Piano lesson

[Mama Leong]

Do u buy a piano when they start learning? What if their interest doesnt last??

[buds]

If you’re unsure whether your child sustains the interest, do find out from

your child’s music school whether they allow practice sessions at their
studios… If yes, when? Cause peak hours like both Sat & Sun where
lessons are all full back to back, it can be really impossible to arrange.
If yes, ask how much per hour? This way, after a while you can gauge
whether in the long run… the interest has increased and improved and
whether you will eventually need a piano for home use/practice. If you
are already considering to buy one for starters, go for good 2nd hand
ones that include tuning and delivery.

Hope this helps.

[acforfamily]

concern:

Thanks for your reply. Do you think it is better to send a 5 yrs old girl to attend lesson in school or at home?

It depends on your child. If your child is sociable, it will be quite fun to send to a group class. A lot of parents, however, do think that you can progress much faster in an individual setting. I sent mine to a group class because I want him to enjoy music rather than see it as another 'subject' that he has to master.

[Mama Leong]

buds:

If you're unsure whether your child sustains the interest, do find out from

your child's music school whether they allow practice sessions at their
studios... If yes, when? Cause peak hours like both Sat & Sun where
lessons are all full back to back, it can be really impossible to arrange.
If yes, ask how much per hour? This way, after a while you can gauge
whether in the long run... the interest has increased and improved and
whether you will eventually need a piano for home use/practice. If you
are already considering to buy one for starters, go for good 2nd hand
ones that include tuning and delivery.

Hope this helps.

Oh, thanks a lot for yr valuable input.

[buds]

You’re welcome.

[Busymom]

Personally, I feel it is alright to start off playing with a keyboard if you are unsure whether you child’s interest in learning piano could be sustained beyond a few months, especially if your child is still young. Mine was 3+ was she first started with Yamaha under group lesson. Even though I have an upright piano at home, I didn’t let her play on it as I didn’t think her fingers were strong enough to play on piano at that age. I happened to have a 54-key electronic keyboard that I got for about $50 from a sale and just let her used it. Till today (2 years later), she is still playing the keyboard and occasionally on the upright piano. Maybe I should have let her start using the piano say about half a year ago, but to be honest, she continues to be able to cope well in her class (as in I do not see her being at all disadvantaged compared to others in terms of her playing). Another plus point, is that I do not have to worry about the keyboard being off tune, unlike the piano.


Getting a 2nd-hand piano is a good suggestion as well.

[pinkgorilla]

concern:

Hi,


My girl starts her 1-1 piano lesson when she is 5. Can someone tell me normally how long it takes before she can sit for her grade 1 exam?

Thanks.

How long it takes will depend on her progress. Let the teacher decides. I personally believe in going the through train approach if the teacher think it's suitable for the child - meaning skip some grades. Exam is very stressful for the kid, she practices the same 3 pieces for many months until she gets so sick of it. It's not necessary to take every single exam.

Some kids do even grades, 2,4,6,8 and some do odd, 1,3,5,7,8 . Do start on theory early. Grade 1 can skip, very easy. If kid is P2 and know some fraction, can do grade 2 theory straight away. The problem with theory is that there are alot of musical terms to memorise and she must have good memory. You need grade5 theory in order to do grade 6 practical. So coordinate with teacher, school work stress level and ability.

Skipping grade allow her to have time to do repertoire and fun pieces for her enjoyment. She can also have time to learn all kinds of musical styles. It's the same reason why secondary school kids take Integrated Program to skip 'o' levels so that they have more time to do enrichment activities.

Hope this helps

[Mandy-Alex]

Dear All,


You may go to this website of the new Musical School in Singapore.

This is the website : http://www.musicalartstudio.com.sg

Regards!

[jce]

I teach individual classes as well as group classes and I use flash cards and games for both classes to help them learn. It’s important for teachers to be creative and be able to cater to the individual needs of the student. Every child learns differently so the method of teaching should accommodate to this.


The younger child would probably benefit from group classes, like music appreciation, but at age 4+ or 5, a one-to-one would generally be quite suitable. Just make sure you find a teacher to suit your child. One who can build a good teaching relationship with the child.