Vimpire's Entertainment BLOG

So you’ve got your piano and you’ve bought some sheet music. You’ve been trying to teach yourself to play because, after all, you used to go to piano classes when you were younger and, well, how hard can it be to pick it up again? But, somehow, you just don’t seem to be making the kind of progress you thought you would.

If you’re in this situation, and you’re having difficulty in accepting that you might need to take lessons again, this article should help. However long ago it was you last attended a piano class, lessons in the second decade of the 21st. Century are probably a good deal different than they were then.

In the first place, there are a lot of piano teachers out there who really want to help students to play the kind of music that inspires them, rather than taking them all through the same examination-led, classics-based syllabus of old. Of course, this style of teaching still exists, and is still a very necessary method of learning for those who want to play the classics.

But, if you are not one of these students and you’re looking for a more flexible approach, the good news is you should be able to find a teacher who will tailor lessons to your musical interests.

You should also be able to find a teacher who can fit in with your own personal circumstances, including the hours and budget you have available.

And one aspect of the learning experience you might not have considered is whether a group session, in which you get to learn with other students, might be a more positive, as well as a quicker way to learn than just you with a teacher sitting by your side. This too is a method of teaching that is getting more common, especially in towns and cities, where a more diverse range of options can be found.

Whatever your preferred method of learning, the first step is to do your research. Ask family, friends and neighbors if they know any good music teachers in your local community. Ask in local music instrument stores, or at local schools and colleges.

One of the most important elements in selecting a piano teacher is to draw up a shortlist of candidates and approach each one to find out a bit more about them BEFORE you make your decision. How do you do this? Simple abercrombie and fitch , you prepare a number of questions and interview each candidate.

Here are the seven essential questions you should ask:

(1) Are you a performing musician as well as a piano teacher?

(2) What kinds of music do you teach?

(3) How do you keep students advised about the progress they make?

(4) What instructional materials do you use?

(5) Are your classes for individuals only, or do you teach group sessions or workshops?

(6) Do you make use of digital technology and electronic instruments?

(7) How much practice do you expect from each student?

Additional questions might also include when and where they teach, whether they belong to any music teacher associations and, of course, how much they charge.

You should not be afraid to ask these questions. All bona fide piano teachers will expect you to probe them in this way and will be more than willing to provide you with the information you request.

You might also ask each one to give you a short recitation, perhaps of a song or piece of music in your favorite style. This will certainly help you make up your mind and may even be the deciding factor. For example, if you want to play blues piano, a piano teacher who plays a really heartfelt number for you in this style might move and impress you so much you decide then and there that this is the musician you want to learn from.

Finding piano lessons you enjoy, run by a teacher whose playing can inspire you and whose methods you want to learn is critically important. After all, you want to look forward to your classes, not look on them as a chore to be endured. This doesn’t mean that learning to play the piano will be easy, and you’ll still have to put in the practice needed to improve your playing. But the importance of finding the right teacher should never be underestimated.

CONCLUSION

If you do the research and ask the questions suggested in this article, you should be able to find a teacher to provide you with the piano classes that will quickly inspire your playing and motivate you to want to achieve more as a musician. Whether you prefer the one-to-one presence of someone sitting by your side, or you want to experiment by learning with other students in group sessions and workshops, you should be able to find what’s right for you just by doing a little research and asking a few simple questions. And good luck on your musical journey.

Tony Dunne has put together a complimentary report on piano lessons that will help you decide on all the issues, and much more besides, outlined in this short article. To download the report instantly click here.Tony Dunne has put together a complimentary report on piano lessons that will help you decide on all the issues, and much more besides, outlined in this short article. To download the report instantly visit Tony Dunne has put together a complimentary report on piano lessons that will help you decide on all the issues, and much more besides, outlined in this short article. To download the report instantly click here.