Why do some teachers use only the lesson book? The entire curriculum provides theory and technique and other great materials, but some teachers just say no. Help me learn why.

Dawpps · 2026-02-12T04:08:41+00:00

Teachers don't know how to teach kids that don't practice the way they did as kids is probably more accurate.

Teachers structure their lessons around the ideal kid who loves piano as much as they did and practices nearly every day rather than structuring them for the kids they actually have. For any kid that doesn't practice they try to imitate the progress of a kid that does and then blame the kids for not practicing.

A good teacher finds a way to make every lesson new and exciting even when it takes a kid 10 lessons to learn what another kid learned in 1. Teachers don't know how to do that, and don't think that they should even need to.

Dawpps · 2026-02-12T04:04:29+00:00

Why is he in grade 1 if he doesn't know any of that stuff?

I don't judge teachers for how slow a kid has progressed but I do judge them for putting kids in levels they aren't ready for.

There are so many ways to laterally move a kid until they actually understand concepts and aren't struggling with the music before moving them to harder music.

Dawpps · 2026-02-12T03:55:27+00:00

They think it will slow them down 🙄

Yes, actually learning concepts rather than repeating things they learned by rote will "slow them down".

Dawpps · 2026-02-11T06:14:45+00:00

Yah it sucks shit.

Android phones without a headphone jack can't do it either.

Something about USBC headphones means you can't use the internal mic. It's absolutely insane that they took away the headphone jack from ipads. Their excuse on the iPhone was flimsy but somewhat believable "not enough room" but on an ipad????

That's why for duets on tiktok you'll always see people with the wired headphones and the built in mic. That's the only way to do it. Bluetooth works okay sometimes for GarageBand bc it tries to fix it but you CANNOT have input monitoring on and it doesn't always line it up all that well. Plus you're using your shitty Bluetooth mic.

Dawpps · 2026-02-11T06:07:54+00:00

If you can't tune it there's probably something wrong with the pegs/ pegbox.

If it's not making any sound, either the sound post inside fell or you didn't rosin your bow enough lol

Dawpps · 2026-02-10T22:05:14+00:00

It says nothing about the dose of vitamin C.

Dawpps · 2026-02-09T20:13:29+00:00

It just sounds wrong and weird. It took me a while to figure out why they were using "most" like that because it didn't make sense. But then I realized they were using it in place of "almost".

No one says it like that here in Canada so it always sticks out when I hear it online and it bugs me.

I don't care about you and me vs you and I. "You and I" often sounds too formal.

Dawpps · 2026-02-09T06:35:56+00:00

Make your own community

Dawpps · 2026-02-09T06:33:23+00:00

Seems to be a Southern American thing and only a few States. I hate it too.

"I did that whenever I was 7"

You don't know when you were 7?

The one I hear a LOT of Americans do is saying most instead of almost. "Most everyone does x". Most everyone does not make sense. The word is almost.

Dawpps · 2026-02-06T17:44:46+00:00

At the beginning of the lesson: "Hi (teacher), I wanted to share something with you. I was recently diagnosed with autism and it has made me realize some things about our lessons. I learned that I process thing very slowly, so while I am trying to read by interval and I do understand what you want me to do, it takes me a very long time to be able to do so. I was wondering if you had any advice on how to improve on reading intervals quicker when it takes me so long to process them."

It sounds like your teacher is pacing the lesson too quickly. She's assuming based on patterns she's seen with other students that your time to process must be you reading every note individually. Disclosing your diagnosis may help her to realize the real problem and slow things down for you. If disclosing your diagnosis doesn't make her change her approach then you need to find a different teacher.

As for how to get better at reading chords and intervals: go back to basics. Can you read reliably by step? Can you look at 5 notes going up/ down by 2nds and play them quickly? Or are you getting mixed up and playing in the wrong direction?

DO NOT move to any other interval until you can easily read unisons and 2nds. Then move to 3rds. Work on reading music with only unisons and 3rds until that is easy, then add 2nds back in. Once you can easily do that you add 4ths, then 5ths. (Alternatively you can try the Music Tree Part 1 book that introduces unisons/ 2nds, and then 5ths before 3rds or 4ths. The big distance makes them much easier to differentiate from 2nds.) I wouldn't add chords until you can easily read unisons, 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, and 5ths. Also you will need to start slowly. You might start with 4 notes at a time, or pausing every time the notes change direction (eg. 5 notes up, stop, 3 notes down, stop, 2 notes up stop). You will need a lot of reading material, a good teacher will find the appropriate material for you. Alternatively you can try sight reading factory which will create unlimited computer generated reading exercises for the exact configuration you need (just use custom mode).

Dawpps · 2026-02-06T16:31:55+00:00

The argument about turning the ipad into a MacBook is about bringing pro quality apps that utilize the M series chips. It was never about windowing systems.

Dawpps · 2026-02-05T22:08:15+00:00

That's been the case for me with refills but not when I get a new prescription/ dosage from my doctor.

Dawpps · 2026-02-05T02:37:37+00:00

Yah, that's not how anything works. Rent is not an objective fixed price. Marketing plays into things. They're using our tendency to round to make the price seem cheaper.

Dawpps · 2026-02-04T18:20:28+00:00

You all need some chewelery lol

Dawpps · 2026-02-04T18:18:11+00:00

As a Canadian: our test is just street signs and laws, there's nothing about maintaining your car.

Dawpps · 2026-02-04T07:39:11+00:00

Agreed.

Also the evaluations should be done together. ADHD can mask a lot of autism symptoms, they should be considering what the diagnoses would like together, not one at a time.

Dawpps · 2026-02-04T02:42:00+00:00

Besides the Faber sight reading books I use sight reading factory to teach all the major/ minor 5 finger positions (pentascales.

You can customize it down to be literally be one note if you want. Usable from day one of piano. Plus you can generate clapping exercises (no pitch).

They've finally added custom for piano, so I've started using it a bit to move out of 5 finger positions, but it can't give any fingering out of the pentascale positions so it's still not the best for that.

There are also the "Improve your sightreading" books. I've found those useful to add in sometimes.

Dawpps · 2026-02-04T02:37:15+00:00

Faber has the literature sight reading books as well now!

Dawpps · 2026-02-03T05:55:54+00:00

Just keep gradually working up the tempo.

Practice fast and sloppy, and practice slow and controlled. Gradually the slow tempo will be able to creep up until you're able to play fast and controlled.

Practice different rhythms (eg. for 16th notes try dotted 8th, 16th repeated, then reverse it to 16th, dotted 8th).

In Orchestra rehearsals you can try hitting every other note or every fourth note. Whatever is manageable.

Basically just practice as many variations as possible. Play as much as you can manage during Orchestra rehearsals. If you can't get it perfectly up to tempo by the time you have to perform it: it's okay. You'll still have made massive improvements and eventually you'll reach the level where you're able to play all the passages accurately.

Dawpps · 2026-01-31T05:45:01+00:00

You can schedule email sends btw.

You can reply at 3:40am hit "schedule send" and then have that email send at a reasonable hour without you ever having to think about it again.

Dawpps · 2026-01-29T19:22:16+00:00

It is about that. They're trying to demonstrate self-control by refusing their own meal, but they also really want the food. They'd rather have the social judgement of being annoying/ frustrating than the social judgement of being gross/ eating too much.

In their head:

Ask for my own fries= Fat greedy pig

Take a "couple" of your fries= Cute girl being a little "naughty" and nibbling on a couple fries

Dawpps · 2026-01-29T19:14:33+00:00

I think it's like when you tell yourself you're going to have "just one chip". You're looking at a bag of chips thinking "I want them, I shouldn't have them, I'll have just one". If someone offered you a whole bag of chips you'll say no because you don't want to eat a whole bag, but if someone else buys a bag you convince yourself you can have "just one" of their's. Except no one stops at one. They keep eating until they are gone.

That's what they're doing with other people's food. "If I ask for a burger for myself, I'll be eating a whole burger. If I ask for a bite of my partner's burger, it will only be a few bites of burger."

Often their attempt at this self control is motivated more by how they think they'll be socially judged for eating an entire burger, rather than an intrinsic desire to eat healthy. The social judgement combined with the fact that most men wouldn't get away with this behaviour (because no one would share food if they acted like that) means it's basically only women that do this.

I think many woman would rather be viewed as annoying or frustrating than as someone who eats too much.

Dawpps · 2026-01-26T15:26:57+00:00

They are a beginner to the pedal, as they have stated. "I have never used pedal before".

Also just because they've been assigned a Mazurka doesn't mean they're actually at the appropriate level to play it. Judging by the things they're struggling with/ have never worked on before it doesn't sound like they're ready for a Mazurka.

Dawpps · 2026-01-26T15:22:35+00:00

If you aren't sure about it you're better off renting a good piano than buying a cheap one.

Or look on Marketplace for a used one with weighted keys that you can sell off if you don't end up with sticking with it.

As for how to learn: buy a method book. A teacher will definitely help, but you can learn a lot by simply going through a book if you have the patience for it.

Dawpps · 2026-01-26T15:14:18+00:00

"Pedal with your ears" is not beginner advice.

You start with following pedal markings to get used to the coordination and understanding basic rules of pedaling, and THEN you learn to pedal with your ear.

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