TEACHING METHOD
& PHILOSOPHY:
CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS:
Ages 3-5
Three years is a good age to begin taking piano lessons. From ages 3-5, lessons will be about 15 minutes long.
Lessons will consist of the child observing his or her parent receive instruction and then copying it. For example, the adult will learn how
to sit at the piano, how to hold the hands, how to play by ear, etc. The child will switch places with the parent or sit beside the parent and copy
these skills.
Practice time at home consists of the parent sitting with the child at the piano and reviewing these habits several times a week.
At this age, the child learns to play by ear. Very little attention is given to reading music. The intention is to cultivate an interest in
music by establishing good habits that make progress easy and training the ear to pick out simple pieces.
Beginning lessons in this age range requires a lot of parent involvement. If you are not prepared to sit with your child for practice time 3 or more times per week, it is best to wait until the child is older.
For this age range, I use the Music for Little Mozarts materials. These materials use stories, coloring, songs and pictures to engage the young student and provide an easy way for parents to participate without requiring prior piano or music knowledge on their part.
Use the link below to find more information on these materials.
Music for Little Mozarts
Ages 6-18
Beginning students will learn to read music and play simple pieces, hands together. They will become familiar with both clefs and learn basic music theory.
Students will write their own pieces and improvise using patterns they know how to play from their learning books and theory. For example, a student will learn
the "five-finger C position" and receive homework such as "make up your own song using that finger pattern," or "using a song you've learned, switch the pattern to make your
own song. "They will also begin to train their ear by picking out pieces by ear. Often this needs little instruction as students of this age naturally try to
play songs they haven't learned, simply using their ear.
When they are ready, students will progress to method books. These are the books beyond the beginner books. For younger students I use a variety of lesson books.
Often, for siblings close in age, I use different method books so they play different pieces and competition doesn't interfere with their natural abilities.
It is not uncommon for siblings to advance at different rates or in different musical areas. Using a different book series for siblings is a great way to keep them focused on their own progress rather than their sibling's.
Activity books are often used for young students to enforce piano techniques away from the piano. This is a great way to encourage practicing when the attention span at the piano bench is waning.
For older students and as soon as younger students show a serious interest, I prefer the Keith Snell method books which are divided into musical periods (such as Baroque and Romantic) so that students are playing reputable repertoire from the earliest levels. A theory book also
accompanies this repertoire. In addition, the student will prepare certain extra pieces edited or written for their level such as holiday music, movie themes,
popular songs and challenging classical pieces. Ear training and improvisation continue through these levels, along with composition. Advance students will,
in combination with their theory study, be able to notate their own pieces!
Keith Snell Method Books
ADULT STUDENTS:
The adult beginner will use an adult beginner book for those first few months of learning the basics. This is tedious since mentally, adults are much more aware
of their limits and not as entranced with their new abilities as children are. The simple advice is to grin and bare it, because adult beginners have the advantage
over children of improving leaps and bounds in just a few weeks and quickly progressing to more complicated material. The beginner material includes learning to
read music, playing simple pieces with hands together, etc.
Adult students who are beyond the beginner level will study classical music. This is not always what one envisions when seeking out piano lessons.
You may be more interested in playing your favorite Elton John or pursuing singer/songwriter styles. However, classical music is why the piano was born and
remains the most thorough way to learn the instrument. If you're interest lies in other areas, prepare to be surprised. Classical music lays the
foundation for playing all techniques and styles.
Adult students will learn through classical study, theory and improvisation how the various classical styles
compare to one another and other styles built around them (eg. jazz). Half-hour lessons are not long enough to accommodate all the material that intermediate students are
curious to explore. If an adult takes a longer lesson, composition and theory will be more heavily explored. This creates an even more thorough
understanding of the pieces they are studying.
In addition to classical study, adult students will learn to play by ear, read chord charts and pursue any styles that interest them.
Other pieces are also incorporated into lessons such as popular songs, holiday music, movie music, etc.
All students will learn effective practicing techniques and receive weekly practice homework.
SONGWRITING & COMPOSITION:
These lessons include piano instruction with the emphasis on improvisation and composition. Half of the lesson time will be spent on piano instruction, including:
learning to read music, playing with both hands, playing simple pieces. Once the student has progressed beyond this level, the piano instruction portion will
include learning one or two classical pieces at a time. In addition to working on technique, these pieces will be used to study form, and expand the songwriter's "idea bank"
in regards to harmony, melody and rhythm. Theory study will continue as a means of lending the songwriter further inspiration and equipping them to effectively
communicate their pieces.
The second portion of the lesson will include critiquing the student's own songs or compositions and aiding the students in strengthening their weak areas in the craft.
Homework will be given in the form of songwriting exercises, such as: write a song about the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, pick a geographic location
and write a song about it, write a lyric set rhyming each line and then rewrite it so that nothing rhymes, etc.
Composition emphasis will include learning how to compose specifically for the piano, and considerations for composing at the piano for other instruments. Assignments regarding compositions will emphasize: harmonic ideas, form, rhythm or melody. Emphasis will also be on correctly notatin compositions and/or chord charting songs.
National Testing
If students and families show interst, testing with the National Music Certificate program occurs twice a year and is available to all of my students. Testing occurs at each level of piano progress and evaluation by professionals helps guide the teacher, student and parents in determinig what's best for the student's progress. It's also helpful in college applications as it provides an accepted national standard in regards to skill level. The organization also awards scholarships.
National Music Certificate Program
Learning Difficulties
If your child has difficulty in school, music lessons may be the saving confidence they need. I have lots of experience with students who have difficulty processing, reading, scanning from left to right, etc.
Please be upfront with me about learning difficulties a student has so I can best plan their lessons. Other method books, such as Suzuki, are a great way to adjust the lessons to suit a student's abilities and challenges.
