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Topic: Just to share my experience  (Read 2124 times)

Offline doowlehc

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Just to share my experience
on: March 24, 2005, 05:58:57 PM
I rememebr reading somewhere in this forum about having students play Grade 8 (out of 10 Grades) pieces after only 2-3 of piano instructions.  Some people object.  But I like to share my experience because it did prove to me learning 'harder' pieces right off opay off big time.  But the 'harder' pieces you pick MUST be a piece that the student love totoally... that he / she willing to practise it for hours for 3-4 months without gettitng bored.



So I like to share my experience with piano playing, which influences my teachings.



I started having lesson at 7 years old... for 3 months, then stop after 3 months cause I hated it hahah.

Then at age 11 I entered a high school in Hong Kong which has strong emphasis on music.  I listened to my classmates playing beethoven, chopin ,etc... and I fell in love with classical music.

So I started practising on my own like crazy.  The first piece I tried was Fur Elise - I loved that piece so much.  I spent 3 months working on it (meaning owrking on the first page).  When I am unable to figure out the count and rhythm I will ask my classmates or my mom (who play a bit of piano).  I would patiently count up the staff and write down the letter names (since from my piano lesson years ago I recognize only middle C to G hahaha)   I played horribly though.

After 3 months I was able to play the first page.  I think I practised like 10 hours per week.

Then I picked another piece I liked - Chopin Waltz in b-... again practise like crazy for 3 months on first page.  and I started buying lots of tapes to listen.

After doing this for 2 years, I was able to play Bach's Italian Concerto - the first movement's first 3 pages after practising for 3 months.  However, playing horribly.

yes....I know I played horribly.  but hey it was fun!

Then I came to Toronto, Canada and started to have piano lessons. I started at Grade 8 level.  Then did the ARCT (Performance's Diploma) in 5 years.  At that time I practised may be 25 hours a week.




So the outcome of this experience is I absolutely hate to teach kids who are forced by parents to have lessons - this occur a lot in the Hong Kong culture.  Parents 'force' kids to learn piano, dance, drawing, mandarin, french... all at the same time! 

and I absolutely enjoy teaching adult beginners - they initiate on their own ... and they learn because they love the music.

I don't recommend teaching stdents to practise extremely hard pieces and only able to play first page.  However, my point is if a student love a extremely hard piece.... teach it to him / her 'on the side'.... and break it down such that it becomes extremely easy.   

I don't ever say to a student ' this piece is too hard for u'.... because honestly, I think with the right attitude, right hand position and movement, and right concentration, he must be able to play it

Offline steinwayguy

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Re: Just to share my experience
Reply #1 on: March 25, 2005, 06:37:13 AM
Totally, completely agree!! It's the only way you're going to improve...

Offline whynot

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Re: Just to share my experience
Reply #2 on: March 27, 2005, 10:37:22 PM
Also agree!

Offline anja

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Re: Just to share my experience
Reply #3 on: March 31, 2005, 05:51:04 AM
It might be good fun for the student to learn a very difficult piece, but it's not sound piano pedagogy. I'm happy you continued, but most students whom I've allowed to learn this way have not progressed or have quit. You are technically correct that any piece can be learned. The problem is it takes too long for them to learn it and it's at the expense of a variety of pieces that form an ideal teaching repertoire. In my earlier teaching days, one of my students spent 9 months at Fur Elise, but she never got past the first page. I believe that occasionally injecting one page or two of a very difficult piece can be useful, but the majority of their work should be at their level. Your experiences have impacted how you teach because they feel comfortable for you and therefore repeatable. I would caution you not to use them as the basis for your teaching.
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