All About Choosing Piano Schools And Teachers

[Dreamaurora]

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??

For this age, it is easier to push for a faster progress due to higher maturity, but don't underestimate the jump from grade 3-5. Even for students who have taken grade 4, they may still find grade 5 is a big step up. Technical deficiencies not addressed in lower grade will most likely manifest in this grade. But it is definitely possible and has been attempted by students before. I would suggest to start the pieces and scales as soon as possible though for a more comfortable timeline.

For grade 5, 2 out of 3 sections involve singing, unless your DS decides to play back on the piano instead for the melodic memory section. If he is weak in this, then better to start earlier.

[Kee Kor]

Dreamaurora:

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??

For this age, it is easier to push for a faster progress due to higher maturity, but don't underestimate the jump from grade 3-5. Even for students who have taken grade 4, they may still find grade 5 is a big step up. Technical deficiencies not addressed in lower grade will most likely manifest in this grade. But it is definitely possible and has been attempted by students before. I would suggest to start the pieces and scales as soon as possible though for a more comfortable timeline.

For grade 5, 2 out of 3 sections involve singing, unless your DS decides to play back on the piano instead for the melodic memory section. If he is weak in this, then better to start earlier.

Thanks for the advise. I will try to slow DS down. He is in a big hurry to catch up with his peers who have started earlier and overtake them. Rather competitive in nature.

[Dreamaurora]

Kee Kor:

Thanks for the advise. I will try to slow DS down. He is in a big hurry to catch up with his peers who have started earlier and overtake them. Rather competitive in nature.

I pushed myself very hard and rushed through the grades when I started learning piano for the same reason as your DS. I knew that I was very behind compared to others and I wanted to prove that adult learners can make it too in piano. It is a powerful motivation, but one that can easily go out of check and detrimental in the long run. It is always prudent to have a clear structured plan worked out closely with the teacher in order to achieve this. I think it is important to remember that the learning journey itself is more important; the exams are just goals along the way to guide the journey. I learnt the hard way myself how a combination of overconfidence and unrealistic expectation were actually causing me more harm in the end.

By the way, it is obviously better if the teacher herself could go through the aural lessons herself in lessons. If she is unable to fulfill this or feel that an external help is needed, then she should feedback to you. Then it is up to you whether it is worth the extra expense to get additional help just for aural or just sacrifice those marks and concentrate on the pieces, scales, and sight reading instead.

[Kee Kor]

Dreamaurora:

Kee Kor:

Thanks for the advise. I will try to slow DS down. He is in a big hurry to catch up with his peers who have started earlier and overtake them. Rather competitive in nature.

I pushed myself very hard and rushed through the grades when I started learning piano for the same reason as your DS. I knew that I was very behind compared to others and I wanted to prove that adult learners can make it too in piano. It is a powerful motivation, but one that can easily go out of check and detrimental in the long run. It is always prudent to have a clear structured plan worked out closely with the teacher in order to achieve this. I think it is important to remember that the learning journey itself is more important; the exams are just goals along the way to guide the journey. I learnt the hard way myself how a combination of overconfidence and unrealistic expectation were actually causing me more harm in the end.

By the way, it is obviously better if the teacher herself could go through the aural lessons herself in lessons. If she is unable to fulfill this or feel that an external help is needed, then she should feedback to you. Then it is up to you whether it is worth the extra expense to get additional help just for aural or just sacrifice those marks and concentrate on the pieces, scales, and sight reading instead.

Teacher's feedback was DS's singing which was horrible. Otherwise she said everything was ok. Not perfect but ok. She is however pleased with his pieces and scales so DS told me she is expecting a distinction.

[Kee Kor]

Can one still do ok in the upper grades if their aural skills are weaker or if they really can’t sing? As for singing teacher and myself can’t seem to get DS to do it. Sounds like killing chickens and ducks and really bad. Are there teachers to teach singing ?

[FantasyLandDreams]

May I know which music schools conduct aural class and sight reading classes? These are my weak components so want to find out more and seek reinforcements. Thanks.

[zeemimi]

Kee Kor:

Can one still do ok in the upper grades if their aural skills are weaker or if they really can't sing? As for singing teacher and myself can't seem to get DS to do it. Sounds like killing chickens and ducks and really bad. Are there teachers to teach singing ?

Yes. my dd obtained high distinction despite failing aural.

[sleepy]

zeemimi:

my dd obtained high distinction despite failing aural.

Can share how your dd practise sight reading for grade 8?

My dd is seriously bad in sight reading

[cse1217]

sleepy:

zeemimi:

my dd obtained high distinction despite failing aural.

Can share how your dd practise sight reading for grade 8?

My dd is seriously bad in sight reading

Does your dd hate sight reading? Is she willing to practice and make her sight reading better? Does her teacher give her any advice on how to practice for sight reading?

[Dreamaurora]

sleepy:

zeemimi:

my dd obtained high distinction despite failing aural.

Can share how your dd practise sight reading for grade 8?

My dd is seriously bad in sight reading

For my students, I insist a student must prepare one or two short pieces each week, drawn from either ABRSM's Joining the Dots series or actual pieces that are a few grades lower. The students must try their best to realise all the markings written in the scores and make musical decisions that accurately reflect the character of the music. My students who faithfully each week do this are strong in sight-reading and break no sweat in exams. Really have to be consistent with this, anyone who studies under me know that I always go through these short pieces at the start of my lessons even if they are not preparing for exams. I myself still maintain this discipline everyday.

Yes, simply sight-reading pieces are not enough to improve sight-reading, the students have to practice them so the mind and fingers remember how to execute the patterns if they encounter something similar in the future. Improving sight-reading is very similar to how we acquire new word vocabularies. A good English teacher will ask a student to practice writing sentences with the new vocabularies until the students understand how to use the new words in their proper contexts.

At advanced levels, particularly grade 8 and diploma, sight reading proficiencies will also be affected by the students' scales/arpeggios/chords and theory proficiencies. This is because at higher grades we need to able to perceive the general chords and keys, and accordingly be able to relate their fingerings to scales/arpeggios/chords already learnt.