Piano players - a question about how you learned

[grinningghost]

My DD15 has been taking piano since age 7. She just started with a new teacher and he is MUCH more technical than her old teacher. I mean, MUCH MUCH more.

When you learned, did you learn in a fun or a very technical way? Which is better? I'm afraid he might scare her away from piano forever if she doesn't catch on to his methods quickly.

Advice? Comments?

 

[Danauk]

I learned in a technical way and aimed to pass my grade exams. Saying that I knew that I needed to do this as I wanted to study music at university so I knew this way was necessary. Saying that I now dislike playing the piano so perhaps learning in a fun way would have been better. I guess it depends if your DD wants to become a serious musician or not.

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by Danauk
I learned in a technical way and aimed to pass my grade exams. Saying that I knew that I needed to do this as I wanted to study music at university so I knew this way was necessary. Saying that I now dislike playing the piano so perhaps learning in a fun way would have been better. I guess it depends if your DD wants to become a serious musician or not.

She does have aspirations of perhaps teaching elementary music someday, so I guess she needs the technical aspect. I just hope that the piano stays fun for her along the way.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I began playing the piano at age 3. I was taught in the "fun" way. Don't get me wrong, it was still technical but was taught very slowly at my own pace. I can vaguely remember doing my scales but even then my piano teacher made it fun for me. I guess it worked because playing the piano is second nature to me.

 

[Nebsky]

I taught myself. I would hear music and figured out the notes by hearing them. I would then play. Drove my mom nuts too. She spent alot of time practicing. I would hear her trying to play a song. Id get fed up and show her how to play it.

She use to quiz me. Id be in the other room and she would hit a note. Tell me to come in there and play it. Never failed.

Never took lessons. I could play alot of songs by hearing it 1 or 2 times. Now its harder, but I can still do it.

Dont have a piano though...

 

[HollyJoy]

I hated to practice and I hated reading music. I had what they called an ear for music. I learned both ways really. My teacher would teach me to read the music, and I'd teach myself songs by ear!

 

[*Fantasia*]

I learned in a technical way. I had to learn. We had a concert. It was fun at the beginning, then on my second year, it wasn't that fun anymore, things gotten a bit harder for me. I guess I just wanted to know the basic of how to play piano and learning the notes. My siblings know how to play piano, so I guess I had to learn too.

 

[ducklite]

I was taught very technically. In addition to playing, I also had lessons in music theory. The good part was that I actually got high school credit for my lessons.

After I graduated I switched teachers to one that was more fun who wanted me to play what I wanted to play--jazz and new age as opposed to classical and standards. I'm glad I saw both sides of the coin, although I'm also very glad that I got the technnical lessons first.

Anne

 

[FranP]

D28, The Music Teacher, learned from an older, highly trained piano/organ teacher who demanded a strict practicing schedule. He had also taught Piano here in New Jersey to TV star Greg Evigan (Remember "My Two Dads"?) and to David Bryan, the keyboardist for Bon Jovi. Because he had two students who pretty much did popular music, he split up her practice/performance pieces into pop/classical/sacred - for example, the Love Story theme by Henry Mancini and Rachmaninoff concertos, Bach, Mozart, Chopin. She also learned to play the organ and has part time jobs in several churches to this day. Her degree is in Vocal Music and she is a choir director at a high school, but she still has to play piano to teach the kids the songs and accompany them during their practices. She usually has an accompanist for concerts. She did begin playing the organ in church when she was about 8 years old - Masses, funerals and weddings - so it's really not too early to get the kids playing. The study of music is also conducive to the study of the sciences, etc., she was very good at science and almost went to college to be a Chemical Engineer. I th ink the discipline with the music helps their organizational skills, too,

 

[grinningghost]

Fran, I'm so glad you chimed in. Always good to hear what the music teacher's mom has to say.