I have decided to buy my nieces a proper beginner keyboard, however, I am also trying to decide if I should spend money for piano lessons and I searched online for a couple of tips to help me with the how, where, when and why of piano lessons.
I’ll share a few of my more important findings here in this post.
- Who will teach the kids?
Of course, the number one consideration with piano lessons is the teacher. And I mean a physical and on-location teacher, not the ones you can find online (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but I prefer a face-to-face teaching style.
And no, it can’t be just any teacher. What if it’s a fake teacher? A person with criminal history?
I would prefer a referral from someone who used their services previously.
But if not, then I need a detailed background check such as where they got their music education, how long they’ve been teaching piano, can you listen in to their lessons so you can gauge their skill?
What about the teacher’s personality? Is he or she easy to get along with? Do they have kids of their own?
Not to diss male teachers, but since my nieces are obviously girls, I would be more comfortable with a female teacher.
I also get wary of male teachers because of news articles like this. Very scary indeed!
Maybe this video will help you:
- How often are the lessons?
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| How many times a week? |
My nieces are both choir members in our church and are really quite active at school.
Piano lessons would have to fit their current schedule and I guess my sister (their mom) would know best when to have the lessons.
I believe a daily schedule might not be feasible so maybe 2 or 3 times a week will be fine (again, it’s up to my sister and the girls themselves).
- Are they interested?
The girls truly are interested with learning how to play the piano which is why I even started this blog because I want to document this particular time in their life (and mine as well).
It would be a different story if I was the one who wanted to gift them a keyboard and sign them up for lessons if they have not expressed any interest or desire to learn.
- What kind of keyboard do they practice on?
So I’ve been doing a lot of research into the kind of beginner keyboard I should buy for the girls and I came across this website www.soundselectric.org that recommends mostly Yamaha and Casio keyboards.
The keyboards are not too expensive and I think the reviews are spot on.
I just need to know which keyboard is going to stand the test of time (no matter which keyboard I end up buying it’s not going to last forever!).
But I am leaning towards getting a Yamaha keyboard as I know they have a solid track record when it comes to longevity of their instruments.
Maybe in a few years when the girls have outgrown their starter keyboard, and they have mastered the art of playing music, then I will them a real, honest to goodness piano. (I still have a few years to save!haha)
Last words
There you go! I hope this list gives you an idea on piano lessons and what you need to consider when signing up for lessons!
Oh, wait!
I didn’t include pricing and the cost. You didn’t really think it was going to be for free, did you?
Well, I’m sure there are free options (think Youtube) but for a personal, live teacher, there’s going to be costs associated with it.
Perhaps you can discuss and negotiate the rate with the teacher.
Good luck with that!
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