I started learning the play the piano when I was four years old. I can't really remember learning how to read music. I remember working at getting proficient at it, but I don't remember before I understood how the staff works, what basic notation is, etc. Because of that, there are some things that I have been surprised when my students are confused about them. Here are some examples.
1) What a half note or whole note getting a number of counts means. I've always known to hold it for two or four counts, but I've been surprised by the number of students who are confused by it and think it means to play the note two or four times. I've even started making sure to say "Hold it for two counts." Demonstrating it. Emphasizing that you only play when you see a note head. Everything I can think of, and still, some students will try to play the note multiple quarter notes for half and whole notes.
2) How to find C. As far as I know, I have always known how to find C on the piano. But somehow, this confuses a lot of people. It's always in the same spot, just to the left of the two black keys, yet some people miss the pattern and are confused far longer than I would expect.
3) Right vs. Left. In preschool children, I'm not surprised when they aren't sure which hand is which, but I am shocked at how long this issue persists. Sometimes I think they should have been in piano lessons sooner if for no other reason than to learn their right from their left hand. I find myself having to remember who is right handed and who is left handed so I can tell the student if I want the hand they write with or not.
4) C Position. I explain it in multiple ways to every student. C is the lowest note for each hand. Right hand finger one goes on C and left hand finger five goes on C. Each had has C D E F and G. Right hand thumb on C and there are two white keys in between your thumbs. Yet so many students still put left hand thumb on E. I get when they try to put each thumb on a C. That makes sense. I guess the left hand thumb on E is kind of a mirror image which visually seems nice, but has left so many student confused...and me baffled at how they can leave the lesson being able to find C Position correctly (some even with their eyes closed!) and come back a week later having no clue what to do with their left hand.
5) Measures. This was a first. I explained measures to a student who really seemed to get the concept. She correctly counted the number of beats in each measure in the song (4), and the number of measures in the song. Great. This student tends to struggle with these concepts, but is nailing this. She then proceeded to play each measure four times in a row before moving on to the next measure. Really? Did I not say that you don't play anything differently from what we had been doing before? Did I not demonstrate the song playing each measure only once? OK. Correct and move on.
Are there any things that you've been surprised that others are confused by?
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