Zombie Thread arises!

I agree, HOWEVER, I do love and teach from Book I.

Why do you think that this is how every lesson goes with every teacher? Also, you have outlined three items - scale, etude, piece - but the items are not the teaching, or what is taught within those items. Something is missing here.

She talks to my daughter about the pieces. She goes home knowing what to do. I just figured that is how pretty much every piano lesson went. She also goes over the theory pages.

MaggieGirl,

You are mostly correct, but I think the issue is the simplification.

A piano lesson will result in a combination of: theory, repertoire, technique, and skills. Not every lesson will cover each component and not every student will even be doing all of the above. But, in essence, those are the large 'groups' of assignments for piano students.

At my classical lesson today, we went over scales/arpeggio technique and one piece. Theory happened through both of these. Didn't even come close to discussing skills.

At my jazz lesson right after that, we went over skills (accompanying patterns and chords), which included theory, and also went through a couple of standards. Didn't talk about technique.

It all depends on what the goals and focuses are. For a beginner/early-on student, scale+repertoire+theory is usually a typical assignment and progression.

Yes, I am amazed at what is covered in a lesson. It seems the backbone is reviewing work and discussing it. I think that is why effort outside of class by the student matters so much, if they don't practice, they seem (from just observing) to be on a hamster wheel with progress. It appears to me you can't "cram" or "fake" a lesson. And how disappointing for a teacher to prepare a lesson only to have a student show up who did almost nothing during the week and have to quickly reconfigure expectations.

Wow, out of the graveyard of forgotten favorites, a two and a half year old thread! Out of no where, even. But it is fun seeing some of the old names of posters who we haven't seen for long, long, time. I wonder if some of them are still lurking????