1.

Question: How do I know when my child is ready to start piano lessons ?

Answer: A child should be at least 7 years old before starting lessons. Many parents think they are missing an opportunity or starting too late if the child is not taking lessons by age 4 or 5. This is simply not true ! To start piano lessons, a child must be able to read the words in his books. His fingers and hands must be big enough and strong enough to not only press the keys down, but to connect the notes, maintain the proper hand position and do a number of technical moves that require fine motor skills and physical coordination. Also, private lessons require intense focus for 30 or 45 minutes and the ability to process many different things at once. A child must also be able to understand numbers and fractions.
Also, you need to consider the following things: Is your child willing to take direction ? Is your child asking for piano lessons ? Are you overscheduling your child ? If you want your child to develop real skill at the piano, they must understand that consistent work is necessary.

2.

Question: What type of instrument do I need?

Answer: An acoustic (real) piano is preferable to an electronic keyboard. Even a used upright piano is far better than a brand new keyboard. The touch sensitivity of a piano is essential to the development of proper technique as well as the strengthening of the muscles in the fingers and hands. The range of musical expression possible on an acoustic piano is infinitely better than that of a keyboard. The damper pedal and soft pedal, found on an acoustic piano, are necessary even in early piano study. Also, students will be required to play on acoustic pianos at all festivals and other performances; transferring from a keyboard at home to an acoustic piano in these events will greatly hinder your child’s performance

3.

Question: What brand of piano should I buy?

Answer: I recommend Kawai, Boston and Steinway. Yamaha is also good if you like a very bright sound. Play a piano before buying it. If you don’t know how to play, take an experienced pianist with you.

4.

Question: I am not sure that my child will like studying piano and I don’t want to buy an instrument until I’m sure. What should I do?

Answer: Rent an acoustic piano. You can rent from Jordan Kitt’s for as low as $49 a month or buy a piano with a one-year buy-back plan.

5.

Question: Are there any books on buying pianos that I could read?

Answer: The Piano Book by Larry Fine is the authoritative resource on this subject. There is also a supplement to The Piano Book which lists brands and average retail prices across the USA.

6.

Question: Where can I shop for pianos?

Answer:
New and good used pianos:
Contact Helen Koo at Jordan Kitt's Music and tell her you were referred by Ellen Nordlof (hkoo@jordankitts.com or 703-861-6988)

Adjustable artist piano benches:
www.ebay.com or www.perfectlygrand.com
Piano lamps: www.perfectlygrand.com

7.

Question: Do you have any advice on negotiating the price of a piano ?

Answer: Normally the manufacturers distribute their instruments through one dealer in a geographic area. Once you have found an instrument you like, check out-of-town dealers and compare prices. Bargaining is expected and the potential varies from brand to brand. A 100% trade-up deal is not necessarily worth a lot to the customer. Most pianos retain their value and if you do decide to trade up in the future, the dealer is likely to give you a good deal on your trade-in to make the sale on the new piano.

8.

Question: How often should I have my piano tuned?

Answer: The minimum is twice a year – after the heating and cooling seasons have ended. The longer you wait to have a piano tuned, the more out of tune it has become. A tuner must bring the piano strings up to pitch. Piano strings always want to return to their “learned” position. If they have learned to be extremely out of tune, they will revert to that position quickly and it will be difficult for your piano to hold a tuning.

9.

Question: How many minutes should my child’s lesson be ?

Answer: The overwhelming majority of students should take a
45-minute lesson from the very beginning, unless they are under 7 years old. The traditional 30-minute lesson is not good because the student doesn’t progress at a normal rate – their progress is hindered by the lack of time. The teacher must not only hear the student’s prepared assignment, but also present the material for next week’s assignment, usually in several books. The student who takes a 30-minute lesson is going to be limited to a very small assignment in each book, which can easily be learned in a couple of days, and will consequently have nothing to learn for the rest of the week. Advanced students of all ages should take 60 minute lessons.

10.

Question: What is the average lesson rate in this area?

Answer: The average rate is $60 per hour. You will find inexperienced and unqualified teachers charging significantly less and you will also find artist-teachers who charge more than twice this rate.

11.

Question: What criteria do I need to consider in choosing a teacher for my child?

Answer: Unfortunately, there is no regulation in our field – virtually anyone can teach piano lessons, even people who have just played a few years. Therefore, it is important that you do not take a teacher who is simply in a convenient location or conveniently inexpensive. “You get what you pay for” is so true in this case !
It is extremely important to find a college-educated teacher for your child, even if your child is a beginner. Piano teachers typically have Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.)with a major in music or a Bachelor of Music degree (B.M.) with a major in piano or music education. A Bachelor of Arts is a liberal arts degree, with course requirements in many subjects and a small “concentration” of courses in music. A Bachelor of Music degree is a music performance/education degree; most courses are in performance, music theory, music history and music education with only a small number of core requirements from other fields.
Good teaching is exceptionally critical in the early years of piano study, as this is where habits are learned and technique is developed. A good piano instructor will be well-educated and very focused on piano technique as well as reading skills, counting skills and metronome skills. A good teacher wants the student to eventually become independent, able to teach new music to himself as an adult, and will give him the skills necessary to do so.

12.

Question: What is “NCTM” next to a teacher’s name ?

Answer: This is the designation of “Nationally Certified Teacher of Music”. Music Teachers’ National Association has created a certification program for teachers which will help the public recognize that the person has met a high level of teaching standards. A Nationally Certified Teacher of Music must pass tests and/or prove competency in the fields of performance, music theory, music history, music education and business practices.

13.

Question: How much practicing is required ?

Answer: Generally a student should practice 6 days a week. A student should make noticeable improvement on his pieces from week to week. Specific assignments written in the assignment notebook should be completed. For young students taking a 30-minute lesson, 30 minutes a day is probably sufficient. For children age 9 or older, or anyone taking a 45-minute lesson, at least 45 minutes a day is necessary. High school students should practice an hour a day.

14.

Question: What constitutes “good practicing” ?

Answer: Students love to play through their pieces from beginning to end at very fast speed. This is not good practicing ! Good practicing means taking a piece apart and practicing a small section repeatedly to learn it sufficiently. It also means playing a piece slowly and stopping to work on trouble spots. Specific practice directions are written in the student’s assignment notebook and the student should be doing these things at home (counting out loud, practicing with metronome, naming notes while playing, shaping phrases, doing repetition work).

15.

Question: When will my child be ready to perform in piano festivals, recitals or piano exams like Guild Auditions ?

Answer: Festivals and piano exams have repertoire requirements; in other words, the students must be able to play music from a certain style or historical period. Students who are still beginners (studying music from a lesson book series) are generally not sufficiently advanced to be playing in these events. To perform in a piano recital, the student must be comfortable at the piano, have several years of lesson experience and be mature enough to withstand the pressure of playing in front of a large audience.