27 September 2014 Tips For Relearning The Piano After Not Playing For Years

Tips For Relearning The Piano After Not Playing For Years

posted by

Sometimes we overlook the simple pleasures we took for granted as kids.

Remember when you could sit down and play the piano, relax and enjoy music for awhile with nothing else to do? Then work and family priorities set in, and with a million things on your plate, the goal of creating music slipped by the wayside

Its easier than you think to pick up piano once again.

Start SlowlyTips For Relearning The Piano After Not Playing For Years

No matter how much playing you did years ago, this is a new venture at this point in your life. Create small goals that are doable, rather than jumping in full force.

Start with a piano; do you have a quality piano to play? If you still own the same piano, yet its been tucked into a corner of your home for years without a second glance, it may need a little refurbishing to get it into quality playing condition. A simply tuning may not be enough, but it’s the best place to start. Work with a reputable piano tuning and restoration company to find out the current quality of your piano, and what it will take to bring it back to working order.

Then set aside a little time every day to practice and play. Your hands, your arms, even your entire body has to adjust to this new activity. Its easier to spend 20 minutes a day getting back into the swing of things than to sit down for several hours of frustration when you simply can’t find the notes the same way you once did.

Practice is what brought you to success the first time; its no different today. Your skills will come back quickly if you enjoy the process along the way.

Change With The Times

If you haven’t played in a long time, things have changed in many ways over the years. Your body has changed, and the way you deal with aches and pains. Likewise, piano technology and the way we approach the piano has changed over time as well.

This may be the time to work with a professional for a few lessons to get back on track the right way. If you are now used to sitting at the computer all day, how will this transfer over to the way you sit at the piano? You many need adjustment and refinement to make sure you are playing comfortably and in a way you won’t further injure yourself down the road. Are you doing all you can to be the best you can be? A few lessons can put you on the right track once again. When an instructor has experience with adults, they can make suggestions on how to keep up with the physical side of playing piano as well.

Structure Your Sessions

Twenty minutes of structured playing will do more for you overall than randomly playing pieces you like and ignoring errors you make or improvements to your overall ability. Start with warm ups, and ease your fingers and your hands back into playing mode. Play something you know well, for pure enjoyment. Give yourself a challenge; work towards something new.

By creating a plan and including all three structures into your practice section – warm ups, mastering something new, playing for enjoyment – you’re sessions will become fun instead of chore.

 

The key is to have fun, and enjoy playing the piano once more.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
10 September 2014 Piano, The Perfect After School Activity

Piano, The Perfect After School Activity

posted by

As parents, we want to give our children every advantage possible. When school bells ring, the amount of activities presented to them is sometimes overwhelming. How do we help them choose?

Parents often hear complaints from other parents that influence their decision.

“My parents forced me to play an instrument when I was young. I hated it and would never do that to my child.”Piano, The Perfect After School Activity

In order to avoid a negative attitude towards something, they put off putting their child into an activity until they actually request it. Which usually comes when a child’s friends decide to do something, and it becomes “okay” or the “in” thing to do.

While that can work for some kids, for many others, they simply don’t know what is possible, nor have the understanding of what they will truly like and want to move forward with for the rest of their lives.

Musical prodigies are all around us. Mozart wrote his first symphony at age eight. Stevie Wonder signed with Motown at eleven. What would these people have done had they not been introduced to music until later in life, when it was the acceptable thing to do?

There is growing research that shows there is a window of opportunity for kids to develop their music sensibility. Between the ages of birth through nine, the mental structures and mechanisms associated with processing and understanding music are in the prime stages of development. But it doesn’t have to be lessons alone that gives children their music sensibility; it comes from being exposed to music as well.

A child’s first lesson shouldn’t be structured and in lesson format. Instead, a child’s first “lesson” should simply be exposure to music, instruments, and the range of music in today’s society. Musical games, dancing, singing, or even playing simple instruments like the drums or flute can all encourage kids to develop an interest in how music can impact their lives.

By five, most children have a built in foundation that has prepared them for formalized music lessons. This is when you can introduce lessons to your child, and make it a standard part of their weekly routines. They won’t become a great performer at this point; instead studying music is about furthering their understanding of what is possible in the music world. The most obvious choices are the piano and violin because both give them the ability to hear and play the entire melody, as well as feel how the music sounds.

Music at an early age is extremely important because it boosts your child’s development process, giving them the skills they will use for a lifetime. Music improves language, math, and thinking abilities. And like riding a bike, these skills only grow over time, never to be forgotten in principle.

If you are helping your child make a decision on after school activities, remember the one activity that will carry through a lifetime. Give them the gift of music. Give them the gift of piano.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
13 August 2014 How To Make Piano Recitals More Fun

How To Make Piano Recitals More Fun

posted by Leave a Comment

Piano recitals are a great way to showcase all that your students have learned over the past few months. Yet for many, recitals can be a source of frustration and fear.

In all cases, it starts with the instructor, and how you approach recital day. If you make it joyful and full of fun, it will be a day that both your students and their families look forward to and appreciate in many ways.

Looking for a few ways to make it even more fun? We’ve found these tips from many successful instructors throughout our community.How To Make Piano Recitals More Fun

Never Hold The Same Recital Twice

Recitals are always a mixture of young and old, beginning, intermediate and advanced. Which means you’ll always have someone at each level, capable of playing only a few songs at any given time. Your advanced students and families can quickly grow bored if they know they’ll hear the same songs at every recital, so mix it up instead. Mix classical with popular songs. Have duets to help motivate two students with similar skill. Ask if any student plays another instrument in school; they may be willing to add that to the mix as well. Or even focus in on a theme – how about having every student play a song from Les Miserables or Harry Potter? This also gives you a theme for a small party afterwards.

Recitals Can Be Community Events

Recitals are usually held in the instructors location, but they don’t have to be. If you have a community rec center in your neighborhood, why not rent it out for the afternoon and post flyers? Some nursing homes also have large gathering rooms with pianos, and would welcome the opportunity for a performance from players of all ages. Kids always feel great when they play for their families, but it can be equally rewarding to receive praise from others too.

Costumes Are Great

These work well with a theme recital. Instead of putting on your symphony best, have each person dress up like a character from the movies, and play the theme song from the movie. Then you can have parents and family guess who each child is, and even have a contest for the best character.

Piano Request

Instead of having each child play in order to a specific schedule, have a free roaming recital instead. Set up a mini café in which parents, family and friends can stroll through the café and have coffee, tea and dessert. Students can play in any order they choose, and play as often as they wish. Just make sure they are courteous to all, and each student is offered an equal chance at performing. If a student is up to it, they can even take special requests to show off their talents even more.

Involve The Family

Does a student’s mom, dad or grandparent play the piano? Why not let them play a duet together? It will hold special meaning for them and their loved one’s and make the recital even more memorable.

Team Bach vs Team Beethoven

People tend to migrate towards a specific type of music. Divide your students up into equal groups and present based on interests. Presentations should be short, but they should work together to showcase talent and music from one specific composer. Then they compete against each other to see who has the better music … all in fun of course. The key is keeping the audience more engaged, and the students having fun and appreciating music in a new way.

Give Them A Gift

Visit the dollar store or section at your local big box store. You’ll find things year round that you can use as small gift ideas. You can have picture day with the recital and put each student’s picture in an individualized frame. Or have a small craft project that’s music themed and can be completed very quickly at the end of the performance. In some cases you can even find items that will help you carry out a theme – how about Aloha days where everyone wears Hawaiian shirts and drinks from a coconut glass? Use your imagination and have your guests commenting it was the best recital ever!

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Lessons Tagged With: ,
26 July 2014 Why Any Age Is The Right Age To Learn Piano

Why Any Age Is The Right Age To Learn Piano

posted by Leave a Comment
  • Learn a new language.
  • Travel more.
  • Learn to play the piano.

Did you know learning to play the piano is high on many peoples bucket lists? Right up there with speaking a different language and traveling to far away places, the piano holds a mystery that many of us wish we could have in our skill bank.Why Any Age Is The Right Age To Learn Piano

Yet for many of us, we leave it on the list with the concept of “someday” in our minds. Why?

Of all the things on your list, playing the piano is probably one of the easiest.

To truly pick up a language and get good at it, you need to travel. But piano is something you can do right now in the comfort of your own home.

So, what’s holding you back?

Studies show it is harder for an aging brain to learn new things. Add in a stiff back, wrists tired from a day at the computer and sore fingers, and all those add up to big reasons why you shouldn’t give it a try, right?

Well, that’s not what we fear most. Instead, most of us focus in on what family and friends will say, and if we truly have the self confidence to take on such a new, different and challenging task such as the piano. We fear failing and looking like a fool in front of those we love.

If playing the piano has been on your list for a while, think back to the true reasons you haven’t started the process yet. What kind of “excuses” have you put in the way?

“I need to find a piano.”

“I need to find a piano teacher.”

“I need to find the time to play.”

Each of these is easy to solve. And we can help you today.

Finding a piano is as easy as stopping by. We have pianos within every price range, to fit any budget. We have new and used pianos. We have small, portable digital pianos, all the way up to the finest of concert grand pianos.

In short, we have one perfect to match your needs.

Once you choose a piano, we can even point you in the right direction of a teacher who loves to work with beginning adult students.

And once you have the first two steps down, the act of practicing falls naturally into play.

It really isn’t as difficult as it seems. All it takes is positive action on the very first step of the process. Take that action now; stop by today and choose your very first piano.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons Tagged With: , ,
19 April 2014 What Piano Lessons Do For Your Children

What Piano Lessons Do For Your Children

posted by Leave a Comment

Looking for an extracurricular activity for your child? Want one that can help your child both now and many years into the future?

How about piano lessons?

Piano lessons can help children:

  • Become more centered as human beingsWhat Piano Lessons Do For Your Children
  • Become more focused and content within themselves
  • Become more self disciplined
  • Increase their concentration levels
  • Increase their self worth
  • Increase their self confidence
  • Provide more self esteem
  • Increase their ability to learn
  • Increase their scores and results in classes and on tests
  • Increase their find motor skills
  • Give them a lifelong skill
  • Bring them years of joy and fun

All great reasons to nudge your children into playing the piano.

But overall, nothing is fun if they don’t see a purpose to it.

One of the best ways to start your child down the path and the love for music is to introduce them to it from early on.

Dancing, singing and even making music with toys, pots and pans and other “musical” instruments in your home will show them early on the value of music. Point out your favorite songs on the radio. Attend concerts in your community – you can find almost any level of musical concert close by, from school activities to professional performances from the best names in the business.

You can even watch American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, or other musical reality television show to show your child how music can be a part of our lives at all ages.

Kids need to see the connection in order to bring it into their own lives. Once they see the value of music, integrating piano into their lives is something they want to do, not have to do. And that’s a big distinction at an early age.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons Tagged With: ,
16 April 2014 What Is The Best Age For Piano Lessons?

What Is The Best Age For Piano Lessons?

posted by Leave a Comment

From the time your child is a baby, you’re always looking for ways to help her grow and mature. And for many parents, that path includes the gift of music.

Piano enriches their lives in many ways. Piano has been shown to increase intelligence, build up self esteem, increase hand eye coordination, and bring out the performer in your child. Its also been shown to increase brain activity, develop fine motor skills, and even increase subject comprehension and overall test scores as your child ages.What Is The Best Age For Piano Lessons?

With all that going for it, why not start piano lessons as soon as possible? While it is true you can find child prodigy videos on YouTube depicting 3 year old maestros, there may be such a thing as introducing lessons too early.

Most three year olds won’t respond well to an adult imposed learning structure. They like to sing and dance and play. Which is where the love of music should begin. A great preschool or music class that allows a child to discover their musicality will make the thought of producing music that much more enticing in the coming years.

The best time to start piano lessons will be different for every child, yet overall we find the best time often lies between the ages of 5 and 8. Here are a few things to watch for.

How large is the child’s hand? A child should be able to comfortably be able to place five fingers on five adjacent white keys. That may be a big stretch for some petite 5 year olds. If they can’t comfortably play a song and reach the notes required for a song, frustration sets in and the desire to play decreases.

Do they have finger coordination? Piano playing and piano lessons involve a child playing individual notes together with each finger moving separately from one another. If they still play using the hunt and peck method instead of wanting to use the hand to create a multidimensional sound, its best to wait.

Will they be learning by the Suzuki method, or an ear based method of piano playing? Five or six may be a good age since its based on listening and imitating. If they will be diving into the world of reading notes and music, waiting until they are seven or eight and have a better understanding of reading may help eliminate frustration at trying to learn two major tasks at once.

Is it ever too late? No! People take up the piano at every age. As long as you have a desire and willingness to learn, you can learn to play the piano from the comfort of your home. Studying music is good for the body, mind and spirit at any age; its something you’ll enjoy for a lifetime.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
15 March 2014 How Is Your Child Learning The Piano?

How Is Your Child Learning The Piano?

posted by Leave a Comment

One of the most widely sought after “bucket list” items is the ability to play the piano. Piano is considered to be the kind of all instruments. A child as early as 2 can begin touching and playing the notes, feeling the musicality, and understanding rhythm far beyond what would be capable if he were to choose another instrument. Likewise, the piano can be played into our 90’s, even 100’s and beyond because of its ease of use.

Yet for many people, traditional piano lessons have done anything but help them learn the piano. Why? Is there a better way? How Is Your Child Learning The Piano?

Studies are now showing that a more traditional way of approaching lessons may do more harm than good, especially for the very young.

A child must learn how to crawl before he can stand, stand before he can walk, walk before he can run. Each skill level builds on the other, giving you what’s necessary to move to the next level.

Piano lessons are no different.

To develop fine motor skills in playing the piano, a child must move through various stages:

  • Find the correct keys using any finger
  • Fined the correct keys with proper fingering
  • Play the keys with different rhythms
  • Play in consideration to the tempo of the music
  • Play in consideration to the quality of the sounds

If you push beyond the capabilities, it will simply have no meaning to the child. For instance, if you try and teach rhythm before the child has an understanding of the proper finger placement on the keys, he will have no understanding of the lesson and will soon grow frustrated and bored.

A newfound skill is clumsy and awkward until its perfected. Only after trying and trying again does it begin to make sense and become almost routine. When its second nature, only than can we move on and upgrade our skills and our desire for a more complex level.

If your child is feeling frustrated with piano lessons, how has he been approaching it? It may be time to consider a new approach. We can help you find the perfect piano instructor to suit your needs. Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
25 January 2014 Piano Practice and Hand Injuries

Piano Practice and Hand Injuries

posted by Leave a Comment

The only way to get better at playing the piano is practice. But how do you practice the piano if you have a hand injury?

If your hand injury comes from outside activities – a broken hand or wrist do to a sports related injury for instance – there is nothing you can do but let it heal in the appropriate amount of time.

Piano Practice and Hand InjuriesBut if your hand injury comes from piano playing – and ideally you should practice regularly in a consistent way that doesn’t lead to injury – the first thing to deal with is the how.

When you are facing pianistic challenges and your stress and tension levels are too high, it is possible to push too hard, and find yourself with a stress related injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis are just two of the many repetitive motion related injuries a pianist may face over time.

While only a doctor can truly give you medical advice and help you to relieve your pain, there are ways you can effectively deal with any muscle strain or small hand injury.

First discover what is causing your hand injury.

Do you have tension in your arms when you play? If your arms are tensed, your elbows or wrists rigid and immobile, your risk increases of developing a hand injury. Tension can be a sign of poor posture. Make sure you have proper placement at the piano, including a bench or seat appropriate for your height.

Are you practicing on a regular basis? Remember when you went and lifted weights at the gym for the very first time? You were still and sore afterwards. The same can happen to a pianist who practices irregularly for months, then crams in session after session leading up a week or two before a performance. Stress occurs when you do things too intensely.

Do you play with your fingers, or with your entire arm? If you move only your fingers when you play the piano, your arm, including wrist, elbows and shoulders can become stressed in the process.

Are you approaching practice in the right way? If you have psychological tension, or a negative attitude when you sit down to play, it can come out in your methods and approach. State of mind controls everything. Never start to play if your heart and mind aren’t in it. Not only can it affect your performance, it can literally effect your health.

Next, change your approach to piano playing.

Stop practicing once you face a hand injury. You must give your hand time to rest and heal before you move back into playing action.

Resume your practice gradually. Make it a regular part of your week, not something you do on the spur of the moment.

Fix anything you discovered wrong with your routine. If you need a new bench, buy one. If you need to change your routine, change it. If you change your approach now, you’ll gradually increase your success overall. And have a new appreciation for your approach to piano playing.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Lessons Tagged With: , ,
8 January 2014 The Benefits Of Piano Playing For Your Child’s Intelligence

The Benefits Of Piano Playing For Your Child’s Intelligence

posted by Leave a Comment

We all want our children to be well rounded, well educated members of society.  For this reason we rush between cheerleading practices, football games, girl scouts, and the like.  All in the quest for an experienced and excellent child.  As you race around choosing extra curricular activities for your child, you might want to consider piano lessons.  After all, piano can do a great deal for your child’s intelligence.

The Benefits Of Piano Playing For Your Child’s IntelligencePiano playing can improve focus.  We have all heard the phrase: “Practice makes perfect.”  That much practice requires focus and commitment.  If your child is going to excel at playing the piano, they will also become much better at channeling their attention, they will learn to build their focus.

Piano playing has been proven to impact the analytical areas of the brain.  Much of the foundation of music is numbers.  Notes and rests are divided and combined in a unique way to create rhythm.  This focus on counting appeals to (and strengthens) the analytical portion of your child’s brain.  Studies have even shown children demonstrating marked improvement in mathematics and science, the academical areas most impacted by analytical thinking.

Piano playing improves your child’s ability to understand and express emotion.  Aside from the Baroque era, most music requires some form of emotional expression for a full, rich, and musical experience.  Playing the piano can aid your child’s emotional development as they explore the wide variety of emotions expressed by composers throughout the ages.  In turn, this will help your child have a better grasp intellectually and experientially of their own emotions as well as the emotional variances of those around them.

If you are seeking a well rounded child, consider giving them piano lessons.  Among the varied benefits and pleasures you and your child will experience, you can look forward to a furthering of your child’s intellectual abilities as a result of tickling the ivories.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Music Tagged With: ,
4 January 2014 Make Piano Playing The Top Of Your New Years Resolution List

Make Piano Playing The Top Of Your New Years Resolution List

posted by Leave a Comment

Imagine playing the same music over and over again. You may not like the music, but you have to do it again and again to improve the way you play. Boring, right?

For many people, practice is the most mundane of tasks. And eventually, it’s the number one reason most people quit. Why continue doing something when it does nothing for you?

Make Piano Playing The Top Of Your New Years Resolution ListIf piano playing was at the top of your New Year’s resolution list this year, and you want to give yourself the best chance possible of succeeding, keep these tips in mind.

Start with a positive lesson

Instead of making it a requirement at a certain time of the day, make it something enjoyable to look forward to. If you sit down to play with dozens of tasks racing through your mind, waiting for your attention, the last place your mind will be is on the piano. Think of piano playing as your relaxation for the day – a way to enjoy and unwind. Make sure you have the time to play at your leisure and focus in on what you’re doing, not on what to have for dinner or what errands you have to run in just a few moments.

Hold mock recitals

When you learn something new, its fun to show it off. Play a song you learned at family night. Play holiday tunes at family gatherings. It doesn’t have to be a full blown concert; just share one or two songs to showcase your new talent. You may even motivate others in your family to want to learn the piano as well.

Make music a part of your life

Have you ever been to a symphony? Do you attend concerts regularly? There are many opportunities in your local community to be exposed to great music. Piano is used in every type of music imaginable; from classical to rock. Focus in on attending events that interest you and begin to understand more of what music is all about. With greater appreciation comes more desire to build up your own talents. Its fun when there is a purpose in mind.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »