Music Teaching

Piano Teachers Who Help

As I said, piano teachers are often lovely and helpful. When someone posts some sheet music on Facebook and can’t work out which fingers to use, many teachers will offer helpful ideas. If learners are brave enough to upload videos of themselves playing, teachers often chime in with useful tips about style, dynamics, articulation and more. People help each other, perhaps by talking about acoustic versus digital pianos or suggesting new pieces and songs to try out. Potentially, Facebook groups represent a perfect match between learners and teachers – and all for free. However…

Piano Teachers Who Hover

Unfortunately, it seems there are certain piano teachers hanging around in Facebook groups for other purposes. When a question appears, rather than offer a helpful, well-phrased reply, they jump straight in with their well-worn mantras:
“If you don’t get a teacher you won’t learn technique and this will hold you back!”
“Without a teacher you can’t learn the proper theory required!”
“If you don’t have a teacher to correct you, you’ll get nowhere!”
and other variations of the above.

But by far the biggest lie – and the one that disturbs me the most:
“Without a teacher you will inevitably injure yourself due to poor technique and posture!”

What’s The Truth?

First of all, let’s be abundantly clear: this is a big fat lie. A piano-related injury is like a donkey-related injury (stay with me…):

1. If it happens, it could affect your life for a while, but…
2. It is very rare.
3. It is easily avoided using simple common sense. 

There are many, many thousands of self-taught pianists around the world (some of them at the top of their game) who, despite not having taken piano lessons, have never suffered a single episode of piano-related damage. (Some of them might even own a donkey.)

But Injuries Hurt!

We pick up minor injuries from time to time. Whether at the gym, typing at work, running in the wrong shoes, sitting too long in the same position, or over-doing the DIY, we can inadvertently cause various types of stress, strain and tension in our feeble human bodies. BUT…we have a built-in mechanism to help avoid these: pain. Combined with simple common sense, (if it hurts, stop, and figure out why) pain acts as the only teacher we need to help avoid further injury. 

It is said that the definition of madness is ‘continuing to do the same thing whilst expecting a different result’. If playing the piano is hurting you, stop! There’s a wealth of free advice on YouTube to help you figure out what changes to your posture or technique you might need to fix it. And a lot of cats. YouTube loves cats. And donkeys. (I’m guessing.)   

Why Do Some Piano Teachers Lie? – Part One

I suggest two why piano teachers might dispense this nonsense.  Firstly, some have a strong tendency to be pedagogically narrow-minded. The world of piano teaching includes some (not all) who appear to think the only way to learn piano is the way they learned, and the only way to play piano is the way they were taught to play. Their formal, traditional piano lessons serve to propagate this myth of exclusivity. This illiberal worldview feeds into the snobbery, elitism, and entitlement exhibited by the worst offenders, who genuinely believe that there is a ‘proper’ way to play the piano! Completely blinkered and immersed in this self-perpetuating culture of the ‘my-way-or-the-highway’, these dinosaurs pass on their Chinese Whispers about potential injury – simply because that’s what someone told them. They might cite the occasional injury anecdote about a particular pupil – probably someone else’s – but it’s doubtful it would pass the donkey test. 

Why Do Some Piano Teachers Lie? – Part Two

Secondly, a more sinister reason – this is the really bad one. I think some teachers cynically employ scare tactics to preach the ‘piano-teacher gospel’ in order to attract more pupils. They see Facebook groups as a happy hunting ground for picking off the needy. Since the pandemic, many teachers offer online lessons, and Facebook groups are full of potential pupils from all over the world. Occasionally offering a little hint here and there to appear genuine, they lie in wait for any opportunity to ambush someone’s question with the threat of injury, hoping to worry and cajole people into parting with their money. 

This not only unforgiveably undermines those who are attempting a self-taught piano journey, but also taints the group discussions. If all you hear is, “Get a teacher” then sooner or later you stop asking questions and everyone in the group learns less.

What Do YOU Want?

People have various aims and approaches in learning the piano. Some want to take exams, others hate the very idea. Some want to read standard music notation, others want to read lead sheets, play by ear, or improvise. Some want to play classical, others prefer jazz, pop, or to compose their own songs. Some want to sing as they play, others would turn and run at the suggestion. Some want to work hard, others want to dabble. Fortunately, there are some (good) piano teachers who can offer all of those choices. Sadly, many tunnel-visioned traditionalists cannot. Either way, only some of us want a teacher, anyway. Others would rather teach ourselves...

Should You Get A Piano Teacher? Which One?

The self-taught route (you won’t hear this from many piano teachers) is an entirely feasible and acceptable way to learn to play the piano; the alternatives of having a teacher or being your own teacher are of equal merit. Read that sentence again. (Especially if you’re a piano teacher.) In either case, the outcome will depend largely upon the level and quality of your own effort and application, rather than the teacher. To explore more of the advantages of teaching yourself, download my free eBook, “The Maverick’s Guide To Piano Mastery: 16 Great Reasons To Learn The Piano Without A Teacher!”

Only you know yourself well enough to decide between employing a teacher or figuring it out for yourself. Remember to think flexibly: you could start out on your own and then bring in a teacher for a couple of lessons later. Understandably, piano teachers would rather you came to them weekly (forever!) but many will provide one-off lessons from time to time, particularly if you make it clear it’s that or nothing! 

Which teacher? It’s a very personal decision. Firstly, I suggest you spend a little time talking to them and ask yourself if you can imagine being in their company every week.  Secondly, I strongly recommend you look for a teacher-who-plays-piano rather than a pianist-who-teaches. Look at their teaching qualifications, not their playing qualifications. It doesn’t matter how well they play if they haven’t formally learnt to teach. Pedagogy trumps proficiency every time.

Importantly: if a potential teacher (on Facebook or elsewhere) makes threats of piano-related injury – find a better one. (And maybe send them a donkey. That’ll show ’em.)