Piano Lessons for Adult Piano Students
Why you might consider a keyboard instead of a piano
I’ve written extensively (see the other essays in this category: Keyboards) about why electronic instruments may provide the amateur pianist or piano student with an better instrument for learning. Of course, I am fully aware of the current resistance to this idea. I reject it, for reasons I will present in this essay. (more…)
These famous piano exercises can improve your playing – or not!
Charles Louis Hanon wrote the world’s most famous piano exercises. Unfortunately, his directions are, I believe, mostly intended to sell those exercises to a public obsessed with technique instead of good piano playing. I searched for and found ways the piano student can avoid the pitfalls and get as much improvement as possible. Here is what I discovered. (more…)
Online piano lessons succeed – but not for all piano students
My previous post, Part 1 of this essay, is available here.
There are two final necessities which I didn’t even imagine when I began giving online lessons a couple years ago. I guess I had become too accustomed to dedicated piano students I taught in my home piano studio. I didn’t recognize that teaching at a distance requires these traits in the piano student. I also didn’t completely see that these traits the KEY traits which can make or break that student’s success at learning the piano. Now I do and use these in deciding to accept new online piano students. (more…)
A piano student should practice enough to succeed
Please notice that I did not say, “A piano student must practice an hour a day.” Nor did I say, “A piano student must practice seven days each week.” Neither of these things is true, and even the attempt to put an actual time on practice is a mistake. The correct way to think about piano practice is to put your attention on success, not the clock. The student must practice enough to succeed. The goal is to play the music well, not to pass time, and if this goal can be achieved in less time than expected, then that is wonderful. However, common sense tells us that the amount of practice time will not be zero! Actually, there are two psychological factors which establish the length and timing of practice. These factors operate in both children and adults and understanding them is simple and leads to successful piano practice.
The “war of instruments” is counter-productive in addition to silly
If there is one thing that pianists get hot about it is the “war of instruments” between the proponents of acoustic pianos and lovers of digital pianos. I know because I get caught in their battles quite often. Any reader of these essays knows that I believe the digital piano to be the best instrument for the amateur pianist, as well as a superior instrument for learning to play in the first place. If you’d like to know my reasoning please see Three Reasons to Buy a DIGITAL Piano or Digital Pianos vs. Acoustic Pianos. I hope what I say helps you come to some conclusions. However, I have one final thing to say about all this and it would be worthwhile for any pianist or piano student to hear it. (more…)
Creativity is sometimes inhibited by reading and obeying sheet music
I had a big and unhappy realization this week during teaching. An adult student had to be encouraged to do something other than what was specified by their sheet music (poorly written sheet music, I would hasten to add) and my sole child student asked me, “Aren’t these pedaling marks sorta an option?” Now my child is a very precocious 10 year old but I would have thought my adult student wouldn’t feel compelled to simply follow orders. Turns out I had it backwards.
My “realization” was:
Many piano student work hard to get good at
“Monkey-See-Monkey-Do” music reading. (more…)
The piano world is waking up to CHORDS and their value
Years ago only professional musicians even knew fakebooks (books with just melody lines, lyrics, and chord symbols) existed. The few fakebooks available to such folk were very expensive and highly illegal (as the unknown authors simply ignored copyright and used that new technology of the photocopy machine to produce the things.) The regular pianist or piano student was taught that the supreme virtue was to read every note and every instruction on the piece of printed music. Making it up was, of course, “faking it” and therefore somehow less than capable.
How to NOT be Frustrated with piano playing and practicing
There isn’t a bigger enemy to the piano student and pianist than frustration – and nothing is easier to defeat, if you wish it. All you have to do is change your mind. The key element, I believe, is keeping things in perspective. What is playing piano to you, dear reader? Life and death? Your family’s life and death? Your survival? The key to your happiness? Naw, of course not. For almost all piano students, playing piano is a source of enrichment, fascination, enjoyment, etc. In short, it’s their favorite HOBBY!
The Psychology Behind a Common Problem of Adult Piano Students
As almost all adult piano students know, “nervousness” remains a constant problem. I thought I’d share with you the exact psychology that underlies adult lesson nervousness in the hopes that some of you will find a new tool to help you enjoy your lessons more. I know it frustrates you – my personal piano students tell me about it several times a week. (more…)
More Explanation of the Psychology of Nervousness and Possible Solutions
There is more you should understand about the psychology of your nervousness at your piano lesson. I’ve been teaching adult piano lessons for over two decades and during that time, I’ve seen countless examples of the following “cycle of fear” in adult students: (more…)
