Questions to Ask Your Potential Keyboard Teacher

When you want to learn the keyboard, one of the major decisions you have to make is how and whom to choose as a teacher. For some, it is made easier because they already know someone or their parents already are keyboard performers, but for most people, finding a keyboard teacheris a huge task, since it can be difficult to ascertain whether they are going to be compatible with you or not. Following are some questions you can ask to determine whether the teacher with whom you are proposing to study with will work for you or not.

Formal qualifications – This is generally a must-ask question since degrees and certifications will easily help you ascertain the teacher’s level of proficiency.

Teaching experience – Your keyboard teacher might hold the highest qualifications, but if they don’t have teaching skills, they might not be a good teacher. Ask for how many years they have been teaching the instrument and then ask for some references, from whom you can find out more details.

Performance experience – If you are looking at learning the keyboard to later perform professionally, it will be helpful for you to have a teacher who already gives public performances. This will help you to gain contacts and enter the performance scene yourself. In addition, teachers who are also performers will be able to guide you better when it comes to issues such as performance anxiety, how to deal with management, etc.

Materials – Find out what books and materials the teacher uses to teach the keyboard. Some materials are very expensive, so it is a good idea to know what you would be expected to spend before committing to it. Some teachers also provide their own material, which will be included in the price of the tuition. Find out all these details before signing up.

Type of music – The keyboard is an instrument that can be used in different styles of music, but you may not necessarily want to learn all the styles. Most students generally opt for a particular genre of music in which they are interested. Ensure that the teacher has experience and knowledge in that genre.

Keyboard – A most important question you need to ask is whether the teacher would provide the keyboard or whether you must have your own. If you are taking group keyboard lessons and the teacher is providing their own instrument, you must also find out whether you shall have an instrument all to yourself or whether you would have to share with other students, and if so, how many per instrument. All these are extremely relevant questions because it will affect the quality of your learning.

Teaching methods – A keyboard teacher will only teach you the technique and help assess your performance on a regular basis. The bulk of the practicing and learning will have to be done by the student outside class hours. So, homework is an important tool in your musical progress. Discuss with the teacher how much they expect you to practice at home and what kind of assignments they give for home practice. Assess whether you have the time to do all this because otherwise you will not be able to gain your full potential from the lessons.

With the above seven questions, you will generally have a detailed understanding of the keyboard tutorials. Singapore has many teachers who will be happy to discuss these questions with you before you begin a long-term student and teacher relationship.