The piano is one of the most beautiful musical instruments you can learn. This musical instrument has existed since the 1700s and has only grown in popularity over the years. With time, this instrument is more accessible to people than it ever was. There are so many types and brands of pianos that will blow your mind away. It was not long ago that the piano was an instrument that was mostly for upper-class people. This is mainly because to learn the piano, you will need to own a piano and boy, can they be expensive, especially a couple of years ago. On top of these, piano lessons tend to be costly, and they increase as the student graduates from one grade to the next. Now, the piano is more accessible. With the advancement of technology, the piano is more affordable to everyone. There are options for digital pianos, which tend to be cheaper than classical pianos.
If you are someone who is considering picking up this beautiful instrument, you should seriously consider hiring a tutor or a piano teacher. A piano teacher is someone who is skilled and experienced in the instrument. They are not only good in practical piano playing but also in theory. In this article, we will be looking specifically to help those of you who are looking for a suitable piano teacher. We will be covering this topic extensively to not only guide you but help you make the right decision.
Key Questions to Ask Your Private Piano Tutor
When it comes to hiring a piano teacher or private piano tutor, it is important to know what to look for. We have listed some questions you should ask to ensure that you get the right fit.
Are They Experienced With Teaching Kids/Adults?
When it comes to teaching, it makes a whole lot of difference if the tutor you are considering has experience teaching kids or adults. If you are an adult looking for a tutor who can help you learn the piano, you should ensure that the teacher is someone who has experience teaching adults. If you are looking for someone to teach your kid, ensure that the tutor has kids' teaching experience. How an adult learns and a kid learns varies. Kids need fun and interactive lessons, while adults tend to be more straightforward and factual learners most of the time.
Knowing the experience of the teacher you have selected makes it easier for you to determine whether they are the best fit.
What is Their Favourite Genre?
People who do not know much about piano might be surprised to know that there are many different genres of piano. Some genres are classical piano, pop piano, jazz piano and many more. Knowing what your tutor likes will give you a glimpse into what is their playing style. If you are someone who is into the pop or rock piano genre, then perhaps a tutor that is more of a classical piano might not be suitable for you. We are not saying that a classical piano teacher will not be able to teach you. Instead, they might not be able to teach you exactly what you might be looking for. Finding a piano teacher more suitable to your style will ensure that you both connect, and you will find yourself enjoying your lessons.
What are Their Teaching Methods?
It is important to identify your tutor's teaching methods. Generally, there are three different piano methods. The first is the Suzuki piano method. In this method, your tutor will concentrate on teaching piano through listening and repetitive methods. The second method is the Bastien piano basic method. This method uses a multi-key gradual approach. The last approach is the Alfred method. This approach uses the concept of interval-based reading. Try to understand each of these approaches and how they will be effective for you. Then, based on this, you will be able to identify if the tutor you are considering suits your needs.
Why You Should Hire a Student Private Tutor?
As we mentioned, cost can be a factor for someone who is learning the piano, but you should never let this stop you from achieving your dream and goal of mastering the piano. As you already know, the more experienced and qualified a tutor is, the more in demand their classes and time are, which directly contributes to their lessons' high prices. But did you know that piano students also have the skills as well as the ability to guide you properly? Let us look at some of the reasons why hiring a student as a piano tutor is something you should consider.
Dedication
Student tutors are among the most dedicated tutors you will encounter in the world. A student piano tutor is someone who is passionate about the piano and, hence, teaches. They are people who have the latest and most current knowledge that will benefit you in your journey to learning the piano.
Skills
Another good reason to take on a student as your piano teacher is the skills they have. What they make up in experience is gained with their ability to understand their students. They themselves are students and understand the difficulty they went through to learn the piano. More often than not, this aspect is nonexistent in inexperienced piano teachers, making it difficult to empathise with their students. Student tutors, on the other hand, will be able to guide you properly in a better way as they go through the difficulty themselves.
Expectations
Learning any instrument, including the piano, comes with expectations from both yourself and your tutor. What do you hope to achieve while learning piano? Having a tutor who emphasises with you will ensure you learn at your own pace. More often than not, experienced tutors tend to expect you to be able to catch up and learn fast. Adults with full-time jobs and even students with packed schedules might find it challenging to cope with such expectations. Having a tutor who is a person who is juggling their studies on top of their piano lessons will enable them to understand what you are going through and, therefore, be more encouraging and understanding towards your journey.
The Rise of Independent Music Tutors
Now that you have a brief idea of what a student teacher is like let us look at independent music tutors. Independent music tutors are tutors who are not associated with any music academy or organisation. One thing about this kind of piano teacher is the fact that they are dedicated and hardworking piano tutors. They are people who have dedicated their lives to the piano and are determined to impact the lives of their students. When it comes to independent music tutors, it is best to get one that has a good rapport with students. This simply means good piano tutors tend to get their students by word of mouth. The good ones always have a packed schedule, and sometimes, it takes months and even years to find a solid spot on their schedule.
How Retired Piano Teachers Continue to Inspire?
You might be surprised to see retired piano teachers on this list and wonder what the difference is between a retired piano teacher and an independent music tutor. A retired music tutor is someone who has spent this childhood and young adult life learning their piano and then proceeding to spend their adult life teaching piano in an organisation or an academy. What sets this type of tutor apart from the rest is their burning passion for this instrument, and unlike the other two listed here, the piano is truly intertwined in every aspect of their lives. They are people who have spent their whole life teaching but continue to teach even after retirement. They do not see the piano as a means of making money, but they yearn to introduce this instrument to as many people as possible and help this musical instrument touch their lives as it did theirs. If you get an opportunity to learn from one of these teachers, you should grab the opportunity and not hesitate. We believe that with these tutors, you will get their rich understanding of this beautiful instrument and a unique insight that might very well make you fall in love with this piece of instrument.
Superprof is a platform that connects piano tutors and students from all over the world. Our site has all the types of piano tutors listed in this article. We at Superprof are dedicated to helping you find someone who suits you the best in your journey to learning this beautiful instrument. Our platform is super easy to navigate. All you will need to do is search for a piano and set the location to close to you. From here, you will be able to view all the piano tutors that are close to your location. On top of viewing the list of tutors, you also have the ability to look at their profiles, which sets out their experience as well as skills. These will give you a rough idea of the tutors. What are you waiting for? Quickly head over to Superprof and find a tutor to kickstart your piano learning journey!
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