Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum 25 yo taking up piano. Need a good teacher

Hello everyone,

Finally I can post!

I am 25 years old and I have always loved the piano, but over the last year my passion for the piano has sky rocketed. I took piano lessons when I was young but only to the end of grade one. I loved piano but I was not interested in lessons or exams at that age.

Now I am extremely motivated to learn. Over the last month I have been practicing about 2-4 hours per day. However, I have not practiced any scales because I am afraid of forming bad habits or technique.

So, I am in need of a good teacher. I have been researching as much as I can but its hard to find recommendations for teachers. I am on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. I know it is unlikely I will get recommendations for my area but there's no harm in asking. So if there are any Aussies that know very good teachers on the Gold Coast, please let me know.

For everyone else, I would really appreciate any advice on anything I could do to find those exceptional teachers. I want to take my playing as far as I can. I am willing to work very hard and put in A LOT of time as I know it is not easy to achieve my desired level at my age.

Also, thanks to this forum I purchased a Roland RD700NX to practice on. An acoustic piano was not practical for where I am living. But I (nearly completely) love the RD (I think I will start a new thread some time to try fix that "nearly completely"). So thanks for those recommendations on the Roland

Thanks, Matt

I would not be too afraid of developing bad habits! If you are playing 2-4 hours a days and making headway you are doing fine! Also you can look on the internet for free lessons: I have found Jos Wright is about the best, many others talk too much and do not show their FINGERS !

+1. Thanks for the recommendation. I assume it's for Josh Wright

I also would suggest paying a visit to the music department of your local college and attending a class there if you can. I've heard several recommendations for teachers since I started doing that in January. I've also gotten the impression that most of the piano instructors at my college give private lessons.

good luck with your search. i was just in that position a few months ago. i tried out 6 different teachers before i committed to 1! having a good teacher that you can develop a rapport with definitely helps with progress and keeping motivated.

Yep I looked again on Utube and the "site" is joshwright.

Good luck!

If your going to get a teacher.... my advice would be to have some initial goals to work on short term, see how you get on for a few months and then assess your compatabilaty. I changed teacher after a few months. Felt bad about it at the time but it was the best thing i could have done. My new teacher nick took a few weeks to really gel with me... now he knows my passion, persistence and discipline, he is most enthusiastic and explaining things thouraghly.... but it did take a little while.... so give each teacher a few weeks/months imo.... one lesson is not enough time to assess each other.

Keep up the enthusiasmk, bare in mind it is a very long, rocky road but so worth it! :-)

you should make a thread on the Piano Teachers forum for advice in finding a teacher near you here: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/26/1/Piano%20Teachers%20Forum.html

and a thread about your problems with the RD-700NX in the Digital Pianos forum here: https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...al%20Pianos%20-%20Synths%20&%20.html



you'll probably get more direct advice with your two questions in those respective sub-forums

Thank you for your replies!

I went to a piano shop and spoke to a lady there (who was also a teacher) and she
had a list of names of over one hundred teachers in my smallish city! She gave me the names of four teachers that she highly recommended. So I checked each out as best I could on the Music Teachers Association website and have since contacted the one that seemed would be a good fit.

So I am over the moon that I finally have some direction

Unfortunately the teacher I contacted is so busy that she has no spots available and has a waiting list, but due to me being mature age and able to take lessons in the early afternoon, she says she can offer me a placement that would most likely start late May.

If the waiting list is any indication of her teaching ability I am definitely willing to wait to take lessons with her

I have asked, if she happens to have a cancellation in the mean time, if I could have an introductory lesson of sorts just to check my hand posture and technique etc so that I can at least practice scales every day without being worried of forming bad technique while I wait for lessons. Goof and Starr Keys you have eased my mind a little on that front but I'm still conscious of it.

I have been watching quite a lot on youtube and will definitely check out Josh Wright, thank you!

ElleC and UK Paul, thank you very much for the advice. I hadn't thought much about needing to change teachers. Reason being I didn't think I would be able to assess if a teacher is good or not, not having a lot of knowledge about proper technique myself. I am realising it would be important to have a good rapport with my teacher. Thank you

And thanks BobPickle I will post about the RD with your link.

Really appreciate your replies. Thanks

Just because a piano teacher has a waiting list is no proof she's be the right teacher for you. My advice would be to have trial lessons with another couple of teachers right now.

That may be true. Would you or anyone else kindly inform me how I could distinguish an okay teacher from an exceptional teacher without much experience myself?

I would be happy to trial some teachers as soon as possible. More than happy - I am dying to get into it! Not knowing how I would assess each teacher is what is stopping me.

Will I just know? From obvious cues like being easy to understand, clear direction, being passionate and connecting well with the teacher etc?

As I have said before I wouldn't know if I am being taught great technique because I obviously don't know good from great in that area that I am most concerned with

Thanks

One suggestion. Look for a retired music teacher from school.

Matt, you are asking interesting questions here, about which there will be disagreement. My answer, as a piano teacher who specializes in adult learners, is that yes, you will just know. But only if you try out a few teachers, and very few students ever do this.

It's delicate, because after a positive first meeting with a teacher, usually both of you are ready to say yes to commencing regular lessons. And usually a teacher has not charged for this first meeting, so now she is going to be less than delighted if you suddenly say, "Thanks, but I need to try three other teachers before I get back to you."

My advice is to spend some time on the phone with each potential teacher, and don't go ahead with a studio meeting if you don't have a good feeling. But insist on a paid lesson, instead of a free audition, because then it's easier to walk away and simply thank the person for her time, and tell her this is a big decision for you, and you need to visit other teachers as well. If she is gracious and appreciative of what you are doing, she should get bonus points in your grading scheme.

One question you might ask a potential mentor is whether she has any experience in teaching adult learners and if so, what has she learned from it.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

This is a very good question. I'd say trust your intuition (and possibly make notes of it after meeting different candidates to review later) during trial lessons with several teachers (I wish I did this as an adult beginner).

I'd recommend you look through this recent thread chock full of thoughts, advice, and great additional resources: https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...Student%20-%20How%20to%20Cho.html#UNREAD

Hello again,

Firstly, thanks to everyone - your advice was very helpful. Bob thank you for that link I learned a thing or two there

Peter, you convinced me that trying multiple teachers until I find the right one is the right thing to do. With every teacher I contacted I made it clear that the first lesson would be a paid lesson.

So here's where I'm at.. I have been calling people, reading on line, talking to the teacher in the piano shop etc and narrowed my search down to 4 teachers that I really wanted to take a lesson with. I have contacted three of them so far and only one replied! And that one was the lady I mentioned in my second post who was recommended to me in person.

You may remember she was fully booked and wasn't able to take me for a couple of months. However, she had a cancellation and I was able to take my first lesson with her a couple of weeks ago.

As far as having a good report with a teacher, she was very very nice and we got along fine. But many of the concerns I had were realised in this lesson.

I think I mentioned this above - playing piano is what I want to do with the rest of my life. That includes obtaining work with my playing if I achieve a level that allows that. I know that I am very old to be getting serious about piano but I made it very clear to the teacher that I would do whatever it takes to achieve my goal. If it takes 4,5,10 hours of practise every day for the next decade I will do it. But even after all of our email exchanges discussing these things this teacher didn't seem to understand my goal. This was made clear when she strongly suggested following the "piano for leisure" program and exams rather than the traditional "pianoforte" program and exams because "it is less work load". And was also made clear when she assigned me very little 'homework' to do in the next 6 weeks before I see her again (probably working out to 5 minutes per day!). I asked for and was provided a little extra.

Now her not understanding or possibly not believing how serious I am about piano is a little frustrating but probably isn't a deal breaker if she is going to be amazing when it comes to my playing and guiding my technique. And this was what worries me most about the teacher. I played some pieces for her to get an idea where I am at and then she showed me some finger exercises and scales that she would play and I would copy. We did this for a little while and she would just keep saying "good, good" etc but not once mention my technique or any areas I need to focus on. Eventually I had to ask her "is my hand in the correct position""am I hitting the keys correctly" etc and she would always reply "your doing fine".

I can teach myself to play piano from books and the Internet. I can find the finger exercises, scales and all the theory to learn in my own time. I wanted a teacher to guide my playing and my technique and make sure I don't form any bad habits (among all the other benifits of taking formal lessons).

The lesson went for 1 1/4 hours and it followed this way. If I wanted to know if I was doing anything wrong, I had to ask. I asked if my chair was the right distance to the piano and she said "it's fine" but soon after said "actually, it should really be further back" and we moved it to the correct position. So if she wasn't going to correct a small issue such as the chair, I wonder if she will really correct or guide me when it comes to much more technical aspects of playing.

So I would really appreciate your thoughts on my experience and the teacher. Should I continue lessons with her and give her more time or look for another teacher? Am I being too pedantic? Should a teacher correct my technique or is there no 'correct' technique and that's why she didn't pay attention to it?

In short, would the best teachers pay close attention to detail or is that not how piano is taught these days? When I was very young, my teacher was VERY strict. If a single finger was not in the correct position she would correct it and make me start over. Maybe teaching methods have changed?

I am sorry for such a long post that may sound like a rant. I promise it's not a rant I am just desperate to make sure I chose the teacher that will best help me achieve my goal.

Thank you so much for your time and your help,

Matt

Lol, welcome to my world.... dont be too hard on her...takes a few lessons to get going and i imagine most adult learners have high aspirations. Practicing ten hours a day wont make you a pianist. Patience ,dedication and corre t application will. If she is setting you a little work, then fill the rest of your time up with theory,sight reading and fake book practice.... plus your own pieces. Thats what i do anyway, and as much as i like my teacher... hes not perfect. I did change from my last one though due to being frustrated for your reasons pretty much... but i now have accepted that i do the leg work, every day... day in day out... out my teacher just guides me when i cant figure something out myself... youll need to be constantly self critical and regularly ask questions maybe... or raise your concerns.... give it a few weeks and then look for another teacher.


Adult learners fly in with so many expectations and enthusiasm, i certainly did...

Speaking with a couple more decades of experience than you--don't set yourself up like this.

Try piano. Enjoy piano. Work mindfully. If you end up viewing it as a duty, you may feel so resentful and/or so demoralized that you will despair and quit.

The trick to piano is not quitting.

Thanks for your feedback guys. Sorry though because I think I have mislead with the part Whizbang quoted. It might sound like I am looking at practising hours on end as a means to an end. That is not the case whatsoever I love playing, I love practicing and at the moment I even love learning all the theory I can get my hands on. I know many people can relate to this as the honeymoon period and will warn me that it can end suddenly. And I'm sure it will be rocky, especially the theory But I am in a unique position with how my life has taken me to the piano - It would take me a whole thread to explain the reasons why I won't quit and will never stop playing but rest assured I am playing because I love every second of it. Also if I never work as a pianist I will not be disappointed at all.

Reading back on my post it seams I am focusing solely on the goal and not the process. That's only the case because this thread is about me finding a teacher that will help me achieve that goal. But I assure you enjoying playing is more important to me than any goal I have set for myself.

But I do have an idea of what I would like to be playing in the future. And I am aware that starting (much more seriously) at 25yo is very different to starting at 6yo, so I want to give myself the best opportunity I can to get there. So my questions still stand and I appreciate all the help

My piano is my second girlfriend lol... that really does sum up the pleasure/pain ratio !

Where are you by the way... members here on the forum may live near you and have reccomendations...