Finding The Right Piano Teacher For You Or Your Kids

Finding the right piano teacher is everything. Take the time to find the teacher that’s right for you. A good piano teacher should know the best way to work with each student. Lessons should challenge and encourage each person to learn at the level they feel most comfortable with. A piano instructor should have a stress free and fun environment for students. The piano teacher should be very patient and encouraging, and provide a supportive, relaxed learning studio. Students should feel free to be curious, ask questions, and say what is on their mind. For students to be successful, they need to be inspired, have fun, and feel a sense of accomplishment. That will motivate them to success. I have been teaching for over 25 years and am still learning a lot from my students. I encourage my students to have a great time at the lessons and at home playing the piano.

Learning to play piano is a unique experience. It’s the perfect union of the keyboard and the human spirit. It teaches creative and original thinking, develops physical and visual coordination and helps foster auditory and rhythmic skills. There are a great many things that we can do at the studio. Learning to read music is the foundation of playing piano. There are terrific classical, popular, blues, jazz, new age, folk and lots more pieces to learn. We will work on the type of music that interests you. If you like, you can also learn; to play by ear, blues improvisation, theory, composing & songwriting, to record your own pieces, and accompanying voice. Some students will want to stick with learning to read and play songs. Other’s will want to do everything. It’s all up to you. Everyone is different.

 

 

Many of my students start off as complete beginners. This is a perfect way to get going. Kids as young as 4 can start lessons. Adults can start at any age. I have had beginning students over 80 years old, and they did great. Anyone can learn to play the piano. The important thing is to get started. You will learn everything you need to know to learn to play piano and have a really enjoyable time doing it.

The right piano studio a lot more than its location.The right teacher for you can make your learning experience enjoyable, and speed up your progress. Does the teacher give all his students the same music, or can you choose music that you want to work on? Will you be required to play boring scales and exercises, or spend your time playing new songs. Are the lessons very structured, or does each student’s unique interests guide the direction of the lessons. Does the studio have at least two acoustic pianos, for demonstrating pieces or playing duets? Is the studio set up to record and print out music? Kids love doing recording projects and making CD’s. It’s a great way to show them how they can apply the skills they have acquired.

 

Children

Children require a very different approach to learning piano than adults. They need to have fun and see how the piano connects to their world. Getting kids excited about music is the magic that works. In addition to reading music that kids like, we work on projects that give them a real sense of accomplishment; learning to play duets, blues improvisation, composing and recording original music, making a CD, recording videos and scoring the music, learning rhythms through drumming. These are terrific tools to immerse students in the world of music and help them comprehend its structure.

Children that endure boring piano lesson will not continue, and the chance for them to acquire a solid musical background will be lost. My piano lessons are fun, yet challenging. Kids learn skills about working towards a goal and the rewards it brings. These are lessons that apply to both piano and life. It is rewarding watching children mature, not only as piano players but as individuals. Additionally, learning to play piano does wonders for the development of children’s physical and mental skills. Often improvements in schoolwork can be seen with kids that are learning piano.

 

Adults

Adults have enough going on without another thing to worry about. At my studio, lessons for adults are done in the ‘real world’. I’m aware that work, family, logistics, can all upset even the best intentions of students practicing at home. Piano lessons are generally a fairly long endeavor, so its better to view progress over a period of months, rather than by the week. Relax about the lessons and have a good time. Your job is to be engaged and inquisitive about learning piano, not worrying about your practicing. Learning to play piano or keyboard is an exciting adventure that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment.

 

 

Should I Get A Piano Or A Keyboard?

Students often wonder if a keyboard will work as a substitution for a piano. Yes, absolutely! A keyboard is similar to a piano and can be fine for practicing. If the keyboard has 88 keys (the same as a piano), that is even better. Whether you own a piano or keyboard, taking lessons is the same,. Either instrument is fine for learning to play. If you don’t have an keyboard or piano yet, I can give you some ideas about what to look for.

 

Individual Lessons

All my lessons are private, one-on-one individual lessons. Individual lessons insure that you will get the most out of the time spent, and you will progress quickly. It’s the most effective method of learning piano. I never do group lessons. Some studios in Portland give group lessons to children as well as adults. While this might be useful for very young children (under 4), kids and adults really need the extra personal attention of their own lesson. This will result in a faster and better understanding of material presented. Students often come to me after having done group lessons.

They just are not as far ahead as they could be for the amount of time they have spent. Once they start individual instruction, their progress improves considerably. Personal attention also brings out the creativity and individuality of each student. Some piano studios here in Portland are owned by corporations. They hire multiple teachers, have a generic curriculum, and farm out their students. I teach my own lessons. I am the business. Look for a teacher who runs their own studio. I have very few rules about learning piano. Every student is different, and will move ahead at the rate that they are comfortable with. I teach with a modern, effective, and personal approach. The lessons are yours, and I want you to enjoy the experience of learning piano.

 

The Studio

My piano studio is a great place to learn piano and give you a way to express yourself . I have two acoustic pianos and a keyboard. If you know you want to get started right away, give me a call. In the first few months of lessons, you’ll begin feeling comfortable with the piano. If you’d rather just set up a time to meet, call to schedule it. You can then come down to the studio and we’ll discuss lessons for yourself or your children. Lessons are given once a week, and can be 1/2 or 1 hour a week. Parking plentiful, I have a large waiting room, and there is a coffee shop just down the street.

Call me at 503-771-4611.

Read about Norm Zarr