What to discuss with your teacher before starting lessons: Part I

So you've had a long think about whether you or your child should try out piano lessons.

And you've decided to give piano lessons a go.

What's next? Do you just wait in anticipation for your or your child's first piano lesson?

Or are there other things you can consider or even chat to your piano teacher about before the first lesson?

I think it is important to have a discussion with your piano teacher regarding a few things before commencing lessons (more about these things down below!)

Why Have a Discussion?

A discussion can provide many benefits such as:

1. clarifying any concerns or questions the student and/or parent may have for the teacher in repsect of piano lessons (and vice versa);

2. developing an initial rapport and relationship between the student and/or parent and teacher, which can lead to a more comfortable and less stressful first lesson for the student; and

3. going through the 'important stuff' such as any terms and conditions and policies the teacher may have in place.

The above benefits are also the main reasons why I've decided to offer prospective students and parents the option of a preliminary meet-up with me (at no cost).

This preliminary meet-up offers me the opportunity to meet with the student and/or parent in person before they enrol for lessons.

The student and/or parent will also be able to ask me any questions or tell me more about themselves and their goals and interests with respect to piano lessons without having to worry about asking these questions during lesson times.

But most importantly, the student and/or parent can decide if they like me and how I work before signing up for lessons with me.

5 Discussion Points

For this 2-part post I will list and elaborate on 5 points which should be raised in a discussion with your piano teacher.

I will provide another 5 points in my next upcoming post so please stay tuned!

Point #1: Your or Your Child's Knowledge of Music

One of the first things your teacher will likely ask is whether you or your child has any prior experience in learning the piano.

If your teacher doesn't raise this question, please ensure you inform them regardless.

Knowing whether you or your child have had either quite significant, some or no prior experience in learning the piano is important in helping your teacher determine which resources will be most appropriate to start you or your child off with.

Point #2: Owning a Piano

Whether or not you own a piano is one of the points that should be discussed and raised between you and the teacher.

The teacher will most likely inform you that you will require either an acoustic or digital piano before starting lessons.

Please let your teacher know if you have already purchased an acoustic or digital piano as there may be some questions which your teacher may ask in respect of the instrument purchased.

If you have not purchased a piano, you can chat with your teacher about which piano (acoustic or digital) may be more appropriate for your circumstances.

Point #3: Making Time for Practice

Learning the piano requires practice and a practice routine in order for effective learning of the instrument.

In my opinion, there is no cookie cutter approach when determining how often a student should practice, how long each of their practice sessions should be for or whether their practice should be more time-based or task-based.

The practice requirements for each student depends on several factors, e.g how much experience they have with learning and playing the piano and what concepts they find more difficult to grasp than others.

Therefore, the practice requirements for a student can only be better ascertained when they begin piano lessons with the teacher.

However, in saying that, the student should still be able to set aside time in their schedule for practice where required.

A question which the student and/or parent may ask themselves is, "Am I or is my child able to dedicate some time each day for piano practice?".

Although it is unlikely a student will be expected to practise for hours each day, if the above question is answered with a "yes", the student shouldn't have an issue making time in their schedule for practice.

Parents of younger students should consider whether their child is currently taking 'too many' extra-curricular activities and whether their child is able to take on learning the piano on top of their other activities without the risk of them having insufficient time for practice and feeling overwhelmed from having too much on their plate.

Point #4 - Sitting In on Lessons

This point is more relevant for parents who are considering piano lessons for their child.

It is crucial for a child to feel comfortable and for them to be able to be themselves during their lessons.

Some children prefer their parents to sit out of lessons as they might feel more stressed and/or pressured with having their parents watch them. Others may not mind their parents in the room whilst they are learning.

I usually tell parents during our discussion that I am happy for them to sit in on their child's lessons.

However, if the student seems nervous or uncomfortable with their parents being in the room, we may have to consider having the parents sit out. In this circumstance, the parents and teacher should discuss options on how best to keep the parents abreast with their child's learning and progress.

I understand this might not be the most pleasant topic to bring up in discussion but it is nevertheless important as a student can only thrive in an environment where they feel comfortable and confident.

Point #5 - Learning Style

The student's learning style (if known to the student and/or their parents) is also a good thing to ascertain during the discussion with your teacher.

Knowing what sort of learner the student is will be beneficial as it can assist the teacher in developing a teaching method and approach which is tailored to the student.

For instance, if a student is more of a:

Visual learner, teachers can focus more on:

• creating interest with the student by describing any images associated with the learned piece(s);

• introducing note patterns and teaching the student how to read the basic notes (usually C-D-E-F-G); and

• introducing basic music symbols (e.g crotchets, semibreves, rests).

Auditory learner, teachers can focus more on:

• humming and singing the melody of the learned piece(s) with the student;

• singing the note names and vocalising rhythms and rests with the student; and

• playing sections of a piece for the student to listen to before trying it out themselves during lessons.

Kinesthetic learner, teachers can focus more on:

• 'finger prepping' or 'pretend playing' a piece or section of the piece with a student before they try it out on the piano;

• teaching pieces or rhythms through the use of actions (e.g touch your toes for 'C'/'do', touch your knees for 'D'/'re, etc.); and

• clapping or using instruments such as tambourines, castanets or chimebars when teaching the student.

Part II Coming Soon!

I considered that not everyone has the time to read lengthy posts or may not enjoy reading wordy posts so I'll leave the other 5 points to raise in a discussion with your teacher for my next post (don't forget to stay tuned for Part II!)

If you enjoy reading my posts and would like to stay updated with my blog posts, please give our Facebook page a like (link here: https://www.facebook.com/mylittlepianoschool).

I will post notifications when I have a new blog post on our Facebook page and your like will of course be very much appreciated! x

In the meantime, I will be signing off and will be writing again very soon.