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Celestite

Evening all!
A thought has just occurred to me and I thought I'd ask you all your valued opinions. Having read about what we're all looking for in our pianos, tuners and retailers, what about teachers? What do you look for in a piano teacher? What do we get right, what do we get wrong? I'd love to know - be honest, I can take it!

dave brum · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject:

Hello dear Celestite!

The first thing that comes into my mind is somebody not in the slightest bit odious. That goes against the stereotypical piano mistress/master. THat actually makes you fall in love with your piano and not think 'not another ******* piano lesson with that old ******, and in any case, I'll miss Neighbours'.

Gill the Piano · Persistent Poster Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 988

Patience; a love and deep understanding of music; not just teaching because it's all they can think of doing, but because they want to impart their enthusiasm to others; a sense of humour; NOT clock-watching (stopping halfway through a bar/word and saying 'Same time next week, then!');er...that's it.

dave brum · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject:

....Errrrrrrrr, someone whose keyboard in black and white, not black white and red Smile

Seriously, someone who looks after their instrument well, has it tuned regularly, and is a pleasure to play on every week or so. Someone who mistreats their piano mistreats their student, imho.

emmac · Regular Poster Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 10

Someone who isn't always pushing you to do the next grade exam if exams aren't your thing, but who tries to make sure pupils gain enjoyment from playing. (Having said that, I'm eternally grateful to my piano teacher for dinning the Importance of Fingering into me, though I didn't appreciate it at the time...)
Someone who will introduce pupils to a wide range of music, not just the usual classical repertoire. And yes, enthusiasm is important!

dave brum · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject:

Just thought of this one whilst practising witht the metronome on.

Somebody who for purely sadistic reasons doesn't add 10 or even 20 when setting the metonome speed Mad

Gill the Piano · Persistent Poster Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 988

Hear, hear; I'm sure my teacher does that. She reckons she doesn't but I have my doubts...

Celestite · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject:

Hi Guys!
Thanks for all your responses. I'd like to think I'm getting near the mark on most of them, although I'd need to check with my pupils as to just what they think of my sense of humour

I have been known to excuse myself from a lesson on a pretext so that I could go out to the kitchen and kick the table in order to regain my composure - would that count as patience, do you think? The pupil in question seemed happy enough and completely oblivious to the extent of my frustration at the time!
As for tempi, I tend to cheat a little the other way, especially if someone is struggling - set the metronome several notches too slow, they manage to play in time, think they can do it, thus confidence grows and before you know it, hey presto (well, maybe andante) the goal is achieved!
One thing that has always struck me as essential when there are so many different shaped and sized bums being parked on it, is an adjustable stool, but it would seem not all teachers offer it (following on from your comment about a decent piano, Dave).
Thanks again for all your comments - happy finger wiggling!

dave brum · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject:

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I WANT, WHAT I REALLY REALLY WANT!

Someone else to tell me if their forum posts are being registered one hour behind the actual (UK) time.

Or does this site record in UTC time (Greenwich Mean Time) all year round? Just so I know so I don't have to mess about with my computer.

However I can now say that I am better at messing with pianos than with machines!!

Gill the Piano · Persistent Poster Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 988

I think it's GMT.
Re shouting, Celestite, did you ever see 'Outside Edge', a comedy about cricket (!)? She excuses herself from a dire dinner she's hosting, says 'I must just slip out to the kitchen', and opens the oven door and screams into it... Smile

Celestite · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:

I haven't seen the film, Gill but I can relate to it! It's when I get to the point where I open the oven door and stick my head in it that I shall decide to retire! (Probably just as well we have an electric oven!)

dave brum · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject:

An electric oven is always the good sign of a patient and understanding piano teacher. 'How much do you charge per half-hour lesson? What are your qualifications? Do you have a decent fire escape plan?'

Cookability - that's the beauty of Gas!!

Gill the Piano · Persistent Poster Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 988

I can blow that theory out of the water; I have an electric oven. I also, courtesy of a husband with a sense of humour, have a sign saying 'accidents' (from a hospital he was refurbing) and an arrow on it, pointing at the cooker.
Now you know why I don't teach...or cook.

dave brum · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject:

Accidents, think I'll call my first CD of piano music that, which will be out to coincide with my sixtieth birthday.

Celestite · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject:

Or "Accidentals"?

dave brum · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:34 pm Post subject:

Was actually thinking Accidents as a pun on Accidentals, dear Cel!

Much more shenanigans with this bloomin' MIDI connector, and I'll be ready for a one way ticket to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Nothing is simple, is it?

Senior moments come more frequently....

Celestite · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject:

That's me all over, always at least one step behind, sorry Embarassed

dave brum · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:06 pm Post subject:

As a matter of interest, I was thinking about this bloke I used to know who lives in the Banwy Valley, west of Llanfair Caereinion.

He told me he had ambitions when he was 20 to be a really big fish in the music publishing world.

He ended up as a piano tuna!!

Oh, shut up, Brum!