Getting Started with Private Piano Tutorials
By Yann, published on 18/09/2018 We Love Prof - IN > Music > Piano > Take Piano Lessons“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” – Tom Lehrer
It’s very hard to find somebody who doesn’t like music at all. Playing the piano is a relaxing and stimulating activity for many people. You just need to learn the piano before you can really start enjoying it and playing a few classical piano tunes.
So how can you get started with private piano lessons and learning the piano?
Here’s our guide for beginners on getting started with playing piano.
How Much do Piano Lessons Cost?
Private piano lessons at home are a great alternative to piano lessons in a conservatoire or a music school. A lot of people choose this option so that they can enjoy all the benefits of a private tutor or a piano teacher such as personalised advice and tailored weekly lessons.
There are several criteria that will affect the price of a piano tutorial. (Source: PublicDomainPictures)
However, before you start with beginner piano lessons, you should find out more about the different organisations and teachers available and find out exactly how much private piano tutorials cost.
You can find out more either via the internet or by having a look around your neighbourhood for people teaching piano. You might have some friends who know some private piano tutors who’d be able to give you some piano lessons that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
To really understand the price of a piano lesson, you need to understand exactly what you’re paying for.
Private piano tutors are often self-employed. Basically, they need to charge a rate that they can live on and use to pay for all their outgoings. It’s therefore difficult for any piano tutor to charge less than a certain amount.
The cost of piano lessons also includes the time a tutor spends organising their piano tutorial before they actually teach it. This preparation and planning need to also be paid for.
You need to keep in mind that you’re also paying the tutor’s knowledge, skills, and experience. The more experienced the tutor, the higher you’ll be expected to pay.
When it comes to private tutorials, it’s important to remember that some tutors charge fees based on how they have to travel to get to your lessons. Additionally, rates tend to vary by location.
Generally speaking, an hour of piano tuition will cost somewhere between £20 and £50.
However, you can reduce these costs by getting group classes and making the most of the taster sessions that many tutors offer free-of-charge.
Which Private Piano Tutor Should You Choose?
Before you start looking for private tutors, you should be aware that there are plenty of different types of tutors and one that may work for somebody may not work for another.
There’s a private piano tutor for every type of student. (Source: allegralchaple0)
Some tutors are better for teaching music theory whereas some might specialise in tablature.
So how do you choose the ideal piano tutor?
You need to start by asking yourself important questions about why you want to learn piano. Maybe you want to become a musician, play at a friend’s party, become a music teacher, or another reason altogether. You’ll need to find a tutor that meets your expectations.
Some tutors taught themselves to play the piano, which might work for certain piano students.
Whatever your reasons, you should ask yourself:
- How quickly do I want to learn to play the piano?
- What type of music would I like to play?
- Why do I want to learn to play the piano?
Once you’ve worked out the answers, you can have a look online at the different private tutors offering piano tuition and work out which one will work the best for you.
A lot of the tutors on Superprof offer free tuition for the first hour. This is often to work out what the student will need in terms of tuition and allows the tutor and the student to see if they get along.
Sometimes students realise that a certain style of teaching just doesn’t work for them.
That’s why you need to discuss this with a potential tutor so you’ll know exactly whether or not their tutorials will work for you. You can then hire them for a few months or even a year.
What Will Your First Piano Tutorial Be Like?
Whether you’re doing a piano tutorial in your house, free piano lessons online, private lessons, lessons in a conservatoire or piano school, music teaching often follows a particular structure (musical training, reading piano music, musical culture, arpeggios, etc.).
During your first piano tutorial, you’ll get to know your tutor rather than play the piano. (Source: nightowl)
The same will happen for other instruments (drum lessons, violin lessons, guitar lessons, saxophone lessons, singing lessons, clarinet lessons, cello lessons, flute lessons, etc.).
Once you’ve chosen your piano tutor, it’s time to organise your first piano lesson. You and your tutor should agree upon a schedule that works for both of you. Your first piano lesson might take some time and you shouldn’t be stressing about your schedule during it.
To find out exactly what to expect during your piano lessons, you should ask your private piano tutor during the first lesson.
The first hour of tuition is also an ideal time to get to know them. You can talk about the type of music you both like and the tutor’s experience. Maybe they play piano in a group or know how to play other instruments (electric guitar, bass, saxophone, harmonica, accordion, flute, etc.). They might even teach other instruments that you’re interested in.
It’s also worthwhile talking about things other than music. Perhaps you have other hobbies in common aside from music. This can often make the difference when choosing a piano tutor.
After getting to know them, your tutor will probably try to gauge your level so that they know where to start from. Learning piano can take a lot of time and the tutor will also want to know whether or not you’ve got the right motivation for your piano playing.
You can also talk about your own expectations. Whether you’re playing for fun, surprising a friend, joining a band, starting a career as a pianist, each musician will have their reasons for learning to play the piano. Your music tutor will have to adapt according to them.
They’ll establish a programme, goals, and a schedule to achieve these goals. This will help motivate you.
Your first lesson will probably finish with a few piano exercises to get you started with playing the piano. They’ll probably give you some exercises to work on before your next tutorial.
Where Can You Find Private Piano Tutors?
There are plenty of different ways to find piano tutors. Whether online or offline, it’s very simple nowadays finding the perfect tutor.
An old brother or sister might teach you a thing or two about the piano, too. (Source: NeiFo)
You can start by having a look at the classifieds in small businesses (butcher’s, baker’s, florist’s, etc.). There are also notice boards in bigger businesses and in shopping centres.
You can get in touch with a tutor and discuss your expectations over the phone. You can even put up your own notice explaining that you’re looking for a music teacher or piano tutor and say what you want to learn (music theory so you can read music, music history, etc.).
Think about talking to your friends and family, too. It’s often the case that somebody you know will know just the piano tutor for the job. Perhaps one of your friends know how to play the piano and would be happy to help you progress and become a pianist.
It’s also very simple to get in touch with private piano tutors via the internet. Social networks are really useful for this. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., are really useful for finding piano tutors and quickly getting in touch with them.
There are also platforms like Superprof which are dedicated to helping students find the ideal private tutor. You can look at the tutor’s experience and profile and decide whether or not they’re right for you.
When you get in touch with a private tutor, think about what you’ll ask them about like their rates, what they teach, their experience as a musician or a tutor, etc. The more honest you are with your tutor and yourself, the easier you’ll find finding the ideal piano tutor.
Also look for a tutor who’ll be able to patiently teach you how to play piano on any instrument with a keyboard (grand piano, upright piano, synthesisers, digital pianos, keyboards, etc.).
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced piano player, you just need to find the right one for you. With a private tutor, beginners than design their own piano course with bespoke piano instruction, telling their tutor what they want to focus on. If you want to focus on jazz piano chords, sight reading and reading music, ear training, or improvisation, just tell your tutor and they can focus on a particular skill.
Whether you want to improve your rhythm or fingering, master a certain chord, become a composer, or are interested in learning how to read sheet music, you can find a piano instructor to teach you in person or provide online piano tutorials on Superprof.
Have fun becoming the next Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, or Schubert!
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