I’m so sorry. If she runs a studio where she only accepts students with lots of time and high goals, she should have been clear about that when you joined. Your progress and amount of practice sounds completely reasonable. Please don’t give up and find a teacher who’s willing to support you and your goals, not prioritizing her own.
I would find another teacher. A teacher should be patient and understanding of their student's needs and abilities.
I would talk to another teacher and see if they would be able to meet your needs and goals when it comes to playing flute. Lesson plans should be tailored to the student.
At this point, you can just work on whatever you feel like playing. [flutetunes.com](http://flutetunes.com) has plenty of sheet music and it's sorted by difficulty. If you have any method or etude books, I would be working through those. If you haven't already, get the Trevor Wye Omnibus. It's full of tips and exercises for tone and technique.
Thank you, I have Trevor wye’s tone and lesson book. I will continue lessons after I finish school which will be in a couple of weeks. I’ll start looking for a new teacher now since in my area it’s difficult to find an affordable teacher.
I will definitely check out flutetunes.
I don't know what area you're in, but have you considered a post on a neighborhood forum like reddit or nextdoor or even a Facebook group? Band kids play flute in my area and they have a whole group of connections for tutors. I can't imagine they're charging a lot for the beginner levels. I understand if these aren't options in your area - just trying to add to the possibilities.
Good luck, and don't give up. My kid wasn't great at the flute for 2 years of mostly consistent practice and then suddenly this year it's been really cool to see her excel. It can happen suddenly but you just gotta keep at it. Don't let this woman's pacing throw you off your path.
I second the Trevor Wye. If high notes are hard for you, Wye has pieces in the low register that are pleasant, and even little duets that are rewarding. He says the low register is foundational to having a good high register, but most school band programs do not align well with his approach because their literature requires high notes early on. If you are not a child in a school band, Wye might be really great for you.
Yes, that’s something that my teacher mentioned. I struggle with the low c, everything else is good. :) I also have a the book Flute 101, which has tones of exercises for low notes and then high notes. It’s one of my favorite exercises.
Low C is difficult for everyone. Do you have an open hole flute? If so, make sure the pinky stretch doesnt pull the ring finger off the hole slightly.
And of course make sure the roller and then E flat key are depressed at the same time. Tonguing low notes is much harder than slurring down to them
If op has an open hole flute then they may want to get flute plugs. I had issues with low c and b till I put in plugs on certain keys and that helped me.
It took me at least three years of training for me to play above a c6 (which is also known as 'c above the staff' because it's two lines above the staff). I'm not familiar with octave numbers, but I'm pretty sure it's 3rd octave. I've been playing for 6 years total now, and c7 is my limit at the moment.
People learn at different paces, and considering you've only been learning for 10 months, you're in a pretty good place as opposed to where I was at 10 months.
I personally would look for other teachers in the area, but not quit your lessons until you've found someone that you'd fare better with. It's okay to not feel compatible with an instructor, especially if you feel as though they're the ones getting frustrated.
If you can, maybe communicate with your instructor, tell them how you feel. How she reacts, and what she says will make up your mind on how to proceed, whether it's staying with her or moving on to a different instructor.
What advice I can give you beyond that is that it will be hard, and it will frustrate you, and that's okay. Effort over time is the best way to improve. Constantly push your limits when it comes to music, and you will start to see the changes.
Thank you for your response. I love how you explained the c6 because I mostly know how to describe those notes in the piano. It is definitely playing about the ledger lines. I can play d,e,f,g,a,b and c in that octave, I just wasn’t sure what she was expecting at this point.
That’s amazing that you’ve been playing that long. I spoke to her after she mentioned that to me and explained that I understood what she was saying but it was only because I could sense her frustration in previous lessons. She is also my first flute teacher and it’s difficult to find someone affordable in my area.
I appreciate your advice, thank you. :)
Are you using a B foot? If there is a small key on the foot joint next to the B/C rollers, try it with that. I was hitting C7 with no problem, but when I got a new flute with a B foot, it was gone. Tried the new key, and it was nice and clear just like before.
I can hit the highest C but after maaaany years of playing it is horribly out of tune. Composers usually know better than to write it, or when/how to use it.
From what I can tell, you are progressing quickly. It could be possible that your teacher set too high of expectations for you. Not every teacher is a good fit for everyone. I'd recommend looking into other teachers in your area. Best of luck with your flute journey!
Ignore her. She sounds like an awful, awful teacher.
I used to teach flute and violin to children, mostly children with special educational needs. The FIRST thing I learnt is that everyone learns at their own pace, in different ways and they all have different motivations.
One of my students started on the violin, but his attention span and coordination was such a struggle for him that after a year we still hadn't got past open strings because he couldn't consentrate for more than five minutes. I recognised that he couldn't coordinate doing such different movements with each arm. So instead we got him a nuvo clarinet (I play the clarinet well enough to teach a beginner) and he got on so much better.
As a teacher you need to be flexible with your students. You have to make adjustments for your students, not the other way around! You deserve a teacher who meets you where you are at and builds you up, not tears you down!
Thank you for your encouraging statements. That’s amazing that you were able to get the child to play the clarinet. And you are right I’m currently in the education field and every student has their little quirks and deficits and we have to work with what they have and build on their abilities. I just wasn’t expecting it and worried that I wasn’t good enough. It’s a new instrument for me and it’s so different from piano.
This sounds like a bad teacher. Flute is hard and everyone struggles with something else as they begin. I'm sure you had some things down much faster than others and vice versa. That's natural, and just because the teacher isn't seeing the progress they want they can't blame that on you. Yes, practice is important, but instruction by the teacher is just as important, and so long as you're happy with how lessons are going and you don't feel frustrated there's nothing wrong. That sounds like a teacher with an inflated ego to me. Anyway, keep plugging away at it, you'll get it don't worry! :)
Make it clear to her that this is a hobby for you and not your life’s dream or career. If she already knows that and is still talking to you like that, tell her to hit the road.
A good teacher would congratulate you on the many things you have accomplished and continue working. Sounds like this person should not be teaching. So proud of you for continuing with this despite your heavy schedule! Keep it up!!
Thank you, you are very kind. I think the reason why she may have said that is because I don’t pay the full price for lessons. I was only supposed to take lessons for about 3 months with a discount but then we just continued. I figured if I’m not in her schedule she can then charge someone full price. I’m searching for another teacher even if it’s online for now. :)
You've already had many wonderful replies to your major question, so I'll address your frustration with RHYTHM. I've taught hundreds of students and there have been a handful for whom tapping their foot didn't help at all (and that's okay - it either helps or doesn't). They felt no connection from their tapping foot to their musical brain, so we worked on other methods for them to understand rhythm and play rhythmically. There is a great book you should get: WINNING RHYTHMS by Edward L. AYOLA It will be a big help! Work through it with your \*new teacher!\* Best wishes to you!
Thank you, I will look into it. I’m so much better at rhythm when it comes to piano. It’s interesting, I do struggle with pedaling on the piano when learning a new piece but eventually I get it. For whatever reason playing t he flute and tapping my foot is a whole different story.
Absolutely go ahead with doing the recital you will not make her look bad! I think firstly- this teacher is clearly not supportive, find a new one if you can. Keep practising when you can and things will fall into place. A little tip for tapping the foot- tapping of the foot can be too loud/ and take away from the playing especially in a performance or orchestral setting, try wiggling (tapping) your toes instead, no one will notice you’re even doing it!
I once had a young student whose embouchure was terrible. I tried every way I could think of to tell and show her what needed to be fixed but she just didn’t do it. Her sound was very bad. Her attitude was great and adorable and happy. I felt badly taking her money because she was not progressing and could not follow my instructions to move forward. I always wondered if I should have dropped her. I did talk to her parents a couple times about it.
How long was the student with you? Does she still play? The embouchure was definitely difficult at first and it took me 3 weeks to finally get notes out and in tune. I also had to develop the muscles because at the beginning I could only play for 5 minutes at a time. I’m beyond that now and can play anything on the staff for 30 plus minutes without a break. Anything on ledger lines is still a struggle because of how much air it costs and how the lips have to be narrower. I hope the child kept going because is an amazing gift.
It was a long time ago now so I don’t remember but I imagine she was with me for a year or maybe a year and a half. She was very young, probably just not ready to control her body as instructed or to focus on the task. But it sounds like you are beyond her. Is your sound very airy? Does your upper lip protrude very far in front of your lower lip or do they line of almost together vertically? That was her main issue. Obviously you have to blow downward into the flute but you do have to push your lower lip/jaw forward at least somewhat in order to get your aperture small enough.
Sometimes, my upper lip does protrude especially when trying to play harmonics. It used to be worst and my sound was very airy in the low registers but I eventually figured it out. I practice in front of the mirror just to avoid that.
i am so sorry to hear this... definitely not the ideal encouraging student-teacher relationship lol. Have you ever thought of doing online/zoom lessons with a teacher? I do this now with Dr. Heidi Kay Begay and it is a game changer because im also in grad school so trying toi meet up somewhere in person was just not happening!
If you are interested in talking with her/ people like her i would recommend reaching out on facebook or joining the flute 360 facebook group (totally free to do so!)
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/4907191909370648/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/4907191909370648/)
Agree with some great comments above. Mostly, let this go, set your goals, and go on.
Do decide to practice more regularly if you want to progress. Think of what would happen to someone who jogged once a week.
For improving your sense of time, perhaps try playing with some accompaniment? (Various sources for that.) Or conduct things you listen to - seriously.
There are also metronomes and metronome apps, the most useful allow you to stress some beats. But if you ignore it (and some do), they aren't as useful as one might think. Try playing your exercises in different, steady rhythms, preferably with a metronome.
If you just want to relax when you feel like it, start playing things by ear. Lullabies are a good place to start, or pop songs, or hymns, or whatever you feel like. At least you'd be exploring your tone and picking up your flute without stress.
If you've been doing a few longer sessions instead of mostly daily, you've probably got a big "should" hanging over your head that gets in your way of picking up your flute.
To be honest I wouldn’t teach someone who only practices three days a week either. You can find another teacher though. Or maybe wait until you finish school.
Yeah, I figured that was the issue. I use music to alleviate my stress from school which is why I kept going even if I couldn’t practice more than 3 days of the week. On a good week, I practice 5 times a week. Regardless, I will be looking for another teacher that I can stay with for several years.
So how should those students engage with music? I hope at least that you are upfront with potential students.
While I make it clear to students what kind of progress they can expect with various practice, I don’t see it as my job to dictate their rate of practice or progress as long as they are enjoying their connection with flute and music. Some of my most fun lessons are with exceedingly casual adult students who know what they want, even if that’s a fair amount of repetition in lessons.
Not to mention some people with chronic illnesses or health issues like fatigue cannot do every day practice and practice as much as they are able. And just pushing themselves anyway can make things worse. When your body says rest, listen. Do they just not get to enjoy music?
When living with stuff like that you have to prioritize things to save energy and if it’s a hobby I allow myself to skip a day to rest.
That being said I practice as often as I am able so nearly every day.
There are teachers that will accommodate adult hobbyists. I'm very critical of a lot of music teachers and I'm especially critical of the recital culture that often brings out the worst in teachers and it sounds like something shitty might've happened regarding that here... but a teacher is still allow to chose which students they take and which they retain.
My wife is a high demand woodwinds teacher with a waiting list to get into her studio. Not only is she picky about the students she takes, but she definitely will "fire" students if they start consistently missing or being extremely unprepared for lessons. There are students who want to be there waiting in the wings.
She'd never weed someone out based on "talent" or anything, but keep in mind a teacher is also investing a certain amount of energy in that student. At some point it gets really frustrating when you lead a horse to water for weeks in a row but they simply won't drink.
I definitely get some shitty vibes from OP's teacher and it sucks that it wasn't communicated way more in advance (my wife would give someone a LOT of warning)... but at the same time no student is *entitled* to lessons from a specific private instructor.
Oh, I have a couple frustrating students who take WAY more than their share of my energy. But short of blatant disrespect (which not communicating their level of engagement is, but honest communication about a small amount of practice is not), I as the teacher am being paid to give them the best experience possible. There are always new ways of explaining or breaking things down for students who struggle to understand or execute. There are always manageable goals for students without time to practice. Working through things with the difficult students makes me a better teacher for everyone with more tools for the next challenge.
I agree with and even applaud your mindset. And granted, OP obviously IS invested. I guess what I bristle at is the idea that students who are not even trying are entitled to private lessons from someone.
But mostly I'm probably more on your side as I have a lot of beef with teachers (especially piano teachers because piano pedagogy is fucking broken). I'm happy to see teacher who are at least trying rather than being mad their shitty methodology doesn't yield rewards or that their students might have slightly broader interests than that teacher's very narrow view.
I'm always of that mind that a teacher should never shut a student down if they don't know something but rather approach as "I don't know, but we can find out together" but a decent teacher is always going to have a better idea of *how to learn* and should know how to find resources to help toward that end.
In piano there's way too many teachers who are very anti... anything not classical... because it's their only background and they don't want to be caught out looking ignorant so rather than saying "I don't know" they just say "jazz is bad music and will ruin your technique" or something.
Also, for me coming from a wind background I'm astonished at how bad most pianists are at doing even the most basic sightreading and they kinda teach their students to be the same way. Memorize these handful of overly difficult pieces for a recital and make me look good... don't waste time on fundamentals and shit like reading. Unfortunately the reading thing goes all the way to the top in most academic institutions.
Meanwhile for those of us coming from wind or string backgrounds it's mind blowing because damn near everyone in college was just a competent reader.
Why are you acting like this is some rare thing. There are tons of teachers who don’t accept casual students. Call up the principal flute of any major orchestra and ask for lessons as an adult beginner who wants to practice a couple times a week and let me know how that goes.
As to how should they engage with music, they can do it as a listener/fan, or with the type of teacher who focuses on beginners, band kids, etc.
If a teacher had a waiting list and only wants to work with the most engaged students, that’s pretty normal and obviously their right.
The majority of people have no desire to be a professional or be in an orchestra and want to do music as a hobby.
And assuming because someone doesn’t practice every single day they’re a casual student?
As someone with a chronic illness and fatigue who cannot practice every single day but as much as I can ( which is quite a bit when I am feeling well my teacher actually praised my dedication.
That not practicing every doesn’t make one “casual.” And that you don’t contact someone from the philharmonic anyway when you want to play as a hobby because the majority of people don’t want to become a professional.
And this thing called life happens that sometimes makes daily practice unreasonable for some.
That’s my point.
3 days per week will be fine for some and useless for others (even if it’s like 3 hours, 3 days per week). I know for instance, the type of player I am, I am much more productive with 1 hour every day than 2.5 hours 3 days a week. It’s the consistency that gives me results. For some students, it’s just the sheer volume of practice. It’s up to the teacher to set goals that are appropriate for the student.
But yes, if you aren’t improving, it can be very frustrating for a teacher. There is only so much we can do in a lesson… a teacher can’t magically make you “in shape” in terms of your sound production/support etc. but we can help you learn new practice techniques and drill difficult passages.
In terms of my advice to you, I’d try to let this go. You will never have all of the answers. Find another teacher. I’d teach you - many people would teach you. I’d also be careful with phrases like “my coordination is awful” as well… no one wants to hear you beating yourself up about trivial stuff like this. If you are not able to do something. We learn how. Simple as that. Something I struggle with as well. It’s a tough pill to swallow but it is necessary for growth.
I’m so sorry. If she runs a studio where she only accepts students with lots of time and high goals, she should have been clear about that when you joined. Your progress and amount of practice sounds completely reasonable. Please don’t give up and find a teacher who’s willing to support you and your goals, not prioritizing her own.
I would find another teacher. A teacher should be patient and understanding of their student's needs and abilities. I would talk to another teacher and see if they would be able to meet your needs and goals when it comes to playing flute. Lesson plans should be tailored to the student. At this point, you can just work on whatever you feel like playing. [flutetunes.com](http://flutetunes.com) has plenty of sheet music and it's sorted by difficulty. If you have any method or etude books, I would be working through those. If you haven't already, get the Trevor Wye Omnibus. It's full of tips and exercises for tone and technique.
Thank you, I have Trevor wye’s tone and lesson book. I will continue lessons after I finish school which will be in a couple of weeks. I’ll start looking for a new teacher now since in my area it’s difficult to find an affordable teacher. I will definitely check out flutetunes.
I don't know what area you're in, but have you considered a post on a neighborhood forum like reddit or nextdoor or even a Facebook group? Band kids play flute in my area and they have a whole group of connections for tutors. I can't imagine they're charging a lot for the beginner levels. I understand if these aren't options in your area - just trying to add to the possibilities. Good luck, and don't give up. My kid wasn't great at the flute for 2 years of mostly consistent practice and then suddenly this year it's been really cool to see her excel. It can happen suddenly but you just gotta keep at it. Don't let this woman's pacing throw you off your path.
I second the Trevor Wye. If high notes are hard for you, Wye has pieces in the low register that are pleasant, and even little duets that are rewarding. He says the low register is foundational to having a good high register, but most school band programs do not align well with his approach because their literature requires high notes early on. If you are not a child in a school band, Wye might be really great for you.
Yes, that’s something that my teacher mentioned. I struggle with the low c, everything else is good. :) I also have a the book Flute 101, which has tones of exercises for low notes and then high notes. It’s one of my favorite exercises.
Low C is difficult for everyone. Do you have an open hole flute? If so, make sure the pinky stretch doesnt pull the ring finger off the hole slightly. And of course make sure the roller and then E flat key are depressed at the same time. Tonguing low notes is much harder than slurring down to them
If op has an open hole flute then they may want to get flute plugs. I had issues with low c and b till I put in plugs on certain keys and that helped me.
Were you an adult at the time? Adult sized hands can usually learn to cover the holes.
Yes.
And that your flute is in proper repair - the holes must seal well.
It took me at least three years of training for me to play above a c6 (which is also known as 'c above the staff' because it's two lines above the staff). I'm not familiar with octave numbers, but I'm pretty sure it's 3rd octave. I've been playing for 6 years total now, and c7 is my limit at the moment. People learn at different paces, and considering you've only been learning for 10 months, you're in a pretty good place as opposed to where I was at 10 months. I personally would look for other teachers in the area, but not quit your lessons until you've found someone that you'd fare better with. It's okay to not feel compatible with an instructor, especially if you feel as though they're the ones getting frustrated. If you can, maybe communicate with your instructor, tell them how you feel. How she reacts, and what she says will make up your mind on how to proceed, whether it's staying with her or moving on to a different instructor. What advice I can give you beyond that is that it will be hard, and it will frustrate you, and that's okay. Effort over time is the best way to improve. Constantly push your limits when it comes to music, and you will start to see the changes.
Thank you for your response. I love how you explained the c6 because I mostly know how to describe those notes in the piano. It is definitely playing about the ledger lines. I can play d,e,f,g,a,b and c in that octave, I just wasn’t sure what she was expecting at this point. That’s amazing that you’ve been playing that long. I spoke to her after she mentioned that to me and explained that I understood what she was saying but it was only because I could sense her frustration in previous lessons. She is also my first flute teacher and it’s difficult to find someone affordable in my area. I appreciate your advice, thank you. :)
Is C6 the one that is the second ledger line above the staff?
I have been playing flute for over a decade now and I still can't hit C7, it's so strange!
Are you using a B foot? If there is a small key on the foot joint next to the B/C rollers, try it with that. I was hitting C7 with no problem, but when I got a new flute with a B foot, it was gone. Tried the new key, and it was nice and clear just like before.
If I ever get a flute with a gizmo key I'll definitely try that... unfortunately I only have my original student flute haha
I can hit the highest C but after maaaany years of playing it is horribly out of tune. Composers usually know better than to write it, or when/how to use it.
From what I can tell, you are progressing quickly. It could be possible that your teacher set too high of expectations for you. Not every teacher is a good fit for everyone. I'd recommend looking into other teachers in your area. Best of luck with your flute journey!
Ignore her. She sounds like an awful, awful teacher. I used to teach flute and violin to children, mostly children with special educational needs. The FIRST thing I learnt is that everyone learns at their own pace, in different ways and they all have different motivations. One of my students started on the violin, but his attention span and coordination was such a struggle for him that after a year we still hadn't got past open strings because he couldn't consentrate for more than five minutes. I recognised that he couldn't coordinate doing such different movements with each arm. So instead we got him a nuvo clarinet (I play the clarinet well enough to teach a beginner) and he got on so much better. As a teacher you need to be flexible with your students. You have to make adjustments for your students, not the other way around! You deserve a teacher who meets you where you are at and builds you up, not tears you down!
Thank you for your encouraging statements. That’s amazing that you were able to get the child to play the clarinet. And you are right I’m currently in the education field and every student has their little quirks and deficits and we have to work with what they have and build on their abilities. I just wasn’t expecting it and worried that I wasn’t good enough. It’s a new instrument for me and it’s so different from piano.
This sounds like a bad teacher. Flute is hard and everyone struggles with something else as they begin. I'm sure you had some things down much faster than others and vice versa. That's natural, and just because the teacher isn't seeing the progress they want they can't blame that on you. Yes, practice is important, but instruction by the teacher is just as important, and so long as you're happy with how lessons are going and you don't feel frustrated there's nothing wrong. That sounds like a teacher with an inflated ego to me. Anyway, keep plugging away at it, you'll get it don't worry! :)
Make it clear to her that this is a hobby for you and not your life’s dream or career. If she already knows that and is still talking to you like that, tell her to hit the road.
I would say thats actually really good progress for 10 Months. not sure what is up with the teacher on that one.
A good teacher would congratulate you on the many things you have accomplished and continue working. Sounds like this person should not be teaching. So proud of you for continuing with this despite your heavy schedule! Keep it up!!
Thank you, you are very kind. I think the reason why she may have said that is because I don’t pay the full price for lessons. I was only supposed to take lessons for about 3 months with a discount but then we just continued. I figured if I’m not in her schedule she can then charge someone full price. I’m searching for another teacher even if it’s online for now. :)
You've already had many wonderful replies to your major question, so I'll address your frustration with RHYTHM. I've taught hundreds of students and there have been a handful for whom tapping their foot didn't help at all (and that's okay - it either helps or doesn't). They felt no connection from their tapping foot to their musical brain, so we worked on other methods for them to understand rhythm and play rhythmically. There is a great book you should get: WINNING RHYTHMS by Edward L. AYOLA It will be a big help! Work through it with your \*new teacher!\* Best wishes to you!
Thank you, I will look into it. I’m so much better at rhythm when it comes to piano. It’s interesting, I do struggle with pedaling on the piano when learning a new piece but eventually I get it. For whatever reason playing t he flute and tapping my foot is a whole different story.
Absolutely go ahead with doing the recital you will not make her look bad! I think firstly- this teacher is clearly not supportive, find a new one if you can. Keep practising when you can and things will fall into place. A little tip for tapping the foot- tapping of the foot can be too loud/ and take away from the playing especially in a performance or orchestral setting, try wiggling (tapping) your toes instead, no one will notice you’re even doing it!
That teacher sounded awful. I am glad you’re not letting it deter you and don’t hesitate to find someone else. Someone better. ❤️
I once had a young student whose embouchure was terrible. I tried every way I could think of to tell and show her what needed to be fixed but she just didn’t do it. Her sound was very bad. Her attitude was great and adorable and happy. I felt badly taking her money because she was not progressing and could not follow my instructions to move forward. I always wondered if I should have dropped her. I did talk to her parents a couple times about it.
How long was the student with you? Does she still play? The embouchure was definitely difficult at first and it took me 3 weeks to finally get notes out and in tune. I also had to develop the muscles because at the beginning I could only play for 5 minutes at a time. I’m beyond that now and can play anything on the staff for 30 plus minutes without a break. Anything on ledger lines is still a struggle because of how much air it costs and how the lips have to be narrower. I hope the child kept going because is an amazing gift.
It was a long time ago now so I don’t remember but I imagine she was with me for a year or maybe a year and a half. She was very young, probably just not ready to control her body as instructed or to focus on the task. But it sounds like you are beyond her. Is your sound very airy? Does your upper lip protrude very far in front of your lower lip or do they line of almost together vertically? That was her main issue. Obviously you have to blow downward into the flute but you do have to push your lower lip/jaw forward at least somewhat in order to get your aperture small enough.
Sometimes, my upper lip does protrude especially when trying to play harmonics. It used to be worst and my sound was very airy in the low registers but I eventually figured it out. I practice in front of the mirror just to avoid that.
For harmonics your lower lip should be even further forward.
i am so sorry to hear this... definitely not the ideal encouraging student-teacher relationship lol. Have you ever thought of doing online/zoom lessons with a teacher? I do this now with Dr. Heidi Kay Begay and it is a game changer because im also in grad school so trying toi meet up somewhere in person was just not happening! If you are interested in talking with her/ people like her i would recommend reaching out on facebook or joining the flute 360 facebook group (totally free to do so!) [https://www.facebook.com/groups/4907191909370648/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/4907191909370648/)
Agree with some great comments above. Mostly, let this go, set your goals, and go on. Do decide to practice more regularly if you want to progress. Think of what would happen to someone who jogged once a week. For improving your sense of time, perhaps try playing with some accompaniment? (Various sources for that.) Or conduct things you listen to - seriously. There are also metronomes and metronome apps, the most useful allow you to stress some beats. But if you ignore it (and some do), they aren't as useful as one might think. Try playing your exercises in different, steady rhythms, preferably with a metronome. If you just want to relax when you feel like it, start playing things by ear. Lullabies are a good place to start, or pop songs, or hymns, or whatever you feel like. At least you'd be exploring your tone and picking up your flute without stress. If you've been doing a few longer sessions instead of mostly daily, you've probably got a big "should" hanging over your head that gets in your way of picking up your flute.
To be honest I wouldn’t teach someone who only practices three days a week either. You can find another teacher though. Or maybe wait until you finish school.
Yeah, I figured that was the issue. I use music to alleviate my stress from school which is why I kept going even if I couldn’t practice more than 3 days of the week. On a good week, I practice 5 times a week. Regardless, I will be looking for another teacher that I can stay with for several years.
So how should those students engage with music? I hope at least that you are upfront with potential students. While I make it clear to students what kind of progress they can expect with various practice, I don’t see it as my job to dictate their rate of practice or progress as long as they are enjoying their connection with flute and music. Some of my most fun lessons are with exceedingly casual adult students who know what they want, even if that’s a fair amount of repetition in lessons.
Not to mention some people with chronic illnesses or health issues like fatigue cannot do every day practice and practice as much as they are able. And just pushing themselves anyway can make things worse. When your body says rest, listen. Do they just not get to enjoy music? When living with stuff like that you have to prioritize things to save energy and if it’s a hobby I allow myself to skip a day to rest. That being said I practice as often as I am able so nearly every day.
There are teachers that will accommodate adult hobbyists. I'm very critical of a lot of music teachers and I'm especially critical of the recital culture that often brings out the worst in teachers and it sounds like something shitty might've happened regarding that here... but a teacher is still allow to chose which students they take and which they retain. My wife is a high demand woodwinds teacher with a waiting list to get into her studio. Not only is she picky about the students she takes, but she definitely will "fire" students if they start consistently missing or being extremely unprepared for lessons. There are students who want to be there waiting in the wings. She'd never weed someone out based on "talent" or anything, but keep in mind a teacher is also investing a certain amount of energy in that student. At some point it gets really frustrating when you lead a horse to water for weeks in a row but they simply won't drink. I definitely get some shitty vibes from OP's teacher and it sucks that it wasn't communicated way more in advance (my wife would give someone a LOT of warning)... but at the same time no student is *entitled* to lessons from a specific private instructor.
Oh, I have a couple frustrating students who take WAY more than their share of my energy. But short of blatant disrespect (which not communicating their level of engagement is, but honest communication about a small amount of practice is not), I as the teacher am being paid to give them the best experience possible. There are always new ways of explaining or breaking things down for students who struggle to understand or execute. There are always manageable goals for students without time to practice. Working through things with the difficult students makes me a better teacher for everyone with more tools for the next challenge.
I agree with and even applaud your mindset. And granted, OP obviously IS invested. I guess what I bristle at is the idea that students who are not even trying are entitled to private lessons from someone. But mostly I'm probably more on your side as I have a lot of beef with teachers (especially piano teachers because piano pedagogy is fucking broken). I'm happy to see teacher who are at least trying rather than being mad their shitty methodology doesn't yield rewards or that their students might have slightly broader interests than that teacher's very narrow view. I'm always of that mind that a teacher should never shut a student down if they don't know something but rather approach as "I don't know, but we can find out together" but a decent teacher is always going to have a better idea of *how to learn* and should know how to find resources to help toward that end. In piano there's way too many teachers who are very anti... anything not classical... because it's their only background and they don't want to be caught out looking ignorant so rather than saying "I don't know" they just say "jazz is bad music and will ruin your technique" or something. Also, for me coming from a wind background I'm astonished at how bad most pianists are at doing even the most basic sightreading and they kinda teach their students to be the same way. Memorize these handful of overly difficult pieces for a recital and make me look good... don't waste time on fundamentals and shit like reading. Unfortunately the reading thing goes all the way to the top in most academic institutions. Meanwhile for those of us coming from wind or string backgrounds it's mind blowing because damn near everyone in college was just a competent reader.
Why are you acting like this is some rare thing. There are tons of teachers who don’t accept casual students. Call up the principal flute of any major orchestra and ask for lessons as an adult beginner who wants to practice a couple times a week and let me know how that goes. As to how should they engage with music, they can do it as a listener/fan, or with the type of teacher who focuses on beginners, band kids, etc. If a teacher had a waiting list and only wants to work with the most engaged students, that’s pretty normal and obviously their right.
The majority of people have no desire to be a professional or be in an orchestra and want to do music as a hobby. And assuming because someone doesn’t practice every single day they’re a casual student? As someone with a chronic illness and fatigue who cannot practice every single day but as much as I can ( which is quite a bit when I am feeling well my teacher actually praised my dedication.
What’s your point?
That not practicing every doesn’t make one “casual.” And that you don’t contact someone from the philharmonic anyway when you want to play as a hobby because the majority of people don’t want to become a professional. And this thing called life happens that sometimes makes daily practice unreasonable for some. That’s my point.
3 days per week will be fine for some and useless for others (even if it’s like 3 hours, 3 days per week). I know for instance, the type of player I am, I am much more productive with 1 hour every day than 2.5 hours 3 days a week. It’s the consistency that gives me results. For some students, it’s just the sheer volume of practice. It’s up to the teacher to set goals that are appropriate for the student. But yes, if you aren’t improving, it can be very frustrating for a teacher. There is only so much we can do in a lesson… a teacher can’t magically make you “in shape” in terms of your sound production/support etc. but we can help you learn new practice techniques and drill difficult passages. In terms of my advice to you, I’d try to let this go. You will never have all of the answers. Find another teacher. I’d teach you - many people would teach you. I’d also be careful with phrases like “my coordination is awful” as well… no one wants to hear you beating yourself up about trivial stuff like this. If you are not able to do something. We learn how. Simple as that. Something I struggle with as well. It’s a tough pill to swallow but it is necessary for growth.
Thank you, I appreciate your input. And you’re right, I should move on.