Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum How slowly should one progress?

I started taking piano lessons a few weeks ago, and so far it doesn't feel like I am learning all that much. My lessons are only thirty minutes a week, so there isn't a whole lot my teacher can cover in such a short amount of time, but so far my "homework" hasn't been much at all. For example, this week I was given three pages to complete out of the Note Speller Book One, which I completed in about ten minutes. I tried going over the same material on my keyboard even though I hadn't been instructed to, but even that has not provided much practice.

My teacher is great and she knows a lot, has been playing her whole life, but I don't feel like I'm actually learning all that much on a weekly basis. I'm the type of person that likes to practice things everyday; before I started taking lessons I got through half of Alfred's Adult Piano Course in a bit over a week, just practicing a bit over an hour a day, and I could play all the songs up to that point relatively well. I don't mind starting over from the bottom and working up, but it feels like I'm not actually doing much of anything so far.

Was just curious to hear from others. I don't know if such slow progress is common when learning an instrument. I've always taught myself to do everything; piano is the first thing I've ever sought a teacher for.

If you sought a teacher, you must have felt something was missing from your method.

Must beginners feel they are not moving fast enough.

Then, later ... they find out they were moving TOO FAST and need to go back and do it right.

Turning pages is not a reliable sign of progress.

Your teacher will evaluate your progress by how well (as in playing on time, musically) you play ... not by how many pages you turned.

Do the things your teacher suggests and do them as well as you can ... not as fast as you can.

Good Luck

Wait! You don't have any piece assigned? You should always have something to practice even if it feels very easy.

In what way, then, is she "great"?

The questions of progress and how much one is taught are both a tricky one. Going quickly through a book of pieces or method book in itself may not be progress. If there is substance, where you are being taught knowledge and skills you didn't have before, so that what you do and how you approach it changes over time, (plus how you do it, and how well), that is progress. The note speller might be a good tool if she is using it to give you some ability you need and didn't have before. But if she is just going through books that she always goes through like a routine, it might not be.

How long have you been with her, and what kinds of things do you think you have learned, or do differently than before?

The INQUISITION has begun.

Heaven help the teacher !!!!

My third lesson will be in a few days. The first lesson was her getting to know where I was at, and the second lesson was her teaching me about lines and spaces, which is why I was given some pages out of the note speller to learn for homework, which would have been done on the first week but the music store didn't have the book in stock.

I have been at it for the last 6 weeks. 2 lessons per week with Skype teachers. Digital piano. Here is where I am at.

All major scales one octave - mm around 100 to 110 2 beats per click
C G D 4 octaves mm 100 - pretty tough so far - I am better at 90mm.
First part of minuet in G by bach
Chromatic scale 2 octaves parrallel and contrary motion
Triads major minor diminished augmented C major
Faber adult about 1/4 of way in

Practice 1.5 - 3.0 hrs per day after a 10 hr workday. Last 45 minutes is very slow going since concentration is not great but focus is on muscle memory for triads and scales so it kinda works. Based on what you said you are moving very slow and you should tell your teacher to move quicker. I think my pace is actually too quick but I need to be challenged.

Learning the piano take years/decades. In the beginning, it is probably better not to over-think about progress. Just learn whatever you are assigned. If your teacher sees that your progress quickly, she/he will up the challenge in time. If she/he doesn't, there is probably a very good reason.

Some adult students have little time to practise. Your teacher wouldn't know that unless you've told her/him. Some students don't like so much pressure to practise as this may discourage them. Give your teacher time to find out about you as a student. Like you said, you've only started a few weeks ago. So she/he has only taught you like 3 times? Be patient.

There are other things you can learn on your own outside of what is assigned to you in class. Get some basic music theory books. Read biographies of composers, listen and explore the infinite number of classical music pieces out there, listen to different pianists etc. There's so much to learn!

Good luck!

During or prior to lesson 1, did you and instructor discuss and establish a few essential points ... perhaps 1) you expressing why you want lessons - goals, expectations - and your general level of desire / commitment at this stage and 2), the approach/manner/method [s] instructor intended to apply in helping you begin the journey towards your goals? If no, perhaps you should bring this up during lesson 3, , if yes, perhaps you shoud revisit and adjust accordingly.

I tend to agree with Don and Tubbie as far as allowing enough time at the outset. So far you have one hour spaced over two weeks ..... does not seem like much to hang a hat on, yet. Given your rapid progress through Alfred's, two 30 minute sessions may not have been enough for instructor to adequately assess and decide how much of that they can keep ..... work with OR perhaps undo or correct as needed. I had about 8 months of self-teaching using PianoSuite prior to beginning once a week 30 minute lessons and it took the first two or three lessons for my instructor to determine that my already-established posture, hand positions and key pressing technique was acceptable .... and yes, by week three lesson I was coasting while being introduced to the G, F and Grand staves, lines, spaces, basic theory of notes,notation, time signature and very simple one-finger-at-a-time practice pieces..... by the time I got to week 23 the course material had caught up to my head start and I was no longer coasting. By week 43 I was putting in a solid hour a day every day and barely keeping up with progress. Somewhere between week 63 and 83 I was having trouble keeping pace and was up to 2 hours per day practice every day .....my hunch is, if you think or feel instructor needs to kick up the pace and communicate this to them accordingly, they will be happy to comply.

Best wishes.

Thanks for the helpful replies! Yeah, I'm not trying to be impatient or anything. I'm totally fine with going at a slower pace if it helps learning, and I realize I'm only a few weeks in so obviously I will not have been told much, but I'm so conditioned to my own self-teaching habits that I find it awkward not to practice 1+ hour of something everyday. An example: when I was heavy into physical fitness, I lifted weights four times a week on top of jogging 3-4 miles everyday, and I did this for several years without missing a beat. I'm the very diligent type that likes to have schedules and daily practice, so not having anything like that yet is throwing me off.

I had discussed my long-term goals with my teacher on my first visit and she's mentioned certain practices she'd like to teach me to work towards that end, but obviously because I'm still so new we haven't gotten anywhere near that point. Right now she seems to be wanting me to focus on the very basic level stuff, which is fine, but I learned most of it from the book already. I was gonna bring up all this stuff with her when I go in in a few days and see what she says!

two or three lessons with a new teacher is nothing and far too early for student and teacher to assess each other. Once past some of the very basics you will be into sight reading practice, possibly scales and broken chords, timing, ear training, technical exercises as well as actual pieces. The list goes on and before you know it there isn't enough hours in the day, certainly a half hour lesson will quickly become insufficient.




I like to be challenged, I think many of us do, but piano requires a bit of re-thinking as this is not a race and proficiency cannot be counted in hours. It is great both of you (mbpress01 and Clammy) are highly motivated but an important first lesson in piano is to learn a balance between the urge to rush forward and the slower, but more methodical and deeper, processing of new information and skill development so as to get the most out of it.

Ask if 45 minutes for a lesson is an option? With you wanting to practice as much as you do, it seems more lesson time will allow you to cover more material to digest during the week.

1 hour a day seems like a reasonable schedule for a keen beginner. Ask your teacher for 1 hour of things to do. Or just work on stuff on your own like you were before and just do whatever your teacher requires as set.

I agree, if you finished a week's worth of homework in 10 minutes! I'd ask for more to do. Ask your teacher for more homework, and talk with her about finding a good balance.

Yep, I agree with DMD. I'd say if you want to gain some additional musical skills that certainly can't hurt in the music making business, try using your ears some and play by ear during the week too after your sight reading practice.

Slow is good, and a good teacher will observe you over a course of a month and will allocate accordingly. Trust me, i understand...teacher does know best..I tried going much faster, and realized slower is much better. ..there is so much to learn, and practice, that I didn't realize how much goes in to playING a piece at concert level..until the past 4 months...especially if you are focused on classicals. I may guide my teacher to look at some contemporary piano musics, discuss our next pieces to work on..he allocates the homework. As others have mentioned there are music theory books, great magazines..I recommend one called the pianist, ipad and android app available. ..great reading material.

This followed my post, and I assume is a comment on it. If so, you have misunderstood the purpose and sense of what I wrote. So here goes: When I took lessons the first time, I had a vague idea that my lessons would be geared toward giving me whatever was needed for learning to play music on the instrument. Here are the things I didn't know: That teachers will encounter adult students who can't relate to the kind of things they would ask or are unwilling to do them, and that many will then adjust their teaching toward these other expectations and attitudes. You, as a student and novice to the area, won't know this is going on. If you do want the real deal, and you communicate with your teacher, he is usually delighted. But in order to even get there, you have to be aware of what is going on. the goal is communication, not criticism.

Back then in the first year I couldn't verbalize things. When I was in the third grade level after a few months I awkwardly asked to go back, and we simply zipped through the material in the same way as before, only faster. Much later, 2 years later, when I had the vocab and understanding, those lessons turned around in their nature, and it was a thing this teacher liked to do. Later I found that this was relatively common. I found other students who were perplexed and lost as I had been, because they were missing this part of the story. It's a matter of communication, not criticism.

Disclaimer: nobody but the OP and the teacher know for sure what has happened during lessons and what was observed by the teacher.

So having said that, I can see reasons for why the OP was not assigned anything to play. They said they taught themselves Alfred already and would play for an hour per day. Any muscle memory they have from their self-teaching and bad habits are well-engrained. If one continues to play, those habits are almost impossible to break. Taking a break from playing will allow that muscle memory to fade a bit and a new technique can be taught.

If this were my student and my approach, I would explain that to them so they'd understand why no rep. However, with a 30 minute lesson, there's really no time.

I am curious as to how the discussion went with the teacher at the next lesson.

Not at all.

My sarcastic remark was simply my attempt to voice my objection to this type of thread in general.

Student comes here questioning/complaining about one thing or another involving their piano lessons with a teacher.

Others join in with questions and/or their support to the question/complaint.

Everything is based on student's attempt to voice what is taking place in their lessons with little knowledge of what works or doesn't work.

The student and others demonstrate their "expertise" in an area they know nothing or little about ... which may or may not result in "Off with her head".

In my mind it is absolutely ridiculous.

So, I could not help myself for throwing out that comment.

Absolutely not aimed at any one poster or comment ... just the concept in general.

Now, on the other hand ... if that question were post in the TEACHER'S forum, that would be a different thing. Then, the likelihood of a fair and useful response would be much higher ... but not in this forum.

Just my take on it.

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