Discipline and Repetition Don't Work in Kid's Piano
Discipline and repetition don't work in kid's piano lessons. While they are the prime tools of a dedicated concert pianist or professional piano student, they are meaningless to a six year old. There is something of the drill sergeant about the piano teacher. We both issue orders, “Play it again,” and expect our orders to be carried out without dispute.
In my conservatory experience, I have had slave driver piano teachers. I knew exactly why they were doing it, and I willingly submitted to their valuable judgement. You cannot possibly expect a six year old to appreciate this kind of commitment.
Repetition Is The Enemy
Kids Rarely Practice
Why can’t this pedant figure out the real answer: “I’m going too fast. What would you like to play? Come on, let’s play something together.” Get on the child's level.
The Older The Child, The More They Practice
The Flaw In "The Method"
You can make the process a pain with discipline, or a pleasure with fun. The difficulty for the teacher is that the pleasure/fun scenario takes 50 times the effort from the teacher. Most piano teachers hide behind the book: “It’s not me you should please, you must do the book correctly. Play it again.” Following the book slavishly allows a teacher to remain emotionally uninvolved. But that is the opposite of what the child needs.