Hi there .

I'm 14 years old boy, and I live in Norway. And I have got a teacher in Piano. But she is from Bulgaria and talk English very good. But it isn't very easy, little difficult to understand things she said. First time I had lessons with her, she just wanted me to clap after the song, and it was difficult actually. And after that I must go home!!! And I was shocked!

I really don't like my teacher, and don't like to play piano when she will teach me. I love to sit on the front of the piano and have fun, and practice when she aren't there. She doesn't let me finish talking, she is so stressed when I'm playing, and she is jelling when I'm doing things wrong. That's not fun! . Is this how you are going to learn a 14 years old boy learning piano?!? It's just like she think I'm Mozart, something I whish .

I really don't now what to do. I have problems to find other to learn me! Is it something on internet I can learn something from? My mom have played since her was 5 to 19 years old. But that's 20 years ago. And she doesn't remember so much.

Wolfi,

Welcome to the Piano Forums.

I believe that music should be enjoyable. Even if you are going to be a concert pianist and make music your career, it should be something you love to do.

If you do not like your teacher, and it is painful to practice, the best thing you can do is to find another teacher.

I would try once to sit down and discuss the problems with her, and see if she will change her approach. But it's likely that she is firmly set in the way she does things and is not going to change much -- not permanently.

If you do want to try talking through the problems, start by writing down what bothers you. For each problem, write:

1. What she does that bothers you. Be very specific. Not "she's mean", but "she does not let me finish talking."

2. How it affects you. Like, "I feel like she thinks my thoughts are not important."

3. What she could do differently that would be better.

Do this for each problem:
She yells at me
She doesn't let me finish talking
She wants me to clap
She thinks I'm Mozart
...and so forth.


If you don't want to talk with her, or she is not willing to listen, use this same list to explain to your parents what you don't like about your teacher, and let this help you find one you do like.


Keep looking for a good teacher. You will find one.

Tell us how it is going. Good luck.

Well, I will try next week.
I cross my fingers that she will listen .
Thanks

Oh, I forgot to ask something!
Can I ever be a really good pianist? Cause I have just started now, and I'm 14 year old. And how long will it take?
Thanks

OF course you can!

But from what you have told us here, I wonder if the two of you will be able to communicate enough to build a good teacher/student relationship.

Is there any particular reason you take lessons from this particular teacher? Are there others available where you live? Can you 'afiord' another teacher? (yeah.. I know.. bad western humor)

(I will confess that, map hound that I am, I don't know where More og Romsdal Smola is.)

Ok.. curiousity got the best of me.. here it is folks..

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/norway_rel96.jpg

Thx, and sorry for dobbelposting!
Here is a picture where I have mark where Smola is. http://www.rwbue.net/bilder/dele/norway_rel96%20copy.jpg It's a island. Hehe, I'm not born there, I have lived most of my life in Oslo.

We have enough to find another. Hehe . But, she is the only teacher who have time .

Wolfi, if it makes you feel any better, I started at about the same time and I'm progressing quite nicely. I may even major in music performance for college. You can definately do it.

Cool.
When I hear about people who are good in piano most of them started as 5 year old. Then it's not to late .

Wolfi,

In the end, I think it all boils down to determination and practice. When I started my company in Poland, I bought a Polish/English dictionary and a plane ticket to Warsaw, Poland. The first time I landed in the country I couldn't even ask where the bathroom was. Everyone in Poland laughed at me when they saw my dictionary and my rudamentary attempts to speak Polish. They told me Polish was so hard even the Poles don't speak it correctly so it was no use to even attempt to learn the language. (The people were, nonetheless, very helpful and kind in my attempts.)

Today, I am quite fluent in Polish. I know far more engineering and techinical words than most Poles and most Poles do not even know I am an American when I speak. But, it took 7 years of grind it out determination and a lot of mistakes to get there.

If you truly want to play like Mozart--you are the only person who stands between you and a concert stage.

David