Voice Lessons in San Francisco, CA

Instruments: Piano Voice Organ Synthesizer Keyboard

When will I start to see results?
Like many youngsters learning to play the piano for the first time, I was a bit overwhelmed by the double-staffed notation sheets for piano music. It took me a few months to finally warm up to piano arrangements. Looking back, I’m very grateful for having been exposed to a music education at an early age. Childhood can be a very insecure time, and learning to play the piano (and other instruments) at that age helped me to develop a sense of confidence I was sorely lacking back then most music educators agree that the piano is a universally more comprehensive instrument for learning music. Piano music involves both treble and bass clefs (guitar uses only treble clef), chords and melody (as opposed to, say, trumpet or flute…which only express melodic lines). Most college-level music programs require all music students to learn some piano (even if they are majoring in another instrument). The piano provides for a more comprehensive understanding of how music works. Many college-level students of other instruments express regret that they did not learn piano as a kid.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Don't give up being persistent and trying to learn how to play, that's all it takes is time, and not giving up but being persistent. When I first begin to learn how to play the piano, every day I played that piano and organ, even though it did sound bad, then as time progress it got better and better and better, I was like oh yeah I am sounding good for real, YOU CAN DO IT!!!! just don't give up. Without the proper tools and practice habits to get better at anything, students will become frustrated and want to quit. It is the role of music teachers and parents to give students ownership over their learning. Teachers must teach students why, how, where, and when to practice, and parents must obtain minimal knowledge about how students learn music in order to properly support them at home. Parents and students think they aren’t musically talented. Sure, there are some kids who pick up an instrument and sound decent immediately, but they will hit a wall later and have to work hard to overcome it. Most everyone else won’t sound that great at first. Playing a musical instrument is a craft that, if practiced correctly, is something that all children can find success in. As long as students know how to practice and that it needs to be done regularly, they will get better.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
5 year-olds who received piano instruction had more brain growth and better fine motor skills than their peers. You, as a parent, want these benefits for your child, but you might be wondering when to begin piano lessons. First of all, let me say that there is no one age that is perfect for all children. You can find examples of children who started piano lessons at three years old, but that is very rare. Other kids who start as late as ten or eleven can also become excellent professional pianists. Those who start later in their teens might not be ready to enter college as a piano major, but they can still get a lot of benefits. Anyone of any age who wants to learn, and puts in the hours of practice, can still reach a high level of skill and enjoyment.

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