What is the first step to starting piano lessons?
Well, it’s obvious to every single piano teacher ever. Sometimes it’s not quite so obvious to parents.
Here it is:
**GET A PIANO!**
The first step to starting piano lessons is to get a piano to practice on.
First Day of Lessons
This may or may not seem like a no-brainer. In case it’s not, let me explain. Your child will not make progress without a piano at home on which they can practice between lessons. So until you have a piano – don’t bother, unless your goal is to pay for really expensive babysitting.
Personally, I’m not interested in really expensive babysitting, which is why we require that students have an instrument at home in order to begin lessons. I want your child to be successful at learning the piano. Here at Chesser Music Studio, we are invested in your child’s success.
Can we see if we like it?
Sometimes parents ask “Can we just try it first before we buy a piano?” The answer is no, and here’s why:
Starting lessons without a piano at home is like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The idea of trying to “see if we like it” is destined to fail.
Why? Because learning an instrument is hard work. It takes practice and dedication. It takes the willpower to keep going even you want to quit. It takes grit.
How can you put in the hard work without an instrument to practice on?
How can you feel a sense of accomplishment when your hard work at practice pays off?
How can you learn without the right tools?
(You can’t)
Taking piano lessons without a piano at home is like learning to play tennis without a racket, learning how to skate while wearing tennis shoes, or learning how to dribble a basketball without a basketball in your hand. It just doesn’t work out. The first step to starting piano lessons is to acquire a piano or keyboard.
Starting Lessons Without A Piano
What happens when Little Susie comes to piano lessons each week when she doesn’t have a piano at home to practice on? How many new songs can she learn if she still hasn’t mastered the previous one or can’t find which key is C? How does she feel when she struggles with the same concepts week after week? Won’t she be bored working on the same tune for 5 weeks as she hasn’t mastered it yet? What does she think when she’s not pleased with the sounds she’s making at the piano?
Here’s what happens: She thinks she’s not good at piano – and that’s not true at all.
The truth is she never really had a chance to be successful because she couldn’t practice between her lessons. The hard work of learning to play piano happens not at the piano lesson, but during piano practice at home the other 6 days of the week. And for that, you need a piano.
Conclusion
Trust the piano teaching community when we say the first step to starting piano lessons is
1. Get a piano!
Here’s a great starter digital piano!
