I usually spend somne time with my DP before lessons as it feels more like the Yamaha my teacher uses. Similar touch, mainly. Sounds more like it as well, so I don't get a big surprise when I play the first note!

It is so reassuring to hear everyone has the same problems!
I was totally stunned the first time I played on the school piano (my teacher works in a middle school and I go there for my lessons). The piano is an old clunker, and the keys are really heavy (my digital is a Yamaha NP30, which is actually pretty light).... I also had one lesson at her home on her baby grand, which was lighter than the piano at the school but still heavy - and the music stand was very high as someone else mentioned above.

At my first lesson she told me that getting used to new keyboards is a pianist's bane, and just something to get used to. You can't take your own instrument with you (well, I snickered to myself, *I* can, 'cause it is portable lol.... ), but generally speaking she is certainly right.
I've only been taking lessons since January but I am noticing that it is getting easier to bounce between the two keyboards (I hope I get to play the baby grand again, that was so cool!)

I too notice that I really flub pieces more in front of the teacher. In part it is the keyboard, in part nerves. Not so much because *she* is watching me but because I have an audience. I know I have to get over the stage fright issues.

That's the emotional side of things. Logically, I have no problem with her observing me intently while I play - I really get alot out of her analysis of my errors and the tips she gives me even after I play something very short.

My teacher divides my playing into 2 parts - sometimes I play as the student, and then I play as the performer. I find that because she created these distinctions I feel more comfortable - I can tell her at the beginning of a lesson - ok, I'm still a student on this piece - or ok, I'm playing as a performer for you now!

I'm curious as to how long others who have contributed to this thread have been playing. I'm really new - less than 4 months - I expect to make mistakes .....in six months I will expect to make alot fewer mistakes.

Just one after-thought.

I came back to the piano, after ~45 years away, last December and bought an oldish Technics digital piano on ebay as a cheap way of testing the water. When I found a teacher and started having lessons I was totally, absolutely thrown by the difference in touch - which made the lessons very difficult and totally frustrating. (I sometimes asked for 10-15 mins warm up, which helped a little.)

A couple of weeks ago I bought a Kawai CA63 and now I can very quickly acclimatise to my teacher's piano. The only thing that startles me is how loud it is compared to the way I set my DP. But that is something totally within my own control and now set the DP to a realist volume level for part of my practise time. (Of course, my ambition is to get a real piano in time.)

The nerves and anxiety to do my best is another matter though, but I joke with the teacher and that seems to ease the tension.

That makes it easier. But then I get nervous when my teacher asks me to have a piece "performance-ready" for my next lesson.

Oh, no. You'll still be making a lot of mistakes, just on more difficult pieces!

Yes, of course! That's what I meant lol.

And actually my teacher doesn't stress me too much - I think she sees that I stress myself plenty - more than I should! She's trying to get me to lighten up and develop some realistic expectations. With the pieces she gives me I'd say about half of them I can usually "perform" for her at the end of a week, and the other half I need help with, and they take longer.

I thought i'm the only one having this problem. Yes unlike violinist or etc, they can carry their own instrument for lesson. For us, we have to adapt to it.

I will usually warm up before I go for my lesson like one of the user mention, scale, etc... and hannon.

I usually complain my teacher key is too soft while her other student complain it's too hard.

Haha I guess it's because my piano touch is heavier and crappier (I dunno how to explain but it's a second hand piano)