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Piano Teacher’s Misconceptions About Children
Piano teacher’s misconceptions about children and piano lessons make piano learning almost impossible. Many well intentioned instructors feel obliged to meet a certain schedule of accomplishment, but this attitude totally ignores the child’s point of view.
The child has no idea of curriculum, technique and managing tasks. It is all a game to them. Your schedule is irrelevant to them. Whatever you learned in college is of no use to a six year old. Fun is all that matters to them.
The Creed Of The Conventional
The rigid, conventional piano teacher are wrong. All that really matters is that the child is fascinated by the piano and wants to learn more. If all the child can manage is one index finger, so be it.
But the pedant says, “NO! Such lax guidance produces bad habits,” ignoring the fact that the one habit to NOT learn at the piano is to not want to be there. So, regardless of the individual child, these piano teachers immediately insist upon drudgery, and expect enthusiasm.
Piano Is Easy
Drudgery Breeds Mutiny
Drudgery leads to dullness, unless an artist (or athlete) has accepted the fact that a large dose of drudgery will get them what they want, namely, mastery. Children are in no position to make such a commitment and it is foolish to ask it of them.
Instead, the teacher should come down to the child’s level and say, “What can you do comfortably?” Once again, if that comfort zone is one index finger, so be it. We can build from there.
Try a simple song on our online piano:
I'm A Little Teapot
| 1 * 2 | 3 * 4 | 5 * * | 8 * * | 6 * * | 8 * * | 5 * * |
