Teaching Advice from Ludwig van Beethoven

Next week I begin another semester of teaching piano students! My recent preparation has included 

• reviewing all my student's progress reports
• purchasing new books for many of them
• planning lessons and group classes
• scheduling lessons
• corresponding with parents
• reading articles about teaching
• watching videos about Alexander Technique and efficient piano playing
• of course, practicing the piano
• and a little reading from Reginald G. Gerig's Famous Pianists and Their Technique

Within Gerig’s book, I ran across a nearly two-hundred year old story about a piano teacher and his student, and it’s the same story my students tell me every week.  The story never changes.

Eleven year old Karl was attending a boarding school.  His uncle Ludwig van Beethoven was almost completely deaf by this time, so Karl was receiving piano instruction from one of Beethoven’s best students, Carl Czerny.  Beethoven really wanted his nephew to become a fantastic pianist.  Toward this end, Beethoven wrote to the schoolmaster requesting that more piano practice time be arranged for Karl, but apparently his request went unfulfilled.  Karl didn’t become a famous pianist. Karl was too busy to practice the piano. 

In the letter below sent to Karl’s piano teacher, Czerny, Beethoven advises him about how to deal with Karl’s situation.

"My Dear Czerny!

Please be as patient as possible with our Karl, even though at present he may not be making as much progress as you and I would like.  If you are not patient, he will do even less well, because (although he must not know this) owing to the unsatisfactory timetable for his lessons he is being unduly strained.  Unfortunately nothing can be done about that for the time being.  Treat him therefore so far as possible with affection, but be firm with him." (From Famous Pianists and Their Technique p. 95)

Every week I work with students just like Karl – students who are way too busy to practice.  They have Kumon tutoring, then basketball and soccer and football and dance practice, homework, and…something else?! …oh.  I forgot.  Piano.

As I begin working with my students this semester, who like Beethoven’s nephew probably won’t become concert pianists either, I’ll be taking Beethoven’s advice to heart.

Sharon R. Blair, NCTM