Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum How many years with your current teacher?

It took me decades to find the perfect piano teacher and I'm so happy with the one I have now. I used to go through teachers like hot cakes,but I have been with this young man for seven months now and I hope I get to spend the next few years studying with him.

It seems as if almost everyone here studies with a teacher,many of you are taking exams which I plan to do down the road,so I would be interested in hearing how long you have studied with your own teachers?

alans,

I am forever grateful to have found a teacher that is perfect for me as well. I've been with her for about a year and a half now and I'm hoping for many more years to come. I've seen lots of people the forum struggle to find the right teacher.

Will be 5 years September this year. I'm kind of surprised myself that it has been that long. It feels like we just started... But I do have long summer and winter breaks because my teacher only teaches during the school year, like almost all teachers here. So I just realized that I've actually only had lessons for about 42 months. Can use that as an excuse

I had a lot of teachers as a kid due to frequent relocations and then had a break with a few attempts to find a teacher in my late 20s and early 30s. After that, I self "studied" for a long period.

A little over four, I think. I finally found the right teach. It only took a lifetime. I send him thank you texts every couple months. He changed the piano from being an adversary into a kind of partner, sometimes quarrelsome.

Three and a half years with the current teacher. I was with my first one for two and a half. Both of mine work with the school calendar, so I have 3 months off in the summer, which is a bummer.

My first teacher would have been perfect if I had stayed with her for a year, but she never aeemwf to have expectations of me, and everything was "fine".
My current teachervis demanding and I am working much better since I started with him!

As an adult returner, I have had four teachers. My first one was in the states before I moved to Switzerland. He was a gem, and took me from being a scared little mouse whose foot shook trying to hold the pedal down, to a (somewhate) confident player. The first teacher I had in Switzerland was from Russia and spoke only Russian and German. My German was so poor at the time, that we were both frustrated all the time, and I made little progress. Then, in May 2012, I found my current teacher, who is from Brazil and speaks English, Portuguese, and German. We have had our ups and downs over the four years, but I have learned a ton from her. Last year I also took lessons from a British concert pianist on staff at the university, specifically to prepare for ABRSM exams. I really enjoyed lessons with him, but maintaining two teachers and effectively handling the workload was too much. So, now I am back exclusively with my primary teacher. Her focus is music physiology, and she has really helped me overcome some issues and avoid injury. I expect to be taking lessons from her for a long, long time.

The teacher I had before my current one was working on her doctorate and she would literally scream at me at every lesson. It was unbelievable. I am old enough to be her father but the scary thing is that most of her other students were kids and she was so incredibly wound up and such a diva. At my last lesson she really blasted me for playing too loud. I so badly wanted to turn to her and say quitly,is there a problem,because why are you yelling at me? I dropped her really fast. Fortunately she didn't diminish my love for the instrument, I just thought she was nuts and of the wrong temperment to teach.

Alans

We are so fortunate if we have a great teacher. I was with my first teacher for a little over a year. Found my present teacher last fall but delayed moving. Started with him 2 months ago and hope to continue for many years.

Just over six years with my first and only teacher. She moved about 120 miles away last October, but we're still managing a combination of "home" and "away" live lessons whenever possible, and weekly Skype lessons when it is not.

I guess I am on my 4th year with my current teacher. I am incredibly lucky to have her. She really understands the adult student very well. I hope to be with her for the foreseeable future. We're the same age. And she is still accepting young promising students. So, hopefully, she is planning to continue teaching for a long time. I've had more talented pianists as a teacher. But, the fit wasn't as good as it is now. We've had our ups and downs. But my teacher is a really good "people" person too besides being a very good teacher. I feel I can go to her with any issues related to my being her student. As I said, I'm lucky to have her as my teacher.

I'm three years now with my teacher, and she's my first ever piano teacher. I fell on my feet with her, and absolutely everything clicked. I'm a very late starter, so she's somewhere just over half my age. Discussing her with fellow adult students of hers, we had remarkably similar views of her, in particular her skill for layering musicality on top of the techniques of playing. I've now spent more on her than my first piano, and the investment has been the right way round.

I used to think there were really only two good people you needed to have in life (apart from your significant other, of course) : your dentist, and your bank manager. Now I have to add a third.

I don't have a dentist, a bank manager or a piano teacher, and I turned out just fine.

Of course, the coyotes seem fond of howling whenever I play the piano, I can't bite down on one of my teeth, and we're somewhat broke.

But other than that, really just fine. :o))))

I got a teacher when I hit a brick wall with trying to get where I wanted to get playing piano on my own.

I've been with my current teacher for a year, and here's hoping for many more years.

5 1/2 years. I was very lucky to find her - she's the best teacher close by. We've had our ups and downs - but mostly ups.

Don't know what will happen next year, since I am exploring the possibility of going back to school in my dotage and will have a different teacher if that happens.

Sam

Only 6 months, and I've really advanced quickly with her. We get along very well, but I wish she would demonstrate things more. She wants me to explore and find what works best and doesn't want to "show me" on the piano. Is it a new method of teaching? She's probably 25-30 years old and is very hands off, but always helpful if I ask her a question. Whatever it is, it seems to be working.

My very first piano teacher was my friend and I studied with her on and off for about four years before she moved out of the states. The second teacher I studied with her for two and half year before she moved out of states. Currently I have two teacher at the same time. One of them, I have been with her for seven months and the other one I am with her for just a month. I noticed all my teachers have been female. Next time, I am going to try for a male teacher.

5-1/2 amazing years and I still feel like I have barely touched the surface of what he knows. He's a professional concert pianist and devoted family man, highly educated, modest and just plain nice. I have so much respect for his knowledge, talent and life choices. The long rush hour drive into and back out of Seattle is well worth it. When he plays for me, my knees turn to jelly. I am so blessed!

It was 5 years in February. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He has been my only teacher since returning 5 years ago and I feel very lucky to have found a teacher who is the right fit for me on the first try.
Judy