To wonder why people enquire about piano lessons when they have no piano??

[CroesoY]

AIBU to find it a bit strange?

Parents making queries for their child to have piano lessons when they don’t have a piano or keyboard at home.

Even if a child has lessons in school on a school piano how would they practise?

Am I missing something?

DS has his piano lessons at school. He uses one of the ones in the practice rooms to learn his pieces on.
Access to an instrument you can practice on doesn't have to mean owning one, true. Could be at a neighbour's or friend's or grandparent's. Your DS is lucky to have regular access to a practice room at school! My kids are at primary, there is one piano in the school and it's dire.

Music teacher friends say that the kids who don't practice often don't progress. The teachers feel they're telling them the same things every week. They scout around for more and more elementary music so it's not literally the same pieces all year but it's the same skills not getting mastered. They see the kids getting bored and frustrated and teachers get frustrated too feeling they're not giving good value to that child because they're not able to move on. There are obviously exceptions where a kid will be able to pick it up despite only weekly exposure but that's not the norm. A number of different music teachers have described similar experiences.

Cat lt's a bog standard comp in most other respects but luckily for DS they take the performing arts really seriously - which is brilliant. It's depressing to think how many kids have the music in them but never get a chance to let it out!

I think many posters have misunderstood the op. Of course I do not expect parents to pay thousands of pounds on an instrument before their child tries it.

I also appreciate that not all parents have a piano and indeed in some cases children can practise at a neighbours or grand parents house.

I find it odd when parents enquire about lessons when knowing the price and have no way for their child to practise. For example I had someone recently who knew lessons were not offered in her child;s school, she knew the price and then wanted me to come to their house for a lesson. It was only when I had finalised the time etc she told me she didn't have a piano or keyboard! I'm sorry but I do find that odd - maybe she thought I carry a keyboard around in my car, but even so that surely should have been in the initial enquiry?

For everyone who compares learning a musical instrument in the same vein as learning to drive or flying a plane, no I do not share that view and yes it is frustrating teaching children who's parents think it is to not do any practise because they do not have access to a piano or keyboard.

In that case, no they should not be learning the piano, maybe the recorder would be better.

Oh and to the posters who think I'm rude - I'm not remotely rude. I am fair and friendly and over subscribed, but I do have high standards which I think is a good thing.

Having a lesson or two to see if you like it is fine but after that you do need something to practice on - and 2nd hand keyboards are pretty cheap, esp compared to the lessons themselves. Ds1 practiced on a keyboard for 3 years nefore we upgraded him to a second hand piano.

You’re entirely right, CroesoY. I also think that kids tend to expect instant results (thanks to programmes like X Factor, where people think they can become famous without putting in the ground work, not to mention the instant hit of accessing things on the internet) and they are surprised when they can’t sit down at a piano and start to play straight away.

Barbarian - exactly - that's common sense.

I agree OP.

Why would people for out upwards of £15 for half an hour, when it’s a waste if they don’t progress, or progress very slowly, because they can’t practice.

Lots of second hand keyboards in these pawn type shops of people don’t have a real piano at home.

You could be a potentially brilliant pianist but if you don’t practice you’ll be rubbish.

It's attitudes like yours that keep classical music middle class.

I still think your wording makes it comes across like this ^

You are the expert, others are not. I think you could be a little more gracious in respecting these parents. It doesn't sound like it's just one parent, so you need to accept that people might not know this stuff. Maybe you need an faq sheet for when you get enquiries.

Universal - no you are completely incorrect

@JamesBlonde1 - genuine question, is the objective always to be a brilliant pianist? I am self taught (and definitely not brilliant ) on a variety of instruments (not piano yet) and do it for the love of making music.

I work for a music service and we hire instruments out, so child could gave a keyboard at home, although not a piano for logistical reasons. My favourite though, is those that want their child to learn drums, ask to hire a drum kit but have no idea how big they are and don't have room...or those wanting their 5 year old to learn bass.

@CroesoY

I can't be incorrect in saying that, to me, this is how you come across. Other than that, I'm happy to hear you feel you are inclusive.

OP, we had one parent who had a daughter learning keyboard. He didn't want to hire one, saud she could practice at home on an app on his phone!

Sorry op - but you are coming across as a little bit full of yourself and rude. I want my child to learn the piano too - but only at the teachers house becasue I have no space for a baby grand. Maybe some parents can’t afford it. Maybe some parents want to see if their child will take to it before buying.

NCjustforthisthread, you’ll be wasting your money, it’s a false economy. The most likely outcome is that they won’t progress, they’ll get bored, they’ll beg to stop. You may as well not bother. The odd one might make the effort to practise at lunchtime at school, but those children are by far the exception to the rule.

NCjust

I'm not full of myself or rude. Why use the words 'baby grand' in your post? I It's not about affluence, I've already said in another post how I do not expect any one to buy a piano before trying.

DD has for piano lessons when she was 5. My initial enquiry tithe school music service was in relation to her age, and suitability for piano lessons rather than anything else. The cost of lessons was (and still is) given on their website. Of course this is going to be a consideration for most people, in conjunction with acquiring an instrument, or access to one.

I've already said in another post how I do not expect any one to buy a piano before trying

So then what is your actual question? Because surely that is the answer to the question in your OP?

I think the initial post was missing some important info - that the person wanted lessons in their own home, not the teachers, and didn't have a piano there.

I had piano lessons, I had a piano at home, I almost never practiced! I wasn't a bad player. (I probably would've practiced if the piano teacher hadn't picked such boring pieces!).

@CroesoY

You're not full of yourself or rude? You've been rude in pretty much every post and seem to fail to understand that these parents may not understand anything about learning an instrument.

OP, I'm a piano teacher too and some of the replies you've had have made me really cross on your behalf. Of course pupils who don't have access to a practice instrument will give up when they're not making progress. It doesn't need to be their own, or a full size piano at first, but in the early stages practice is the only way they'll make improvements and get to play music that keeps them interested enough to continue.

OP do you think an Aldi electric piano for £50 would be sufficient for practice for a 6 year old starting lessons via school?

NCjust if you dont have room for a piano or keyboard then wouldnt it be better to start your child on something you do have room for? It's not like piano is the
only/ easiest/cheapest /smallest instrument out there.