Thinking about taking piano lessons? This article will answer the questions How Often Should I Take Piano Lessons, and help clarify your decision before hiring a good piano teacher.
How often should piano lessons be?
Piano lessons are typically done once a week. This is the universal standard for most piano teachers. Having a week between lessons allows the student to practise the material at least a few times before the next lesson. This ensures that the material is well integrated before anything new is taught. The time between lessons also allows the student to develop good practice habits, which is just as important as the lesson itself.
Is one piano lesson a week enough?
One piano lesson a week is enough for most people. In some cases, more than one lesson per week can be recommended. For example, a second lesson could be used to cover certain complimentary topics such as music theory, music history, or even piano technique.
In other cases, students may have difficulty working on the material on their own. This may be due to a lack of discipline, or it could be because of a learning disability or concentration issue. In these cases, a second weekly lesson can be used to review the material that was covered in the first. It can also serve to reinforce good practice habits in the student.
How long should music lessons be?
The average music lesson is one hour. This provides the ideal amount of time for a music teacher to cover the lesson material, answer questions and allow the student to practise the material. This length of time is ideal for adults, teenagers and certain determined kids.
Most music schools also offer 30-minute or 45-minute options. A 30-minute music lesson is ideal for kids under the age of 12. Although some kids can handle a 1-hour lesson, most do not have the proper attention span or motivation and will get distracted before the lesson is over.
A 45 minute music lesson can be a great option for students aged 10 and older. It also provides a less expensive option for the price-conscious shopper and still provides a decent amount of lesson time.
How many lessons does it take to learn piano?
First you need to determine what your goal is for learning piano. For example, if you are a beginner and your goal is to become proficient at reading music and playing simple repertoire like Amazing Grace, Au Claire de la Lune, or Jingle Bells, then most piano students can get there in 4 to 12 piano lessons. This is the equivalent of 1 to 3 months of piano lessons.
If your goal is to become a high-level jazz or classical pianist, then it will take years of training under the guidance of renowned piano teachers. According to a famous study by psychologist Anders Ericsson, elite musicians in the most prestigious music academies in the world, practised their instrument an average of 10,000 hours before reaching an elite level. That’s around 3 hours a day for 10 years.
Important factors that will influence piano learning speed are age, inherent musical ability, practice habits and overall motivation.
Can you learn the piano in a year?
1 year of piano lessons combined with regular disciplined practice, will allow the average student to learn the fundamentals of piano and play a variety of popular piano pieces, such as Hey Jude by the Beatles and the first movement of Turkish March and Für Elise.
This article answered the question How Often Should I Take Piano Lessons? If you are interested in finding a qualified piano teacher to help you achieve your piano goals, follow these links appropriately.
Let us know what you think. How often do you think piano lessons should be?