What level piano teacher at the beginner stage?

Question:My 4 year old started piano lessons about 6 weeks ago and really loves playing. She and I will practice everyday for up to 45 minutes, and we have a blast! She has already learned all of the songs from the three method books (47 pages each) and is grasping the concepts quickly with my help.

In her lessons, I have noticed that her teacher doesn't seem to relate well to a 4 year old and speaks to my daughter as if she is much older when trying to teach her new concepts. Another thing that worries me is when the teacher plays the "teacher duet" part with my daughter's part, my daughter gets confused with the accompaniment and will just play straight quarter notes instead of what the real rhythm is. The teacher seems too busy playing her own part and doesn't even notice that my daughter is playing it incorrectly. The teacher will just say "that's good" and will move on without helping her.

Should I find a better teacher now, or just wait until my daughter is more advanced?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My 4 year old started piano lessons about 6 weeks ago and really loves playing. She and I will practice everyday for up to 45 minutes, and we have a blast! She has already learned all of the songs from the three method books (47 pages each) and is grasping the concepts quickly with my help.

In her lessons, I have noticed that her teacher doesn't seem to relate well to a 4 year old and speaks to my daughter as if she is much older when trying to teach her new concepts. Another thing that worries me is when the teacher plays the "teacher duet" part with my daughter's part, my daughter gets confused with the accompaniment and will just play straight quarter notes instead of what the real rhythm is. The teacher seems too busy playing her own part and doesn't even notice that my daughter is playing it incorrectly. The teacher will just say "that's good" and will move on without helping her.

Should I find a better teacher now, or just wait until my daughter is more advanced?

couple remarks about the first answer here.

Parents need to be in a lesson with a young child, especially someone who is 4 years old. There is no way a child of that age can take a lesson by themselves, go home and remember everything in the lesson and practice on their own. If you are not in the lesson, you won't know what is going on and how to help your child. You need to be in the lesson to learn with your child, then be available to practice at home with her. If you weren't in the lesson, how could you tell that the current teacher is not up to par.

4 years old is a good age to start as well. Most importantly, the teacher must know what they are doing and like I stated above that you are in the lesson.

This is the most important stage of piano lessons for your daughter. Learning the fundamentals and developing technique is the number 1 priority at her age. If she is not learning these skills now then later on she will experience difficulty. A good teacher will make sure her fingers are curved, that she uses her tips, that she counts out loud, learns to sing the pitches she is playing, help her to develop a good ear, and the most important thing - not teach a child middle C method or C position method.

Middle C method is having all the music learnt start from middle C for both hands while C 5 finger position method is having the R.H. place thumb on middle C and the remaining 4 fingers on the next 4 notes and the L.H. starting on bass C with finger 5 and then lining up the next 4 notes.

This is detrimental in reading as students only learn to read 5 notes and develop a habit of only playing adjacent notes. It is important to have a teacher teach a student how to play reading intervals and to have them explore the entire range of the piano. No matter what some teachers say, middle C and C position are very dangerous methods.

What are the qualifications of the teacher? Do they have a bachelors degree in music or music education? Even better would be a masters degree in music. If she doesn't have a degree I would stop lessons now. You are investing money into a teacher who is not qualified to teach. I frown upon studies with teachers without degrees. They are not professionally equipped like those who have further education. Its like going to a dentist with a degree. Music lessons should be treated seriously - which I see that you are doing. In doing so, any instructor must have experience and valid qualifications.

You definitely do not want to be with a teacher who has no clue what they are doing especially at your daughters age. A good teacher will make sure her foundation is strong. I teach many transfer students and I spend 1 to 2 years erasing bad habits. Sometimes they can not be corrected because the student has been playing with these habits for years. This is a result of neglect from an unqualified teacher but also a teacher who has not studied the piano enough to understand.

There are many teachers out there who think they can teach because they played piano in high school or advanced to a certain grade. As far as I'm concerned, the minimum a teacher should have in qualifications is a bachelors. Hopefully they have studied piano pedagogy as well. Ask your current teacher if they have taken classes in piano pedagogy. If they haven't that is another sure sign to walk away.

There is no substitute for a good experienced and qualified teacher. It may cost a bit more in terms of tuition but at the end of the day the money will be well spent and invested. The last thing you want is to move your daughter to another teacher after a few years and have that teacher go back and redo everything. You will be frustrated, your daughter will be too!

From what I have read, this teacher does not seem to understand her role and have the pedagogical background to teach. In Russia, only the most experience teachers are allowed to teach beginners. These first few years are the most important and I would hate to see your daughter learn habits that will be detrimental to her future studies.

One more thing - is she a registered music teacher? In the US, registered teachers are recognized under the MTNA - Music Teachers National Association and in Canada the CFMTA - Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association. That is a good place to start looking for a new teacher. They have state and provincial chapters with lists of qualified teachers.

Find a better teacher now. Honestly, my opinion is that four is too young to start playing the piano, but a teacher that does not pay attention to and appreciate the kid's progress is just not right. Also, parents sitting in on lessons - not a good idea. (No offense - it's for the student's own good.) I would check into a local music school or conservatory that teaches kids and get a proper teacher that knows what it's about.