Frequently Asked Questions

Playing the piano isn't difficult, but what most students do find difficult, at least at first, is developing the habit of practicing the piano. Regular practice is a must in order to train the mind and the hands to produce music with the piano. After a good practice habit has been developed, some of the new ideas presented during lessons may seem difficult at first. However, when you practice the assignment throughout the week, what seemed difficult at first becomes easier as the week goes on.

To be satisfied with your progress in playing the piano, you have to be willing to schedule time each week to regular practice. For example, a young beginning student would be expected to practice at least fifteen minutes a day, five days a week. An adult student who is just starting would be expected to practice at least thirty minutes a day, five days a week. Without this regular practice, a student won't make progress and will lose skills he or she learned in earlier lessons.

In addition to regular practice, beginning students should be willing to commit at least two years of study in order to acquire basic skills necessary to achieve success in playing the piano.

Sorry, but the answer is no. If the only time you have for the piano is at your weekly lesson, you just won't succeed. It might be better for you to develop an understanding of the piano through home study or at a community college class on music appreciation.

As to practice, if time constraints are an issue, you should be realistic about your progress in light of your other activities. This is especially true for adult students. Generally—and this surprises early students—it takes much longer to learn a piece of music than a student expects. This fact can be most frustrating for adults because, although they may intellectually understand a concept, the physical ability to play the passage or technique takes longer to master.

I usually start children at five or six years old. There are exceptions. If you believe that your child shows indications of exceptional talent, we should meet and talk to see if he or she is ready for private lessons.

Even if your child is not ready for private piano lessons, there may be other options to encourage your very young child to begin developing his or her love for music and basic music skills. These include Kindermusik and the Yamaha class programs, as well as Music for Little Mozarts.

The answer is absolutely yes! I have many students who are professionals, already successful in their own occupations, who are taking lessons for the first time in their lives. Some of my best students are adult with no previous experience who quickly mastered the foundations of music and started studying the easier classics within their first or second year of study. So, if you are committed to practice and study, you will learn and enjoy the piano.

There are a number of methods that piano teachers may use, depending on the student's age, experience, and preferred style of learning. I use several excellent piano methods and then supplement them with other materials geared toward the student's specific learning style. Beware of teachers who only use one piano teaching style for all students. While this approach is easier for the teacher, it fails to take into account each student's unique situation.

Learning styles are the ways each of us perceive and process information. When we learn, we prefer one way of assimilating information over other ways. For example, some piano students learn better by reading, while others learn better by ear. The goal of a teacher is to provide information in the way best suited to the student's preferred way of perceiving and processing information.

I might start a student with a preferred style in order to lay a foundation for the material to be mastered, and then add less-preferred skills later to expand the student's versatility. For students that learn best by reading, I begin with that approach, but sprinkle in ear-training once the student feels comfortable with the basics. The choice of which teaching method to use will also depend on your personal goals regarding the piano.

You will need a piano that stays in tune, has a mechanism that allows you to change volume by varying the pressure on the keys, and has an appropriate touch that will allow you to develop your technique. Your piano will also need to have at least one pedal (damper pedal). These requirements can be achieved with a good quality acoustic or digital piano. However, if you plan to study the piano intensely and develop advanced technique, I recommend an acoustic piano for intermediate and advanced study.

The best advice I can offer when choosing a piano teacher is to do your homework. After all, the teacher you choose will be essential to your success or that of your child in playing the piano. Here is a checklist of what you should be looking for in choosing a piano teacher:

Education and Experience - Ask about the teacher's degree or degrees, the type of training she received, and the number of years she has been a piano teacher. The best piano teachers are those pianists who, in addition to their study of piano performance, have also studied piano pedagogy—a specialized educational path that trains a pianist to become a piano teacher and pass on appropriate information to students in the most effective ways.

Piano Only - Be cautious of anyone who offers music instruction on more than one instrument. While it is certainly possible to be a good teacher on several instruments, be sure to confirm the teacher's training, education, and teaching experience related to the piano, when choosing a piano teacher.

Student Roster - An indicator of a teacher's ability to give you the best results is her student roster—the number of students she teaches and the average length of time she has taught her students. As you would expect, good teachers are always in demand and have large student rosters. Some, like myself, even have waiting lists for adults and children who want to take piano lessons.

Studio Location - Where do you want to take piano lessons? You should look carefully at the physical location of the teaching studio. How large is the space? What kind of piano and other equipment does the teacher use? Is the studio well-lit and comfortable? Is there a waiting room if you are a parent? If the studio is in the teacher's house, is the studio separate from the living space of the family? Is there a waiting area separate from the studio and the living space? Finally, will you be comfortable going there weekly for lessons?

Passion for Teaching - Finally, look for a teacher who is passionate about being a teacher—helping others learn. Does the teacher have the personality, patience, and temperament to guide you or your child as you begin your piano journey? The right teacher should have good communication skills, patience, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to learn about you, and then build a teaching program that matches your learning style and your goals.

I teach lessons in a private studio, conveniently located in a friendly business center in the Scottsdale Airpark. Lessons are held in a bright, comfortable studio totaling almost 800 square feet. Parking is right outside the studio door. The separate waiting room is large, comfortable, and equipped with a practice keyboard with headphones so that students can arrive early and warm-up, if they wish. Rest room facilities are available, as is bottled water for students and those waiting.

Students learn on a new Kawai studio grand piano. In addition to the traditional grand piano, for those students technically inclined, I also offer instruction using the latest computer-based keyboard music software.

Click Studio for more information about my studio.

Throughout my teaching career, I have always been blessed with a large number of adults and kids who want to take lessons with me. And when they become students, they tend to stay my students. Many have been with me for more than ten years! Because of this, I have limited openings for new students and suggest that prospective students whose schedules won't fit existing openings consider putting their names on my student waiting list.

Most piano lessons are thirty minutes long and we meet once per week throughout the year. Some students take hour-long lessons.

As to the cost of piano lessons, if you look at my education and experience, you can probably guess that I charge more than most piano teachers in the Valley. But for those who truly want to learn to play the piano, the cost of piano lessons should not be the deciding factor when choosing a piano teacher. In fact, students will often save time and money by studying with a piano teacher who has the education and experience to offer the best and most efficient method to learn to play the piano.

Your entire lesson time is devoted to instruction. I don't waste a student's time or money dealing with administrative matters during a lesson. So, things like invoices are handled by mail. Communications about upcoming activities like recitals and adult events are covered with a monthly email newsletter. And any scheduling issues that may come up are done by email or text message. Finally, I take care of ordering books and educational materials so that they in the studio and ready when you are. In short, when you take lessons with me, you get my full and undivided attention.

Nearly all of my students study year-round because of the importance of continuity in making progress toward reaching their piano goals. Vacations are a normal part of everyone's schedule, including my own schedule, so short absences are not a problem.

For those students who may need to take an extended absence, taking lessons by computer is a very popular way to continue making progress. All you need is a laptop or tablet computer with a camera and we can set up a video link for piano lessons.

We will start with a piano method series that is correct for your age and experience on the piano. In addition, you will study music theory, technique, and performance skills.

If you are a new student who is transferring from another piano teacher, I will determine your level of study during the first few lessons. Then, we will proceed from that point. During your lessons, I will monitor your progress to see if you have any gaps in your previous study that need to be reviewed or presented for the first time.