Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Thinking About Piano Lessons? Here's Some Tips

By Shila Kevan

Because of its popularity and versatility, piano is the instrument of choice world-wide because of the flexibility of the instrument with other instruments and singers. The capability of the piano for harmony and lush chords is ideal for accompanying singers and other instruments is wonderful, and it stands alone nicely as a solo instrument. The piano is a great starter instrument for young students just starting out in music, as they can gradually try another instrument or stay with the piano as their main instrument.

The advantage of learning piano is that it is available and effective for people of all ages, including very young children to the elderly. In the beginning, learning piano is entertaining as students progress almost immediately and it gives the student self-confidence. Nowadays there are various software programs, videos, and audios that students can use and learn how to play piano right away.

In order to find a piano teacher you can look in the classifieds in your hometown newspaper or you can check out names of music instructors in the yellow pages or the telephone directory. Some private and public schools, churches, or music stores may have names and lists of teachers available for people who are looking for a piano teacher. An effective way to find a successful and good teacher is to ask friends and acquaintances for a name or two, as people tend to want to help each other out.

Different instructors will have different fee and course structures. But you may be able to find a part time music teacher for a lesser fee as professional music teachers are often very expensive, and charge by the hour. A lesser fee teacher does not necessarily mean they are not as good as a expensive teacher, but find out education and experience level of each teacher.

There is the choice to take online tutorials to get a headstart on beginning lessons. It's a great way to get started and saves money for you, while most of the time you will have email access to an instructor for any questions you may have. Self pace study has its advantages as you can set up a routine where you can study when you want in the comfort of your own home.

When you start out learning how to play the piano, you will find out that every method has its own advantages and disadvantages. You have to figure out the best method for your own personal requirements. When you start out learning how to play the piano, you will need access to a piano or a keyboard in your home so that you can practice whenever you need to.

Many parents do not want to invest in a piano right away, as they want to make sure that their child likes piano. So they can opt for a 61 key keyboard that will be a temporary substitute until the child decides they will commit to the piano lessons. Currently, some buyers decide on purchasing a digital piano that is a blend of a keyboard and a regular piano as it is a great space saver and sounds like a real piano.

Once you have an instrument to practice upon, all you need is diligence, hard work and a good piano teacher. Don't think of yourself in a negative light as a struggling pianist because with some practice, soon you will be hammering out your favorite tunes on the instrument with absolute ease. In the end, it will be well worth the hard work and investment in time and money. - 15485

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