Piano Lessons FAQ:
When should my child begin his/her piano lessons?
As soon as they are interested in music. Earlier than age 5 is a great time to introduce them to the different instruments, playing copycat, singing and playing the drums.
Do I need a piano or a keyboard for piano lessons?
Yes either is fine. However having an acoustic piano at the home is a wonderful experience and is also a fine piece of furniture. Your student may enjoy playing on the big piano instead of a small toy keyboard. It is difficult to find a good acoustic piano for less than $3000 these days and a used Steinway will cost you around $12,000 (however they will last forever, the Steinway at our studio is 127 years old). An inexpensive keyboard will cost around $200-$500.
How long of a piano lesson should I take?
The more you put into it the more you get out of it. For young children 30-minutes is fine. Older students should have an hour lesson. Some serious students take up to four hours a week with us. There is a lot that we have to teach you, have a look at our syllabus to see what topics we can cover.
Do you make piano lessons fun for the student?
Absolutely. All of our instructors in addition to being some of the best in their field have friendly, fun personalities. Equipped with an exceptional talent at disarming the shyest of students and reeling in the rowdiest rascals.
What method do you teach?
Every student is unique and has a different style of learning. Therefore it is in the student’s best interest that we as guide’s through the world of music, adapt to their interest and style. The main principles that we teach all of our student’s are Listening, Rhythm, Repertoire, Theory & Reading. We have compiled songs for our student’s convenience that most student’s want to learn in music lessons, you can find it in our resource section of the website.
How much should I practice?
As much as the student wants to. The more time the student spends on an activity the further they will progress. In our resource section you will find a long list of practice tips. If you want to get into a routine you first need to figure out how much time the student could ‘realistically’ practice. Then speak with the instructor on ‘What’ to practice and go from there.
Piano Lesson Plan Subjects
Technique
Scales – Major, Harmonic minor, Melodic Minor, Pentatonic
Chords & Arpeggios – Major, Minor, Sus2, Sus4, Diminished, Augmented, 7th chords, 9th, 13th, Polychords
Patterns
Accents – loud, soft
All at various speeds using specific fingerings.
Sight Reading
Reading Treble & Bass Clef
Reading hands individually and together
Reading with and without a metronome
Ear Training(Aural Skills)
Solfege
Sight Singing
Aural Recall
Transcription
Copycat
Music Theory
Intervals
Building Scales, Chords & Arpeggios
Modes
Harmonic Analysis
Repertoire
Learning songs you enjoy
Simple Melodies
Play & Sing
Classical Etudes & Pieces
Popular Songs
Reading Lead Sheets (Chord Charts)
Music History
Ensemble Playing
Playing with the instructor
Playing in Bands
Composition
Basic Songwriting
Analysis
Recording
Performance Skills
Stage presence
Simple movement while playing
Emoting
Rhythm Skills
Playing in time
Accents
Coordination