Choosing a new teacher.

[alexf26]

I've been taking lessons for around 2.5 years with my teacher. I love her and think she is excellent / helped me a lot.
The other day she mentioned in around 2/3 months (after the student's recital) that I could benefit greatly from a university teacher or a concert pianist who could help me with more advanced repertoire. She can play very advanced pieces but told me that playing and teaching are very different things and that officially her degree in Pedagogy was to teach from Beginners to around grade 9 - where she feels most comfortable.
I've studied the piano for around 3 years and currently playing some pieces around RCM 9 (The hardest piece I'm learning is Gershwin's Prelude 1. Hardest I've played in public is Franz Liszt Romance).

I'm both sad (to lose her as a teacher) and happy (that she was honest and thinks I can get more advanced).

Now I feel a bit lost, where I live (South of Portugal - almost no teachers or music schools / no piano culture) she was definitely the best pianist I could find. So I would have to go to the online lessons option (not too excited about this but... I see that many people are following this option.)

I found some options / types of teachers that are available:
For example:
- Type 1. Pianist that just finished Master's in Performance, and only a few years of experience:
Around 30$/hr

- Type 2: Portuguese Concert pianist with some fame (Played at Carnegie, appears on TV, crazy repertoire, etc.)
Around 75$/hr

- Recommendation of my current teacher: (a friend of hers - university piano teacher - I've seen him play - great technique - but has no performances recorded / more focused on his classes)
From America - charges around 60$.

Questions is
Is there such a thing as a "too advanced teacher" for someone?
I know it's hard for anyone to judge people based on videos or small descriptions but what I'm seeking is some general guidance on what kind of teacher I should get next / if it helps to get the best I can (I don't mind paying more if that would help - or if in general - given the level that I play it's not really worth it to spend more). Are there any other types of teachers or descriptions in teachers' profiles I should look at?

[00range]

To find a good teacher, you need a good problem. A good problem is not "I can't play as well as I'd like to", that's too vague. A good problem is specific. Luckily learning the piano is full of these. Bring this problem to different teachers until one is able to solve it for you. Maybe it will be the guy with all of the accolades and university degrees, and maybe it will be some complete unknown.

Good luck!

[pianistavt]

Unless you can talk to some of their students, it's difficult to know how a teacher teaches until you are "in the middle of it".  You could also ask for an audition - play your Gershwin prelude and about 3 other pieces (Bach, classical, romantic).  See what they say, how comfortable you feel.  Prepare some questions:  How do they teach technique.  Do they teach practice methods?

Decide in advance how you want to organize the engagement - perhaps semester based - you signup for 16 lessons for Fall term and then you have a 3 week break until the next semester .. you can decide what to do.  It doesn't have to be a long term contract.

good luck

[alexf26]

Thank you! Yes, I could try the cheaper ones that look good first and do the "lesson pack". This way I won't feel bad for "quitting" if needs be. As you said it doesn't have to be a long-term commitment.

Also,does anyone have an opinion on online lessons/gear to use? I'd like the teacher to see 2 different angles of my hands for example and hear the teacher in good volume.

[ranjit]

Throwing my experience in here: if you have multiple hours a day to practice, I would choose the best performer who is also a good teacher. Every pianist will have a slightly different style and repertoire they click with. Someone who is intelligent and plays in a way that you find inspiring. Someone who is methodical and can strategize effectively.

[anacrusis]

Throwing my experience in here: if you have multiple hours a day to practice, I would choose the best performer who is also a good teacher. Every pianist will have a slightly different style and repertoire they click with. Someone who is intelligent and plays in a way that you find inspiring. Someone who is methodical and can strategize effectively.

Do you have a teacher these days ranjit?

[ranjit]

Do you have a teacher these days

Yes.

[applelover]

To find a good teacher, you need a good problem. A good problem is not "I can't play as well as I'd like to", that's too vague. A good problem is specific. Luckily learning the piano is full of these. Bring this problem to different teachers until one is able to solve it for you. Maybe it will be the guy with all of the accolades and university degrees, and maybe it will be some complete unknown.

Good luck!

Love this advice and comment! Thank you for posting it.

[lostinidlewonder]

We could take it from another perspective. A student often doesn't know that they don't know. So a good teacher can reveal the important improvements and directions they didn't realise was important and the results of this produce desirable and noticeable improvement.

And to the OP until your teacher no longer provides you with help and improvement I'm not sure if leaving is always the best solution even if they suggest it! The teacher may be overly humble and can certainly teacher higher grades, but if she truly doesn't have her heart into teaching that then it makes sense to move on.

[jamienc]

We could take it from another perspective. A student often doesn't know that they don't know. So a good teacher can reveal the important improvements and directions they didn't realise was important and the results of this produce desirable and noticeable improvement.

And to the OP until your teacher no longer provides you with help and improvement I'm not sure if leaving is always the best solution even if they suggest it! The teacher may be overly humble and can certainly teacher higher grades, but if she truly doesn't have her heart into teaching that then it makes sense to move on.

This.
Perhaps this is an opportunity not only to progress on your own journey, but for your present teacher who might need a bit of confidence to move onwards to more advanced students. If you are comfortable with that teacher and feel as if the direction and instruction you are given is worthy, why not make a pact to learn together with some of the assistance from the wonderful folks we have here to further the learning on BOTH sides of the spectrum? Your teacher will gain more experience and confidence teaching advanced students and you will benefit in the obvious ways from that relationship. I would encourage your teacher to take a chance. My $0.02…

[lostinidlewonder]

This.
Perhaps this is an opportunity not only to progress on your own journey, but for your present teacher who might need a bit of confidence to move onwards to more advanced students. If you are comfortable with that teacher and feel as if the direction and instruction you are given is worthy, why not make a pact to learn together with some of the assistance from the wonderful folks we have here to further the learning on BOTH sides of the spectrum? Your teacher will gain more experience and confidence teaching advanced students and you will benefit in the obvious ways from that relationship. I would encourage your teacher to take a chance. My $0.02…

Agree. I remember the first time I was approached to teach a low functioning autistic student I knew I didn't have the experience to do it but their parents insisted and so I took on the challenge. It was tough but joyful and I learned a great deal from it.

Often a teacher is about having someone you enjoy to go on your learning journey with and someone you actually like. It's not just a purely exploitative relationship where it is just an exchange of knowledge of only the utmost highest degree of efficiency. What student works like that in any case? Probably one that's a robot without personality lol.