ANSWERS

01. How much do I need to practise really?

You know the old saying “You only get out of it what you put in”. It rings true for your piano studies as well. The more you practise, the quicker you progress. You should aim for a minimum of 30 minutes a day (more for advanced levels and for examination preparation)

02. When can I expect to see results?

Again, it really depends on you. I can plant the seeds but “you need to water them” by putting in as much practise as you can manage daily.

03. I want to learn but don’t have a piano or a keyboard? Can I still take lessons?

Obviously to learn to play a student really needs to have access to an instrument at home for practise. A keyboard can be a good short term option but ideally should be weighted (weighted keys) if it’s going to be a long term investment. Otherwise a second hand piano is a good option.

04. I want my child to take lessons but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a piano or keyboard as I don’t know his/ her interest level yet. Any solutions?

To start with, many parents opt for a cheap keyboard (not a full set of keys and keys are not weighted). While this is an acceptable option for the short term, it is not ideal for the long term, as the full benefits of piano lessons can be lost on keyboard practise in terms of touch. When possible, purchase of a good keyboard or second hand piano are the best options but of course it depends on family finances. Please speak to a reputable store who can give you sound, professional advice.

05. I am not sure if I like the idea of doing piano exams? Can I still take lessons?

Absolutely! You can learn any style you like and choose from a wide selection of music. However, you still need to put in daily practise.

06. I was going to do exams but have gotten really busy with school/ university/work commitments. What should I do?

AMEB offers Piano for Leisure exams exactly for this purpose. Fewer pieces are required to be learnt for exams than the AMEB standard exams, and there is less technical work.

07. Do I have to buy the AMEB Technical Piano Workbook even though I don’t plan to do piano exams?

Yes, it is strongly recommended. Pianists need to have strong and nimble finger dexterity in order to play piano efficiently and ‘cleanly’. Much like athletes who need to do warm ups before their big race.

08. Can you switch from doing AMEB standard exams to AMEB Piano for Leisure exams? Or the other way around?

Absolutely!

09. Are there any discounts available?

You can receive a discount if you pay for a full term (10 x lessons) at once. Another discount offered is if you take both piano and theory or musicianship lessons. You wil receive $5 off your weekly lesson total for both! That saves you $50 across the term!

NB. Combined lesson discount not valid with any other discount.

Sibling discount: If 2 or more children are enrolled, the second child receives $15 off their full term fees.

10. I want to learn the piano but think I am too old now. Can I still learn?

Yes! Not only can you, but you should! Age is no barrier. If you can dedicate at least 30 minutes of concentrated daily practise into your routine, you will learn piano more quickly than you expected. And you will be so glad you did! Rather than live with regrets, come and give it a go!

11. Do parents sit in on the piano lessons?

Parents are more than welcome to sit in on the first lesson, to see the teaching style employed. However, after the initial lesson, many students feel more comfortable attending lessons by themselves.

12. How hard is it to learn to play the piano?

All musical instruments are hard to play when beginning. Many students feel that in the beginning it can be tedious but it is important to remain patient as like anything else, it takes time to learn to play. When you realise how far you have come since the first lesson, it will be a priceless feeling!

13 .Is one style of piano playing easier to achieve than another?

All music is hard when starting out but when you finally know what style of music you like to play it becomes easier to understand making it more interesting and easier to play. People tend to play better when they like one style of music as they have a greater understanding and appreciation for it.

14. Is it better to read music or to play by ear?

This is a good question as a little of both is best! It helps if you can do both as there may be difficult pieces in your reportoire that require you to look at the music and the keys. Nevertheless, to reach this smooth playing one must first be able to read the music fully and then proceed to memorising the music.

15. What advantage does piano give over other instruments?

Playing the piano gives many advantages over other instruments as your ears become attuned to the slightest differences in pitch and tone allowing you to tune many musical instruments as well as having the ability to learn other instruments quicker. It also gives dexterity in your finger movements allowing you to better handle different instruments such as guitar, woodwind instruments, brass, etc. Also, as all music revolves around particular scales, chords and musical structures, the piano gives the best visual interpretation of these necessities allowing beginners to better understand music as a whole. For example, music is divided into a scale of 8 notes called an octave which is stretched from the low register to the high register. On a piano these octaves a set out in sequential order from the bottom of the keyboard to the top of the keyboard allowing for an even easier visual understanding. Once fully understanding octaves, staves and all other musical aspects, then the student will find it easy to understand other instruments giving the advantage of being able to learn other instruments whereas other instruments do not give this ability to students as easily.

16. Is it possible to hire a piano?

As keyboards are not a good long term option (unless they have a full set of keys that are weighted but these can be expensive) another option is to hire a piano. This can cost as low as $10-$15 per week.