I have recently started with a new piano teacher, and am struggling to play at anywhere near my standard during lessons. I go in full of hope because I know that I've progressed a lot during my practise that week. Then I play as if I haven't touched the piano for several days, and end up going home quite depressed.

I had my first piano teacher for three and a half years, and I really loved her - but then she was a great friend before I started taking lessons. At the beginning I played badly for her during lessons, but the difference between home and lessons was nothing like now.

My new teacher is working on aspects of my technique that I don't remember my first teacher paying too much attention, and I know that I feel that she may be silently criticising my first teacher. (I doubt this is true, and the feeling is probably caused by me missing my friend who has moved abroad.) Perhaps this makes me overly conscious of my technique, and therefore not play as well as I do at home. Both teachers are similarly qualified, experienced (and nice), but emphasise different aspects - which is to be expected.

Also, my new teacher's piano has quite a different touch to any other piano that I have played.

What do you think that I can do to reduce the difference between the standard of my playing during practise, and during lessons? Do you think that I just need to give it time and I'll settle in? Perhaps I'm just making excuses.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

this won't be much help.... but my sister found it hard to settle in with her new teacher at first, but after a while she did. I think it was because she was different: she had a different piano and style of teaching. Yet, now my sister is a lot happier playing the piano than she was before.
I've got to change my teacher next year.... I've only ever had one piano teacher and I've had her for 8 years. So I think it will be a bit of a shock...

Maybe you should talk to your new teacher about how you are feeling? She should understand, she must have had pupils coming from other teachers before!

Does your teacher think you are playing badly or are you just being hard on yourself?

If you've not been with the new teacher long then maybe she is understanding and realises it will take time to reach your full potential. Worrying about it too much is not going to help, try to stop comaparing the way you play at home and in lessons it's bound to help.

Different styles can really throw a pupil - I sometime find that a pupil who transfers takes a while to settle in......and might it be that the new teacher is pointing out things that you are now more aware of, and therefore you are being more critical of yourself as a result? And playing for someone new can make you nervous.....

When I had to change teacher just about 2 years ago I was surprised that I settled quite quickly but then things fell apart a little after a few months.
I think I'm getting closer to playing reasonably in lessons again now after another hiccup following a disappointing grade 8 mark and the change to fortnightly lessons which I don't like too much but can see the sense in.

I hope you adjust to your new teacher and the piano soon. It can be really unsettling when the change is forced on us yet somehow I think there is a tendency to expect that as adults we ought to just deal with it.

Yes, I think you need to give it time. There is always a period of unsettledness when you start with a new teacher - it takes a while to get used to each other!
No, I don't think you are making excuses - all of your points are perfectly valid - though for some of them, they will always be discrepancies and you will just have to deal with them. You will possibly never reproduce your perfect at home performance in front of your teacher!

It's curious. This week was the first time with my new teacher that I didn't play so badly I wanted to run away (I think it's about my fifth lesson with him).

I don't know whether this is because I am finally relaxing in his company, or whether it was because I warned him at the start of the lesson that I was a bit spaced out (it was Monday morning after a night on the M1, see Adult Learners' for details) and in doing that had therefore given myself some sort of a mental permission to play badly - and didn't bash myself up for doing so.

When something is not working in a lesson my teacher sometimes asks whether it has been working ok at home. Sometimes it has and sometimes it's not.

It'll just take some time, Judith.

I've been through the very same situation. A new teacher , an unusual piano, etc.
You should wait for some time , this is normal.

Thanks everyone for your great comments.

My teacher doesn't think that I'm playing badly, but then she hadn't ever heard me play well so she doesn't have anything to compare against.

I think that I need to just be patient. I do worry though that if I can't play well in a lesson for a new teacher, then how would I ever be able to play well in a concert, audition or exam?!

That said, I play the organ or piano at church on Sundays, and play about the same as I do at home. Perhaps church isn't as important to me as my lessons (eek - don't tell my Bishop!).

Maybe it's just nerves at having a new person assessing your performance? I remember starting lessons and I used to get really nervous about playing anything for my teachers. As I grew to know and trust them more, I can play closer to the standard of when I am practising at home alone. I think you just have to give it some time as everyone has suggested and just try and relax and enjoy yourself as much as you can. Hope it's all going better soon!

I was actually quite scared when i changed teacher and atually ahd exactly the same thing! It just takes time to settle. Give it time.



HK x

I've never changed teacher, but I did switch from in school lessons to at her house, and even that threw me, with someone I knew very well!

My teacher has said that because I do that I should be ok with performing but I don't think it's the same thing at all.
For one thing generally most of the people there wouldn't know how well or badly I am playing and when they are actually singing they are probably hardly listening to the piano at all. (If they were you wouldn't get them trying to slow down!)