What is funny is that students think that they must play fast, practice fast - and how long takes students to learn that they have play and practice slowly without errors.

It is a pity that most students being given classical piano lessons are no longer taught in an integral fashion to improvise and in fact may be strongly discouraged from exercising any kind of creative license. Piano lessons too often risk turning musical children away from music rather than allowing them to blossom as spontaneous, creative musicians rather than Clementi and Czerny typing automatons.

Sometimes I still write the letter above the note as a guide. My teacher does not say anything. Isn't that cheating and isn't that not forcig me to recognise the note as a note and not a letter.

Sometimes I still write the letter above the note as a guide. My teacher does not say anything. Isn't that cheating and isn't that not forcig me to recognise the note as a note and not a letter.

It irritates me that primers still insist on both thumbs sharing middle C, at least for a time. Students find it hard! And it is of absolutely no benefit.

Most lesson books have, at some early point, both thumbs playing middle C in turn, while finger 5 of each hand is over treble G and bass F.

It forces the beginning student to confront two things, that could well wait: (1) having a finger/thumb hover near a note while at rest, then move into position to play and (2) reading middle C on the two clefs, which are illogically placed at different levels.

Every single one of my students has struggled with the thumbs fighting over the note. If you are an experienced player, you won't have difficulty. But beginners do. I don't mind them encountering challenges, I just want the challenges to be beneficial and not stupid.

In no music written by Beethoven, or Mozart, or Bach, or Hook, or Turk, or Chopin, will you ever sit with your thumbs straddling middle C.

Sorry to rant - why do they teach it?

I also agree that improv should be a normal or lessons, as I'm sure it was for Clementi and Czerny.

What is something that the average piano student is still being taught, or not being taught, that irks you?

It is a pity that most students being given classical piano lessons are no longer taught in an integral fashion to improvise and in fact may be strongly discouraged from exercising any kind of creative license. Piano lessons too often risk turning musical children away from music rather than allowing them to blossom as spontaneous, creative musicians rather than Clementi and Czerny typing automatons.

Being taught:

1) treble clef = right hand; bass clef = left hand

2) sharps and flats mean black keys

3) teach by the "copy me" method

4) Beyer and Czerny

5) slamming each finger down as hard as you can on every single note

Hey can you elaborate on this?

Some teachers still use Czerny as a method book!

A little bit of Czerny here and there is fine; he did write a couple of decent pieces. But to use entire volumes of Czerny and play dozens and dozens of his inferior etudes?? I don't know how these students survive their piano lessons.

I find it irksome when transfer students tell me the treble clef is for the RH and the bass clef is for the LH. Not so!

Just a general irk of method books. As a teacher I am responsible for technique, making sure they don't get an injury, instilling good rhythm, child protection, etc, etc. Can I be trusted to play a simple duet part without being told my fingering? No way. I need to be give the fingering by the editor.

Most lesson books have, at some early point, both thumbs playing middle C in turn, while finger 5 of each hand is over treble G and bass F.

Well, are you able to improvise a secondo part on the fly?