Help! My Child Doesn’t Like Piano Lessons

Fact no.1 Learning to play the piano is something so many people dream of doing.

 

Fact no.2 Learning to play the piano or any musical instrument takes a lot of work and dedication. You have to stick with it for years and practice at home regularly.

Fact no 3 Fact number 2 often makes it so that fact number 1 never becomes a reality.

I have been teaching the piano since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Ok not that long but since 1984.

 

In the beginning…

The first few weeks are usually lots of fun. In my studio, in addition to learning to play from method books, we do hands-on activities, we get to know one another. Hopes are high. Life is good. It seems like all systems go.

Then about six months to a year in (depending upon the age of the student) one of two things happens; The student either “takes off”, or their interest starts to “fall off”.

Sometimes students who have been doing well and playing for years start to lose interest. This is not unusual. Most of the time with a little flexibility and the right combination of inspiration and motivation things can get back on track.

Why do students fall off at the beginning of their piano journey?

The answer is pretty simple. Beginning piano stuff is relatively easy. Learning to find notes and keys, and play simple pieces doesn’t take too much effort. Even though every good teacher I know assigns at-home practice from the very beginning, a lot of kids can master this stage without much effort or practice.

The piano unlike other extracurricular activities involves independent practice at home between lessons. I can not stress enough that you can not learn to play the piano without regular at-home practice.

Inevitably, this “honeymoon” stage of learning to play the piano doesn’t last. Weeks go by, pages in piano books get turned and the ante gets upped. In other words, it gets more challenging.

 

I believe that there are two main reasons students lose interest.

The first reason,

The first one is rare, but it is the most difficult to overcome. That is that they never had an interest in the first place. Playing the piano isn’t for everyone. If a student starts saying they don’t like the piano I ask them if they could play amazingly well instantly without practicing would they like it?

I wrote a post a while back called “When Students Want to Quit Playing the Piano”  I explore this question in more depth. But, suffice it to say if the answer is yes they would love to play well I know we can usually solve whatever problems they are facing.

If the answer is no, then it really depends upon parents being willing and able to enforce practicing and lesson attendance. I have had students whose parents consider learning the piano a non-negotiable part of their child’s education just like reading and math. Parents that ensure that their child/children attend lessons regularly, see to it that they practice, attend recitals, and check with me about their progress. These students do very well, almost all of them grow to enjoy playing and are thankful that they are able to.

The second reason,

The second reason students start to lose interest even though they want to learn to play is that if they haven’t been keeping up with practicing at home. When the music they are learning gets more difficult they can’t do it and they want to quit.

Let me explain.

This is critical!

I only see most of my students once a week for 30 minutes.

We open to the page in the book we are working on and I ask them to read i.e. play the music. We go over notes, rhythm, fingering, etc. Thankfully, most of my students do what I ask of them they go to the piano later that day, and the next day and they practice what has been assigned. Yay!!

Why do I ask them to practice again on the day of the lesson and the very next day?

Because…if they do that it sets them up for a great practice week, they know how and what to practice and they then have no trouble practicing the rest of the week.

Because…they have moved the information I have just taught them from short-term to long-term memory.

If they have a lesson on Thursday afternoon close the piano book and don’t pick it up again until Sunday much, if not all, of what we had worked on at the lesson will be forgotten.

At this point practicing becomes frustrating. Learning music relies heavily on reading music notation and if students can’t read the music fairly fluently, practicing the piano becomes like trying to read a novel in a language that you don’t know very well. You have to stop, look up words, try to figure things out and you just can’t get into it. Boring, tedious, annoying. You get the idea.

 

So what can we do to ensure beginning students (adults or children) end up in the take-off group? And what if they seem to already be in the fall-off group?

If your child is just beginning his or her piano lessons. Do your best to help them get set up for success with a good practicing routine. It doesn’t take much time in the beginning and it will pay off big-time.

Very young children need supervision during practice time. Elementary school children usually need to be reminded to practice. Older kids need support and encouragement.

Have your child attend lessons weekly. This is especially important in the first year. Don’t take extended breaks from the piano. Of course, families need vacations and occasional breaks but I can honestly say that none of my successful students took off summers every year or took frequent breaks for weeks at a time.

 

Why do students who have been doing well lose interest?

If your child has been taking lessons for a while and is feeling frustrated and entering into the “fall off” category. Speak to your teacher, take a step back and reevaluate your child’s interest and your commitment to helping them succeed.

 

Time for something new

It may be time for a new piece, a new style of music, a new instrument, or even a new teacher.

Learning to play the piano takes a long time. Sometimes music that is new and fresh is what is need to keep people motivated. I have my students learn to play some popular music and learn to improvise. I have found that this really helps with motivation.

 

The Instrument

Be sure to have your instrument checked out by a qualified piano technician. An instrument that is out of tune, or is in bad condition is a barrier to practice.

 

Consider an additional keyboard

Consider purchasing an additional keyboard with headphones. I have had great success with students playing keyboards. Being able to plug in headphones has made it so that many of my older students practice more. The “private” practice means they can hash things out without feeling self-conscious. Being able to change sounds and use some of the technology is also fun and encourages practice.

 

Realize it’s part of the journey

I have to admit that some days I don’t feel like playing the piano. Piano learning is full of peaks and valleys. A good teacher can help you navigate these and help your child reach the dream of being able to enjoy the piano for a lifetime.

If you really want to continue you can. You can pick up the ball at any point and run. I didn’t even begin piano lessons until I was in the sixth grade which in the piano world is a super late start. But I did it. And your child can too!

Speak to your child’s teacher, make a plan for going forward. Don’t lose heart. Some of my most amazingly talented students struggle in one area or another.

 

Learning to play the piano is not easy, if it were, we would have a lot more pianists in the world. It’s hard work for both students and their parents. But hard work is good! and playing the piano is awesome.

At least I think that it is 🙂

 

Are you looking for a great piano teacher?

I can teach you or your child online or help you find a great teacher in your area.

 

 

Learning the Piano = Serious Cash…Seriously

 

There are a million articles out there about how great music study is for children.

 

It’s good for the brain, it builds character, teaches responsibility, provides enjoyment and an emotional outlet.

 

Sure, all of these things are true but there is one more little reason to keep your son or daughter in piano lessons. If they get good at it, they can make some very decent money.

 

I know, I know.

 

Unless we are rock stars or something we’re all supposed to be a bunch of starving artists, right?

 

Wrong.

 

Playing the piano is a skill. If you are competent, you can get paid!

Continue reading

When to Hold Off on Piano Lessons

 

When to Hold Off on Piano Lessons

What! A post on when not to take piano lessons? If you been following me for a while you know that I think that music education is the best thing ever for people! Especially in piano education. There are hundreds of reasons to take up the piano, it’s awesome! Ninety-eight percent of students start piano and do just fine, however, there are times when I recommend that parents hold off on piano lessons.

I generally love to start piano lessons with kids at age 4. This may seem young, but there are so many advantages to starting the piano as early as possible. There are so very many things that preschoolers can learn about the piano and about music. Most of the time it works out great. Occasionally a child will come into my studio who just isn’t quite ready to begin lessons. I expect my littlest student to be wiggly, shy, talkative, and generally “all over the place”. I can work with that. However, if a child is crying and really unhappy after 2 or 3 lessons I recommend that parents hold off on piano lessons for 6 months or so. During this time I recommend, they do lots of listening to great music and try a music and movement group class. These classes are fun for kids and the music and dancing develop their inner ear and their sense of rhythm.

Continue reading

Why Listening to Music is So Important

Just as reading classic books is to the aspiring writer and seeing fine art is imperative for the budding artist listening to great music is key to a music student’s development. Music is a language in and of itself it is both heard and played. The more a person is immersed in the language of music the easier it will be for him to become fluent.

 

Students of music should be listening daily to all types of music, especially music they wish to learn to play. Classical music and jazz feature complex rhythm and harmony that helps students to build strong musicianship and aural skills.  I recommend listening to these genres on a regular basis in addition to any popular or folk music that my students find interesting.

 

From relieving stress and improving physical health to enhancing test scores and inspiring creativity. The benefits of listening to great music are well documented.

 

Each year I take special care to select an eclectic mix of music that is beautiful, exciting, and perhaps even a bit surprising. There is music from hundreds of years ago all the way up to new music that has been composed by composers living today. I have hand-selected what I consider to be the best performances and posted them at pianoparents.net.

 

I hope you will enjoy listening the “Summer Listening Calendar Challenge” 2020!

 

 

Why Your Child Must Practice at Home

“Ms. Hall, I was so busy this week I didn’t have any time to practice”

 

 

I hear this from at least one student every week. I understand life can be busy. Students have school projects, exams, and other events that come up and prevent them from being able to practice. I don’t consider the occasional ‘off week’ when it comes to practicing a major problem. But what about students who are involved in so many activities that they almost never have time to practice? Can they learn to play? What about students who have the time but just refuse to practice? Can these students get anything out of piano lessons?

 

 

The short answer is no. If you don’t practice at home, you simply can’t learn to play much. Playing the piano for 30 minutes a week at the lesson just won’t cut it. Imagine going to school for just 30 minutes per week. You would not learn a lot.

 

 

This is How Piano Lessons Work.

 

 

A piano student attends a weekly lesson of 30-60 minutes in duration. During the lesson, the teacher reviews the material (music, scales, etc.) that has been presented the previous week and suggests ways to refine or improve the material. If the student has made sufficient progress new material is presented. A good teacher thoroughly explains any new concepts, answers any questions, and then assigns specific things to practice.

 

 

After that,

Continue reading

Over Scheduling Children

Over-Scheduled?

How much is too much?

I think having kids in after-school activities is great! I am all for extra-curricular activities, after all, as a piano teacher, I am one.

There is so much out there these days for kids to do. Dance, Sports, Music, Art, Scouts, Church Activities, Foreign Languages, Theater, and on and on. As parents we want our kids to thrive. We want them to experience what the world has to offer. We want the best for them. But, is there such a thing as too many activities for kids? If there is, how much is too much? And what does this have to do with piano lessons?

I think most of us would agree that it is possible to over-schedule our kids. Here is a quote from an article in Psychology Today:

Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D., a child psychiatrist and author of The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap, believes that enrolling children in too many activities is a nationwide problem.

“Over-scheduling our children is not only a widespread phenomenon, but it’s also how we parent today,” he says. “Parents feel remiss that they’re not being good parents if their kids aren’t in all kinds of activities. Children are under pressure to achieve, to be competitive. I know sixth-graders who are already working on their resume’s so they’ll have an edge when they apply for college.”

Piano Students

As a piano teacher, I advise my student’s parents against putting their kids in too many activities. One reason is simple. Children need time to practice if they are going to learn to play a musical instrument. I have had students who are so busy, that they literally do not have 30 minutes per day to spend practicing. As a result, they can’t learn to play well.

But I believe there are other more important reasons not to over-schedule our kids. Children need time to think, to dream, to imagine…To just be.

Actually, we all need these things. Especially those of us in the arts.

Musicians young and old alike need time to listen to great music, time to be silent, time to improvise. Time to read classic books, stories, and poems. Time to view the masterpieces of the art world.

Continue reading

Ready Set Recital!

 

I am a piano teacher and a parent of kids who studied music. So I have been on both sides of the recital equation and I can tell you which is more stressful…the parent side.

As parents we really want our kids to have a great experience. We love them, we want more than anything for them to be happy and feel good about themselves. We dread the idea that they would crash and burn during a performance and come away upset, embarrassed, or worse crying. So when it’s our child’s turn to get up and show her stuff,

we sit on the edge of our seats, holding our breath, and hoping for the best.

But I am here to tell you recital time doesn’t have to be so stressful. After all, a recital is meant to be an enjoyable experience. A chance for our kids to learn and grow as musicians and as people.

Encourage Your Child to Be Prepared

Talk with your child about the upcoming performance and encourage her to practice and prepare. Make sure that her schedule will allow for practice time even if it means cutting back on some other activities for a few weeks. Assuming that you have a teacher you trust, let your child know that she should follow the teacher’s instructions, this will help ensure that she is ready for the big day.

Continue reading

Should I Sit in On My Child’s Piano Lesson?

 

This question comes up a lot. There is a fair amount of debate about this among piano teachers. Personally, I don’t mind parents sitting in on lessons. Let me qualify that I don’t mind parents sitting in on lessons some of the time. I think most teachers agree that it is always a parent’s right to sit in on a piano lesson. The question is, is it always a good idea?

There are really no hard and fast rules about this topic. To my knowledge, no studies have been done on the effects on children whose parents sit in on piano lessons. But I have some experience with this subject as I have been teaching for over 35 years and I raised 5 boys of my own. Not to mention the fact that I was once a piano student myself.

I am a piano teacher (obvious) which means I was pretty successful when it came to my piano lessons. My parents never attended my piano lesson. Never, not one. I started taking lessons when I was in the sixth-grade. My teacher lived across the street from the school. My mother put five bucks into my pocket and I walked to my piano lesson and I walked home after. Granted the world was a lot different back then (the 1970’s) than it is now. Or at least, it was perceived to be safer.

Continue reading

An Interview With One of Today’s Top Pianists

For the parents who dream of their children becoming concert pianists. Read this inspiring post about the life and career of pianist Rami Bar-Niv.

This post was originally presented by Grand Stand.  The interviewer is Dee Nilsen.

What inspired you to play the piano?

 My piano-teacher mother started my elder brother on the piano. He lasted one day proclaiming that piano was for girls. I was next in line…

At what age did you start playing?

I was 5 YO.

What memories/stories do you have of piano lessons?

My mother used to put on the piano the only clock we had at home, told me to practice half an hour and closed the glass door. Every day I moved the clock ahead 5 minutes so I’d have to practice only 25 minutes (I didn’t want to make it too obvious…). Every evening at the 9 pm news my parents could not understand why the fine clock was wrong…

 

Do you have a favorite piece/style of music to play?

Anything from Bach to Gershwin. My favorite piece is the one I’m playing at the moment.

 

As an adult, why do you still enjoy playing the piano?

It’s my profession. I give concerts all over the world, I better enjoy it. But practicing is hard work.

 

 

Do you have a favorite experience that involves the piano?

Playing for Leonard Bernstein, performing for 5000 people in Mexico, performing for the American Ambassador in Israel at his home, performing for the president of El Salvador and his family, and many other similar cases.

 

If you teach piano, what has been your most memorable teaching experience?

Each one of my current piano camps for adult players of all levels leaves me with memorable teaching experience. It’s just the wonderful students, their love for the piano/music, their serious attitude, and their improvement. 

 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing the piano?

Composing music, helping out and mentoring students and colleagues, being with my family and grandkids, watching movies, and traveling. I also do sports, used to do karate, nowadays I do walking, swimming, and my own exercises.

 

What do you/or have you done for a living?

 

Giving concerts all over the world, composing music, teaching private students, giving master classes, running my own publishing and record company, running my own music management/agency, writing a piano-technique book, and running my piano camp for adults.

Where do you live?

I share my time between the USA and Israel.

Continue reading

How To Help Your Kids With Piano Homework

The article was written by Vincent Reina.
Performance from Purchase Conservatory. He then earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Music from Manhattanville College. Today, Vincent is the co-founder of Music To Your Home, a New York City-based music school. He’s the proud winner of many significant piano competitions, including the Westminster Choir College Artistic Excellence in Piano Award.

 

You have found the perfect piano teacher for your child or children. You probably had to spend a lot of time searching for a reliable piano teacher but your efforts have paid off. You’ve found the perfect one. They’re talented, thoughtful, patient, and experienced. Good teachers aren’t always easy to come by, so when you find one that you can rely on, it’s something to be happy about.

Don’t forget. There will be homework!

Continue reading

Things Your Traveling Piano Teacher Wants You to Know

Does your piano teacher come to your house? If so you are super lucky. Traveling teachers are very hard to find these days. As a piano parent myself, I have had a few teachers come to my home to teach my sons over the years and I can tell you it was a real convenience. I have also been a traveling teacher myself. Here are some things I think your traveling teacher would like you to know.

Continue reading

Scott Joplin

Happy February everyone. I wish you all a happy Valentine’s day and a wonderful Black History Month. In honor of African Americans, we will be putting up some information on some on some of the best and most influential African American musicians in the world. 

Today we’ll talk about a famous pianist and composer named Scott Joplin. Mr. Joplin gave his whole life to the music profession. He was born in Texas in the 1860s to a family of railroad workers. He gave up life as a railroad worker to follow a career as a traveling musician. Even though it was hard he kept at it. He never gave up playing and writing music even when no one saw how good he was. 

Continue reading

A Piano for Christmas?

My good friend and colleague Susan Blanchard Shaw put together this post for her students. She was doing research in her area in order to help guide her student’s parents in their selection of a piano.

I liked the post so much I asked her if I could repost it here for all of you, and she said yes. Thank you, Susan!

 

A Piano for Christmas?

Around this time of year, many people consider getting a keyboard for someone as a gift or upgrading from the one they have. If you are considering buying a keyboard ( versus an acoustic piano) please consider the following:

 

 

* The better the instrument, the better the progress. A student playing on an inexpensive keyboard with less than 88 Keys will not fare as well as one who has the full range of notes to play.

 

* Is the keyboard touch sensitive and does it have weighted keys? Most inexpensive keyboards do not. The keys are not weighted and thus do not give a real piano feel. This can lead to improper technique and frustration on the student’s part. A weighted keyboard will feel more like a real piano and will help the student be able to play with dynamic shading.

* Is the keyboard on a steady stand at the proper height? This is vital to proper technique. Students who sit too low, too high can develop issues with muscle tension. This could lead to tendinitis or worse. The student should be able to sit with their arms perfectly parallel to the keys.

* How does it sound? An inexpensive keyboard sounds like it. There is no depth of sound, no real piano feel or sound.

* What kind of pedal does it have? After the first year of lessons, pedal technique is usually introduced. A cheap square plastic pedal will not give the desired results and usually skates across the floor.

 

* How many notes of polyphony are there? Without getting into too much detail, the higher the number, the better. If you are going to play fast, advanced music, notes will blip or clip out on lower than 64 note polyphony. Imagine playing a piece and half the notes are silent. Then again, if you are an advanced player I suggest an acoustic piano.

So which keyboards are preferred? There are many keyboards in all prices ranges, with 88 weighted keys, solid stand, bench, and pedal. Here are my recommendations:

Yamaha P45- not as good as I thought for the money. $499 with a base. To get the good base and pedal would be an additional $150.

Casio Privia PX160. I liked this a lot. Great feel and sound, not a lot of bells and whistles. $499 for just the keyboard. But a site called kraftmusic.com has a bundle that includes the furniture type stand, triple pedal board, bench and headphones for 599.99 with free shipping.

Casio Privia PX 350. Above the 160. More bells and whistles. Better piano sound. Same feel as the 160. Piano at only $599. With furniture stand, triple pedal board, nice bench with storage, dust cover and headphones. Kraftmusic.com. Has the best price at $879.

Now that is pricey. Once you get up there you may want to look at acoustic pianos.

Next up Yamaha DGX 660. Lots of bells and whistles including the ability to record. $799 at kraft music includes furniture stand, bench, headphones, and a single ( not triple) pedal.

There are of course more expensive digital pianos out there ( Yamaha Clavinova).

If you are in the market for an acoustic I can do some research as well. A good acoustic will last 100 years if well maintained and will not lose value. There are quite a few nice ones on Craigslist. Anywhere from $350 on up

I would avoid the Williams pianos. The touch is very stiff and the sound is not great. I had to play one for a show and by
The end my hands were hurting.

KRAFTMUSIC.COM

Continue reading

How to Tell Your Piano Teacher Goodbye

 

I am the last person who wants anyone to quit piano lessons…ever! But I am the first one to admit it happens. Maybe your child just isn’t into it anymore, and you’re tired of fighting with her about practicing. Perhaps your schedule is overloaded and something has got to give. A job loss or financial setback may also cause you to feel as though you have to stop lessons. It could be that you want to continue lessons but you think it’s time for a new teacher.

How Piano Teachers Think

OK, I am not a psychic. I don’t know exactly how or what every teacher thinks but I know enough teachers personally to tell you that we hate it when a student leaves. Yes, business is Business but piano teaching is more than that for most of us. Speaking for myself I try not to. take it personally but it still feels “icky” especially if I have been working with your child for a while. If you have carefully considered all of the options and have decided it’s time for a change there are some ways to make the situation a little easier.

Continue reading

Why do We Need a Piano and What Type Should We Get?

Students need a piano because they need to be able to practice at home. Learning to play any musical instrument is a big undertaking that depends upon regular lessons and daily practice. It takes practice to understand musical concepts and to acquire the coordination and motor skills it takes to become a pianist.

What Should We Get?

There are basically two types of pianos Acoustic and Digital. First, let’s look at Acoustic Pianos.

Acoustic Pianos are made of wood and have steel strings. An acoustic piano a great choice if you have space in your home to accommodate one and if you can afford it. Concert artists always play on fine acoustic pianos and almost all pianists prefer them. Acoustic pianos need periodic tuning, however, this is a minimal expense. If carefully chosen and properly cared for an acoustic piano is an investment that will last a lifetime.

Continue reading

The Five Piece Summer Piano Practice Challenge

I insist that my students take lessons and practice over the summer because students who study and practice over the summer turn out to be the most successful students. Summer is a time when students can devote more time to the piano without the pressures of school and homework. In my many years of teaching, (I stopped counting after 30) I have seen that students who continue piano study throughout the year stick with piano longer and play better than those that take breaks from playing.

One of the ways I keep my students motivated to practice, is to institute a “Summer Piano Practice Challenge”. While summer is traditionally a time when advanced students tackle Sonatas and longer repertoire, I ask my beginning and intermediate student to try to learn five fun, short pieces. Continue reading

Seven Ways to Establish Good Piano Practice Habits

No one learns to play the piano without practicing: it simply can’t be done. A thirty or even sixty-minute lesson once per week just won’t cut it. Students need to practice at home. Musical concepts take time to grasp and the body movement required to play must be carefully repeated on a consistent basis in order to develop the strength and coordination it takes to play the piano.

I am often asked by parents how much practicing their child should be doing. For my youngest preschool students, I recommend five to ten minutes a day. As a student grows older and becomes more advanced, the length of practice time will gradually increase. Ideally, practicing would take place each and every day. While I know that sticking to a strict practice regimen is a real challenge for many of my students, I recommend that they try to come as close to this as possible.

Seven Ways to Establish Good Piano Practice Habits.

Continue reading

Music Reading is Fundamental

When I was a little kid growing up in New York there was a TV campaign running called RIF. A little character would interrupt our Saturday morning Cartoons to remind us that “Reading is Fundamental”. Looking back, I’m pretty sure the NEA or some other teacher related group was conspiring to get us to turn off the television and do more reading. I didn’t think much about it at the time I was busy with Bugs and Elmer Fudd. Luckily my mother made me go to school and learn how to read. And that was a good thing, because you know what? Reading really is fundamental.

Reading opens the mind in ways that that would take volumes to express. Most importantly, reading allows the reader to gather and interpret information for himself. In this way, he becomes an independent reasoning human being.

Music Reading is Fundamental

Music reading for the aspiring musician is fundamental too. Can you learn to play music without reading music? Certainly, but you are going to be severely limited. Just like you would in school without language reading.

Continue reading