Been on the platform 3 months and still haven't found the right piano tutor
Okay so maybe I'm the problem here, I genuinely don't know anymore, but three trial lessons and not a single one has been right and I'm starting to get a little tired of pretending otherwise.
I'm in Chicago, tried Lessonface once. I have a Yamaha P-45, sustain pedal, Simply Piano on my phone, I practice every other day. I am not a casual about this. I just want to learn songs I actually like. Billy Joel, Elton John, some classic rock. That's it. That's the whole ask.
First teacher ignored everything I said in the intro and opened with circle of fifths. I told him before we even started that I wanted repertoire-first, that I'm a hobbyist, that theory can come in context as I learn actual songs. He smiled and nodded and then explained what a whole step is. Okay.
Second was a Berklee grad which fine, great, but she pulled out Faber Adult Piano Adventures within the first ten minutes. I specifically said no method books. I said it. Out loud. She heard me and did it anyway. I don't know what to tell you.
Third one actually mentioned lead sheets and chord charts which is exactly the direction I want to go, so I was hopeful. But every time I asked something I felt like we were operating on slightly different wavelengths and by the end of the lesson I was more confused about his teaching approach than when we started.
And none of these platforms make any of this easier. The filtering is useless. You can sort by price and instrument and that's basically it. No way to filter by teaching philosophy, no distinction between method book instruction and repertoire-based instruction, no intake form, nothing. Just five star reviews that all say "very patient and encouraging!!" and a headshot.
How many of these trial lessons am I supposed to sit through before one of them actually listens to what I said I wanted.
Posted Feb 23, 2026, 3:46 PM UTC