Can anyone teach me piano?

By Michael Mickey Charles

A common misconception when seeking a piano instructor is that if a person can play proficiently, then they can also teach piano to students as well. However, this is not always the case! Many people can play the piano but not all of them have the patience and necessary people skills to be a good teacher. In fact, more often than not, accomplished piano players do not have that patience or teaching skills.

The most accomplished piano players have a hard time backtracking to the rudiments of piano, simply because they passed that point ages ago. Many of these pianists feel that they are wasting their talents by getting back to the basics with a beginner when they could be practicing their craft and elevating their current status. These accomplished players usually find no pleasure or patience for newbies. What is so unfortunate is that some of these experienced piano players do not realize they even feel this way until they are hired on to teach new students. Looking for a piano instructor, whether for yourself or someone in your family, it is imperative that you ask about the individuals level of accomplishment as well as their experience as a private piano tutor.

References from past students are important; ask for their phone numbers so you can speak with them personally. Ask the students about their level of accomplishment such as what level they started at and what level they accomplished before discontinuing their lessons. Did they have previous experience or even had an inkling of what the piano entailed before they started? Ask the previous clients about what they believe the instructor could possibly teach you, especially if you have no experience whatsoever in piano. You should be able to make a sound, educated decision based on the answers of these references. If most of the references had previous experience before receiving instruction from this particular piano teacher, perhaps you need someone more versed in teaching total novices. If the instructor had just a few clients that achieved a moderate to high level of success, this might indicate they have a tough personality to work with.

The irritations encountered when seeking a good piano instructor is the reason why more and more people look to high-tech solutions from their computer. The internet provides a wealth of options in the form of online piano lessons. There is also piano lesson software and movie DVDs too. These high-tech options are quite safe and have proven to be an effective way to learn a new instrument such as the piano. Computer based instruction is easy to follow and fits perfectly into most peoples schedules. - 18780

About the Author:

Michael 'Mickey' Charles taught music in the public school system for 30 years before offering private lessons. His years of practice in teaching piano gives him plenty of insight into what piano teaching software works and what doesn't. Don't purchase anything before you read what Mickey thinks of the top piano lesson software at his website: http://www.piano-lesson-software.com/