A keyboard or digital piano is a perfectly acceptable alternative to an acoustic piano for the purposes of lessons and practice. The major advantages of keyboards are the cheap price, portability and the possibility of playing with headphones, which means being able to practice without disturbing others. When buying a keyboard, look to get one with a weighted hammer action and as many keys as possible - a minimum of 61 should suffice. Weighted keys with most resemble the touch sensitivity of a real piano. The most common brands are Casio, Korg and Yamaha. If possible, look to purchase an upright or bay grand piano.
Musika offers customized one-on-one music lessons in your home - a smart and simple solution for busy parents and students. The convenience of in-home lessons allows you to save time without having to transport your child to class, allows your child to maximize their busy schedule, and provides a safe and familiar environment in which to learn.
Our teachers at Musika design their piano lessons around the needs and ability of each student. This means that lessons cater to a wide range of ability and experience levels, from those just starting to play the piano for the very first time, to students with already established skills and experience. For new learners, the aim is to get them playing simple songs as quickly as possible. To do so means teaching them the basics, such as scales, hand position, fingering technique, and chords. These are the essential skills for playing simple material. Beyond this, students can learn to develop their musical ear, sight read, read sheet music and chord charts, and general music theory. They will start to learn more complex chords and start applying them to more advanced compositions. Some students will already be excellent players, but want to develop particular skills, such as improvisational skills, or to study one specific type of piano playing, such as Blues or Classical piano.
Learning a new musical skill as an adult is a great way to keep your brain fresh! We have many adult students actively taking lessons with us, and this actually represents around 50% of our student base. Our instructors will offer an individually tailored lesson plan to the needs of an adult student. You will learn the technique of the instrument, specific repetoire suited to your skill level, and learn how to read music and sight read.
Due to the attention span of very young children, we advise that students begin their piano lessons no younger than age 4 or 5. Piano lessons are a great way to introduce an instrument for the first time to a younger child, as learning piano will teach them basic musicianship skills like rhythm and harmony, and how to read sheet music and chords.