Piano Lessons in Bernal Heights, CA

Instruments: Piano Guitar Saxophone Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Organ Synthesizer Ukulele Mandolin Music Keyboard Electric Guitar Acoustic Guitar

I always say that rhythm is more important than the notes. Play the right rhythm and the notes will come instead of playing every right note while sacrificing rhythm. I encourage students to make their mistakes loud, proud, and in rhythm so everyone has a better idea of what needs to be worked on most. I also emphasize isolating parts to practice and working backwards. Example: play the last two bars of the song until comfortable with it, now play the last 4 bars, last 6, last 8...etc., whole song. Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

When teaching piano I always start with this question: "Why are you taking piano lessons?". The answer is very important to me because it gives me an idea of how to approach the lessons. There are many different reasons for taking lessons and both student and teacher need to be clear on what purpose the lessons will serve. No matter the level I will always focus on playing in a relaxed and natural manner. Read More

Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Drums Bass Guitar Conga Latin Percussion

I like students to learn their favorite songs while learning technique, such as scales and chords, as well as music theory.   Read More

Instruments: Piano Keyboard

I will organize a manageable number of tasks for duration of each lesson to my students. Then, I will determine the progress of the students by assigning them with appropriate tasks to practice plus music theory. It is more rewarding when seeing my students grow and love what they are learning. My teaching style is to teach them by their character and learning pace. By tailoring what my students' ability to learn music skills, I am more prone to teach what they can achieve in their every lesson. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice Clarinet

My name is Lauren and I am a voice and piano instructor who has the goal of not only improving your voice or piano skill, but also improving your confidence and presence on stage. My love of music dates back to my early childhood and it has been a dream come true getting to share it with budding musicians both young and old. I have had the opportunity to work with some extraordinary musicians in my career and have come to understand the importance of not only teaching solos but also coming together as a team. Read More

Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone Euphonium

I encourage trombone mouthpiece exercises and long tones at the beginning of my lessons as proper embouchure flexibility is important to practicing and playing better. Breathing is another aspect that I look at and always breathe by expanding the diaphragm. I use the essential elements series for trombone beginners and melodious etudes for more experienced trombone players. I believe in breaking down difficult pieces into chunks to work on in order to improve upon more difficult passages. Read More

Instruments: Piano Voice

For beginning students, I use the Piano Adventure Series by Nancy Faber and Randall Faber. I also use the A Thousand Stories for a Little Pianist by Katrin Arefy. My special methods in teaching young students include stories, easy duets, and singing familiar folk songs. For intermediate level students, I use different method books according to the student's interests. However, I encourage them to play Classical music, which is very useful in developing good techniques in piano playing. Read More