For many parents, music lessons are terra incognita. When to start, what to study, how to pass the exams, what will the exams bring to the child, what are the educational protocols… I answer these questions so often that I have decided to list them here altogether.
- What is the best age to start piano music lessons?
- What is the recommended lesson duration for different ages?
- How much time does it take for the student to prepare for your lessons at home?
- Should a parent be present at the lesson?
- What is the music theory and what subjects does this course include?
- How often should we take the RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) exams? Can we “jump” over the levels?
- What do the RCM exams bring to my child?
- How should I help my child in his/her musical studies?
- What type of piano should I buy?
- What is your RCM teacher number?
- What is the best age to start piano music lessons?
- What is the recommended lesson duration for different ages?
- How much time does it take for the student to prepare for your lessons at home?
- Should a parent be present at the lesson?
- What is the music theory and what subjects does this course include?
- How often should we take the RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) exams? Can we “jump” over the levels?
- What do the RCM exams bring to my child?
- How should I help my child in his/her musical studies?
- What type of piano should I buy?
- What is your RCM teacher number?
Practically, it is possible to start lessons at ANY age. It is important for the child to know letters and numbers because notes in music are identified by letters and fingering by numbers. As a rule, children start learning music in the age of 5-7 years. However, I had students of 4 years old, and, as a very rare exclusion, even 3 years old.
Don’t be afraid to be “too late”. Very often, children, who start music lessons at the age of 8-10 years catch up those, who started much earlier. Trust me, it is possible to learn how to play the piano at ANY age, whether you are 5, 15, 25 or 45 years old. One of my students, a prosperous lawyer and a very busy man, started the classes with me at the age of 50 and achieved remarkable results after several years of studies: he played Bach, Chopin and Mozart on stage.
Certainly, it is much harder to learn new stuff for adults: their motility is not that agile, memory is weaker, and they are too overwhelmed with their everyday troubles. But magnificent delight of ability to play your favorite melodies outweighs all difficulties.
If your child is under 6 years, I recommend starting with 30 minutes lessons once or, better, twice a week. The most complicated task in teaching of young students is to set their arms correctly. A regular training is required, and therefore two times a week work better than one.
Children at 6.5-7 years old are usually ready for 45 minutes lessons. The first 15-20 minutes are regularly spent on homework checking, explanation of new material, ear and finger training, and sight reading. The rest of the lesson is dedicated to the music itself.
Starting from 8 years 60-minute lessons are recommended.
For those, who achieve RCM level 9, one hour and a half lessons are a must to pass the exams successfully.
Students at RCM level 10 and higher should take two hours lessons.
Schedule of lessons for adults depends on many factors and is determined individually. Usually, it is one hour once a week.
A child should study as much as required to do the homework that was given at the lesson. For example, consider a task to learn a piece by heart. Different children are capable to a different extent for such a task. Some can memorize very fast, practically after several repetitions. Others need more time spent at the piano.
The home studies should be regular under a defined schedule. It is desirable to study at least 4-5 times a week besides lessons with the teacher. The structure of home studies must be the same as of the guided lesson: technical exercises, sight reading, work with musical pieces. Ideally, this study should take the same time (if not longer) as the guided lesson.
For a child under 7 years presence of a parent is very desirable. It would be great if you follow the lesson and go deeply into details of my explanations. This will allow you to assist your child to do the homework. You also will be able to control how he/she sits behind the instrument, keep arms, elbows, legs. Positions of the limbs all the time are crucially important to obtain a good piano technique.
Some of the parents record my lessons with video cameras. Reviewing these records helps the young student to refresh important moments of the lesson. I sincerely appreciate such a serious attitude.
As your child grows, your presence at the lessons becomes unnecessary, but I always welcome parents, who continue following their kids’ achievements.
Music theory is a set of basic knowledge about music nature, notation, structure and composition. By learning the music theory the student receives full understanding of elementary components of a musical piece, their variations and correlations.
Music theory itself consists of three courses: Basic (correlates to the level 5 of RCM piano), Intermediate (level 6) and Advanced (level 7-8).
The students, who pass Advanced Theory successfully, continue learning with Harmony. This is a more complicated theoretical discipline. It also consists of three levels: Basic (RCM piano level 9), Intermediate (level 10) and Advanced (ARCT level).
On top of that, students of the higher grades usually take courses of Counterpoint and/or Analysis of Music Forms.
Besides these mere theoretical disciplines, students of the levels 9, 10 and ARCT must pass exams on History of Music.
Successful passing of all written exams provides receiving of the RCM diploma, which gives a right to teach music at educational institutions. Results of written tests on music theory and history are counted during attestation at high school and universities.
First of all, not every student should take the exams. Preparation for the exams requires serious dedication. These exams are highly professional, and preparation for the exams may be combined with a certain level of stress. Not every student is interested in such an experience. Nonetheless, many students treat these exams seriously and enjoy receiving confirmation of their achievements by the official body certificates.
The exam level is determined by the teacher. You are not required to pass the exams sequentially. It is your right to start climbing the exam stairs from any level, but I do not recommend skipping levels after the level 7.
The RCM education program is structured exceptionally well. It is very professional. Following to this program makes musical development of your child intense and harmonic. The exam results give credits at the high school. More information about exams and advantages of taking them is available on the RCM website.
First of all, you should arrange his/her place for the piano studies. It is absolutely NECESSARY to buy a lamp, which stands on top of the piano and projects bright light on the music text (but not in the child’s eyes!). Other light sources mounted on walls or ceiling do not provide the same quality of illumination. Bad, dull illumination of notes is one of the major factors for fast fatigue of your child.
Buy a professional piano chair. The best solution is the spiral piano chair with leather seat. The height of such a chair can be adjusted as your child grows. If your chair is made of wood, in a form of a stool, it is usually too low for small children. In this case, you can use a sort of pedestal (like thick hard books), on which the child can sit straight and at the required height.
It is absolutely NECESSARY to put a small stool under the child’s feet. If the child plays piano dangling feet in the air, this is the direct way of acquiring a spinal curvature.
Always control how your child sits. Remind him/her that he/she must keep the back straight, elbows should be kept a little aside, hands should be kept also straight without bending up or down.
Remind your child about the homework, especially at the first steps. Written homework seems very new and unusual for many small kids. They can forget doing it. Control the regularity of his/her studies. Try to never skip the lessons. Believe me, music studies, being arranged correctly, will become a very important part of your child’s life after a while.
The most important, be patient and friendly!
Generally speaking, there are four modifications of the piano-style instruments to select from: keyboard, digital piano, upright piano and grand piano.
A keyboard is the worst available choice. The keys of the keyboard do not correlate with the keys of a real piano: the total length is shorter, keys are lighter and smaller, etc. Correct hands position with a keyboard is impracticable. The most negative keyboard feature is that its sound does not depend on keys pressure. A child, while learning to play with a keyboard, acquires a bad habit of being negligible to the technique of playing. Add that the sound of the keyboard is a sort of robotic. Learning to play keyboard is just wasted time and money, in my opinion.
Digital piano is recommended for those, who live in an apartment house because you can play in earphones without disturbing your neighbours. Keys of a digital piano are very similar to keys of a real piano, sound depends on key pressure and close to the original. This is a budgetary solution. However, digital piano’s main demerit is that it is not durable. The keys loosen and start producing additional “hammering” sound very quickly. I do not recommend buying a heavily used digital piano.
Certainly, the best choice is a real acoustic upright piano. It is not necessary to buy a new instrument. A piano, which is 20-30 years old, being bought from a good reliable dealer, sounds and looks the same as a new one. In the future, you may decide to change it to a more expensive model or even to buy a grand piano, which stands on top of the piano hierarchy.
I am always ready to help choosing the right instrument for my students.
58661. You will need this number when you submit an application for an exam online.