All About Choosing and Buying Pianos

[windows]

markfch:

windows:

Just curious, what is considered slow in moving up the grades?
Find it a tiring process if the kid needs to take exam every yr, to attain one grade up on a yearly basis. Theory exam, practical exam n repeats of exam pieces for couple of mths. Does normal piano classes teach music composition?

My ds would have been taking piano lessons for 4 yrs by the time he passes ABRSM Grade 1 practical & theory. I think most people would consider this a long time. In truth, I don't mind at all as I know that up to K2, it was really more of music exposure and appreciation.

Only at the start of P1 did T focus on the exam syllabus. Maybe that's the reason ds likes his music - frequently playing more than he needs to - as there is no external pressure to pass exams.

isn't that great? interest in playing is much better than playing for the sake of exam. and thgt P1 at G1 is what an average student would go thru...the teacher and parents must hv been good in balancing both...

[sacredmusicals]

I can’t agree more. I took a total of 9 years from beginning to my grade 8. Although to be honest i did get sick of playing exam pieces for months, but at least my teachers allowed me to learn some extra pieces i liked. I enjoyed learning piano and i never felt overly pressured. I think what dreamaurora said is very true, the most important is piano lessons should be comfortable for the student.

[windows]

9 yrs for gr 1-8 is considered slow? Teacher told us if the kid start at k2, he cld complete gr 8 earliest in sec 2. Long journey. And if not exam oriented, it wld take longer.


Does student hv to request teacher to teach songs that they like? Or is it typical for teachers to follow a book n play whatever songs r in the bk?

[sacredmusicals]

windows:

9 yrs for gr 1-8 is considered slow? Teacher told us if the kid start at k2, he cld complete gr 8 earliest in sec 2. Long journey. And if not exam oriented, it wld take longer.


Does student hv to request teacher to teach songs that they like? Or is it typical for teachers to follow a book n play whatever songs r in the bk?

I don't think 9 years is slow at all. I think too often we hear achievements such as '6 year olds grade 5 distinctions' and we wish our kids can be like that (I don't have kids yet, but I'm expecting). Then if our kids can't achieve that we think they are lousy and slow. As for me, when I learnt piano, my parents never pushed me in music. They are very supportive in fact and would told my teacher not to get me stressed. My exam results were not that spectacular either but they never once scolded me, instead they always congratulated me and gave me a big treat whenever I passed my exam.

Speaking of extra pieces, last time i would just sightread those compilations score and then ask my teacher if she would teach me the pieces. Most of the time she obliged unless the piece was too tough for me.

[metz]

windows:

9 yrs for gr 1-8 is considered slow? Teacher told us if the kid start at k2, he cld complete gr 8 earliest in sec 2. Long journey. And if not exam oriented, it wld take longer.

Wouldn't the time taken be dependent on the interest, effort and diligence level? My kids' Sg piano teacher would seldom give a timeline on when a student should take an exam, at least not to my friend and me. Her answer to us (in the beginning) was that it all depended on the kid's progress.

My P3 niece, who completed the 4-years Yamaha course and began private piano lessons in P1, took her first abrsm graded (Grade 2) exam just this September and received a high pass. We all felt very elated for her. Is she considered slow? Maybe. But her true passion lies in Ballet which she does very well.

windows:

Does student hv to request teacher to teach songs that they like? Or is it typical for teachers to follow a book n play whatever songs r in the bk?

So far, my kids only followed through their very first beginner books. Thereafter, the teacher would choose and pick pieces from various books for them to work on. But she is also receptive to parents' or students' requests. She had some students who preferred learning Disney Songs to Classical music.

Same approach by our current piano teacher.

sacredmusicals:

I think too often we hear achievements such as '6 year olds grade 5 distinctions' and we wish our kids can be like that.

Could parents with such hopes more likely to be musicians or play music instruments themselves? Hence, the expectations? So far, most parents (without music background) that I come across would leave it to the music teachers to make the call. Perhaps, it's because we know next to nothing about music, thus, explains the more passive attitude towards such expectations and achievements.

In fact, I started my son on musical instruments only with the hope of improving his motor and coordination skills.

sacredmusicals:

I don't have kids yet, but I'm expecting.

:congrats:

[windows]

Guess there are different school of thoughts. We believe in letting the child learning at his own pace, but there was a piano teacher whom we met at a piano distributor said that sometimes parents shd set targets for the kids if they r serious in piano, n to push the kid where nec…

[Dreamaurora]

chamonix:

windows:

9 yrs for gr 1-8 is considered slow? Teacher told us if the kid start at k2, he cld complete gr 8 earliest in sec 2. Long journey. And if not exam oriented, it wld take longer.

Wouldn't the time taken be dependent on the interest, effort and diligence level? My kids' Sg piano teacher would seldom give a timeline on when a student should take an exam, at least not to my friend and me. Her answer to us (in the beginning) was that it all depended on the kid's progress.

My P3 niece, who completed the 4-years Yamaha course and began private piano lessons in P1, took her first abrsm graded (Grade 2) exam just this September and received a high pass. We all felt very elated for her. Is she considered slow? Maybe. But her true passion lies in Ballet which she does very well.

windows:

Does student hv to request teacher to teach songs that they like? Or is it typical for teachers to follow a book n play whatever songs r in the bk?

So far, my kids only followed through their very first beginner books. Thereafter, the teacher would choose and pick pieces from various books for them to work on. But she is also receptive to parents' or students' requests. She had some students who preferred learning Disney Songs to Classical music.

Same approach by our current piano teacher.

sacredmusicals:

I think too often we hear achievements such as '6 year olds grade 5 distinctions' and we wish our kids can be like that.

Could parents with such hopes more likely to be musicians or play music instruments themselves? Hence, the expectations? So far, most parents (without music background) that I come across would leave it to the music teachers to make the call. Perhaps, it's because we know next to nothing about music, thus, explains the more passive attitude towards such expectations and achievements.

In fact, I started my son on musical instruments only with the hope of improving his motor and coordination skills.

sacredmusicals:

I don't have kids yet, but I'm expecting.

:congrats:

Chamonix, you will be very surprised that most professional musicians I know with children prefer to let their children take their time in learning music. For example, Albert Tiu's son.

I think it is very important to respect the teacher regarding his/her decision on the child taking exam. Let me share with what will happen if this is not observed from my personal experience.

When I worked in music schools right after my graduation, some parents and also the music schools' admin will ask me to prepare students for exams regardless whether I agree to it or not. The reason given is always that either the students had been stuck in one grade too long or they want to avoid their own school exams. This in the end caused much stress on me and the students. Worse, parents would blame me for poor planning, but I already told them in the first place I did not agree to their children taking exams. In the end some of these students barely made it through the exams, and sad to say a few of them actually failed. :sad:

Another thing that parents and students need to realise also is that just because you did well in the lower grades does not mean you will automatically do well for higher grades. For ABRSM, as the grade progresses, the requirements actually get more exponentially difficult. A lot of parents dont realise this and they were very proud when their kids got distinctions for grade 1 or 2. And then got a rude shock when the kids just barely manage a pass from grade 3 or 4 onwards. Increase in grade have to be accompanied by increased commitment and practice time.

[Dreamaurora]

windows:

Guess there are different school of thoughts. We believe in letting the child learning at his own pace, but there was a piano teacher whom we met at a piano distributor said that sometimes parents shd set targets for the kids if they r serious in piano, n to push the kid where nec...

I do not agree with this piano teacher. It is not the parents who should push the kids, but the teachers, since the teachers will be the most ideal person to know the capability and limits of the kids. What parents should do is to create the ideal environment where the kids can flourish. For example getting the best piano money can buy, bringing the kids regularly to concert, play music at home, assist them in practice.

[dasalo]

markfch:

[I bought the Sauter M1 cos I was sold on the 'Val di Fiemme' spruce soundboard which is the same material used to make Stradivaris violins.


Unfortunately, the dealer that I bought from only sells customised pianos so I had to wait for 7 mths from the time I paid the deposit till the time it arrived from Germany. If I had space, I would most likely have gone for the Shigeru SK3 instead, which will surely inspire my ds to play the piano even more fervently (since nothing motivates like a grand).

But the M1 is still very good, even to my unlearned ears. The touch is heavy but sharp, and the sound is either sharp (like Yamaha) nor mellow (like Kawai). It's just very unique to my ears. My piano dealer is also a qualified piano teacher and piano maker (he trained in Germany for many yrs as an apprentice). When he plays my piano during tuning sessions, the piano really sounds wonderful as he got the skills to bring out the sound.

:

After reading all the German piano names and comments, I am very tempted to have my Kawai KE25 changed. Will that make my dd2 go back on the piano? This is my first hearing the brand name Sauter. Where can I see the piano?
Does piano tuner generally able to \"bring out the sound\" of all brands of piano?

[Dreamaurora]

dasalo:

After reading all the German piano names and comments, I am very tempted to have my Kawai KE25 changed. Will that make my dd2 go back on the piano? This is my first hearing the brand name Sauter. Where can I see the piano?
Does piano tuner generally able to \"bring out the sound\" of all brands of piano?

If you have Kawai ke25 and you like the Kawai sound, you can consider buying a Kawai RX grand, or SK grand if got more money. If money is no concern, of course a European piano like Steinway, bosen, fazioli, or sauter would be the best. A good piano will provide a good motivation booster for children, but obviously its just one of the factors.

Actually, most tuners only have limited playing capability, like grade 3-5. But if tuner is a serious pianist, obviously he would be able to make the piano sound better lar.