, but the problem is whether a student can ever learn to make a poor piano sound good (and then ultimately make a beautiful piano sound beautiful) if her teacher never has the opportunity to show her how to make beautiful sound on a proper piano in the first place.

I can imagine Neuhaus's statement making sense for conservatoire students who first receive their training on proper decent pianos.  Presumably, having this foundation would then equip them to work with substandard instruments, without this affecting their playing.

Which is not my case: although I work with a good teacher on advanced repertoire, I have never been trained in a conservatoire or a specialist music school.  In lessons, whenever I am not playing something right, the most frequent comment I get from my teacher is that I should make the piano sing. 

This is quite frustrating for me.  Often my teacher would demonstrate what it should sound like, but some times I simply cannot hear the difference.  Often my teacher would say I am playing a particular phrase better on a second/third attempt after he has made some comments; again quite often I would fail to notice the difference.  I often wonder whether this would be the case if we did not have to put up with that poorly maintained Chinese made piano with a European sounding name. 

Perhaps I am just making excuses for my lack of progress.  Perhaps I should just imagine I'm playing a lovely Steinway all the time.  After all, pianists live with many illusions in their playing most of the time, e.g. tha they are creating the sounds of different orchestral instruments.

[j_menz]

Perhaps I should just imagine I'm playing a lovely Steinway all the time. 

No. Work with the instrument you have. Make the best of it's unique character, including it's blemishes. If you only play an imagined instrument, you'll never be listening to, and learning to control, what you are actually doing.

[keyofc]

I definitely agree with JMenz.

Your mind will be on the piano you should have - instead of the music you should be making.
I think our music should transport us.