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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Are
group classes or private lessons better for learning music?
It
all depends on your learning style. Most children (under about 8)
learn better and enjoy it more in a group. They learn as much by
observing their classmates as they do from direct interaction with
the teacher. After that age, into adulthood, we develop our own
individual styles of learning which may be very different from each
others'. Some teens and adults prefer the camaraderie and group
interaction of a class, and others feel more comfortable with the
focus of one-on-one lessons or semi-private (two student) lessons.
Many of our students begin learning an instrument in a group setting
and then move on to private lessons after they've mastered the basics.
Are
private lessons a lot more expensive than classes?
No, in many cases the costs are very comparable. As a beginner,
you'll likely take a private lessons for half an hour once a week
or a group class for one hour once a week. Depending on the class
and the private teacher, you will likely pay about the same per
week, spending twice as much time in a group class. Costs for both
group classes and private lessons vary, depending on the experience
of the teacher, the relative level of expertise required for a particular
subject, the room required for teaching, the level of the student,
and numerous other factors. A half-hour lesson or an hour class
for a beginner is generally in the $30-$35 per week range, but there
are exceptions.
What
is the best age to begin music lessons?
Music is a language our babies understand before they understand
words, so the more early exposure to music, the better. Pre-school
music lessons should focus on the joy of music, but instrumental
playing can be introduced very young (we start group piano instruction
at 2 in our "Toddler Tunes" class) and research shows
us that early instrumental music education is very good for brain
development.
For
most children younger than 7, we recommend group lessons. Until
their hands have grown large enough to play a chord and their attention
spans have developed to a reliable half-hour, the focus of one-on-one
piano lessons can be stressful and frustrating for children and
teachers alike. Also, most young children learn much better and
faster from observing their peers than from listening to the words
an adult says to them. There are always exceptions to this rule,
of course, but most preschoolers and early elementary school aged
children will learn faster and enjoy it more in a class of their
peers.
How
old is "too old" to learn music?
Creating music is a pleasure that can be enjoyed by all ages. Our
school is proud to have students in their 80's. Many people have
a lifelong ambition to play the piano (for example) but never have
time to pursue it until they retire from working. We welcome such
students.
How
about practicing?
Music lessons and classes will inform you about skills and techniques,
but you must reinforce them with home practice if you're going to
be good enough at your musical pursuit to give pleasure to yourself
and others. In our Harmony Road classes, children begin with very
short home practice assignments at about age 5. Frequency of practice,
rather than the duration of the practice sessions, is the key. In
other words, you will get more from practicing for 30 minutes 4
times a week than you will from practicing 2 hours once a week.
If
you're taking piano classes or lessons, you will need an instrument
at home to practice on. This can be a "real" acoustic
piano or an electronic keyboard. If you have limited space in your
home, an electronic keyboard with headphones may be a good choice.
If you're a beginner, you do not need the full 88 key type keyboard.
But at any age and level, you should make sure that the keys themselves
are the same size as a standard piano key.
How
can I get a piano to practice on?
If
you do not have an instrument for practicing, we recommend you visit
our host, Piedmont Piano Company. Piedmont Piano Co. sells new and used
pianos and keyboards and has the largest rental stock in Northern
California. Click here
to email Piedmont Piano Co., click here
to go to the home page, or call 510-547-8188.
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