When choosing a piano teacher, it’s very important to understand the various teaching styles in order to find someone who’s right for you. Basically, there are three types of advice piano teachers give, and you’ll want to make sure you identify how a particular teaching is giving you instruction and if this is the way you want to learn.
Here are the 3 types of advice that piano teachers give:
1. “This worked for me so I want you to play like this too.” (In my opinion, this is the kind of advice you want to avoid if it’s the only thing the teacher is showing you. I myself had a few teachers like this and I left them after a few lessons.)
2. “This is how you’ll eventually want to play.” (This can be a good approach, and depending on how it’s presented, it may or may not “get you there.”)
3. “I see your particular challenges at this stage, and I’ve devised a technique for you to learn. At this stage in your development, this will help you improve to the next level.”
From my experience, the best approach is a combination of #2 and #3. You’ll want a taste of how you’ll eventually be playing, along with a healthy dose of step-by-step instruction to lead you there.
One of my new video course subscribers sent me an email to say that for the first time ever, she found herself going to the piano to “enjoy playing music,” as opposed to “having to practice.” This makes me feel great!
I hope you enjoy your piano playing this week, and “let the music flow!”
Ron
PS – If you’d like to hear a fun piano piece, here’s my ragtime arrangement of the famous Pachelbel’s Canon:
Ron Drotos: Pachelbel’s Canon Rag
And here’s the sheet music, so you can play it yourself. Enjoy!
https://keyboardimprov.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Pachelbels-Canon-Rag-2-Versions.pdf