Guitar teaching versus Piano teaching

[Derek]

Not terribly long ago I talked to a manager of the local music shop about pianos and music and music lessons.

He told me that during the holidays, the piano students seemed almost relieved, whereas all the guitar students BEGGED their teachers to continue lessons through the holidays.

Is this due perhaps to different teaching methods?

I didn't find it surprising: indeed guitar lessons are what ultimately led to me becoming a pianist.

I found the guitar teacher never expected me to play what he had shown me the previous week, and was very laid back and made me feel as though I was "allowed" to explore on my own and that I was "allowed" to realize that music wasn't really as complex as my ex piano teachers made it seem.

I think the main difference is that since a guitar teacher usually doesn't impose all sorts of external discipline on their students, they feel free to start building their own intuition for things such as the pattern for major and minor scales and so forth.

That sort of knowledge is what allowed me to start teaching myself around the circle of keys on the piano! And now I'm becoming a decent pianist. Imagine that...guitar lessons led to all this!

[johnkeller]

Interesting! Do the guitar students learn from staff notation or chord symbols and tabs? Do the guitar students do more current 'pop' music? Does the guitar have as much emphasis on "correct technique" as the piano teachers stress?

On guitar, shapes for scales and bar chords can be moved up and down, while on piano each scale or chord has a different combination of black and white keys to be learnt. Maybe guitar is just easier? ...

[Derek]

Perhaps guitar is taught in a way that is more inspiring to certain kinds of creative individuals, is what I was getting at.

There is a certain type of person (I'm pretty sure I'm one of these) that loves to be told he is able to explore on his own and is quite able to do so.  When this sort of person, at a tender age, is told NOT to do something, he probably will be discouraged. Piano teachers tell you you aren't ready for this, that, and the other thing, and music theory seems like this towering edifice of knowledge that would take years to surmount.

Most guitar students, perhaps, haven't explored as far as I have, but my point is that perhaps laid back lessons like my guitar lessons are neccessary for certain individuals to become pianists!

Or perhaps my situation is sufficiently unique that I daren't suggest it applies to anyone else...I don't know.

I'd like to add I've more or less ditched guitar and am taking lessons from a professional pianist. I am not going to stop til I can read music like words off of a page and interpret repertoire like a pro, in addition to my own extensive hobby of recording improvisation. I ain't no New Age noodler, here.

[Derek]

I guess what I mean is:  piano teaching does NOT need to intimidate creative young people. By teaching in creative way: i.e. encouraing improvisation, exploration, etc.  we do not prevent those students, if they are so inclined, from later becoming more serious about playing piano or even becoming a professional musician.  Instead we give them the OPTION of simply enjoying the instrument for the rest of their lives, instead of quitting it and hating themselves for it!  THATS my point

and honestly, guitar is NOT easier than piano. it presents different challenges, depending on which style a student wishes to learn and how far the student wants to take it, to rock-guitar virtuosity perhaps.

[johnkeller]

Hi again Derek,

Does your piano teacher give you specific areas to explore or is that just what you do independently of lessons? You sound a bit like me when I learnt. I did heaps of mucking around on the piano, discovering the use of various chords, making up pieces, writing them down, arranging them for mouth organ, tuned glasses of water, tissue paper drums, voice etc, recording track on track etc.

Meanwhile my teacher was teaching me scales and pieces which didn't at first relate, because I thought what the teacher would do was help me with my own discovery. Occasionally got a chance to play my latest composition but not often.

Are you totally into doing what your teacher assigns and is this in line with how you want to explore? Or are you doing two strands, yours and your teacher's? If you are at one with the teacher, how has he or she connected with your aims? What pieces, exercises, etc are you doing with the teacher?

[allthumbs]

Greetings

Having played and studied both instruments, I will put in my 2 cents worth.

He told me that during the holidays, the piano students seemed almost relieved, whereas all the guitar students BEGGED their teachers to continue lessons through the holidays.

                      


I think that the above sentiment has to do more with the teacher and the teaching method than with which instrument being studied.

For the most part, those who study piano tend to take classical lessons and as the level goes up so does the degree of difficulty of the repertoire. This necessitates a rather disciplined approach to learning and practicing in order to achieve success in that endeavor.

 

I think the main difference is that since a guitar teacher usually doesn't impose all sorts of external discipline on their students, they feel free to start building their own intuition for things such as the pattern for major and minor scales and so forth.

                  


For the study of the guitar however, most want to learn to play rock or popular tunes and one does not need to learn the more mundane aspects of music such as scales, theory etc to be successful with the exception of classical guitar.

A serious student of classical guitar must have the same discipline as the classical pianist. The same preparation goes into that discipline as into piano. Although the guitar is an easy instrument to learn to play at first, it is a difficult instrument to master.

Finally, I think that whether or not a student is relieved or not about having to take lessons or having to  practice through the holidays also depends on their own commitment to excellence. We as teachers or parents can't force students to do what is necessary in order to gain mastery of their chosen instrument, that has to come from within. All we can do is to show them the path; it's up to them to travel it.


Cheers

[Torp]

I have yet to find a professional level guitar player, whether pop, rock, jazz, or country, who does not have an intimate knowledge of theory and scales.  Yes, I'll admit, the Guitar Centers (Banjo Centers I like to call them) of the world are filled with guitar-wanking-Petrucci-wannabees.  However, I think if you're going to rise to the top in any guitar genre the requirements will ultimately be the same.

I think the biggest difference here, as Derek pointed out, is the attitude of the teachers.  Most guitar teachers of beginner students of pop and rock are not going to get too excited about whether you know what you're playing, they're more interested in whether you FEEL what you're playing.  Personal expression is a key driver in improvisation.  The ability to emote through a musical instrument is a critical factor in the early stages of guitar instruction.  It's all about catching the feel.  In other words, who cares what it's called, let's make music.

I think the piano teachers who use the an approach to develop first the love of the music are the teachers who ultimately end up with students who are depressed when they can't have a lesson.

Let's face it, theory is something you use to analyze music once it is composed, not while it's being composed.  If we develop curious, music-loving students, the desire to understand how music fits together will develop naturally.

Jef

[musik_man]

I think you guys have it all wrong.  The reason guitar players are enthusiastic about their lessons, is that they enjoy playing the guitar.  No parents force their children to learn rock music.  The kids learn it cause they enjoy it.  On the other hand, many piano students aren't piano players because it's what they want.  They play because it's what their parents want.