FAQ

It should have 88 weighted keys, a damper pedal and an adjustable bench. Weighted keys means that the volume of the sound from the piano will increase or decrease depending on how much force is used to strike the keys, rather than relying entirely on a volume dial.

As much as you can afford. With pianos, you typically get what you pay for. In other words, the more expensive the instrument is, the more likely it will be of a better quality. Learning on a bad instrument can be like learning to drive on a golf cart. Of course, it will drive…but it’s just not the same as learning in a car. Moreover, the experience can severely impact your enjoyment and ability to learn proper driving skills on it. Despite the high upfront costs, a good, consistently maintained piano will last you for decades. So in the long run, it will pay off.

It depends. Without knowing how weighted the keys are, the quality of the sound, the brand, age, maintenance history of the instrument, it can be difficult to tell without trying it out. If it’s a used acoustic instrument, similar to buying a used car, it’s also important to hire a licensed piano technician to examine the inside of the potential instrument before you decide to buy it. If it’s new: It can be hit or miss. You will need to do some careful research. Generally speaking, it’s rare that big box stores have the serious piano student in mind when selling instruments to the mass market.

Typically, if budget is an issue, I recommend renting an instrument on a monthly basis first and saving up to buy a higher quality instrument for when you’re ready. There is an added benefit to renting first before investing in something big: It allows beginners time to consider whether learning the piano is something they’d like to do in the long run, to develop their ears and sense of touch so they can discern what the difference between a good and not so good instrument is, and to get a sense of what instruments are on the market and their preferences.

Short enough that you can play on the skin of the fingertips. Long nails tend to force playing with flat fingers, which can lead to improper piano technique and increase the chances of getting injured.

It depends. Every child develops differently and every piano teacher has their preferences. I, personally, will not start a child on private piano lessons until they have:

• Developed fine motor ability in their hands and fingers.
• Can sustain concentration at the piano bench for at least 15 minutes at a time.
• Can listen to and follow instructions well.
• Can count to 10.
• Can read all 26 letters of the alphabet.
• Can verbally communicate with me in complete sentence.
• Shows an interest in music making.

For some children, all of these skills may be in place as early as 3 years old and for others, it may not happen until they are 8 years old. If you’re not sure if your child is ready, get in touch with me. If there is a spot in my studio for a potential young student, I will assess your child’s readiness at the trial lesson.

Absolutely! Hand size is not a limiting factor. It simply means that you will need to learn specific techniques that help you to play the music effectively for your body. For small hands, in particular, I will select pieces that minimize the chances of injury from over stretching. I will also teach you which notes to re-distribute between your right hand and left hand, how to decide on which notes to omit in large chords, and focus on developing solid technique that helps you to move quickly between notes that are spread widely over the keyboard.  

Yes. Each student in my studio receives a record of the pieces and topics covered at each lesson with links to scores and recordings to refer to. Quarterly check-ins on piano goals with projected dates for completion are also discussed and a checklist of pieces and scales that have been fully learned are also maintained. I will also indicate which areas to focus on and for how long to spend on a particular section or piece so that busy students may practice more efficiently in a given week.

Several times per year, there will be recital opportunities in my studio or through the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association’s events. Students also have the opportunity to participate in local music festivals such as the Contemporary Showcase Festival, Royal Conservatory of Music and Conservatory Canada examinations. Duet / Duo / Collaborative piano opportunities are also offered as well as opportunities for workshops, masterclasses, and informal assessments.  

I will help you craft a tailored plan of music to work on based on your goals and current skill level at the lessons. I will direct you to specific materials to purchase in store or to order as needed. Students also have access to all sheet music in the studio’s physical and digital collections.

Students may cancel as many lessons as they’d like. Cancelled lessons do not get the credit pushed forward:  In other words, the student still pays for the cancelled lesson in advance but will reschedule the lesson to another time. I will reschedule as many makeup lessons as I can – however, the time and number are dependent on my schedule, which is generally full for most of the year. Makeup credits do not expire. They can be banked up for the Flex Weeks (ie. specified weeks in the year for makeup lessons) or in the Summer (i.e. when there is more flexibility in my schedule) or when students want extra lessons (i.e. in advance of an exam or on your day off, school breaks etc.)  Please note that lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will not be made up – unless they are due to illness (Please don’t come into the studio and spread your germs to myself or the other students!) or extreme weather (ie. snowstorms). 

It’s hard to say as an opening in my teaching schedule depends on a current student leaving or changing their time slot. If you are looking for a lesson after 3pm on Mondays-Fridays, which are popular times for both 9-5 working adults and kids attending day school alike, the wait can be as long as 2-3 years. If you have flexibility to attend lessons on Mondays-Fridays between 11am-3pm, the wait can be significantly shorter. That being said, changes happen quite frequently in my studio – feel free to email me to check in on this at any time.

Practice as long as you can, provided you do so without discomfort (pain, tension, tingling sensations) in your body and with full mental concentration. What’s more important than the length of a practice session is the frequency and consistency of practice. The more practice sessions you can get in a week, the better. You will also get more results if you practice on a regular schedule. In other words, one 15 minute practice session over 5 days in week will typically give you more progress than one single 75 minute session the day before your lesson in a given week. Thus, it’s more important to schedule a reasonable amount of time on a sustainable schedule. The point is to build a habit of practicing into your routine over the long run.

It varies from person to person. It also depends on what you define as your benchmark for “learn to play the piano”, how well you take to the learning process, and how much time you put in to practice. Typically, learning to play an instrument is a long term process. With most students, it can take up to a year of dedicated lessons and practice to see discernible results. In other words, when you are considering taking lessons, aim to commit to the long game.

As much as you can. As with any skill or art form, learning to play the piano requires significant commitment. The level of commitment will vary from person to person depending on their independent goals and lifestyle. Some ideas to consider include:

1. Practice Time: consistent practice at the piano is essential to make progress. Beginners may start with short sessions of practice a few times a week and increase from there as they advance.

2. Lesson Time: consistent lessons are also necessary to make progress as your teacher will check what you have practiced and teach you new material to practice. Beginners may start with short lessons once per week and increase from there as they advance.

3. Additional Time: depending on the student, additional time may be needed to perform in recitals or concerts as well as to practice away from the piano to listen to music both in live concerts or recordings, to study their scores, work on music theory or composition, or to study supplemental resources like books or videos related to their piano practice.

While it’s true that the more time you put into piano, the quicker you’ll progress. You can also make significant progress by working efficiently. A good piano teacher will be able to give you tips for effective practice in whatever little time you can devote to piano. It’s important to find the appropriate balance for your piano related activities so that you can make the most out of the time you put into learning the piano.

Learning to play an instrument is scientifically proven to make you smarter.

For kids: Music education builds neural pathways in the brain which neuroscientists have linked to developing processing, problem solving, language, and communication skills among a whole host of other benefits.

For adults: music lessons boost cognitive abilities including memory, motor and attention skills. It encourages creativity, acts as stress relief, and boosts self esteem.

For seniors: there is a link between learning to play an instrument and lowering the risk of dementia. Music lessons also lower anxiety, blood pressure and improve the mood.

For more information, please check out this infographic.

1. Individualized feedback:  one-to-one instruction allows you to receive specific and immediate comments to help you address your needs. This allows you to minimize the amount of time spent struggling with the material and progress faster.

1. Of all the instruments, piano has the most repertoire (i.e. pieces written particularly for the instrument), which allows for a wide variety of music to play and learn from.

2. With the piano, beginners will immediately produce beautiful sound simply by depressing a key, which makes for instant gratification. Whereas with the other instruments, it can take some time before a student is even able to produce sound.

3. The piano can play a wide range of and multiple notes at the same time to produce harmony. Whereas many other instruments are restricted to a narrow range of notes and can only play one note at a time.

4. You don’t have to carry keyboard instruments around for lessons, which makes it convenient for commuting!

5. Keyboard instruments are easy to learn music theory concepts on because of the highly visual black and white patterns of the keys.

6. Finally: the skills learned from playing the piano, such as reading sheet music in different clefs, understanding rhythm, harmony, and coordination between the hands, make it easy to transfer to learning on other instruments. This is why the piano is often considered to be a fantastic starter instrument.