All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[Dreamaurora]

nz:

Thanks all for reply/pm. Appreciated.

I think you have to be cautious when comparing your child's progress to other children because there are so many variables involved, such as:
- The age of the child
- The amount of practice the child put in
- The teacher's teaching proficiency
- The child's natural coordination and musical ability
- The child's motivation level and natural competitiveness
- Parental assistance
- Desired level of proficiency; high distinction or just a good pass?

As a teacher, I cannot use my own experience as a benchmark on how my students should progress. I have shared myself previously that I managed to get grade 5 ABRSM Merit after one year of mostly self study from scratch as a 17 year old. Some of my young and older students likewise also had some equally impressive feats when it comes to ABRSM exams. But I cannot use these exception cases as the typical benchmarks. They definitely represent what is possible, but to impose the same expectations on my students would have disastrous effects and perhaps detrimental to their learning.

Rather, I must take into considerations all the factors I listed above. If the factors above present themselves in abundance, then I am willing to push the student hard to achieve greater things. But if some of the factors are less than ideal, then it is better to default to something more reasonable.

Anyway, 2 years from grade 2 to grade 4 are reasonable. Half a year for one grade is really the exception to the norm. Also, as Waiyean has mentioned, the other components have to equally rise in grades too. Too often students are entered prematurely into a grade just because they are already playing pieces of that grade.

[FantasyLandDreams]

Dreamaurora:

nz:

Thanks all for reply/pm. Appreciated.

I think you have to be cautious when comparing your child's progress to other children because there are so many variables involved, such as:
- The age of the child
- The amount of practice the child put in
- The teacher's teaching proficiency
- The child's natural coordination and musical ability
- The child's motivation level and natural competitiveness
- Parental assistance
- Desired level of proficiency; high distinction or just a good pass?

As a teacher, I cannot use my own experience as a benchmark on how my students should progress. I have shared myself previously that I managed to get grade 5 ABRSM Merit after one year of mostly self study from scratch as a 17 year old. Some of my young and older students likewise also had some equally impressive feats when it comes to ABRSM exams. But I cannot use these exception cases as the typical benchmarks. They definitely represent what is possible, but to impose the same expectations on my students would have disastrous effects and perhaps detrimental to their learning.

Rather, I must take into considerations all the factors I listed above. If the factors above present themselves in abundance, then I am willing to push the student hard to achieve greater things. But if some of the factors are less than ideal, then it is better to default to something more reasonable.

Anyway, 2 years from grade 2 to grade 4 are reasonable. Half a year for one grade is really the exception to the norm. Also, as Waiyean has mentioned, the other components have to equally rise in grades too. Too often students are entered prematurely into a grade just because they are already playing pieces of that grade.

Hi
May I know your grade 5 merit in one year is it for practical exam? Before that you have no background in music at all and had never learnt any other music instrument? Wow!

Also, I was just wondering based on my own learning experience, we can practice hard for scales and the three exam pieces, but how about sight reading and aural components, how should we practise effectively to improve? Can share some book recommendations for sight reading and aural please? Thanks.

[Dreamaurora]

FantasyLandDreams:

Dreamaurora:

[quote=\"nz\"]Thanks all for reply/pm. Appreciated.

I think you have to be cautious when comparing your child's progress to other children because there are so many variables involved, such as:
- The age of the child
- The amount of practice the child put in
- The teacher's teaching proficiency
- The child's natural coordination and musical ability
- The child's motivation level and natural competitiveness
- Parental assistance
- Desired level of proficiency; high distinction or just a good pass?

As a teacher, I cannot use my own experience as a benchmark on how my students should progress. I have shared myself previously that I managed to get grade 5 ABRSM Merit after one year of mostly self study from scratch as a 17 year old. Some of my young and older students likewise also had some equally impressive feats when it comes to ABRSM exams. But I cannot use these exception cases as the typical benchmarks. They definitely represent what is possible, but to impose the same expectations on my students would have disastrous effects and perhaps detrimental to their learning.

Rather, I must take into considerations all the factors I listed above. If the factors above present themselves in abundance, then I am willing to push the student hard to achieve greater things. But if some of the factors are less than ideal, then it is better to default to something more reasonable.

Anyway, 2 years from grade 2 to grade 4 are reasonable. Half a year for one grade is really the exception to the norm. Also, as Waiyean has mentioned, the other components have to equally rise in grades too. Too often students are entered prematurely into a grade just because they are already playing pieces of that grade.

Hi
May I know your grade 5 merit in one year is it for practical exam? Before that you have no background in music at all and had never learnt any other music instrument? Wow!

Also, I was just wondering based on my own learning experience, we can practice hard for scales and the three exam pieces, but how about sight reading and aural components, how should we practise effectively to improve? Can share some book recommendations for sight reading and aural please? Thanks.[/quote]Yes, its grade 5 ABRSM Practical. To clarify further, the grade 5 was acquired one year after my first actual piano lessons, though unfortunately due to financial reasons could not be regular. Prior to this, I did try to teach myself a bit piano for three months to try to play Fur Elise and some easy Final Fantasy pieces. So by the time I started lessons I was already comfortable with reading treble bass clef and basic rhythms.

My sight reading and aural were terrible. I failed both my sight reading and aural for my grade 8 ABRSM. I did try to self study by reading through the ABRSM Sight Reading specimens and Aural book, but not very succesful. Really, a good teacher who are thoroughly familiar with teaching methodologies to train all aspects of piano playing is absolutely indispensable if we want to be a serious player. Although I did pass my grade 8 largely by myself, I knew I did not deserve it because there were so many things that I was still not aware of that a good grade 8 holder should know.

For sight-reading, ABRSM's Joining the Dots series is excellent and now covers grade 1-8. But you still need a teacher to guide you through it. For aural, ABRSM's aural training books are pretty good.

[zeemimi]

Aural gets harder with each grade. Dd also failed her grade 8 aural. She knew she was hopeless at that section, so try to make up by scoring in her pieces and scales. Teacher told us there are just some pianists who can’t hear the base cleft notes no matter how hard they try. It’s just the way their brain is wired.

[Imami]

zeemimi:

Aural gets harder with each grade.

So should the students attend separate aural lessons for every grade? If the student is not doing grading exam, shd he/she still attend separate aural lessons for every grade? Just wondering- since aural is getting harder, will it ease the pain if we start earlier?

[metz2]

zeemimi:

Aural gets harder with each grade. Dd also failed her grade 8 aural. She knew she was hopeless at that section, so try to make up by scoring in her pieces and scales. Teacher told us there are just some pianists who can't hear the base cleft notes no matter how hard they try. It's just the way their brain is wired.

My kids have very different experiences.

We (including the piano teacher) were prepared for the elder one to perform, at best, borderline for grade 8 aural. He is really bad at aural and had less than a year to train for abrsm aural from ground zero. However, he surprised us with a score of 15/18.

My younger one, whom we thought would bag a perfect score for her grade 3 aural easily, shocked us by failing the section. She is the one with better hearing and loves to sing, was even selected for her school choir. It was her first exam and she said she was too nervous that she blanked out. :slapshead:

[zeemimi]

Imami:

zeemimi:

Aural gets harder with each grade.

So should the students attend separate aural lessons for every grade? If the student is not doing grading exam, shd he/she still attend separate aural lessons for every grade? Just wondering- since aural is getting harder, will it ease the pain if we start earlier?

I speak as a parent for this aspect. If you have the time and money to spare, no harm going for separate aural lessons. This was something I considered for dd, to let her learn singing under the professional just to clear gr 8 aural besides the training she got during piano lessons . But the idea was shelved cos she had no time, it was not cheap and it wasn't our priority. I reckon I just want her to get over with gr 8 being the last lap. She too want to clear it and concentrate on her major exams. Anyway she had no intention to pursue music further. So we left it as it is.

[Imami]

zeemimi:

Imami:

[quote=\"zeemimi\"]Aural gets harder with each grade.

So should the students attend separate aural lessons for every grade? If the student is not doing grading exam, shd he/she still attend separate aural lessons for every grade? Just wondering- since aural is getting harder, will it ease the pain if we start earlier?

I speak as a parent for this aspect. If you have the time and money to spare, no harm going for separate aural lessons. This was something I considered for dd, to let her learn singing under the professional just to clear gr 8 aural besides the training she got during piano lessons . But the idea was shelved cos she had no time, it was not cheap and it wasn't our priority. I reckon I just want her to get over with gr 8 being the last lap. She too want to clear it and concentrate on her major exams. Anyway she had no intention to pursue music further. So we left it as it is.[/quote]Thanks for your comment. Will speak to the teacher and then find out more about separate aural lessons.

[Kee Kor]

Are there teachers who just take students for aural lessons? Or do we request to do extra lessons with existing teacher?


DS is 10 and just did his Grade 3 ABRSM exams after 1yr 4 months of lessons. Is it possible to push for Grade 5 in a year from now? I feel that his aural is weak and will pull down his score but teacher seems to think that it is ok except for the singing bit. When does one start to work on aural prior to exams? 1-2 months before exams enough??

[Dreamaurora]

zeemimi:

I speak as a parent for this aspect. If you have the time and money to spare, no harm going for separate aural lessons. This was something I considered for dd, to let her learn singing under the professional just to clear gr 8 aural besides the training she got during piano lessons . But the idea was shelved cos she had no time, it was not cheap and it wasn't our priority. I reckon I just want her to get over with gr 8 being the last lap. She too want to clear it and concentrate on her major exams. Anyway she had no intention to pursue music further. So we left it as it is.

In the ideal world, any teacher offering ABRSM graded exams should be thoroughly proficient in preparing all aspects of the exams. But the reality is it's very hard to find a teacher who is an all-rounder. Even among the more established teachers, many of them are very skilled in teaching technique and pieces, but aural and sight-reading aspects are often not their fortes. I admit even for me only recently I am getting a better grasp at teaching aural more consistently. Thus the students need to fill in these gaps themselves or find someone else who can.

Aural does favor students who already have perfect pitch, especially those in choirs. My students who do very good in aural are practically almost all have perfect pitch. For those without perfect pitch like myself, good aural skill can still be achieved systematically. So for these students, if they are taking exams, I will start their aural training earlier and more regularly. Outside exams, the teacher can continually incorporate activities that can double as aural training. For example, the teacher can ask the student to sing the melodic line of the piece the student is playing while the teacher plays. Clapping, identifying differences, and viva can be regularly incorporated in lessons seamlessly as well.