Two different attitudes, one result.

[ahmedito]

I've seen two completely different attitudes towards teaching in my former and newest teacher. And some of the assistants. It wasnt perfectly clear until about last week. Heres the example tell me what you think:

I played Beethoven's fourth concerto for the assistant to another teacher. He has an attitude that everything about the piano is absolutely complicated, so I played the first chords and he stopped me. These chords are SOOOOOOO HAAAAAARD!!!! You have give each voice its own quality, the top voice is more cantabile, the middle voices are harmony, the base should be deeper and should lead into the next chord, etc. etc.

Then I played it for my teacher. She stopped me. What the hell is wrong with you? Its SSSOOOOOOOO EAAAASY!!! You just have to make the top voice more cantabile, the middle more harmonic and the base deeper.

So anyways Ive had teachers whos attitude is: Everything is so hard and complicated, I understand you cant do it, you probably wont but try your best.
And teachers who say: Everything is so easy! why cant you do it? You must be stupid.



?? 

[ludwig]

i think this is a case of the glass is half empty or half full

do they have opposite personalities? or something? hehe

[Torp]

Ultimately, everything is easy once you know how to do it.

The difference in attitude seems to come from the idea that some people have that something must be difficult to achieve in order to have any value.  This is the idea that someone must suffer and slave and work and "pay their dues" for achievement and success.  This is also one reason why we have a tendency to dislike people who seem to make too much money too easily; they haven't "worked" hard enough for it.

The most powerful teachers I have ever had, in any subject, have been the ones who view things as easy AND have the skills to show you why that is so without being patronizing and condescending.

Jef

[nanabush]

My teacher does that, when I was learning the Grieg sonata, especially the first movement, there are very strectchy hand movements throughout the entire piece that take long hours to perfect.. I tried and failed the first time, then she said that it is an easy technique and played it making it seem like nothing.  Once you have the image that the technique is soooo easssyyyy, I think it'll come faster, you'll be encouraged...On the other hand, when ppl say that piece is sooo haaard, it discourages the person who wants to try it and they get all nervous when playing it.  So ya, saying it's easy and putting a better picture in the studen'ts head would be better, not that I'm a teacher, but I know that's what my teacher does.