Are monthly guqin lessons to far and in-between?

[guzhenglover]

Hi me again!

Can people please advise me on this one - if I get a guqin teacher, how often do you think I should have lessons? I ask this because there's this person who might be able to give me lessons, but only monthly, or even at longer intervals, though each lesson would go for 2 or 3 hours. Should I be content with this and consider accepting this arrangement? I am thinking, like, if lessons were going to be so far and in-between, I might as well stick with the current arrangement and teach myself. I wouldn't like the idea of being left alone for a month, and I'd have thought that the idea of having a teacher is to have someone around who can monitor the student's progress on a regular basis. And to me what seems "regular" should be like weekly or fortnightly lessons. At least that's the traditional arrangement for western music tutitions.

Or do you guys think that perhaps I should consider taking up the offer anyway? Maybe having a teacher is better than no teacher at all...

[Si]

A once a month teacher is better than none. Deffo!

and its for 2-3 hours so its not too bad.

the you can spend the intervening time learning the fingerings and when you meet the teacher they can focus on techique and melody.

[guzhenglover]

What happens when there are questions or problems during that month and you think you have a teacher but the teacher isn't around to help you with these? Wouldn't be like having no teacher?

How often do you have your lessons, syburn?

[Charlie Huang]

Surely a teacher is better that no teacher!

The only thing that a teacher in this arrangement can do is correct finger technique and give a booster jab each month so you are heading in the right direction as well as correcting your playing of the pieces you already know.

[guzhenglover]

admin said:

The only thing that a teacher in this arrangement can do is correct finger technique and give a booster jab each month so you are heading in the right direction as well as correcting your playing of the pieces you already know.

So how regularly should lessons be so that each lesson is more than just a "booster job"?

[Charlie Huang]

Weekly to fortnightly.

[Si]

yeah - mine is every week but if i miss a week its usually ok cos i can still practice other tunes etc.

The lady that runs the school where I go to , she knows a few players in Singapore. Next time I see her I ask here for the contacts.

Of course one of the contacts is Mr Thing-a-ma-gig, who runs the shop I told you about. Apparently he is studying his Masters in Guqin at Beijing. But the other contact is an player like us. It would be good if you can meet him (or her??) from time to time and he could help you.

Shame theres no YaJi in Singers. We can have one during the CNY - but it will be a sad little one with just us too.