Hi friends,
In this blog, I have decided to collate my personal pet peeves accumulated over 18 years of piano teaching. My students are mainly grade 5 and above and over the years and very often, they are transferred students. Over the years, I have noticed a continuous pattern of certain things which most piano teachers never tell you but they should, which I will be sharing with you. Please note that I am not here to belittle any teachers or students and not everybody falls into the category. I am also not here to give full solutions to the things I have mentioned cos each problem deserve an article of their own. I would just like to share my observations and hope it brings awareness to both educators and learners.
Initially, I had 10 over pet peeves but I have managed to reduced to the 4 major ones. So here they are:
1. How to sit at the piano
I am always mindblown that 9 out of 10 of my students could not tell me what is the ideal sitting posture at the piano, even after completing their grade 8! That is usually the first thing I have to rectify for any new transferred student.
In this blog, I have decided to collate my personal pet peeves accumulated over 18 years of piano teaching. My students are mainly grade 5 and above and over the years and very often, they are transferred students. Over the years, I have noticed a continuous pattern of certain things which most piano teachers never tell you but they should, which I will be sharing with you. Please note that I am not here to belittle any teachers or students and not everybody falls into the category. I am also not here to give full solutions to the things I have mentioned cos each problem deserve an article of their own. I would just like to share my observations and hope it brings awareness to both educators and learners.
Initially, I had 10 over pet peeves but I have managed to reduced to the 4 major ones. So here they are:
1. How to sit at the piano
I am always mindblown that 9 out of 10 of my students could not tell me what is the ideal sitting posture at the piano, even after completing their grade 8! That is usually the first thing I have to rectify for any new transferred student.
2. How to use the pedals
I recalled one student who does not know how to use the sustaining pedal and did not use it at all during her grade 8 exam! Apart from that, I am thankful most students are able to use the sustaining pedal. However, most of them have no clear idea how or when to press the pedal accordingly. So it is a rather instinctive skill most of the time. When it comes to the Una Corda or soft pedal, it is clearly out of the radar for 90% of students. I am still figuring out why is the left pedal being avoided by most teachers like a plague. When it comes to the middle sostenuto pedal, if a student can tell me how to use it, I would go and buy a 4D that week!
I recalled one student who does not know how to use the sustaining pedal and did not use it at all during her grade 8 exam! Apart from that, I am thankful most students are able to use the sustaining pedal. However, most of them have no clear idea how or when to press the pedal accordingly. So it is a rather instinctive skill most of the time. When it comes to the Una Corda or soft pedal, it is clearly out of the radar for 90% of students. I am still figuring out why is the left pedal being avoided by most teachers like a plague. When it comes to the middle sostenuto pedal, if a student can tell me how to use it, I would go and buy a 4D that week!
3. How to use various weight (finger, arm, body), wrist and relaxation
Now, this is my biggest pet peeve, especially when taking over a grade 8 student advancing into diploma course. The non-existence of technique with regards to weight, wrist and relaxation means that I have to start from ground zero foundation with these students. Very often, they get frustrated as I am, sadly the first person to deliver the truth about technique to them. I also lost count to how many times I see bad technique and tension. It is also no joke when the students develop tendinitis and injuries and could never play the piano again.
PAINFUL TRUTH!
If only these students have come to me earlier! Some students unfortunately couldn't unlearn and decide to give up piano too. Conversely, I am proud of those students who persisted to relearn and have a breakthrough to the next level of piano playing.
Now, this is my biggest pet peeve, especially when taking over a grade 8 student advancing into diploma course. The non-existence of technique with regards to weight, wrist and relaxation means that I have to start from ground zero foundation with these students. Very often, they get frustrated as I am, sadly the first person to deliver the truth about technique to them. I also lost count to how many times I see bad technique and tension. It is also no joke when the students develop tendinitis and injuries and could never play the piano again.
PAINFUL TRUTH!
If only these students have come to me earlier! Some students unfortunately couldn't unlearn and decide to give up piano too. Conversely, I am proud of those students who persisted to relearn and have a breakthrough to the next level of piano playing.
4. How to practise
When I ask a new student how they practise at home, i always get a quizzical look in return.
"Play a few times until correct?" is a common answer.
From this answer, I always know I have gaps to fill and another transformation is in progress again. :)
When I ask a new student how they practise at home, i always get a quizzical look in return.
"Play a few times until correct?" is a common answer.
From this answer, I always know I have gaps to fill and another transformation is in progress again. :)
