All posts by Karen Berger

For Parents, Piano Lessons for Children

When is a Child Ready for Piano Lessons?

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Is picking out a tune on a keyboard evidence of musical talent? And when is a child old enough for piano lessons? The success of music programs for kids, such as Suzuki and Kindermusik, indicate that music lessons benefit children at virtually every age. Some music programs and curricula have even been developed for toddlers to start to learn to play the piano.

Talent is only part of the equation: the trick is to match the type of lesson and the teacher to the child’s readiness to learn certain skills and tasks.  Parents and teachers must always remember that they are dealing with a very small child who may still be uncertain of which hand is left and which hand is right. Learning to play the piano is difficult for anyone, let alone a pre-schooler. The pre-school music teacher’s primary jobs are to avoid frustration and to instill a love of learning piano. With four- and five-year-olds, this often translates to simply having fun. Sometimes group music lessons using percussion and other instruments appropriate for young children are more successful.

At What Age Should a Child Start Piano Instruction?

 

Typically, piano teachers recommend ages 7 or 8 as optimal for beginning piano lessons. However, almost every piano teacher works with beginning piano students who are younger as well as students who are older.

For younger children, consider the following:

  • Can the child focus for the length of a lesson, which may be up to a half an hour long?
  • Can the child follow directions?
  • Does the child know the letters of the alphabet? (This isn’t necessary, but it is useful.)
  • How well-developed is the child’s fine motor coordination? Can he hold a pencil? Wiggle each finger independently?
  • Finally, and perhaps most importantly, does the child really want lessons?

 

Choosing a Piano Teacher for a Small Child

 

In the first meeting with the teacher, the teacher will evaluate whether the child is ready for the program the teacher offers. Parents need to evaluate the teacher, as well.
The ideal piano teacher for a small child does not need to be a Juilliard graduate with an impressive concert career. Indeed, some highly trained pianists don’t like teaching beginner piano, and only do it because they feel they “have” to. Instead, look for someone who genuinely enjoys teaching piano to small children. The teacher’s attitude should be non-threatening and welcoming. It is also helpful if the teacher has had experience working with small children, has taken classes in early-childhood education, has worked in a pre-school music program, or has studied beginning piano pedagogy..

Recommendations from other parents are always a good place to start. In addition, a local community music school may have teachers who specialize in piano instruction for pre-school children.
The pedagogy involved in teaching piano to a pre-schooler is very different than the pedagogy of teaching a seven- or eight-year-old. Look for a teacher who adjusts curriculum by using age-appropriate materials, introducing games into the lessons, and varying activities so that the child doesn’t have to sit still on a piano bench for a half hour. Examples include rhythm and counting games, marching and moving games, or writing on a white board.

Be aware that many teachers of preschool children require that parents attend lessons and act as practice coaches during the week. To be effective, parents who don’t already know a little bit about music have to learn along with the child, at least for the first year or two. Musical parents obviously have a leg up on the process, but they, too, need to pay attention so that they understand the assignments and can mimic the teacher’s approach.

 

Buying an Acoustic Piano or a Digital Keyboard for a Young Piano Student

 

Most piano teachers recommend acoustic pianos for lessons, especially for a family that is serious about musical education. The acoustic piano versus digital piano debate will not be resolved anytime soon; for serious classical music, an acoustic piano will ultimately be required, although a digital piano can be useful for classical pianists. For a small child, digital keyboards are less intimidating (and for parents, they are less expensive). Requirements for a serviceable digital piano are:

  • Touch control. This means that when the player pushes a note with different amounts of pressure, the note sounds louder or softer. This is non-negotiable.
  • Weighted keys. This means that the keys have some resistance and mimic the feel of an acoustic piano. Using weighted keys develops finger strength.
  • 88 keys The full complement of 88 keys is preferable because the student develops a sense of keyboard geography by using peripheral vision that takes in the whole keyboard.
  • A reputable manufacturer such as Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, or Casio.

Parents who closely evaluate a child’s interest in and readiness for piano lessons, who choose a sympathetic piano teacher, who assist in practicing, and who purchase an appropriate keyboard will give their children a head-start in exploring and developing a life-long interest in learning music.

For Parents, Group Piano Lessons, Piano Lessons for Children

Group Piano Lessons or Private Lessons? Which is Best for Children?

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Piano students take a different path than most other instrumental students, and the reasons is simple: Piano is a solo instrument. True, guitar and organ can be solo instruments, too. But guitar is commonly played in a group, and few children study organ.

What this means is that other instrumentalists – violinists, flutists, trumpeters – often take group music lessons (at least at the beginning), where playing music takes place in a group context: Practice may be private, advanced instruction may be private, but the ultimate goal is to play with others.

But beginning piano students typically take private lessons right from the start, and these lessons rarely include participating in ensembles, playing in orchestras, or learning the essentials of group performance. Although the piano has a rich and varied library of ensemble and duet music, and although advanced pianists often accompany choruses, singers and instrumentalists, or play in bands or chamber ensembles, piano education is primarily a one-on-one activity leading to solo performance.

 

Group Music Instruction and Piano Education

Group lessons can be difficult for pianists: First, the instrument isn’t portable, which means that groups usually use keyboards, not pianos. The nature of the piano and its repertoire can make group lessons challenging, as well, because much of the traditional pedagogical material was written with the intent of being taught one-on-one with a private teacher. To be effectively used in a group class, material must often be modified, for instance, by breaking it into parts.

Finally, the complexity of the instrument comes into play. The piano is polyphonic (meaning that pianists play multiple parts at once). Pianists read two musical staves at once (bass and treble clefs), and must master both harmony and melody at the same time. These are skills that are difficult to teach in a group setting, and they are also the factors that make the piano satisfying to play as a solo instrument.

However, group piano lessons can make sense for many young beginners. When evaluating music lessons for a small child, here are some issues to consider.

 

Advantages of Group Piano Classes

  • Longer class times. Most group classes run at least an hour, with plenty of time for varied activities.
  • Price: Typically, n hour-long group lesson involving about four students will cost about the same as a private lesson that runs a half-hour.
  • Fun Factor: Children enjoy learning in games and with their peers, and a well-run group lesson includes plenty of musical fun.
  • Performance classes: Children learn to perform infront of their peers.
  • Group activities: These are ideal for teaching musical concepts such as rhythm and counting. Marching around the room to a beat, dancing, and clapping are all more fun for children in groups, and these activities teach fundamental skills that will set the stage for a student’s later learning.
  • Ensemble skills: A well run group will include music that can be played in parts. Students therefore learn the skills need to perform in a group. This is an element of music education that many private lessons fail to teach.
  • Lower stress: The low-key recreational approach of many groups may be appropriate for younger children who don’t yet have the dexterity to develop finer instrumental skills.

Advantages of Private Piano Lessons

  • Individual attention: Private lessons focus on the individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Piano is a multi-sensory, complex activity requiring learning by ear, eye, touch, and intellectual understanding. Each student combines these elements differently.
  • Appropriate pace: A group class that involves mismatched students will deprive both slower and faster learners for the attention they need. Private lessons go at the student’s learning pace, stopping whenever necessary to review concepts, repeat material, or explore a topic the student shows an interest in.
  • Skills development: For more advanced students, private attention is needed to work on micro issues such as fingering, as well as finer points of expression and interpretation. Issues such as technique and hand position are also better dealt with privately.
  • Progress: Progress is almost always faster in a private lesson than in a group lesson.
  • Stability: While the advantages of a group class often fall apart under the weight of an unruly or mismatched group, private lessons can follow a tailor made plan developed for each student, without being derailed by the needs of the group.

In music education, there isn’t any single right answer to the group versus private lessons conundrum Both group piano lessons and private piano lessons offer advantages. One option: Look for one of the many private piano teachers who incorporate some group instruction in the form of periodic group or performance classes.

Music Musings

The Little Things: Big Lessons from Little Students

I have to admit that I’m not always the world’s best teacher for the four- and five-year-old set, but having had a few great little students, I’m always willing to meet with them (and their parents) to see if they really want to learn and can sit still for long enough to do so.
As it turns out, some of these little ones have gone on to be excellent and committed teenage musicians. 
And I fall for cuteness every time.
I’ve got an adorable little guy right now — one who announces “I’m ready to learn a new song!” and “I can’t WAIT to turn the page!” and “I’m so excited I’m going to learn to read music I can’t even wait!”  
How could even the grumpiest piano teacher resist? 
Today, he told me, “Miss Karen! Did you know that if you play these notes, everything sounds good?” (Plays CDFGA) “And you can make up a song about anything you like.” 
“Really?” I said. “Show me.” 
So he played up and down and sang at top of his lungs, “Oh! I love my mommy so much!”
Cute little anecdote, but there’s more to it than meets the eye (or ear.)
First of all, this little guy discovered the notes of the pentatonic scale*: the five notes that are used to make folk songs around the world; the notes that are used in the melodies of hundreds of Black spirituals — “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” and a hundred others. 
And he’s right: These notes DO sound good, and you can use them to write a song about just about anything —  Watch this audience participation demonstration by Bobby McFerrin at the 2009 World Science Festival and you’ll learn that we instinctively respond to the scale my five-year old “discovered,” so much so that we seem to know it in our bones. And so do musicians from places as diverse as and musically different as China, Nigeria, Ireland, and South America.
Finally, my student is also right about what it is that music does: What the point of this whole thing is. We can use it to express our feelings about anything at all. And share them.
We can even write a love song.   
 * Nerd alert: The notes CDFGA are the notes of the F pentatonic scale, not the C pentatonic scale. I know that’s confusing, but the actual F pentatonic scale is FGACD in its standard form. My student simply rearranged the notes, starting on C.   
 
Acoustic Pianos, Buying a Piano

Buying a Used Piano: Problems, Issues, Prices, Advantages

It happens every year: Little Bobby is playing on a cheap keyboard, and mom and dad (and piano teacher, too!) think he’s ready for an upgrade to a real acoustic piano. (Here are some thoughts on acoustic versus digital pianos). Luckily, or so they think, they see an ad in the local advertising newspaper. All they have to do is pick it up and it’s theirs.

Two weeks, a failed tuning, and a world of disappointment later, guess who is placing an add in the paper begging someone to take the instrument off their hands?

Buying a used piano (or getting one for free) can work, but there are some considerations to take into account before you write the check or hire the mover.

Used Versus New Pianos

Obviously, new pianos come with big advantages: There no secret history of bad maintenance and mechanical problems. The piano comes with a guarantee. It probably even comes with a free tuning when you first get it delivered.

And all that comes with a gigantic price tag; Indeed, a fine new grand piano can cost as much as a fine car.

Used pianos can be a good solution. While top brand pianos such as Steinway, Bechstein, and Bosendorfer retain their value (and thus their price) over time (if they are well maintained), most pianos depreciate, and many are offered for free in community bulletin boards and online markets. The problem is that you may be inheriting  someone else’s problems. And, just as with buying a used car, you could be dealing with someone who is awfully eager to sell it to you. The information you get may be not entirely accurate, or even honest.

The biggest issue with buying a used piano is its condition. Pianos are incredibly complex mechanical machines with hundreds of hidden moving parts. A crack in a piece of wood no bigger than a safety pin can render an entire key unusable. And as a non-technician, you will never even know where to look.

But all that said, if you can find a good piano technician (ask the local piano teachers for references) to look at the piano for you, you might find that a used piano is a good deal.

How to Buy a Used Piano

Prices of used pianos can vary tremendously depending on make, manufacturer, the age of the piano, how it has been maintained, and how desperate the owner is to get rid of it.

When doing your research, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Go to a local piano store to get a benchmark, and expect to pay less from a private seller. (But also realize that maintenance issues may be more of a problem).
  • When visiting stores, play lots of instruments to get a feel for different sonorities and touches.
  • Ask a piano teacher for advice. Piano students quit, or upgrade their instruments, and sometimes a former student’s instrument may be for sale.
  • Be sure you know what you are looking at and considering buying. A spinet is different from a console, even if the two are only a few inches different in size. A large upright may be better than a grand. Educate yourself about types and brands of pianos before you shop.
  • Never buy sight unseen: If it’s a Craigslist piano or a piano advertised in your local ad newspaper, go to see (and play)  it. Or pay a teacher to accompany you.

When checking out the piano, consider the following:

  • Ask about tunings and maintenance. Pianos should be tuned  at least twice a year, although in practicality, once is a year is probably the most you can expect most people to spring for. A piano that has not been tuned in many years is more than likely no longer going to be able to hold its tune.
  • Ask about any restoration or mechanical work that has been done to the piano (new action, soundboard repairs, new strings, etc.).
  • Ask where the piano has been stored or kept: If it has been near a heater or a window, it may have been damaged by heat and light.
  • Don’t commit to a piano before you have had a chance to play it in tune with any annoying clicks and dings in the action repaired. Don’t trust promises that it will be “as good as new” when they tune it after you buy it. See for yourself.
  • Cracks in the soundboard are not (contrary to common myth) a deal breaker, but cracks in the pinblock are.
  • If you’re serious about an instrument, ask a technician to see the piano with you. (You’ll have to pay for this service, of course.)
  • If buying from a store, ask what parts of the piano will be guaranteed. Most stores include a tuning with the purchase price.

Buying a used piano is not for the faint of heart. But used pianos, even those that need considerable work and repairs, can be very good deals if you find the right instrument, and if you have it checked out by a competent and honest technician before you buy it. For more information, check prices and brands with the Blue Book of Pianos and read The Piano Book: Buying and Owning a New or Used Piano, by Larry Fine.

Practice and Skills

How to Practice Piano Effectively

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When we teach piano, most of us stress practice time. But time is only part of the practice equation: What, precisely, we do with that time is the other part. And contrary to how most people (kids and adults alike) practice, it shouldn’t be a matter of mindless repetition. Good practice is actually a rewarding, creative — and effective — process.

And here’s a note for piano parents who aren’t necessarily musicians themselves: One sure-fire way to tell if your kid is practicing correctly is to notice whether he or she keeps playing the piece over and over from beginning to end. That’s the WRONG way to practice. I tell my kids they can start with one play-through, during which they should note the problem areas. Then they need to get to work on those by practicing small sections over and over. They  can finish with another run-through. But to just keep repeating a piece, complete with all the same mistakes, is ineffective and pointless.

Every pianist (and every other musician, as well) develops his or her own practice routine, learning a series of possible practice strategies to deal with different types of mistakes and to learn difficult passages so they can be brought up to speed and played fluently. Part of practice is trial and error — seeing what works, and what doesn’t.

Whether just beginning to learn to play the piano or an accomplished virtuoso, pianists should look at these strategies as part of their “toolbox.” If one doesn’t work, try another. Experience tells pianists which strategies are best for which problems, but quite frequently, a pianist will try a number of practice techniques to master a particularly stubborn passage.

Practice Strategies for Mastering Piano Technique

Mechanical strategies are those that teach the players’ hands where to go. They deal with issues such as finding the right notes, using the right fingers, and coordinating the hands. These strategies help develop piano technique.

  • Play with hands apart. Practice one hand at a time if it makes musical sense to do so. Then play with hands together.
  • Play in small sections: Practice the piece in small bits, one phrase at a time. Phrases are the equivalent of sentences in the grammar of music. They are sometimes less than a line of music long, and sometimes more, just like a sentence on this page is sometimes shorter than a line, and sometimes longer. Practicing in phrases makes more musical sense than practicing by the line.
  • Combine all the elements in small phrases: Practice each phrase by playing one hand, then the other, then both together.
  • Study the fingering. Fingering choices should always be deliberate and intentional. Pianists must remember that good fingering involves not only getting to the note in question, but getting to the next note, and the next after that. Issues of how to tackle a series of similar motifs that start on different notes also come into play, as well as issues of musicality, which can justify fingerings that at first may look awkward. Students who have not yet mastered fingering techniques should run any changes past a teacher.
  • Break the music into even smaller chunks: Music can always be broken down into its component parts. If the phrase is too long, break it into two. Or practice a single measure. Identify the weak spots where mistakes are habitual, and practically those spots until the mistakes are eradicated.

Remember, piano mistakes don’t go away by starting at the beginning and trying again!

Rhythmic Strategies for Piano Practice

Rhythmic practice techniques force the player to do all the tasks in strict time, which raises the difficulty, and also makes it very obvious which parts of the piece need more work.

  • Use the metronome: At its most basic, the metronome helps pianists keep a steady tempo. But I use a metronome as a technical aid: It helps a student work out technical elements by forcing the pianist to play in time and gradually raising the tempo. Playing with a metronome reveals any weak spots in the piece. Metronome practice is especially valuable for ensemble players.
  • Vary the rhythm: An effective way to smooth out bumps in long technical runs of very fast notes is change the rhythm. For example, a stream of 16th notes cold be played as alternating dotted 16th and 32nd notes, and then the player can try the reverse and play the section as 32nd notes followed by dotted-16th notes.
  • Add beats. A difficult series of chords can be practiced by by inserting one or more beats of rests in between them, then gradually, getting rid of the extra beats.
  • Change the tempo: Playing very slowly and very fast are also good practice techniques. Playing one hand much faster than the target tempo secures the muscle memory of the passages, which makes the piece easier to play with two hands. Playing slowly helps pianists make fingering and articulation choices that are conscious and deliberate.

Finally, if mistakes persist, change the practice strategy! The worst thing is to keep doing the same thing and making the same mistake. Try to go about the problem in a different way.

Further Resources for Piano Practice

The Musician’s Way, by Gerald Klickstein [Oxford, 2009], is a resource for advanced students. It describes how to practice mindfully and artfully.

Accessories

Best Holiday Gifts for Musicians

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Having a musician in the family is a double bonus around the holidays.
If it’s a pianist or guitarist, you have someone to accompany holiday carols. Singers and instrumentalists can help hold the melody notes when the crowd of revelers forgets if the tune goes up on high with the angles or sinks lo with the rose e’er blooming. 
And no matter who they are, they are easy to shop for.
The best place to look for music themed gifts is at a music store, especially a mom-and-pop local store. Other choices: big box music stores, book and CD stores, fine arts catagloues like the ones sent out by public TV, and museum gift shops.
The tchotchkes of the music world are replicating like the brooms in the Mickey Mouse Segment of Fantasia.
  • Christmas ornaments: let’s start with the obvious: ornaments in the shape of notes or instruments are an easy gift.
  • Music bumper stickers (mine says “Go home and practice!” but I’m also partial to one that says “Tune it or Die!”)
  • Clothes: T-shirts, night shirts, socks, ties: From dopey puns declaring that the wearer is lots of “treble” to snippets of unreadable gobbly-de-gook music notation, there’s a music-themed garment  in your favorite musician’s size.
  • Jewelry: Charms, key, chains, pins, earrings, pendants in the shape of notes or clefs.  
  • Mugs, plates, glasses, serving pieces: If you can eat off of it, you can probably find it with a music theme on it.
  • House accessories: I’ve seen lamps in a fine furniture store made out of old violins and flutes (retailing for $500, though), mirrors whose frames are in the pattern of piano keys, lamps shades with music scores printed on the (Fur Elise seems popular).
  • Novelties: Refrigerator magnets, can openers, keyrings in the shape of instruments: All are good as stocking stuffers.
  • Music boxes. These can be quite beautiful and ornate.
  • A metronome. Yes, I know: you can download a metronome app for free on your iThing. But by a margin of something like 10 to 1, my students prefer the sound of an old fashioned analog metronome — and I do, too. The German company, Wittner, is the classic, with a range of wooden and plastic pendulum metronomes. Prices  prices ranging from around $40 to $200.  For more makes, models, and prices, try www.metronomes.net
  • Percussion “toys” — inexpensive percussion instruments like shakers and hand drums come in handy for people who play with groups. For a really nice gift, look for handmade instruments with good feel and sound.
  • Sheet music: A book of holiday songs is always appreciated: One of my favorites for  is Hal Leonard’s  “Best Christmas Songs Ever.” The “easy” version is appropriate for intermediate students and above.
  • Gift certificates for music books. If you don’t know what to buy, go the gift certificate route: If you’re lucky enough to have a local music store in your town, help keep it in business by buying your gift certificates there. You’ll be supporting not only your favorite musician, but the local stores that keep sheet music conveniently in stock.
  • Strings, tuners and capos are always appreciated by guitarists, although you’ll need to know their preferences (especially for strings). If you don’t, a selection of picks is a fail-safe options. There’s even a gadget you can buy that can turn expired credit cards into guitar picks.

What are your favorite music gifts? If you’re a musician, what’s on your wish-list? Add your idea below.

For Parents, Piano Lessons for Children

Starting Piano Lessons: The Groundwork for Success

You’ve probably heard of the Mozart effect: Music lessons correlate with confidence and success in a variety of areas, from social skills to teamwork to math performance — even to acceptance rates in medical school! Who knew that “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” could lay the groundwork for careers in everything from arts management to brain surgery’s!

And of course, there is the personal satisfaction of being able to express oneself through music, accompany a friend singing, play in a rock band, or just noodle around. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we learned just how essential arts were to our mental health. The daily routine was a link to normalcy, and the weekly lessons — even if conducted on Facetime or Zoom — re-established valued personal interconnections and one-on-one learning. As I sat at my own piano playing Bach Fugues and Chopin Etudes — or when I sat at my cello and tried to squawk my way through a beginner’s exercise book — I was so grateful to have the skills to connect with great composers and express my own emotions. I felt sorry for anyone who didn’t have that outlet.

If you’re thinking of piano lessons for your child, you are probably wondering what to expect. This is a brief summary of what you’ll encounter in my studio. Each teacher has her (or his) own way of doing things, but I think it’s safe to say that we all share the goal of providing a supportive environment for learning an art that can sustain our students for the rest of their lives.

A Practice Instrument

You’ll need a practice instrument. Students in my studio are expected to have a practice instrument at home. While I prefer that it be an acoustic piano in good shape (not to mention in tune), a keyboard is acceptable for the first year or two of study (depending on how quickly the student progresses.) The better the instrument, the better: You wouldn’t send your kid to a tennis lesson with a badminton racket, and you wouldn’t give them a bicycle helmet to play football. It’s the same with piano.

For digital pianos, I prefer that you have 88 keys with weighted hammer action (I’ll give you more info when we meet), but a basic 61 key keyboard may be okay to start if it has touch control. (That means that if you press the note hard, it sounds loud, and if you press it more gently, it sounds quieter.) — as long as you understand that you may have to upgrade if your child sticks with piano, especially if they respond to classical music. The damage to technique and finger development from practice on a substandard instrument is a real issue, more so for some children than others.

Regular Practice

I do expect regular practice, and most piano teachers lie somewhere on the continuum between hoping their students will practice and insisting on it. In my fantasy world (and in the world I grew up in), a beginner would practice 1/2 hour a day 6 days a week. That’s what I did, but I know, I know — things were different back then. Kids didn’t have as many choices, moms didn’t work outside the home, there wasn’t as much homework, no one had cell phones, and people’s schedules weren’t as busy. Nonetheless, if you can make practice a regular part of your family’s schedule, the progress you see will be remarkable. And it’s a virtuous cycle. As one nine-year old student told me “The more I practice, the better I get, and the funner the songs are.”

If you can manage to get a young beginner to practice 15 – 20 minutes 5 times a week, I promise you’ll see progress. For older students, I like to see 1/2 hour to 45 minutes a day 5 or 6 times a week…. although I rarely get that. I do have some dedicated students who want to be music majors who are practicing 2 – 3 hours a day in high school, but they have made that decision for themselves in order to meet their personal goals.

I work with what I get… but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you what I think optimal practice times are for various levels.

Parental Encouragement

Parental encouragement during daily practice is helpful if you and your child have a relationship where that works. Not everyone does: Sometimes children assert their independence at the piano, and refuse the help. You are welcome to sit in during lessons so you know what I am assigning students to do. Even if you don’t know a thing about music, there are ways you can help… if it works for you.

All kids need to be reminded to practice. I needed to be reminded until I was in high school. Some parents say “as long as she wants to do it, it’s fine, but I don’t want to be the bad guy.” We need to stop framing practice in terms of “being the bad guy”! Practice is all about learning to solve problems. And it can even be fun. But even so — you have to remind kids to brush their teeth and you probably get pushback from that once in a while! So expect pushback regarding the piano. Like any good habit, practice takes a while to set in.

I only accept children younger than 6 if parents agree to assist with supervising practice at home. Children that young simply cannot (in my experience) be expected to manage their own practice.

Studio Policy

Like many professional piano teachers, I have a studio policy that tells you how many lessons you are getting in a school year, what that will cost, when payments are due, and how and under what circumstances I handle make-ups. Piano teachers can only teach during a limited number of after-school hours. In order for your child to make progress, regular attendance is required. Please try to pick a time you won’t have to constantly change. I try to be as accommodating as possible, but unlike Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter books, I don’t have a time-turner.

Communicating

Please talk to me! I have taught hundreds of students. Some have gone on to be music majors. Many have stayed with me for many years. Parents recommend me to other parents … and perhaps even more important, students recommend me to their friends. I can help you work through problems your child may be having. Most of all, I want my students to both enjoy their lessons (which is the easy part) AND enjoy their practice time (which can be more of a challenge). I personalize lessons and repertoire taught to adjust to different student personalities and preferences. Open conversations help me understand your child better — and they help you understand why I teach certain skills and pieces of music to your child at different times.

Learning piano is a long-term, deep-end-of-the-ocean type of activity. That it is worth it seems obvious to me (of course it does — I’m a piano teacher!) — but also to my students, who often stay with me for 6, 8, 10, or even more years. Perhaps the greatest evidence I can offer is that frequently, my graduating high-school seniors ask if they can come back for more lessons during their vacations! For me, this is the greatest honor I can imagine — that piano lessons and their playing now mean so much to them that they independently want to continue — with me — whenever possible. (And what a kick it is to see a kid I knew as a 6-year old driving up my driveway in their own car for lessons!)

I look forward to seeings you in lessons — or hearing your child at a recital one day!

Accessories, For Teachers

How to Equip Your Piano Studio

You’ve hung out your shingle (or your post on your favorite community social media board) and while you’re waiting for the calls to come in and the studio to start filling up, you’re wondering if you’ve got everything in place.Today’s professional piano teaching studios are a far cry from the little old lady’s living room you may have taken lessons in in your childhood — especially in Covid-19 and post-Covid-19 times.

Today’s teachers are digitized, many of them with electronic keyboards, Skyping capabilities, tablets and Ipads (and a million aps), and computer composing software. Even the most traditional teachers had to do a 180-degree pivot to keep working during the pandemic: With quarantine regulations, it was either adapt or shut down. We’ll get to the electronics required for distance-learning in another post. But just for right now, let’s start with the basics for person-to-person learning.

Your Piano

I’m assuming you have an acoustic piano. I do know some teachers who teach on a digital — usually because they live in an apartment where volume and space are issues. But by and large, the gold standard is still an acoustic piano. You won’t be able to attract serious advanced students without one.

You’ll also need a good relationship with a local piano tuner. First of all, you’ll need his help not only for tuning, but for the inevitable mechanical problems that affect any well-used instrument. Your tuner will also be a source of referrals — and you will refer students to him or her, as well. Some even give teachers a commission when students buy a piano from them.

Ask about getting a Dampp-Chaser system, or at the very least discuss climate control. Humidity, air conditioning, proximity to fireplaces, hearing vents, windows, and direct sunlight will all affect your piano.

Accessories

An adjustable bench is a must.  A standard artist bench with a knob that raises and lowers the seat is a traditional choice. I have a Discacciati bench with a hydraulic lift. It’s an easier mechanism to operate.

A good chair for you to sit in.

A Pedal Extender. Children younger than 9 or 10 usually can’t reach the pedals. A pedal extender makes it possible for them to sit in a stable, grounded position and reach the pedals once they are ready for them.

Foot rest. Even if you don’t spring for the pedal extender, you’ll need a foot rest for young children so their feet aren’t hanging down, but rather, are solidly placed on a stable block.  You won’t believe the difference this makes.

Piano Lights. You’ll need good task lighting right over the sheet music. Room lighting and standing lamps can help , but it’s essential that their be light right over the sheet music. A gooseneck clip on light works for grand pianos; a standing lamp with a gooseneck works for uprights. Clip on battery powered lights can also be used, especially as supplements.

Hard-backed notebook and plastic non-shiny sheet protectors. I have my students store all assignment sheets, theory worksheets, and digital downloads in non-glare (matte) sheet protectors stored in hard backed three ring-binders. (Softer covers sag on music stands).

Photocopier/printer: For worksheet, assignments, digital downloads, etc. Remember to obey copyright laws and honor the terms of digital downloads.

Metronome: Sure you can download an ap on your phone. But I have an old-fashioned wooden one. My students are fascinated by it.

Juggling balls (bean bags) for hand position. I have kids squeeze these to get a grip on the correct hand position. I’ve found it really helps. Plus, since I can juggle, I also use them to juggle in rhythm with a young child’s playing — just for a bit of fun.

Stickers: Say what you will, little kids love stickers. So, even, do some adults. Stickers as rewards for good work are an easy and appreciated gesture.

Lots of pencils and a way to sharpen them: I can’t bring myself to write in pen in a music book. I go through pencils — WITH erasers — at an alarming rate. Oh, and a sharpener.

Colored highlighters: To note problem areas in music or to highlight practice suggestions.

Music paper: For composing and doing note reading and writing exercises.

Library of sheet music: You’ll need to invest in a library of beginner and intermediate piano books. Play through them as you buy them and note which pieces have what characters and teach which skills.

Percussion instruments: for rhythm exercises and rhythm reading.

For Parents, Piano Lessons for Children

How to Choose a Piano (or Music) Teacher

If you’re like most parents, you’re overworked, over-worked, and over-committed, especially if you are reading this during the Covid-19 pandemic.Choosing a music teacher may be on your to-do list, but where to start and what to look for?

Finding Potential Teachers

Many good music teachers rarely advertise. Most of us find students from word-of-mouth, and of course, the better the teacher is, the less her or she needs to advertise. So you generally won’t find your town’s most popular teacher in the yellow pages.

Many piano teachers do have websites, which you can usually finding by searching for “piano teacher” and “your town, state.”  Websites may give  information about the studio, its location, and the teacher’s credentials and philosophy, along with contact information.

You can also ask for recommendations at local music stores, piano shops,  and the like. Note, however, that some music stores offer in-store music lessons, so they may steer you to their teachers.

Public school music teachers are another resource. They tend to know the private music teachers in the area, and can give you some names of teachers who have good reputations.

Also check to see if your area has a community music school. These schools generally vet the teachers. Many require college music degrees, or significant performance experience.

Pandemic and Covid-19 Piano Lessons

Piano teachers pivoted on a dime when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. One week, most of us were teaching one-on-one in person like piano teachers had been doing for 200 years, and overnight, or so it seemed, even those us us who were confirmed technophobes were rocking Facetime, Zoom, and Skype.

The availability on remote lessons is an important consideration. Does the teacher insist on remote lessons during the pandemic? If you have questions about how those lessons work, ask them. We’ve all developed new strategies to make the lessons effective, engaging, and fun. You will need to discuss the teacher’s preferred platforms, make sure your Internet service is high-speed, and find out the mechanics of obtaining sheet music, paying for lessons, and, if necessary, sitting in with small children.

Remote lessons can also work if students have snowdays, or if you child is feeling a little under the weather — maybe due to an oncoming cold. After the pandemic, most of the teachers I am networking with see remote learning as an ongoing part of what they do.

Questions to Ask a Music Teacher

The following issues are some that you’ll want to cover in your interview with a music teacher. Some are purely practical. Others address issues of compatibility and teaching philosophy.  There’s no right answer to any of these questions: An excellent teacher may or may not have a music degree, and may or may not have performing experience. But the questions will get you talking to each other, and will help you feel out your compatibility.

  • What qualifications and experience do you have?
  • How long have you been teaching?
  • What ages do you typically teach?
  • Do you teach one style of music or many, and how do you decide?
  • Do you do studio recitals?
  • Do you participate in any out-of-studio programs (such as state contests, teacher showcases, or Piano Guild competitions)
  • How long are lesson times?
  • What is the cost?
  • What is your payment policy?
  • What is your make-up and cancellation policy?
  • Where are you located (or do you teach in students’ homes)?
  • What is your availability?
  • Is there anywhere I can hear you play? (Answers might include local gigs, the Internet, or a CD)
  • Do you have any experience dealing with a child who…. (has ADD, Aspergers, is four years old, has a learning delay issue, etc.)?
  • What is your philosophy about teaching music?
  • What kind of instrument is required?
  • How much practice do you require?
  • What can I as a parent do to help?

Having an open conversation with a teacher and being sure all your questions are answered is the first step in establishing the foundation of a relationship that lasts for many years.

For Parents, Group Piano Lessons, Piano Lessons for Children

Group Music Lessons for Young Children Teach General Skills

If you’re a parent, I don’t have to tell you this: You already know that your small child loves music. Maybe she sings, dances, claps, marches, and moves to music she likes. Or perhaps he bangs a drum or picks at notes on a piano.

Based on this obvious interest (not to mention possible aptitude), you may be considering enrolling a young child in music lessons. But while private music lessons work for some small children, not all preschoolers are ready to focus for a half-hour private piano, violin, or guitar lesson lesson. Many aren’t ready to adhere to a regular practice schedule. Not to mention that young children simply may not have the dexterity to move fingers independently to make notes on a piano or a violin.

But small children can handle other instruments appropriate for a pre-schooler’s development, size, and age. Percussion instruments, and sometimes harmonicas, recorders, or ukeleles, can be managed by tots. The trick is to find a program that suits your child’s level of development and cognitive abilities.

Groups Lessons Offer General Music Instruction

Perhaps the most famous pre-school music education program is the Suzuki program, which started by training children as young as three or four on violin, and has expanded to offer music instruction in piano, recorder, percussion, and other instruments. The Suzuki program has some astonishing success stories, but it isn’t for every child: It involves both private and group instruction and focuses on the development of specific instrumental skills. Other group programs focus on specific instruments, for example, group piano classes. But not all preschoolers are ready for this level of instruction.

Children who exhibit an interest in music but who aren’t yet mature enough for private lessons can benefit from general music lessons in a group setting. Some of the better known programs with classes all across North America include Music for Young Children, Kindermusik, Musikgarten, and Gymboree Play and Music.

In addition, countless local programs offer group music classes for small children. Many of these programs have been developed by instructors who have experience working in various other major programs. Local group music programs for small children may be offered by just one teacher working out of a home studio; or they may be offered at community music schools, at community centers, in YMCAs, in pre-school programs, at colleges and universities, or in music stores.

The well-known programs vary: For example, Musikgarten has programs for infants, whereas Music for Young Children’s Sunrise Program starts wtth children ages two and three. But though the specifics vary, all the programs include games and activities designed to teach children about pitch, rhythm, singing, listening, music appreciation, and even composing.

Benefits of Group Music Lessons

Group music lessons serve several important purposes in setting the stage for a child’s music education.

Perhaps most importantly, these music classes focus on what small children can do (move to music, count, recognize pitch, sing) and not what they can’t do (make a perfect note on a violin, play with good hand position on a piano, blow a note into a trumpet). Group music lessons don’t focus on istrumental skills; instead, they include age-appropriate activities that most preschoolers can handle and will enjoy.

Games might include stretching hands up when notes go higher in a song, or crouching down when pitches get lower, marching and counting to music, tossing a ball in time with rhythm, and learning note names and how to count. Thus, lessons are not frustrating for the child; they are fun.

Secondly, the skills that can be taught to very young children – pitch recognition, musical form, counting, playing in time – are essential for beginning study on any instrument. Not only that, but these skills are very effectively taught to groups via games.

Many private teachers breathe a sigh of relief when a young child comes in the door who has already taken part in a group music program that teaches pitch and rhythm. A student who has not had this exposure is often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of all there is to learn and do when starting an instrument: find the note, play it correctly with the right finger, learn the difference between high notes and low notes, short notes and long notes, and so much more. Students with early exposure to fundamentals often find the first lessons on an instrument much easier, because they already understand some basic musical concepts.

Other Advantages of Group Music Instruction for Pre-School Children

  • Group lessons are fun because they involve play with other children. Small children take cues from each other, and learn by playing and engaging directly with material that interests them.
  • Group lessons instill an early appreciation that music is an enjoyable activity to be played in a group setting.
  • Group music classes focus on skills that small children are cognitively and physically able and ready to learn – not skills that will frustrate them..
  • Group music classes create a quality educational family interaction. (Most programs require parental attendance and participation.)

In short, group music lessons give pre-schoolers an opportunity to play with music, to have a stress-free and enjoyable introduction into the world of music making, and teach them skills that they will be able to apply to instrumental study – when they are ready for it.