Three Differences There are 3 striking differences you will find in a small group classroom versus a private lesson. Students develop a camaraderie and start looking forward to coming to class. Learning with friends propels progress. Hearing how others struggle validates a student’s own struggle to learn, but assures them that they can do it….
Teaching students in a small group helps them overcome stage fright Many people learn to play the piano, yet few learn to play comfortably in front of others. Is this just a personality thing? Are shy students just unable to perform while out-going kids do just fine? Can everyone learn to perform? Maybe not every single…
Small groups offer better ways to learn rhythm I was a terrible student when it came to counting. My teacher insisted I count aloud while playing. At age 8, I hadn’t even learned fractions and well, I just couldn’t say, 1+2 for one note but just + on another. I really couldn’t do it. She…
Do you know and understand the Circle of Fifths? When I learned the Circle of Fifths, it was in a workbook. I hated it. My teacher explained how to use Major chords to figure it out, but at that point, I didn’t even fully understand a Major chord. So, she backed up and began with chords…
Colored Pencils in Every Class When I discovered the magic that colored pencils could create in my classroom with flashcards, I began keeping them close in every piano lesson. When someone struggles to find a note, I simply mark the closest C on the page. I simply give a little colored reminder of where the…
Digital Vs Real When I was a child, having a real piano was a requirement if you were taking piano lessons for beginners. Digital pianos have come along and changed this expensive barrier to learning how to play piano. Digital pianos are getting more and more affordable with time, and many of them are lightweight…
Small group piano lessons beat private lessons My small group piano lessons are classes with 3-4 students at one time. We begin class with rewarding everyone who has practiced the benchmark minutes during the week, then students take turns playing their assignments for the whole class. At the beginner stage, this takes less than 5…
Is there a Better way to teach piano? If you could find a much more effective way to teach than traditional lessons, you would want to try it, wouldn’t you? Our daily bread I remember when bread machines first came out, my Grandma called me to say she’d just tried a delicious piece of bread…
Here are some links to the products I recommend on Amazon. You do not need to run out and purchase an expensive piano or keyboard if you don’t have one! Any decent keyboard with a minimum of 61 keys will do. As you advance, you may consider making a bigger investment. I recommend buying headphones…