Information for Prospective Piano Students
Beginners
Beginners should only request lessons if they can commit to at least four lessons in a row. This encourages good habits to develop on the piano from the start. Parents may be asked to attend lessons until I feel the child is able to practice productively on their own.
Beginning students should plan on 30 minute lessons. There may be instances where students are either very young or have extremely short attention spans. To help prepare these students for a 30 minute lesson, 15 minute lessons are offered as long as the student is consistently progressing. A parent should plan to attend all lessons and monitor practice time daily for any student who receives a 15 minute lesson.
Instrument
Everyone requesting piano lessons should make sure their piano is in good condition before beginning lessons. Owners of acoustic pianos who have not had their piano tuned recently should consult a professional piano tuner.
Students who need to buy or rent a piano should contact at least two local music stores before requesting lessons. Your teacher does not offer consultation for buying an instrument. Some helpful information on this topic can be found at http://marthabeth.com/rent_or_buy.html with more specific information on whether to buy a new or used piano at http://marthabeth.com/new_or_used.html. (Both links will open in a new window.) Do not buy a piano without hiring a registered piano technician to inspect it first.
Electronic keyboards are a good alternative to an acoustic piano. Some helpful information on what students should look for in an electronic keyboard can be found at http://marthabeth.com/electronic_keyboard_features.html. (Link will open in a new window.) Any electronic keyboard purchased should have at least 61 keys that are identical in width to those on a piano. An electronic keyboard set up like a piano will have 88 keys and 3 pedals, often resemble an upright piano and usually include a bench.
The best person to advise you in the care of your electronic keyboard is the dealer you bought it from. Recommendations for care and maintenance should be included in the instructions.
Acoustic pianos need to be tuned periodically. These should never be placed against an outside wall or in an environment with quick changes in temperature. A professional piano tuner is the best person to advise you on the care of your acoustic piano.
Any piano used for daily practice must be kept in playable condition.
Metronome
All students must have a metronome that includes a reference pitch of A=440. (All links will open in a new window.)
All violin and viola students are required to bring their metronome to the first lesson. I recommend purchasing a metronome that is physically separate from a cell phone. (All links will open in a new window.)
Books & Other Materials
All students are required to have a spiral notebook for lesson notes. Spiral notebook should be 10.5 x 8 inches.
Beginning piano students will have an Amazon.com link for their method books emailed to them.
If a student has already studied with a particular method book or series, please bring them to the first lesson. Advanced students should bring music for the most recent work studied.
Please have a pencil for marking music and completing workbook assignments.
Additional materials will be discussed as needed.