Piano Lessons For Beginners Blog

Why, all of a sudden, do people think it is OK to expect ‘free’ piano lessons, ‘free’ music? Do you value it so little?

Or are you, at present, starving, eating only in a soup kitchen?

I’ve been playing a keyboard, and was going to start taking piano lessons. Is it easy to play a piano after playing a keyboard or is it the same thing? Thanks(:

It’s pretty much the same thing. The piano usually has more keys than the keyboard, and it can’t do that "play a whole chord with one finger" thing that keyboards do. And obviously you can’t change the sound to "strings" or "vibraphone" or "space alien".

Mostly you’ll have to get used to the different feel that playing a real piano has, and learn to adjust the "volume" by how you press the keys. And you’ll have to get used to using the foot pedals, but that’s easy.

I have been hating my job for about a year. I am a secretary. Recently, I started to do something about it. I started teaching piano and started a band. The piano lessons bring in pretty good money, not great. And the band is my life. My goal was to get enough students to be able to quit my secretary job. However, out of the blue I got another secretarial job offer for almost twice my current salary. Should I take it? Or should I stick with my original plan?

for now you can take the job, then carry on with the original plan.
The difference is that to match the new money you might have to take more students in.
It also depends on how much you value money versus your own time.
Personally I couldn’t care less about the money and so long as I have enough money to cover the essentials then I value my own time the most precious thing in the world, but we are all different and most people love their cars and their clothes and their restaurants etc etc so each to his own.
You sound like you’d know what to do with your own time, however… are the other band members in it only part time? If so then you want to consider it carefully.
I was in a band and hated to depend on them for my own life. You need to find the right people.

It’s just a keyboard, no pedal, and probably not enough keys. But, I really want lessons! I’ve been teaching myself for a while but i don’t want to do this forever.

Even if you’ve been teaching yourself i expect you’ll be taught the basics in order to make sure you’ve got the right technique. I started of with a keyboard but i did get taught on a piano. Still, I don’t think it would make a huge difference for who ever is gonna be teaching you…Good luck and enjoy! Oh, and well done on teaching yourself- that kind of motivation is really admirable.

There are no violin teachers in my area, I have searched time and again. So it seems that learning violin online is my best option. I really want to learn to play the violin. Can anybody please tell me what to do?

I assume from your question that you are wanting beginner level instruction for the violin. So I will introduce you to the online course I recommend for my beginner students.

Eric Lewis has a very good collection of online videos that cover comprehensive methods starting at the beginning level and progressing to intermediate levels and beyond. It starts with reading sheet music and is a rock solid, tested course that has been teaching violin students since 1988.

BTW, Eric Lewis is 1st violinist for the Manhattan String Quartet and has been a world renown master violinist for decades. He has pioneered many of the most successful teaching methods for learning the violin, which are widely used today. You can access his online video course here:

http://rds.yahoo.com/**http%3a//cli.gs/Eric-Lewis-violin

I just had my first lesson and I’m soooo nervous.What should I do to calm myself down?Were you nervous your first lesson?Piano players please help!!! I know all this is worth being able to play, but I need some tips.Thanx,

amy.lee.fan

It is normal to be nervous the first time you do anything where you
have to perform before anyone. Also the teacher is judging you, and you know it. But, she,or he has to judge you all the way through to see where you need the most help etc. You are right it is worth it and soon you won’t be nervous at all. Just decide that you are going to do this so be nervous if you have to until you adjust. Keep it up, you will be playing very well before long. I hope
you will come back & let us know when you are happy & satisfied
with your performance, ok?

I’m giving my first piano lesson next week to an absolute 6-year-old beginner, and I’m kind of nervous that I don’t know how to begin. I don’t remember how my first lesson was like and I’ve never taught before. Does anyone have experience in a good approach to use, or if you’re taking lessons, do you remember how you started? Do you start teaching a student to handle the instrument first, or do you teach them basic theory and music reading before they begin playing?
I would appreciate the advice:)

just tell them every note the miss, it’ll cost them a limb

just keep the knife on the table

I’m doing some research for a writer and he’s curious when music lessons and instuments would have been introduced to public grammar school children in pre-WWI Germany. Maybe you know some music professors or historians at your University who may know the answer to this question. or can at least point me in the right direction.

Check the university of Munich:

http://www.en.uni-muenchen.de/institutions/index.html

I guess the Faculty of Cultural Sciences could help:

http://www.volkskunde.uni-muenchen.de/ueber_uns/portrait/english/index.html

Good luck.

I have been playing piano for 10 years and I’m auditioning for my high school jazz band. I’m not sure what I want to play but i was thinking something like April in Paris or Ain’t misbehavin, any suggetions?

You could try a Billy Joel piece. He often has some of the greatest jazz pieces written for piano.

In every grade in piano lessons, there are some usual pieces of music commonly used in the examinations so that one will have to get familiar with the pieces such as Fur Elise by beethoven. can anyone tell me some? i’m trying to find a particular piece. i know the melody but i don’t know the title, but it’s one of the common piano pieces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No._16_(Mozart) ?
Some Clementi sonatina?

If you know the melody, could you let us know what it is via solfege?

You can also view a list of accepted pieces for grade examinations used by ABRSM here: http://www.abrsm.org/resources/pianoSyllabusComplete09.pdf