Choosing a teacher

I did a masters class last week, and covered a few of the concepts I have been writing about here on the site–using 7ths and the ii7-V7-I progression.  I was
impressed with the knowledge of the students, but after an hour or so, I was still getting a lot of blank stares.  It reminded me of the difficulty of trying to teach these types of things without a lot of time. The reality is that as hard as it is to learn these kinds of things with a teacher, it is much harder to learn them from
reading lessons on a site.  If you are learning, that is great.  If you are not, find a teacher to help you.  Today, I want to tell you how to find a teacher and what you should be looking for.

Assuming you want to learn the types of things I have been discussing in these lessons for the past several months, here are some tips for you.

1) Don’t settle I do not need to tell you how important the teacher you choose is.  A bad teacher will waste your time while a good teacher will revolutionize your playing.  After you build a list of possible teachers, don’t be scared to call the very best option first.  This is not a time to lack self confidence.  Don’t start worrying about why a famous musician would want to teach you–just call him/her and convince them that you are serious about learning.  You will find that many to quality musicians enjoy working with serious students.

Someone recently called me about spending a day with me taking lessons.  He mentioned that he had done the same thing with Mark Hayes a few months ago.  I am not famous but Mark Hayes is one of the best arrangers in Christian music and is very well known.  I was impressed that this person saw the value in trying to work with the very best options he could find.

2) Choose a performing artist that you like. Of course, there are many good teachers who do not play professionally, and yes, there are bad professional pianists.  But if there is a pianist who you have heard and like, they should be on your short list to take lessons from.  Top professionals usually are successful because they know a lot and they are very good.  Those are the musicians you want to learn from.

3) Don’t choose a teacher who cannot play what you want to play. If you want to learn classical music, you will find many options.  But if you  want to write/arrange/improvise, you are going to eliminate over 90% of the available teachers in your area.  You will not learn these skills from someone who cannot do them.  Below, I have listed some skills that potential teachers need to have.

4) Be willing to travel a long way and pay a lot. Try to arrange for lessons every other week rather that every week.  That will make it easier to afford to spend the time and money on getting the best instruction possible.  You will pay $50-$100/hour for the best teachers and will often have to drive at least an hour each way.  You would be far  better off paying a lot and driving a long way than settling for a poor teacher in your neighborhood.

5) The best option might not be a church pianist. If there is a great church pianist in your area, consider him/her for lessons.  But in reality, you may not have that luxury.  I would recommend you not settle for a lower quality teacher over this issue.  Instead, choose the teacher that can help you the most.  The building blocks of modern music are largely the same regardless of the genre.

What should a good teacher know and be able to do? When you contact a potential teacher, here are some things you can ask about.  If you are interested in learning how to be a relevant church pianist, you need a teacher who is a master of most if not all of these areas.

• Playing without needing written music.  If the teacher has to open a book to play a well-known song, that is a danger sign.
• Understanding harmony.  When playing, the teacher should know every chord they play as they play it.  They should also know why the
  chords they are using work and how they relate to other chords.
• Creative ideas.  The teacher should know how to add interest to the music with creative technical ideas.
• Good ear.   It is a plus if the teacher has a highly trained ear.  For example, he/she should be able to tell you what chord you are playing without looking at your hands.  This is indicative of expertise, and you will find that top professionals can do this.  I am not talking about perfect pitch–that I am not important and don’t expect your teacher to have it.
• Ability to play well.  Period.
• Ability to teach.  Frankly, many knowledgeable, professional musicians cannot teach.  They have no system to impart knowledge. We have all been around those kinds of teachers.  They teach by playing music while the student watches over their shoulder (without comprehension).  Good
  teachers are able to break down learning into small building blocks and give their students a way to practice them.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you find a great teacher.  The combination of the right teacher and a commitment to learn is very powerful.  I should say that I have geared these tips toward adult pianists. If you are looking for a teacher for your child, there are other things to consider.

If you have teacher recommendations in your area of the country, would you do me a favor and send them to me?  I am asked for recommendations all of the time and would like to be able to help more than I do now.