5 Bad Piano Teachers (and how to break up with them)

Most piano teachers have heard it more than once—the tired story of a bitter old piano teacher (usually a nun) who beat students’ hands with rulers. This outdated stereotype seems to be an all-too-frequent response when teachers tell people what they do for a living. Thankfully, with improved education and professionalism, piano teaching has evolved beyond this sort of abuse; today, most teachers are supportive, helpful, compassionate, highly-trained educators. They want the best for their students and will do all that they can to help them grow and evolve as musicians and human beings. 

Sadly, however, some bad teachers still exist. And when students take lessons from these bad teachers, they find themselves in a professional relationship that is ineffective at best and abusive at worst. I’ve been lucky to have had excellent teachers my whole life—one of whom is now one of my dearest friends—but 26 years in the teaching profession has given me a glimpse of a few bad teachers. I’ve observed the damage they inflict on their students and (at times) on their teaching colleagues—damage that (in the most extreme cases) can linger for decades after the abuse has stopped. Everyone who studies music deserves a well-trained, supportive teacher, and while advice abounds on how to find a good teacher, little has been said about how to identify and avoid the bad ones. Here are 5 of the most common bad teachers (from best to worst) and some advice on how to break up with them. 

Poor personality match

OK, so this teacher isn’t technically a bad teacher, but no teacher is good for every student. There’s no reason to keep working with someone with whom you don’t work well. These things rarely work themselves out, so if the teacher doesn’t terminate lessons, do so yourself.

Untrained

Sadly, in the US, there’s no required accreditation for private music instruction, and although the teaching profession is working on becoming more professional, people who once played the piano as kids still market themselves as piano teachers. If you have encountered one of these “teachers,” save yourself the frustration of paying for bad musical advice and move on to a trained instructor. 

Unprofessional

Does your teacher have sound business practices? Does she or he dress appropriately and have a professional studio space (even if it’s a room in the house)? Do they take phone calls during lessons, or accept constant interruptions from their children? Teachers who don’t take themselves seriously as professionals won’t take the job of shepherding their students seriously either. 

Angry/bitter teachers

Maybe they’re bitter because they didn’t get the concert career they dreamed about. Maybe they’re perpetually angry because they’re locked in competitive combat with other teachers. Maybe they’re just sour people. Maybe it’s all or none of the above. The reasons don’t matter; what matters is that anger and bitterness seeps into lessons and poisons the music and the student. If you encounter this teacher, run away. It isn’t likely to change. 

Abusive

Whether it be verbal, physical, or sexual, teachers who abuse the trust of their students must be abandoned immediately—even (if necessary) in the middle of a lesson. Walk away. And if the abuse crosses a legal line, report the teacher to the authorities. You will be doing yourself and others a favor. 

Firing a bad teacher is never easy, but when you prepare to break up with a bad teacher, it helps to keep these things in mind:

• Remember this is a business relationship, not a friendship. You owe the teacher nothing beyond your contractual obligation to him or her. 

• Unless the teacher has been abusive to you, walk away in a professional, businesslike manner.

• If you are the victim of any kind of abuse, report it to the proper authorities

• And (most importantly), find yourself a good teacher.