The unique situation

Once when I was 22 I was working at a music store, getting my “chops up” learning how to teach.
Half hour lessons for $18, lots of kids learning on the first hours of their instruments (they would buy the instruments and take lessons at the store).
One day I was introduced to Steve who was 74 and wanted to learn piano.
He said, “I don’t have much time, teach me to play.”

There isn’t anything that will prioritize your time better than the lack of having time.
I had to re-think a lot of my own process, method and diagnosis (my methodology was already shaping into something but I had yet to encounter anomalies like this).

I threw out a lot of things.
Reading, chord voicing, physical dexterity exercises come to mind. I’m sure there were more.

We went “old school” visual. He wanted to learn song X. I converted it to an easy key, reduced the melody and left hand harmonies (rearranging) show it to him, have him play it back with errors, show him again, have him play it back with less errors.

He literally had to tough his way through it until he could manifest it with rhythm but it didn’t matter much because he was
excited. And, he was playing the piano.

It was clunky and messy but he was really into it.
We did songs.
He was happy.
And that’s really the best you’re going to get.

You don’t always have the time to make, create, or teach the ideal, and so you adjust.
Just like life.