All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[rawafish]

Hi! I have been having trouble finding a suitable piano teacher for my children and hopefully someone in this forum can help.


I’m looking for a teacher who -

- doesn’t require exams for every grade
- goes with the potential of the kid rather than insist on 1 grade per year
- cares a lot about the techniques and posture
- is inspiring and encouraging
- conducts annual recitals

And also conducts lessons in the borth (TPY, bishan area)

Please let me know if you know a teacher like that. Many thanks in advance.

[Porky Pig]

My DD is 4 years old and she is keen to learn piano. Recently i started her with MIM at White Sands and attended 2 lessons so far. Each lesson is 1 hour. I find that she is not able to sit through the 1 hour lesson esp during the theory part where it is boring. My hubby said she is too young to start. Should i continue or wait till she is 5 years old or look for a 1 to 1 teacher?

[jce]

Could be due to teachers not being able to communicate the theoretical part in an interesting manner. Try looking for another place? 4 is generally a good age to start in a group. 1 to 1 the choice of teacher will be a major factor

[waiyean]

Porky Pig:

My DD is 4 years old and she is keen to learn piano. Recently i started her with MIM at White Sands and attended 2 lessons so far. Each lesson is 1 hour. I find that she is not able to sit through the 1 hour lesson esp during the theory part where it is boring. My hubby said she is too young to start. Should i continue or wait till she is 5 years old or look for a 1 to 1 teacher?

Hi Porky Pig,
4 years is not too young to start the MIM class. My daughter did the MIM program at White Sands too, at a much younger age. Don't be overly concerned whether your DD can sit through the entire 1 hour lesson. Kids will be kids. Just enjoy the class... whatever DD learns is something learnt. Attend more classes, and things will fall into a routine and your DD may better appreciate the class.

[Imami]

Hello folks!


I have a question here. How long does it normally take before the teacher decides to extend the lesson from 30min to 45min or 1hr?

What determines the length of the lesson? Is it the grade? Or is it poorer performing students would need longer sessions?

Will greatly appreciate some replies. Thanks

[waiyean]

Imami:

Hello folks!


I have a question here. How long does it normally take before the teacher decides to extend the lesson from 30min to 45min or 1hr?

What determines the length of the lesson? Is it the grade? Or is it poorer performing students would need longer sessions?

Will greatly appreciate some replies. Thanks

Hi Imami,
I would think that the only reasons for having 30 min lesson is that the child cannot focus for 45 min, or not taking exams. Otherwise, really should start off with 45 mins. It has to go up to 1 hour of practical lesson by the time child reaches grade 4/5.

[sub_evo76]

Hi all,


Can I know what is the current market rate for Grade 2 and Grade piano lessons?

Thanks!

[metz]

Imami:

Hello folks!


I have a question here. How long does it normally take before the teacher decides to extend the lesson from 30min to 45min or 1hr?

What determines the length of the lesson? Is it the grade? Or is it poorer performing students would need longer sessions?

Will greatly appreciate some replies. Thanks

Don't think there are any hard and fast rules. Generally, a young beginner would start off with 30 minutes with one-on-one lessons. For those kids that I know, most start with 30 minutes and gradually to 45 minutes until grade 5.

Duration of a lesson will most probably depend on the student's level of concentration. The teacher would advise accordingly if there is need for longer duration.

In my case, both my kids began their 1-hour long lessons before P1 upon my request. I find 30 minutes too short for them. With 1 hour, the teachers could introduce more songs as well as go into greater details on each piece.

[jce]

Rates depend on various factors - duration, experience, qualification and reputation of the teacher and also whether your teacher is traveling to your place. Generally grade 2 rates can range from $160 onwards for 45 mins lesson.


As to duration, depends largely on the child’s age and at times the grade. The teacher also plays a role - how much does the teacher want to cover, is it including theory? Including musicianship every lesson? The more it covers then by right a longer duration

[Imami]

Thanks weiyean, Metz and jce!


An update. My little one is happy with his lessons, much more than my expectation. The teacher seems happy with him too except that she has to keep reminding him to keep his left hand on his lap.

When shown pictures of other instruments, she was pleasantly surprised that my son could name them. When asked to name the jnstrument after listening to a recording, he could name the instruments correctly.

what’s the significance of the above? I am curious. I vaguely remember reading from posts that listening skill is also impt for learning a musical instrument.

After 3 lessons, the teacher is asking us to do 45min lessons. That was what prompted me to think about the factors that could lengthen the duration of the lesson.

At the end of the 3rd lesson, teacher’s comment was,"watch the wrist and curl those fingers."