7 December 2020 Why You Should Be Working With a Piano Teacher

Why You Should Be Working With a Piano Teacher

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There are many hobbies you can teach yourself. Want to knit? Watch a tutorial on YouTube. Want to bake? Pick up a cookbook and work your way through it. 

But learning the piano is different. It takes a lifetime to master. And even if you think you’re sitting down at the piano, doing everything right, you could develop habits that hinder more than help. 

Of course, there are many ways to go about working with a piano teacher. We’ll cover those more in a minute. But let’s start with a few reasons for how a piano teacher can help you become a better piano player. 

Prevent bad habits

Did you know there’s a right way to place your hands on the keyboard? Or how to sit at the piano bench? Or how to place your hands on the keyboard? Now let’s talk about reading music; are you putting emphasis where it belongs? A piano teacher’s job includes a variety of things, including observing to stop bad habits before they become ingrained in your actions. Your learning will be more effective, and you’ll notice a big difference in the way you play the piano. 

Accountability

Sometimes having someone hold you accountable for your actions is all you need to push yourself to put in the time it takes to practice. They can help you set goals, and achieve results. 

Learn something new

You don’t know what you don’t know. A highly skilled piano teacher can give you a variety of ways to make improvements in your daily playing. Because they are better at playing and have more advanced knowledge, they have ideas that can help transform your playing. 

Answers to your questions

What does this mean? Why does that happen? How can I make this better? No matter what hobby you’re bringing into your life, there are always questions that go along with the practice sessions. Having a piano teacher by your side gives you a chance to ask the questions and get an answer that helps you improve your skill. 

Increase your commitment

When you have “skin in the game,” you’re more likely to stick with it. Working with a piano teacher might just give you the added motivation you need to stick with it. Piano teachers aren’t a “one size fits all.” If you don’t gel with one, try other teachers out. Also, look at different opportunities; you can take classes in different ways. 

  • Work one on one
  • Take group lessons
  • Work with a teacher in person
  • Work with a teacher online
  • Join a band or orchestra 
  • Watch videos and attend online music theory classes 

The more commitment you give your new hobby, the more results you’ll see throughout. 

Filed Under: Piano Lessons Tagged With:
7 February 2015 Piano Lessons: Private Piano Teacher Versus Learning Online

Piano Lessons: Private Piano Teacher Versus Learning Online

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Most people today buy their very first piano with one goal in mind: to learn to play the piano.

But once that piano is sitting in your home, ready to play, where do you turn to in order to learn your very first song?Piano Lessons: Private Piano Teacher Versus Learning Online

The Internet has changed the way we do just about everything in our lives, and learning to play the piano is no exception. Search the app store and you’ll find a variety of apps with the promise of helping you learn notes and scales. You can invest in quality games that combine hitting the right notes in order to gain points and ultimately win the game. You can watch thousands of videos on YouTube alone. And of course if you do a quick Google search, you’ll find even more sites promising you quick action and new ways of learning the task of playing the piano.

Is it true? Can you learn to play the piano like a professional simply by playing a game or following the advice of a few free videos?

There are, of course, pros and cons to both methods of learning. And when it comes to learning, people learn in many different way. There is never a “one size fits all” formula to deciphering the best learning style.

Private Piano Teacher

Probably the biggest advantage to hiring a private piano teacher is the ability to have one on one contact with a professional. Because they’ve had professional training, and have played the piano for years, they understand the nuances of perfecting your ability. They can hold you accountable for practicing each lesson, and help you discover where problem lie and how to overcome them. There’s something that helps you stick with it when you know you have a lesson coming up in the next few days.

However, when you hire a private piano teacher, you are agreeing to learn in the style they prefer to teach. If they prefer classical music, you will learn classical music. If you have ideas, they may not be willing to listen because it might not fit in with their method of training. You’ll also have to pay for the ability to have one on one contact; something you’ll continue to pay for for as long as you choose to take lessons.

Online Learning

One of the greatest advantages of online learning is access to unlimited possibilities. You can find hundreds of learning styles and thousands of applications to help you decipher the notes, scales, and theory. Yet this can also lead to its biggest drawback; if you aren’t motivated to keep regular practice intervals going, or if you can quickly become overwhelmed with the amount of possibilities, using online resources can push you to give up your dreams of learning to play once and for all.

While each style is unique, and only an individual can decide which is the best opportunity for learning, the Internet has opened the door to possibilities. In some cases using the two together can increase your knowledge, and help you pursue your music in your own unique way.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: , ,