I have been getting lessions from my tutor for the last three years and am wondering 'how do i know when i don't need lessons anymore?". I'm not saying that i am beyond needing any tips etc but i think that my present tutor is not earning his money of late. Another fella i know said to me that he thinks that he has got to the end of the tutor's teaching ability (we have the same tutor). There are obviously different levels of teacher out there and am wondering how do i know when i have learned all i am going to learn from this particular teacher? For instance all i am doing now is playing tunes with him. He no longer has any techniques etc for me to learn, just tunes, tunes and more tunes. The lessions are expensive, and i can learn tunes by myself, so is there need to keep forking out?
Comments appreciated
Ohhh, good question, Celtic. I was in a similar situation. Here's a possibility--you could go down to a lesson once a month or every so often. You could show your teacher what tune(s) you have taught yourself, and he/she could make sure you are on the right track, or make suggestions. Or just stop altogether, and go to only workshops once in a while.
With me, the same thing happened after about 5 years of lessons, except there was always fancy left hand (I play harp) technique like syncopation, etc. that I couldn't always come up with on my own. Also, around the same time, I decided to learn the fiddle as well (from the same teacher), so I just kept on going, just with a different instrument. But for what I want to do with the harp right now, I've come to the realization that weekly lessons is no longer necessary.
old asian wiseguy sez: when the pupil is ready the teacher arrives - could this be turned arround into its vice versa (when the pupil is ready the teacher leaves)??? the ideal of a good teacher would know and let you know, when you need to leave him and go find a new and better teacher/learning method - unfortunately the ideal situation is very rare. but with reducing your visits/lessons at your teacher for a couple of month and try out new stuff like workshops-studying idol cds with slowdowners-...you might find out wether you really reached the limits of your teacher or just one of these occasional lows in your own learning curve ... so be careful with yourself and with your teacher. if there is something blocking your possible way behind your actual horizons it will vanish smoothly by smooth pressure. Go for it.
I think you've answered your own question really. The first thing you might think about doing is taking a break from lessons for a while ( maybe a month or two ) and see how you are coping. The second thing is that this is the best time of year to break out into sessions, festivals etc. I had a look at your biopic in the members section and I see that you already have more than enough tunes in your tunebook to be going on with on your own. Also I think a break away from "technique" into a "fun" mode might do wonders for your self confidence.
Hmmmm, good point Crannog about possibly reaching an occasional low in one's own learning curve. I have to think about that from my own point of view, actually....
Crannog,
can you fill me in on the "slowdowners". I looked for it in "search above" to no avail. I have 'nt come across anything like what the name suggests.
Celtic1234 - see this thread:http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1547
there is mentioned the slow downer and the more sophisticated transcribe! which I prefer. By digging the archives you might find more threads about this topic (more than a year back there has been one which made me download my transcribe slow down tool - I paid 20something USD for it to get the full functionality at any time and I still like it as a great tool to make the many steps from playing sheet music to play by ear and heart and learn ornamentations as played by my favourite ITM musos)
I think Andee and Crannog both have great points, esp. Andee's cutting back to once a month idea. I have had a seven-year working relationship with my dressage (aka "horsey ballet") instructor, and there are just times when either I needed a break, my horse needed one, or even the instructor did. We've done various things -- from twice a week to once a month to, I think, an eight-month hiatus at one point. But it turned out to be great -- when we started back up again, not only had my instructor been working with new trainers and learning new things, but I had actually had enough "process time" to have really absorbed her teaching, and also to be ready to hear her with new ears. (Not to mention having made sufficient mistakes on my own that I was ready for a tune-up -- but I bless every one of those mistakes, because fixing them is where I really learned the most!)
The most important thing, I think, is to be as honest with your tutor as possible. That way, if you do want to come back now and again, you will have a good relationship to work with. (Not to mention the fact that if you wind up sitting next to him at a session it won't turn into a competitive nightmare!)
take a break, that's fine, but never finish with a tutor. Even if you think that you've got much better than them. Even if you think they are now learning from you, there will always be something more to learn.
I agree with Mike. There's always something more to learn.
After I reasoned that I had done with tutors, I didn't just quit learning. I started listening to what I thought were the best musicians in my feild of music (flute,tinwhstle) and I simply tore their styles, their ornamentation tecniques, and any fancy thing that they did apart and I immitated them to the best of my ability. If you think you'r done with tutors, I suggest you find a recording of musician you want to sound like and listen to them a whole lot. Eventually you're playing will start sounding like theirs.
I think if you are asking the question, then it is time to move on. You get more for your money by having very few lessons and lots of practicing in between.
Celtic 1234, you can download a slowdowner for winamp for free from their website that works great. It was programmed by the same people who did the amazing-slower-downer.
When to finish with my tutor?
When to finish with my tutor?
I have been getting lessions from my tutor for the last three years and am wondering 'how do i know when i don't need lessons anymore?". I'm not saying that i am beyond needing any tips etc but i think that my present tutor is not earning his money of late. Another fella i know said to me that he thinks that he has got to the end of the tutor's teaching ability (we have the same tutor). There are obviously different levels of teacher out there and am wondering how do i know when i have learned all i am going to learn from this particular teacher? For instance all i am doing now is playing tunes with him. He no longer has any techniques etc for me to learn, just tunes, tunes and more tunes. The lessions are expensive, and i can learn tunes by myself, so is there need to keep forking out?
Comments appreciated
# Posted on April 20th 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
Ohhh, good question, Celtic. I was in a similar situation. Here's a possibility--you could go down to a lesson once a month or every so often. You could show your teacher what tune(s) you have taught yourself, and he/she could make sure you are on the right track, or make suggestions. Or just stop altogether, and go to only workshops once in a while.
With me, the same thing happened after about 5 years of lessons, except there was always fancy left hand (I play harp) technique like syncopation, etc. that I couldn't always come up with on my own. Also, around the same time, I decided to learn the fiddle as well (from the same teacher), so I just kept on going, just with a different instrument. But for what I want to do with the harp right now, I've come to the realization that weekly lessons is no longer necessary.
# Posted on April 20th 2003 by Andee
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
old asian wiseguy sez: when the pupil is ready the teacher arrives - could this be turned arround into its vice versa (when the pupil is ready the teacher leaves)??? the ideal of a good teacher would know and let you know, when you need to leave him and go find a new and better teacher/learning method - unfortunately the ideal situation is very rare. but with reducing your visits/lessons at your teacher for a couple of month and try out new stuff like workshops-studying idol cds with slowdowners-...you might find out wether you really reached the limits of your teacher or just one of these occasional lows in your own learning curve ... so be careful with yourself and with your teacher. if there is something blocking your possible way behind your actual horizons it will vanish smoothly by smooth pressure. Go for it.
# Posted on April 20th 2003 by crannog
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
I think you've answered your own question really. The first thing you might think about doing is taking a break from lessons for a while ( maybe a month or two ) and see how you are coping. The second thing is that this is the best time of year to break out into sessions, festivals etc. I had a look at your biopic in the members section and I see that you already have more than enough tunes in your tunebook to be going on with on your own. Also I think a break away from "technique" into a "fun" mode might do wonders for your self confidence.
# Posted on April 20th 2003 by Backer
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
Hmmmm, good point Crannog about possibly reaching an occasional low in one's own learning curve. I have to think about that from my own point of view, actually....
# Posted on April 20th 2003 by Andee
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
Crannog,
can you fill me in on the "slowdowners". I looked for it in "search above" to no avail. I have 'nt come across anything like what the name suggests.
# Posted on April 21st 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
Celtic1234 - see this thread:http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1547
there is mentioned the slow downer and the more sophisticated transcribe! which I prefer. By digging the archives you might find more threads about this topic (more than a year back there has been one which made me download my transcribe slow down tool - I paid 20something USD for it to get the full functionality at any time and I still like it as a great tool to make the many steps from playing sheet music to play by ear and heart and learn ornamentations as played by my favourite ITM musos)
# Posted on April 21st 2003 by crannog
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
Good man Crannog
thanks
# Posted on April 21st 2003 by Celtic1234
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
I think Andee and Crannog both have great points, esp. Andee's cutting back to once a month idea. I have had a seven-year working relationship with my dressage (aka "horsey ballet") instructor, and there are just times when either I needed a break, my horse needed one, or even the instructor did. We've done various things -- from twice a week to once a month to, I think, an eight-month hiatus at one point. But it turned out to be great -- when we started back up again, not only had my instructor been working with new trainers and learning new things, but I had actually had enough "process time" to have really absorbed her teaching, and also to be ready to hear her with new ears. (Not to mention having made sufficient mistakes on my own that I was ready for a tune-up -- but I bless every one of those mistakes, because fixing them is where I really learned the most!)
The most important thing, I think, is to be as honest with your tutor as possible. That way, if you do want to come back now and again, you will have a good relationship to work with. (Not to mention the fact that if you wind up sitting next to him at a session it won't turn into a competitive nightmare!)
Good luck.
cat.
# Posted on April 21st 2003 by cwildeky
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
take a break, that's fine, but never finish with a tutor. Even if you think that you've got much better than them. Even if you think they are now learning from you, there will always be something more to learn.
# Posted on April 21st 2003 by ...
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
I agree with Mike. There's always something more to learn.
After I reasoned that I had done with tutors, I didn't just quit learning. I started listening to what I thought were the best musicians in my feild of music (flute,tinwhstle) and I simply tore their styles, their ornamentation tecniques, and any fancy thing that they did apart and I immitated them to the best of my ability. If you think you'r done with tutors, I suggest you find a recording of musician you want to sound like and listen to them a whole lot. Eventually you're playing will start sounding like theirs.
# Posted on April 24th 2003 by fadah
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
fadah, be carful to keep your own identity though. By all means study Matt Molloy, but never just copy.
# Posted on April 24th 2003 by ...
Re: When to finish with my tutor?
I think if you are asking the question, then it is time to move on. You get more for your money by having very few lessons and lots of practicing in between.
Celtic 1234, you can download a slowdowner for winamp for free from their website that works great. It was programmed by the same people who did the amazing-slower-downer.
-Troy
# Posted on April 28th 2003 by RTP