[vileninred]

My child is 9 and has been attending a Yamaha school for 3 years. He is only going for his Grade 1 at Easter, they say that this is standard. I'm concerned that the pace of exams is slow, what should I have expected after 3 years? Any ideas / advice..

[Gill the Piano]

It's a bit like asking how much a child should be able to read after 3 years; some will never have left Janet and John, whilst the odd precocious brat will be on War and Peace (in the original Russian, of course). Different kids go at different rates.It seems a bit slow to me, but I don't know the circumstances. Does s/he LIKE playing, or is s/he being...um...compelled to go? Does s/he like the teacher? Does s/he rush to the piano to play or do you have to sedate him/her with a tranquiliser dart, drag 'em to the piano and shackle 'em to the stool? If you're worried, ask a teacher (find one your friends use and like) if they'll give you a one-off assessment, and be led by them. Or if you have a friend/acquaintance who plays well, ask them; often the child plays better for someone they know than they do for a relative stranger.

[Geminoz]

Seems a bit slow to me also, but as Gill says, it depends on your child and his enjoyment in learning and practising or lack of.
My parents had to pry me loose from the piano stool to eat and sleep.
Back in the dark ages when I was learning, my teacher sent me for my first exam after 12 months then scheduled me for two exams per year.
However different teachers have different ideas.
Is your child having a one-on-one lesson with the teacher or is he just one student in a class of many?
I guess when your child takes the exam you will get a better idea of his progress from the results.
If he is enjoying playing and is in a class situation, I would suggest you would do better with a an individual teacher.

[vileninred]

Thanks for your feedback on my post. In respect of my boy, he does pop on a practise without resource to any stong arm tactics, and can pick up new music quickly. My concern was that I don't want to force the pace and discourage him. I will pick up on the idea of taking him to a teacher and having them review where he is up to..