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Here are just a few of the many teachers offering Piano lessons in Kirkland . Whether you are looking for beginner guitar lessons for your kids, or are an adult wanting to improve your skills, the instructors in our network are ready to help you now!
Instruments: Piano
For beginning students who are children, I typically start with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements. Once the student has progressed to have a grasp of the fundamentals, I will begin to introduce a solo repertoire appropriate for their first recital performance. For adults, I try to find out what the student is interested in depending on the ability level. I would also start with books for adult beginners if needed. My goal as a teacher is to keep the lessons engaging and fun, no matter their ability level. Read More
Instruments: Piano Trumpet Trombone
For beginning brass players I generally start out with Hal Leonard's Essential Elements series of books. After going through that, with some other material on the side, such as performance pieces, etc, they would progress to the Arban book (at around high school age for the student who began in sixth grade, as I did). For piano, I much prefer starting out with basic fundamentals, but not to any specific method, in contrast to brass. Read More
Instruments: Piano
I believe in individual piano lessons for my students. Traditionally I have taught using Faber's Piano Adventures and the Alfred Series. I also have used the Bastian series. However, I often adapt my lessons to match the needs of my students. I am currently designing my own curriculum to better meet the needs of my piano studio. Read More
Instruments: Piano Trombone Bass Guitar Euphonium Tuba
My teaching experience dates back to my college days, as I began teaching private lessons part time 30 years ago, and have been consistently teaching students in my home studio for the last15 years. Encouraging regular practice on a consistent schedule is one of the key points I like to emphasize for younger students, as it tends to help the student progress and gain a passion for the instrument. I've also found that a combination of classical and modern music can go a long way in helping students enjoy theinstrument and motivate them to practice and continue to learn. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Bass Guitar Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
I like working with students in a way where our love of music is the center of our attention, as such musicality is always the goal. For beginner students who’d like to sight-read, I like to start with the Alfred Modern Guitar Method 1 and supplement that with the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method, Grade 1, or Frederick Noad’s Solo Guitar 1 if we’re learning classical guitar. Alternatively, if the student wishes to take a route in which he/she does not sight-read musical notation, I like to start with basic picking technique, proper guitar positioning, reading tabs and chord diagrams. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Voice Violin Cello Viola Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Flute Clarinet Drums Bass Guitar Harmonica Ukulele Recorder Electric Violin Fiddle Double Bass Keyboard Electric Guitar Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
My motto is my students create their own lesson. I formulate lesson plans off of the styles of music you are most interested in. If my student has a more "just for fun" attitude, the lesson will inevitably be a more light hearted feel. If the student would like to focus on more technicalities, that as well is a different approach. However, I do have a more structured plan for younger students. Read More
Instruments: Piano Voice French Horn Music
In the same genre, I have taught and coached pianists and pit players to adopt the nuances of musical theatre music. In the classical world, I have coached chamber music, solo and group improvisation, jazz combos, choral ensembles, solo vocalists, and piano soloists. When I was an undergraduate, I took courses in choral, woodwind, string, percussion, and brass pedagogy. I find teaching music to be an act of listening deeply and responding from my gut, my experience, and my heart. Read More
Instruments: Piano Guitar Clarinet Bass Guitar Organ Ukulele Mandolin Recorder Double Bass Keyboard Classical Guitar Acoustic Guitar
Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Unfortunately I never chose a primary instrument. I chose piano at age six because there was a piano in the house. I chose clarinet in fifth grade but it did not become a primary instrument because I wanted to play in jazz band in high school and played bass because that was needed. Bass was my primary professional instrument up to about 1990 when I started playing guitar and mandolin professionally. Then when I studied to be a church musician I was back to playing piano and added organ. In essence I have become a jack-of-all-trades on instruments. I don't recommend having such diversity because it keeps one from mastering a specific instrument; though I do enjoy playing all the instruments I have chosen.
What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
When I first started at the church I currently work at the congregation was not a singing congregation. Now they are a great singing congregation and I believe that my accompaniment approach is a key part to that singing.
Another accomplishment that is important to me is that the gypsy jazz band I played in for several years played on the main stage of North America’s largest gypsy jazz festival. A great moment.
I also am always glad when I run across a former student that is still playing and tell me how much it enriches their life.
Have any of your students won awards or been selected for special honors? How have they succeeded?
A clarinet student became the winner of the state solo/ensemble contest.
What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
On guitar the hardest thing is to learn to read music without tablature. Because some pitches can be played in multiple spots it can be challenging to know where to play the notes when reading. In some instances one might have two or three solutions before one settles on the best choice.
Another challenge with guitar is to play rhythm well, particularly when using a plectrum/pick. One needs to play so that it sounds smooth and does not drag.
The third challenge is to play with good tone whether using fingers, fingernails, fingerpicks or a plectrum.
Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
On piano I build my lessons around the John Thompson method and supplement it with other materials to give a balanced foundation of many eras and genres.
On guitar, if a classical beginning is chosen, I use the Noad method or the Christofer Parkening method.
For other fingerstyle approaches I use Hal Leonard’s Guitar Workshop series for Fingerstyle guitar supplemented by appropriate materials from Oak Publications.
For bluegrass based material I primarily use Osk Publications.
If the student desires to learn gypsy-jazz I use books by Michael Hortoeitz.
25 Years
Since We Started
41,456+
Happy Customers
10,769
Cities with Students
3,123
Teachers in Network
Trusted as the industry leader, for over 21 years the teachers in our network have been providing Piano lessons in Kirkland to students of all ages and abilities.
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