Aibu to want my child to learn in a piano

[Skipperc]

Hello,

My child has piano lessons. They are expensive.
We have a digital piano at home which she plays and practices on.
She has told me she has been having her lessons on a keyboard and can't tell me why a piano is not available but knows there is one in another room in the music school.
I don't normally have direct contact with the teacher, I just get notes home about what she needs to practice and how she is doing.
Is this OK. Will she progress as well on keyboard. Is it because she is a beginner perhaps?
I feel like if I'm paying for piano lessons and have bought a piano for home despite the cost (I could have bought a keyboard much cheaper but was under the impression this wouldn't do) then I

want her to actually have her lesson on a piano. Aibu.

My DC piano school had one piano for the more advanced learners and a keyboard style for juniors. It was no different to the piano and DC do very well in the piano school. Interestingly you have a digital piano at home so whats your issue?

We have a piano at home but my youngest learned initially on a digital piano at the school whilst my older daughter was playing on the piano although she was well above grade 3

No, she should be having lessons on a proper piano. Perhaps it's temporary for some reason, but you still should have been informed (I'm a piano teacher).

Just contact the teacher and ask! :) The sooner the better as some teachers require a long notice period to stop lessons.

YANBU. We have a digital piano (with weighted keys) at home, and DD's teacher has a (very nice) baby grand. Her teacher's piano definitely needs more strength than ours, so the difference between it and a cheap keyboard would be very substantial. I'd definitely check.

If it really is an electronic keyboard rather than a full-size digital piano with full-size weighted keys then no that’s not ok. How long had she been having lessons on a keyboard…is it just a few lessons or longer than that?

I used to teach piano and I had a few pupils who only had a keyboard at home. After the first few lessons I would insist on a proper piano or digital piano to practice on because it would hinder their learning and technique not having weighted keys and full-size keys and a full-size keyboard. So I definitely wouldn’t put up with a child having lessons on a keyboard.

Also, I recall a pupil transferring to me when she had just passed her grade 4 exam. I was so shocked to learn that even at that standard she still only had a keyboard at home. She was a talented girl but for ages she had a problem with finding Middle C on the piano because she just wasn’t used to a full-sized piano! She would always start playing her pieces an octave too low! So it can cause problems not learning on a proper instrument.

@theremustonlybeone a digital piano and keyboard are different.

As a piano teacher l completely disagree with the posters saying it does not matter if a beginner has lessons on a keyboard. It matters a great deal; probably even more for a beginner. Weighted keyboards are a good compromise for the early stages at home but a piano teacher should teach on a decent piano. Digital pianos are fine and many of my pupils have them.

Another piano teacher here. Yes it does matter and she should be on a piano. I am currently using a digital keyboard as it's easier to clean in covid times ( not putting an alcohol wipe near my proper piano!)
Ppl often think beginners are easy but it's where good habits are formed so she definitely needs to be on a piano.

I'm just enjoying the fact that one of the early responses is from JS Bach. I mean, that would be expert advice!

@CaptainThe95thRifles always glad to help
PS would that be Captain Sharpe by any chance?

[quote JohannSebastianBach]@CaptainThe95thRifles always glad to help
PS would that be Captain Sharpe by any chance?[/quote]
Obviously my area of expertise is more military than musical...

@Alittlenonsensenowandthen

Another piano teacher here. Yes it does matter and she should be on a piano. I am currently using a digital keyboard as it's easier to clean in covid times ( not putting an alcohol wipe near my proper piano!) Ppl often think beginners are easy but it's where good habits are formed so she definitely needs to be on a piano.

This was my first thought - my piano teacher is doing this atm also. Could it be this OP?

I totally disagree that it doesn’t matter. She should be learning on at least a digital piano with hammer action weighted keys.

Some stage pianos would fit the bill. A child might think it’s a keyboard as it’s on a keyboard stand though. My husband’s RD800 for example.

I would contact the teacher and enquire.

A digital piano can be fine, my dd has got to grade 7 with both her and her teacher having one. She has now changed teachers and is using a grand piano in lessons which she says is very different. However, I'd second the comment about better a decent digital than a poor accoustic piano. I hope you manage to get some communication with the teacher, the more engaged the parents are, usually the better.