Welcome to Piano Class! Learn along with friends, to make your piano journey more fun.
- Small group classes develop camaraderie and confidence.
- Students love showing their Piano Class friends what they have learned, which naturally motivates them to practice in between lessons.
- Music-learning should be fun and encouraging, so the class will be taught with a lively emphasis on games, hands-on activities, and group interaction.
What to Expect
- We place equal emphasis on both music-reading and ear-training, to create life-long musicians.
- We believe that every student is musical, and it is the teacher’s job to unlock the student’s potential. This requires the teacher to use multiple teaching approaches (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), tailor each lesson to fit student ages and personalities, and use analogies (relating concepts to the students’ personal interests).
- The Parent is a vital part of the teaching team. The parent provides a music-rich, nurturing environment, ensures the availability of proper equipment, plays the music CDs or audio files for the child daily, and leads and encourages the child’s practice.
- Mistakes are part of music-making. We strive to make music beautiful, and learn to accept our mistakes calmly without focusing on them. Rather than be embarrassed by our musical mistakes, or turn them into logismoi, we learn to use them as diagnostic tools to make our music better.
Prerequisites
- No piano experience is required.
- If the student has not already completed one of the SAA Music Theory courses, which teach how music works, it is acceptable to take one alongside this class. The SAA Music Theory courses are Music Explorers (K-1), Music Detectives (2-3), Music Fluency (4-5), and Music Horizons (4-5-6). These classes are designed to make the Piano Class easier, and enable your student to learn faster.
Required Equipment
- A high-quality piano, whether regular (acoustic, tuned twice a year) or digital (Yamaha P45 or better, with 88 keys and fully-weighted keys; the student will also need a sturdy piano stand, not tabletop). Using high-quality pianos teaches students fine touch and tonal beauty. Just as a bad pen produces bad handwriting, a bad piano produces bad-sounding music, and the student will become reluctant to practice. Please invest in a piano that will produce good results.
- An adjustable bench and adjustable footrest, in order to prevent muscle stress, fatigue, and injury. Your student’s size will determine what bench and footrest are needed, so please consult with the teacher about sizing before buying or making your own.
Required Materials
- Ear-Training Materials:
- App for Phone or Tablet: AudioStretch. The Lite or Free version is fine.
- Audio Recording: Kataoka Performs the Suzuki Piano School, Vol. 1 Downloadable MP3 (Choose the edition with performer: Haruko Kataoka.)
Choose supplier: Amazon or iTunes or Alfred Media
Note: Do not purchase a streaming version. We need to upload the Suzuki MP3 to Audiostretch. Streaming will not work in Audiostretch. Purchase the download instead.
- Reading-Training Materials:
- Textbook: Stewart Piano Song Book (author: Elsie Stewart). It is recommended that each child in a family have his or her own book.
- Patterns, one set per student: When ordering the textbook, Mrs Stewart’s Piano Lessons© Book 1, also request the following patterns. They are not listed on the order page. They cost a dime or two each, and are easily lost, so it is a good idea to order extras.
- Two (2) Scale Patterns per student
- One (1) Root-Chord Pattern per student
Only enrolled students can view materials.
